Page 102 of Worth the Wait

“I’m not going to give you Candace’s phone number if you don’t quit it,” Travis teased.

“You’d never let a dog suffer just to punish me. I know you better than that.”

Travis sighed. “You’re right. I’ll text you her info. Just tell her you know me when you give her a call.”

“I will. Thanks a lot, Travis.”

“Anytime. Oh, and congratulations. On getting married and stuff,” Travis said.

“Thanks,” Jack answered appreciatively. “Enjoy Holly’s dating game.”

“Talk to you soon, jerk. Don’t be a stranger.” Travis ended the call by shouting an indecipherable expletive which Jack assumed was meant for Holly and her matchmaking.

Jack fired off a quick text to check in with Callum, then dropped his phone into his pocket. Locking the door to his office behind him, he followed the arrows on the maps down the winding hospital hallways until he found Justin’s office.

The door was open, but he rapped on the doorjamb as a courtesy before sticking his head in.

“Morning,” he greeted.

“Ah, Jack.”

“How are you doing?” Justin asked, running a hand through his hair and pushing back from his desk.

“Well. All things considered,” Jack replied. “You?”

Justin inhaled sharply and plastered a smile. “You mean how is Keith doing?” he inferred before continuing, “Let me walk you down to therapy. We’ll talk on the way.”

Jack stepped aside, making room for Justin to get through the door, then fell in step beside him.

“So?” he reiterated.

“It’s bittersweet, I guess.” Justin shook his head. “Even that sounds selfish.”

“Why?”

“Keith is home. With us, I mean. And I like that he’s there. I just wish it had been under different circumstances.”

“Well, of course,” Jack agreed.

“Has Callum spoken with the police?” Justin questioned, glancing at Jack as they rounded a corner.

“He did. A day or so after we got home from the hospital. Has Keith?”

“Yes.” Justin answered abruptly.

“Have you and Callum spoken about it?” Justin asked as they came up to the physical therapy department.

“I don’t push him about it. He hasn’t wanted to talk about it, but he’s seeing a therapist so he’s talking to someone at least,” Jack lamented.

“What about Verity?” Justin swiped his badge against the security pad near the door.

“What about them?” Jack asked, tilting his head in question.

He and Verity had spoken about what happened briefly at the hospital the morning of the attack, but not since. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t spoken to Verity at all since they’d married him and Callum at the hospital. Jack hadn’t even talked to Landon beyond letting him know Callum would be missing work until his arm had more mobility. They’d both been sealed off in this self-created bubble of angst and discomfort that Jack had let fester.

He realized in his attempts to protect and shelter, he’d been doing Callum a gross disservice. Jack had taken a back seat and had been letting Callum navigate them through this when it should have been him all along. Trauma or not, Jack was Daddy, Jack was in charge, and Jack needed to be what Callum needed in a way that was more effective than he had been. He’d failed his kitten at the worst possible time.

“You should touch base with Verity soon,” Justin suggested. “And Aaron.”