“She wanted to go out in that to find me?” he asked, shocked. He’d thought she’d done it because she’d been afraid of the storm.
“Yeah. She fought me when I wouldn’t let her go out in that.”
Isaac sat beside her. “Caley, I’m fine. Nothing was going to happen to me.”
“You don’t know that. Anything could have happened, and I would have just been sitting here, doing nothing.” The last word was said on a loud cry.
“Caley, how did your husband die?” Archer asked.
Fuck. He was an idiot. Of course there was more to this. He tensed as he waited for her answer. Tears dripped down her pale cheeks. She swiped at them.
“There was a storm. Worse than this one. I’ve never liked thunder. Was always scared of it as a child. I’d always race to find my mom but if it was at night and my dad was home, he’d send me away. Tell me to stop being a coward.”
“Ahh, baby,” he crooned to her, drawing her under his arm.
She wiped at her cheeks again and Archer stood, moving into the bedroom he’d been using. When he returned, he held a handkerchief in his hand.
It surprised him, when instead of handing it to her, Archer wiped her cheeks and nose himself.
Archer was acting like a Daddy, which surprised him. Archer moved back onto the coffee table. Doc stared down at Caley worriedly. There was an empty spot inside him, and he hadn’t realized until now what a gaping hole it was. Caley could fill that hole. She could be everything he desired.
If he could convince her of that.
Funny, he’d always been against taking on another sub. But maybe he just hadn’t found the right one.
“There was a storm, worse than this one. Dave went into town for supplies. The storm hit far sooner than either of us expected. I was writing. I often lose track of time when I’m writing. But before he left, he’d made certain that my cell phone was sitting beside me, charged and turned on. After a few hours, I realized that the storm was getting worse. And that he wasn’t home.
“He wouldn’t have left if he’d known the storm was so close. He knew I didn’t like them. I tried to call him. But there was no answer. I figured it was just the storm. I kept calling. But there was no reply.” She ran her hand over her face. “I didn’t know what to do. The storm was getting worse. I finally called the sheriff. He said he’d send someone as soon as he could. But they were all busy. And he’d only been missing a few hours.”
He rubbed her back as she shuddered.
“I couldn’t wait any longer. He’d taken my SUV. So I got in the truck and went looking for him.”
“Christ, baby,” he muttered.
“I knew I’d be in trouble for leaving the house during a storm. But I just knew something was wrong. I had to find him. But I never expected to find him…” she trailed off with a sob.
He drew her close, kissing the top of her head.
“He must have run off the road. His SUV was upside down. I…I managed to get hold of the sheriff. I don’t remember much. I tried to pull him out, but I couldn’t. When someone from the sheriff’s department arrived, they had to drag me away from him. I was taken to the hospital. Apparently, I was hysterical, and they had to sedate me…they tried to tell me that he died straight away. That there was nothing I could have done even if I had gone looking for him. But I don’t believe them…I sat there while he was dying…I…I…”
“Oh, love. No, you didn’t know. You couldn’t have known,” Archer told her.
“Baby girl, he wouldn’t want you thinking like this. It wasn’t your fault. You aren’t to blame.”
She sobbed against him, wetting his shirt and he just held her, letting her cry it out.
“What if he was in pain? What if he was waiting for me to help him?”
“Caley. Caley, look at me,” Archer told her firmly. He reached out and grasped hold of her chin, raising her face. “Focus on me now. Can you feel my hand on your skin?”
She nodded her head.
“Good girl. Concentrate on your breathing. In. Out. Can you feel Issy
has a tight hold on you? Feel how strong he is? How he isn’t going to let you go?”
“Yes.”