Unintentional (24 page)

“Really? Cool! Thanks, Cade.” He gets in the car quickly, reverses, and is gone within ten seconds.

Cade looks at me, a blank expression on his face. “You did that on purpose. How could you?”

I take him by the hand. “Let’s go. Your baby will be fine.” We get to the front door, and I remind him, “Just remember, don’t mess with me. I always win.”

“We’ll see about that,” he answers shaking his head.

The door swings open and Mattie’s smiling face greets us. “I saw you two on the front lawn, and oh, I’m so happy for you!” She hugs us both. This is embarrassing, first Jeremy witnesses our display and now Mattie.

Suddenly, Cade takes me in his arms, dips me down, and proceeds to kiss me passionately. I’m totally flustered as I hear him whisper, “I win.”

I regain my bearings and say to Mattie, “Sorry about that. We have a little contest going.”

She smiles back at me. “You’ll need to tell me the rules, it looks fun.” She takes me by the hand and leads me into the living
room. Everyone is here, including Sophie.

“Sophie, what a nice surprise!” I’m so happy to see her.

“When Scott heard you were coming, he was nice enough to swing by the hotel and get me. Wasn’t that thoughtful of him?” she asks. Scott smiles broadly. I search the room for Ayden, and, sure enough, he’s glowering back at Scott.

I glance at Cade, and, as expected, he doesn’t look happy with the situation. He leans into me. “We need to talk about this.”

I nod in agreement.

An hour passes without an incident between Scott and Ayden. I think they’re on their best behavior for Mattie. The timer goes off in the kitchen, and Mattie jumps up to get it.

“Can I help?” I ask.

“Sure! I can put you to work.” Mattie motions me into the kitchen.

Just as we enter the kitchen, the phone starts to ring. Mattie grabs an oven mitt and props the phone under her chin simultaneously. “Hello?” She answers as she removes a dish from the oven that looks and smells delicious.

“Yes, I’m Mattie Harkins.” Her voice goes down, almost to a whisper. Something about her tone makes me look up suddenly. Oh no, her face has turned sheet white. Mattie grips the counter, shaking her head. Tears are already spilling rapidly down her cheeks. I approach her and lay my hand on her back. Whatever the person is saying on the other line is not good. Not good at all.

Cade

Mattie enters the room looking pale as a ghost. Laurel has her by the arm to steady her. “It’s Jeremy. He’s been in an accident.”

“What? Where is he? Is he okay?” This can’t be happening. Not to Jeremy.

“I don’t know. They told me he’s at Harborview and to check in at emergency.” Mattie walks around in circles as she searches for her keys. She’s in shock.

“No Mattie. I’ll drive you. We’ll all go.”

I try to keep everyone calm as we pile into two cars and head to the hospital. We’ve left Colton in the care of Mattie’s neighbors, Shirley and David Lewis, who have taken on a grandparent role since
he was born.

I drive Jeremy’s car with Mattie, Laurel, and Sophie. Scott takes Ayden, Mica, and his girlfriend, Mary. It’s only a ten minute drive, so we get there quickly. Mattie hops out before the tires come to a full stop. Laurel, Sophie, and I race to keep up with her.

We enter the elevator and press the button for the lobby floor. Uh ho, I suddenly remember Laurel’s fear of elevators. Our eyes connect and she nods her head slightly. She’s put aside her fear, knowing Mattie needs to get to Jeremy right away. No one speaks. The silence is deafening. I break it with what I hope will be comforting words.

“I’m sure everything will be okay, Mattie. People get into car accidents all the time. My car has airbags and all the newest safety features.”

She looks over at me, panic apparent on her face. She doesn’t answer. I don’t think she has the mental capacity to deal with the possibilities and my feeble attempt to calm her.

Laurel leans over and gives her a hug.

Mattie lets out a hiccupping sob as she puts her head on Laurel’s shoulder and says, “I’m so scared.”

“I know,” Laurel responds. “It’s okay. I’d be scared, too. We’re here for you, Mattie.” Laurel rubs her back.

Mattie looks slightly relieved. I’m glad someone knows what to do.

We enter the lobby and make our way to the reception desk for the emergency department. The last time I was in a hospital was when Mattie was shot. Although she was fine, the entire ordeal cemented my feelings toward hospitals. I hate them.

Mattie approaches an elderly woman and asks about Jeremy. I study her reaction carefully when Jeremy’s name is mentioned, and I see the woman look back at Mattie with compassion in her eyes. Shit, that isn’t a good sign. She instructs Mattie to sit in the waiting room while she pages the doctor, also not a good sign. I feel like I’ve entered a nightmare. I can only imagine how Mattie feels.

We wait for what feels like forever, which turns out to be only five minutes, when a doctor approaches. He holds a clipboard and asks, “Jeremy Harkin’s family?”

Mattie jumps up. “Yes, I’m his wife.”

The doctor nods solemnly. “I’ll need you to follow me.”

I feel my stomach drop. I can’t let Mattie face this alone. “I’m
her brother. May I come with her?” Mattie’s eyes widen, and she takes a deep breath before bravely following the doctor with me following close behind. Once I get through the door, I realize I haven’t said anything to Laurel. I’m sure she understands.

Laurel

Off he goes without a backwards glance. Scott comes over and sits next to me, which is really nice considering Sophie has an open seat next to her.

“Cade and Mattie have always been friends first, you know. He hasn’t had feelings for her for a long time.”

I knew that. Cade and I have had long talks about our past relationships. The fact that Scott feels the need to tell me right now has me a bit worried. Is it possible that this accident could bring them closer, rekindle old feelings?

Sweat breaks out over my entire body. I’m scared. I’m scared for Jeremy. I’m scared for Mattie. And, if I’m truthful, I’m scared for myself.

Cade and Mattie return fifteen minutes later. Cade is holding
her hand while she cries on his shoulder. I can feel the panic rise as my heart pounds so loud, it reverberates in my ears. Cade gently places Mattie into a seat and sits next to her. He motions for all of us to come closer.

“We just talked to Jeremy’s doctor. Right now, it’s touch and go. He’s suffered a traumatic brain injury when his…I mean…my car hit the pole. The doctors have put Jeremy in a medically induced coma which will halt blood flow to his brain, giving it time to heal. Once the swelling decreases, they’ll try to bring him out by reducing the medicine they’re giving him. It might be a few days before we’ll know if—” He stops suddenly.

The silence that follows is filled with fear and anxiety. Cade continues to hold Mattie’s hand while he soothes her. I sense the strong bond between them. I force myself to put it out of my mind. Now isn’t the time to ruminate over Cade’s feelings for Mattie. The stress of this situation has my brain going in a million different directions. I can’t think clearly. All I can think about is the handsome, smiling Jeremy. He’s so young.

Then it hits me, and when it does, it feels like the breath just
got knocked out of me.

“It’s my fault,” I blurt out. “I gave Jeremy the keys and told him to drive Cade’s car.” I look over at Cade in horror. “You remember? I was getting back at you for putting grass stains on my shirt.”

The guilt crushes me; the pain immobilizes me. My heart feels a suffocating weight as I process the truth. If I hadn’t given Jeremy the keys, this might not have happened.

Cade jumps up from his chair and comes over to me. “Laurel, you can’t blame yourself for this. It was an accident.”

I look to see if I can find truth in his expression. His eyes plead with mine. I know he means it. I feel slightly reassured. Now, I steel myself to look at Mattie. I need to know if she holds me responsible.

Her eyes gentle as she confirms, “I’d never blame you for this, Laurel. Ever. Please don’t ever think I would, even if he…you know…”

I really admire Mattie at this moment. She’s so strong. I know I’d be a basket case by now. If it were Cade fighting for his life, I don’t know what I’d do. Looking at Cade now, so kind, gentle, and comforting, my heart overflows with love for him. He’s a wonderful
friend. My conflicted feelings from earlier melt away. Cade is acting exactly how a good friend should.

Five hours later and there’s no news. No one has moved from their places since we arrived. My back, shoulders, and legs ache, and I know I’m not alone. From time to time, one of us will get up, pace around the room, and sit back down. Cade grabs my hand and starts to massage my fingers. I put my head back on the chair and let the gentle kneading soothe and relax me. It’s funny how such a small thing can make a huge difference.

I lean into him. “Thanks, that really helps.”

He smiles. “Anything for you, Laurel.” Simple words, but they mean so much.

Mattie comes back into the waiting room wearing scrubs. She looks exhausted. I wish there was more I could do to help her through this.

She gives all of us a shaky smile. “I really appreciate all of you staying for so long. It looks like this might take days, even weeks, for Jeremy to wake up. Why don’t you all go home and get something to eat and some rest. We should know more by tomorrow.
Cade and Scott both answer at the same time. “No way.” They turn to each other and smile.

Cade remarks, “Great minds.”

To which Scott replies, “Damn straight.”

This has been the first chance any of us have had a laugh, and it feels good to release a little stress.

Mica and his girlfriend, Mary, get up from their seats and go over to Mattie. I can hear them talking with her about their plans to return first thing tomorrow. Ayden walks over to Sophie and asks if she would like a ride back to the hotel. All conversation stops as everyone waits to hear if Sophie will take the ride from Ayden.

“Thanks, Ayden. I really appreciate it, but I’m going to stick with Laurel.”

Ayden looks at me hopefully. “Laurel? Can I give you both a ride back?”

I point over to Cade. “I’m sticking with Cade.”

He puts his arm around me and says, “Really, Laurel, it’s okay. You need to rest and get something to eat. We’ll all need to start taking shifts if this lasts as long as the doctors think it might.”

“I don’t want to leave you.” But to be honest, I feel like I might
fall over any minute. We haven’t had anything to eat for the entire day, and now it’s close to dinnertime. “What about you, Cade? You need rest and food, too.”

He shrugs. “I’ll have my errand boy run down to the cafeteria pretty soon.” Cade tips his head toward Scott.

Scott raises his brow, giving him a haughty look. I’m not so sure Cade will be eating.

Scott leans over to me. “Please go with Sophie. I don’t want her alone with Ayden.” He stops suddenly when he notices my expression. “It’s not for me. It’s for her. Ayden’s not right for Sophie.”

“And who is, pray tell?” I know the answer. Scott has it bad for Sophie. I wonder if a lot of it is the chase. I don’t think either of the boys have ever been rejected before. After Jeremy gets better, we’ll all have a good laugh about this. I need to talk to Sophie about not leading them on. I can tell she’s enjoying this a little too much.

“Are you sure, Cade?” I ask.

“I’m sure,” he responds. He stands up and gives me a little push, “Now go. Off with you.” He asks Sophie, “You’ll take care of
her?”

Sophie gives him a hug. “Always.”

He nods, looking like he feels better.

Cade walks over and takes my hands. “If I had my way, I’d tell you to stay. I’d love to keep you here with me. But it’s more important for you to rest so you can help me,” he teases. “Seriously, I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help Mattie. I know you’ve been a huge comfort to her.”

“Are you sure I should leave?” I ask.

Cade lowers his voice. “Someone has to protect Sophie’s honor. Scott’s staying behind for me. I figure it’s the least I could do until this mess gets worked out.”

He’s right. “Okay, I’ll watch over her. Can I call you in an hour? Would that be okay?”

“Of course. I’ll count on it.” He gives me a hug that tells me he doesn’t want to let me go.

Chapter 24

Cade

I don’t want her to go. But I can see she’s used up her last reserve. I’m worried about her. She looks pale, and her hands have been trembling all day. Once she gets a little sleep and something to eat, I know she’ll be much better. Also, it’s good for Ayden and Sophie to have a chaperone. Who knows what would happen with those two alone. Although, it would be highly unlikely with Jeremy’s life in the balance. I don’t want to take any chances though.

Scott jumps up and bows down to me. “Master, your wish is my command. Your choices are soup, sandwich, or hamburger.”

I like the sound of this. “I’m glad to see you know your place.” I chuckle. Scott’s a good guy, it’s times like this that I really appreciate him.

He straightens up. “Seriously, Cade, I’m going to head out to Madison Ave. There are a lot of delis and restaurants up and down the street. We don’t have to suffer through the basement cafeteria food. Do you know what Mattie likes? I’ll pick up something for her, too.
She looks like she’s going to keel over.”

“She’s a vegetarian now, so I think she’d like one of those garden sandwiches. Make sure to put cheese on it. She really likes cheese. If it’ll make things less complicated for you, you can get me a green tasteless sandwich also.”

“Got it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Off he goes. He doesn’t realize I was joking about the sandwich. I guess I can’t pull off sarcasm very well. Everyone always thinks I’m serious. I suppose a vegetarian sandwich won’t be too bad. It doesn’t matter at this point. I probably won’t taste it anyway.

I still can’t believe Jeremy is fighting for his life. Mattie loves him so much, so completely. I don’t think she’ll ever recover if she were to lose him. Thinking about the possibility makes me physically sick. Maybe I won’t be able to get that sandwich down after all.