I sighed, but I didn’t know what to say in response to that. I knew what this apology must mean to Abby; I knew that it had hurt her that he
r brother and her best friend hadn’t accepted me. Nor was any of this news to me; Abby had been up front with me about the fact that her brother was worried about her reputation now that she was working for me, and I knew Leanne didn’t exactly approve of me, either.
Leanne continued, though. “I just wanted to say thank you for being here for Abby and her family.”
I smiled at that. “Seriously, it’s the least I could do,” I told her. No point in telling her how much it hurt me to see Abby hurting like this. And I definitely couldn’t tell her that if anything did happen to Matt, if there were any complications, then I just wanted to make sure I was there for Abby. Whether she needed to cry or whatever else. I wanted to be there for her.
Leanne seemed to see all of that in my eyes, though. She nodded approvingly at me. But then her attention was drawn away by the appearance of one of the doctors coming through the swinging doors at the far end of the room. He hurried over to another family, though, bringing them the news that they had been waiting for while Leanne and Abby continued to wait for news on Matt.
I wondered if there was anything I could do about that. If there was any more information we could get, somehow. But I tossed out that idea as soon as it entered my head. No, if there was any news, it would be brought to Leanne first. She was the man’s wife, after all. I wasn’t even family.
But I couldn’t help feeling comfortable there, almost like I was one of them, I reflected as Abby smiled over at me. And I would never go so far as to say I was happy that this was the way the weekend had gone, but at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling glad that I had been able to show Abby, and her best friend, just how much I cared about her. That I was dependable, that I could be there for her. No matter what.
I hoped that would help things between me and Abby in the future. But for now, I just settled onto the floor at Abby’s feet, leaning against her legs. “All right,” I said to the kids, “have either of you ever played crazy eights before?”
Abby’s fingers stroked through the back of my hair as I explained the rules to the kids and then dealt the cards. At that moment, I wouldn’t trade my position for anything in the world.
Chapter 20
Abby
I JERKED AWAKE YET again as my head fell forward. I rubbed at the back of my neck, frowning. I was exhausted, but I wasn’t ready to go home just yet. I wanted to know that Matt was okay first. And besides, it wasn’t like I could leave Leanne here on her own. One of the kids’ babysitters had come by a little while earlier to pick up Zach and Layla and take them home for the night, and Leanne looked like a ghost now that she didn’t have to put up a tough front for the two of them.
In fact, she had cried for nearly twenty minutes after the kids had left. “I just wish there was something that I could do,” she sobbed into my shoulder.
“I know, I know,” I told her, stroking her hair. “But the doctors will be out anytime now, and I’m sure you’ll have good news to tell the kids when Hannah brings them back in the morning.”
Leanne had finally nodded and pulled away, clutching that silly elephant stuffed animal against her chest. I had been surprised when Daniel had pulled them out earlier, but I really did feel comforted by the soft fabric against my cheek as I held my stuffed giraffe closer to my body. It was another on the list of sweet things he had done that day which I was going to have to remember to thank him for.
But as I glanced over at him, while Leanne still clung to me, I realized that he didn’t appear to need any thanks. He was looking at me with such raw emotion on his face that I was momentarily taken aback. I remembered what I had thought earlier, about how I was starting to love him, and I realized that he might feel exactly the same way about me.
“You can go home anytime, you know,” I told him softly as Leanne quieted down.
Daniel simply shrugged. “I know,” he assured me. But he made no move to leave.
Now, as my chin fell down against my chest again, Daniel made a noise of exasperation and pulled me over toward him, maneuvering my head so that it was resting against his shoulder. I wanted to protest, knowing that the angle of his body couldn’t be comfortable, that the arm of the chair must be digging uncomfortably into his side. But I was so damned tired, and he had been the one to suggest this, after all.
I took a deep breath, inhaling his calming, familiar scent, and closed my eyes.
It felt like I had barely drifted off to sleep before Daniel was lightly shaking me awake again. I started, trying to figure out where the hell I was. Then, it all came rushing back at once. I lowered my eyes, trying not to start crying.
“Doctor’s here,” Daniel said, nudging my shoulder lightly. “He’s talking to Leanne right now.” He pointed toward the two, and I watched them, my heart hammering in my chest.
“It looks like good news, doesn’t it?” I asked Daniel hopefully.
Daniel smiled over at me. “You’re family,” he reminded me. “Why don’t you go over there and ask?”
I swallowed hard and stood up. But I looked back over at Daniel and reached out my hand to him. Even though he had already done so much for me, I craved his silent support there at my side while I heard the doctor’s news, whatever it was.
Daniel didn’t seem to question it, grabbing my hand immediately and following me over to where Leanne and the doctor were just finishing up their conversation. Leanne’s eyes were shining when she turned toward us. “Matt’s out of surgery, and he’s awake now,” she told us. “The doctor says we can go in and see him.”
A rush of relief burst through me, and I clung tightly to Daniel’s hand. Matt was going to be all right. He was out of surgery, and he was going to be all right. For a moment, I couldn’t find any words.
Daniel stroked some of my hair back behind my ear, bringing me back into myself. “Why don’t I wait out here while you guys go in there?” he suggested.
I stared blankly at him for a moment, hardly able to process what he said. Then, I shook my head. “Nonsense,” I told him. “I want you there.”
“We don’t know what kind of room he’s in,” Daniel reminded me. “I don’t want him to feel crowded.”