Always Remember (26 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Through the hospital window, Jessie watched the sun rise above the horizon, the rays slipping across the parking lot, warming the pavement, heating the metal of the vehicles. Inside, loneliness and sorrow engulfed her. She’d come so close to making it all the way home, but now it was time to leave.

Behind her, Nate talked on, telling her about his life with Sara. Jessie absorbed everything, including the love he had for their daughter. He’d loved her enough for both of them and if she didn’t already love him so much, she’d love him even more.

Behind her, a door swished open. Jessie turned, feeling raw and exposed, wishing she hadn’t pushed Nate away quite so readily. She could have drawn on his strength and given him some of hers in return. But it was better off this way, better to stand on her own like she’d done for the last seventeen years.

Mike strolled into the waiting room, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and Nate came off the chair. “Did you find Hale?”

“No sign of him. Sorry, bud.” Mike shifted restlessly. “How’s Sara?”

“We haven’t heard anything since George took her into surgery.”

“Wish her well for me, okay? I’d like to stick around, but Hannah’s not feeling well again and I’ve got to get home before the girls wake.”

“Mike?” Jessie placed her hand on his forearm, thankful that Nate and Sara had such good friends nearby. “Thank you. For everything.”

“No problem. Let me know when you hear something. Sara’s been a daughter to all of us — George, Harley, me. We all feel like we had a part in raising her.”

Nate clapped him on the back, silent, and pulled him into his arms for a brief hug. When they were done, Mike said, “Remember to call. I’ll be up with the girls anyway, so it won’t matter what time it is. Just give me half an hour to get home.”

As he headed for the door, it swung open again to admit George. Mike stopped and the two men spoke quietly. With a grin and a thumbs-up sign, Mike vanished out the door and George approached them.

“Sara’s going to be fine. She’s got a concussion so she’ll be woozy for a few days. We had to put pins in her left leg. There’s a lot of damage there, but with proper physical therapy, she should regain full use of it.”

Jessie saw Nate’s shoulders slump with relief. “The baby?”

“A tough kid like his mom. Everything’s fine in that department, too.”

Tears filled Jessie’s eyes and she bowed her head, sent up a prayer of thanks. Leaving might be tough, but at least she could depart knowing that Sara was in Nate’s care.

“Can we see her?” Nate asked.

“Sure. She’s a little groggy from the anesthesia, but she’s awake.”

Nate slipped one arm around her shoulders, laid his hand against the side of her face, and pressed her head against his shoulder.
Sweet comfort.

If she had known what she’d have to give up, would she have come home? There was no doubt in her mind about the answer. Finding out that her daughter had been well cared for and loved was well worth the pain of losing her again.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s say hello to our baby.”

No, she couldn’t, wouldn’t go with him. She didn’t deserve to see her daughter. She’d caused nothing but heartache and misery since she’d set foot back on the ranch. She had no one to blame but herself for Sara’s accident. Jessie pushed out of Nate’s embrace. “You go ahead. I’ll be right behind you. I just need to collect myself.”

Sunlight splashed through the windows. She listened to the sound of Nate’s footsteps as he left with George, saw the droop of his shoulders as he paused at the door, looked back at her, sent her a weary smile. He was tired. Soon, he’d be able to return home, climb into bed, and sleep. Too bad she wouldn’t be there with him.

Now while he was tied up with Sara seemed the best time to leave. With any luck, she’d be on the plane before he even realized she was gone. Unmindful of the tears streaming down her cheeks, Jessie headed for the exit.

Nate leaned forward and placed a kiss on Sara’s forehead. He’d kissed her like this a million times over the years. He hoped to do so a million times more. “You know you’re grounded, don’t you?”

She grimaced and tried to shift on the bed. “I’m half dead. How can you even think about punishment?”

“If you didn’t look so darned pitiful...how’re you feeling anyway?”

“Pitiful.”

He heard the smile in Sara’s voice and the pain that went along with it. His little girl. He’d never take her for granted again.

“My head hurts. My leg hurts. Come to think of it, everything hurts. You didn’t bring ice cream and jello, did you?”

“No.”

“How ‘bout a puppy?”

Soft laughter escaped Nate. “No puppy. Sorry, squirt. They don’t allow pets in the hospital.”

“Maybe when I get home?”

He heard the hopeful anticipation in her voice. In some ways, she hadn’t changed much since she was five-years-old. For the first time, he realized that for as long as he lived, she’d always be his little girl.

She struggled to see past him and Nate moved out of the way. “What are you looking for?”

“Jessie…I mean, Mom. Didn’t she come with you?”

“She needed a moment—”

Sara’s jaw dropped open. She was staring at him as if he had two heads. “You left her alone?”

A frisson of worry slid up Nate’s spine. He glanced toward the open doorway. “Yeah. She said she needed time to, you know, gather herself together.”

“Dad, she’s probably halfway to Nashville by now. I changed my mind. I don’t want a puppy.
I want my mom.
”

Nate’s head snapped around as Sara screeched out her demand. Five-years-old, all right. But surely she was wrong. Surely Jessie wouldn’t—

Leave? Without saying goodbye? Without seeing Sara one last time?

Look what we did. We almost killed our daughter.

“Stay here,” Nate said, and he charged into the corridor and raced toward the waiting room.

Her voice followed him down the hallway. “Where am I going to go?”

He refused to let Jessie suffer the guilt alone. And he sure as hell wouldn’t let her disappear from his life or Sara’s ever again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

By the time Jessie walked out of the hospital and saw the reporter lounging on a nearby bench, she’d managed to gain some control over her emotions. Not much and probably not for long, but at least she had the wherewithal to slip on sunglasses to hide her tears. She pasted a smile on her face.

Maybe, just maybe, she could do something for her family before she got on with her life and they moved on without her.

She sauntered up to the bench and stopped. “Morning, Bobby. What are you doing up so early?”

He tucked his cell phone into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest. “Got wind of an accident. Obviously it wasn’t you. Was it your boyfriend?”

Hold that smile.
“No. It was Nate’s daughter.”

Bobby shifted and straightened on the bench. “You mean Sara, the kid from the bus stop?”

Jessie tilted her head. Maybe this guy had a heart after all. “That’s right, you gave her a lift out to the ranch, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, she was a nice kid.” He scratched his chin. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s going to be fine.” She lifted her gaze to the second floor windows. Everything was going to be fine.

“So how come you’re not up there with them?”

She gave a little shrug and wondered which room her daughter occupied. “They don’t need me hanging around, getting in the way.”

“So where’re you headed?”

 
Jessie dragged her attention back to the reporter. “It’s time I got back on tour.”

“What about your mom?”

“It was her suggestion.” Jessie felt her phony smile ease and grow more comfortable. “You would’ve loved my mom, Bobby. She always gave the best interviews.” She paused and glanced back up at the second floor windows. Maude had brought Sara home to Nate. “I owe my mother everything.”

“Sara’s your daughter, isn’t she?”

The smile nearly faltered, but Jessie hung on to it as she looked straight into the reporter’s eyes. “I’ve got the deal of a lifetime for you, Bobby.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“If you tuck away your curiosity about Nate and Sara, I’ll hire you as my press secretary. You’ll be the first to find out all about my little secrets.”

“And I won’t be able to tell a soul.” He picked up his camera from the bench and pushed to his feet. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch. You’ll come on tour with me, take care of all the media business, and make some great contacts.”

As he regarded her, he lifted the camera and clicked off a shot of her face. “So tell me this. Why are you running away from your family?”

Because they were better off without her? Because none of this would’ve happened if she hadn’t come home? Jessie lifted her gaze, scanned the second floor windows again, and that’s when she saw Sara. With a nurse on either side of her offering their support, the young woman Jessie loved and admired pressed her nose against the window and offered a painful smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bobby turn his camera in Sara’s direction. She reached out and gently pushed the camera back down. “The first thing you have to learn is to protect my private life and my daughter is very, very private.”

“What about her father?”

The sound of boots striking the pavement reached her ears and Jessie slowly turned on her heel. Nate strode across the sidewalk, his very broad and very comfortable shoulders squared with determination. Hope spiraled through her body.

She felt another smile catch the side of her mouth. “I think Sara’s father is about to become very public.”

Nate stopped in front of her, annoyance etched into every deliciously stiff line of his body. Without taking his gaze from her face, he said, “Bugger off, Slimeball.”

Bobby raised the camera and clicked off a shot. “Not going to happen, Coltrane. Your girlfriend just hired me to be her media whiz.”

Nate frowned at Jessie. “You’re kidding, right?”

“It was the only way to convince him to leave Sara alone.” Silence fell between them while Nate seemed to mull over that bit of information. Finally, Jessie asked, “How is she?”

Nate hissed out a breath of air. “She’s screaming for her mother. If you don’t get up there fast, she’s going to throw a tantrum and split open some stitches.”

Jessie glanced up at the window and saw Sara give her a thumbs-up signal.

She wanted nothing more than to be part of their little family. The family she’d yearned for and ached for so long.

Another glower flitted across Nate’s brow and remained. “I’m
not
going back there alone. She’s your daughter, too. It’s time you stopped running and took on some of the responsibility.”

Is that what she was doing? Still running like she’d been running half her life? Had it become a habit?

“I know she’s stubborn, Jess. She can be a pain-in-the-butt, too. But she’s ours, sweetheart. Yours and mine.”

Her throat closed up. A tear spilled down her cheek. Hadn’t she paid the price of her mistake long enough? Didn’t she deserve a little happiness, a little love? But Sara’s life wasn’t worth her own happiness. “Nate, she could have died last night.”

“That wasn’t your fault, sweetheart.”

He took another step closer, pulled the glasses off her face, and tucked them into his shirt pocket. Jessie eyed the width of his shoulders, remembered the comfort of being in his arms.

Beside them, a camera light flashed. Jessie saw Nate’s jaw clench, but he didn’t release her or change his focus.

“No more running, Jess, no more hiding. Don’t leave her.” He cupped her face between his hands, slid his fingers into her hair. “Don’t leave me either. Aren’t we worth the risk?”

God, she could love this man forever. She’d already loved him for a lifetime.

She inched her hands up his chest, felt the strength of his muscles against the palm of her hands. He was everything she’d ever wanted…and he had their daughter.

Nate caught her chin and urged her to look up at him. “I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I’ve loved Sara since your mother brought her home. If I had to go back and relive each heartache, I’d do it all over again rather than miss the chance of having you both in my life. Sara’s waiting for you, Jess. She needs her mom more than she needs her dad right now.”

She’d gotten in, but it seemed she couldn’t quite find the strength to get out.

Jessie leaned into him to give him her answer, but before she could say a word, his mouth was touching hers.

“I’m waiting for you to come home, too, sweetheart. Don’t make me wait another lifetime.”

Home with the man she loved and the daughter she never knew. “I love you, Nate.”

“Mmmmm. Show me.”

As he nipped at her bottom lip, she felt his body press against hers and the need to feel him naked against her, filling her body and soul, vanquished the last of the tears and filled her with joy. Jessie placed her hands against his shoulders and gave him the smile she so rarely wore — the one that felt real and natural. A camera light flashed. Bobby again. Well, this time he could take all the pictures he wanted.