I have to worry about in the coming days is my nephew,” she answered curtly. “He’s my top priority.”
“And mine, too.”
“Then we’ll stay in touch with you.” The promise was hard to make but Andrea had to do the right thing. That was how she’d been raised. “I’ll make sure you know how he’s doing.”
“I’ll keep abreast of his progress by myself,” Grant said in an equally cool voice. “I have no intention of going anywhere until my son has healed and I can take him home.”
Grant’s ominous words paralyzed her without warning. She felt like an idiot, but until this very second she’d never considered the fact that Grant might want Kevin. After everything Vicki had said, Andrea had just assumed the little boy would become the responsibility of the Hunt family. Please, God, she thought suddenly, please tell me I’m misunderstanding this.
“What about your work?” she asked. “Don’t you need to get back to L.A.?”
“I haven’t taken a vacation in five years. LAPD will keep going without me.”
“But what about—”
“He’s my son, Andrea.” Grant cut off her words, any hope she might have harbored about the situation destroyed by his steady stare. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you’re not going to get rid of me. I’m staying here. I love Kevin and I intend to make sure he knows that. I’ll be taking care of him from now on.”
GRANT LEFT ANDREA sitting in the hot sunshine and walked back toward the E.R., her shocked expression telling him everything he needed to know. And more.
True to form, Vicki had made Grant the bad guy, the one who’d been responsible for the breakup of their marriage. He shouldn’t have expected anything less, but somehow this final betrayal hurt more than the ones before. Maybe because he knew there was no way he could correct it. Vicki was gone and the truth of what had happened between them had died with her.
The automatic doors swished open, and Grant made his way to the phone hanging on one wall.
He called his captain first and explained what had happened. “I may need to take some time off—”
His boss responded just as Grant had thought he would. “Take whatever time you need, Corbin. The department understands—”
Grant gruffly thanked the man then broke the connection to dial a second number.
Parker answered on the third ring and once again, Grant gave out the details of Vicki’s death. He finished by saying, “Listen, Park, this may take a while to figure out. Can you hang in there for a week or so without me?”
“Hey, no problem.” His partner answered without any hesitation. “You do what you need to, Grant.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
Relieved to have those two calls out of the way, Grant hung up the phone, turning as he did so. Andrea was still sitting where he’d left her, the sun blazing down on her. As he stared, she crossed one slim leg over the other.
The graceful movement was so reminiscent of Vicki, his heart flipped. Like a line of falling dominos, that motion then triggered another reaction. When he could breathe again, he told himself he was going nuts, but an immediate disquiet had flooded him. Vic had traveled in circles she shouldn’t have and had known folks he’d wished she didn’t. Some of them had been dangerous and influential. He’d warned her of the consequences that came with hanging around those people, but she’d blown him off, saying she could take care of herself.
Time and time again, he’d witnessed the downfall of the poor SOBs in the department who couldn’t turn loose of their ex-wives. He hadn’t wanted to be one of those pathetic men, but the unease Grant felt now went far beyond that.
Could there be a link between Vicki’s death and those powerful people? Highly unlikely, he decided a moment later. Too risky.
Andrea stood up, catching his gaze as she wiped her eyes. His thoughts hop-skipping, he found himself wishing Vicki had told her sister the truth, but he quickly realized what that would mean and he pushed the thought aside.
The truth was the last thing he wanted Andrea Hunt to know.
WITH GRANT by her side, Andrea headed back into the E.R., resolved to the fact that he was staying in Courage Bay but still very unhappy about the situation.
She tried to remind herself the man was Kevin’s father and it was only fair that he would want to be there. But she didn’t want “fair.”
Kevin’s bed was empty when they arrived but five minutes later the door opened to reveal Kevin’s gurney. Grant and Andrea jumped up in unison and ten minutes after that Kevin was settled into his bed, his cast an awkward appendage he didn’t quite know how to handle. Andrea fussed around him, fluffing his pillows, getting him ice and turning on the television. From his chair in the corner, Grant watched her in silence, his steady gaze making her even more nervous. Finally, as Kevin dozed, Grant came to the side of the bed where she was adjusting the railing. Again.
He put his hand on her arm. “Why don’t you go home?” he said quietly. “I’ll be right here with him. You need to slow down and catch your breath.”
His touch burned. “I’m perfectly all right,” she protested, trying to ease her arm away without being obvious about it. “I want to be here—”
She cut off her protest when the door opened unexpectedly. With relief, she saw Alex standing on the threshold. Andrea went to him in two steps, giving him a hug then introducing him to Grant. The two men shook hands in a measured way, exchanging a look as well. Andrea puzzled over the moment, but it passed so quickly, she decided she’d imagined it.
“How you doing, Kevin?” Walking to the end of the bed, Alex nodded to the little boy who’d come awake at the commotion. “That’s a cool cast.”
Andrea answered for Kevin. “The doctor says he fractured one of his malleoli, but the cast should take care of it. The X rays look good, other than that.”
“Great news…” Alex put one of his fists on top the other then swung them together, as if he were batting a ball. “You get out of here, we’ll go out to the little league field and knock some balls around. Sound fun?”
Kevin nodded, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. A second later, he was sound asleep.
They tiptoed into the hall, Alex shaking his head. “Man, when I walked in that house and saw what had happened, I couldn’t imagine anyone surviving under the mess. I’m glad he’s okay.” He turned to Andrea and gave her another quick hug. “But I’m sorry about your sister.” He faced Grant next. “Real sorry. I know you’ll both miss her.”
Andrea nodded because it was all she could do. They chatted for a few more minutes, then Alex said his goodbyes. As the firefighter started down the corridor, though, Grant spoke up unexpectedly.
“Alex—wait. I think I’ll get some coffee. Can you show me where the cafeteria is?”
Pausing midstride, Alex grinned over his shoulder. “Sure thing. I won’t guarantee you’ll want to drink the coffee, though.
