She patted Lily, avoiding eye contact with her ex-husband. They’d always been friends. He was a nice guy, charming and easygoing—on the surface. But Clark was also an opportunist. His top priority was taking care of himself, even at others’ expense. If he learned something interesting, he’d file it away until it could be useful. That, and his cheating, had made it impossible to sustain a trusting relationship. And yes, he’d heard her earlier conversation with Clara—as veiled as it was—but she didn’t feel like baring her soul to him. Especially when she had yet to tell Archer just how much she loved him. Or who she really was.
She ached for him. And now, hurt for him.
“I can take care of the girls,” he offered.
She shot him a look.
“Okay, take Lily. I can handle Ivy.”
She shook her head, smiling. “She’s asleep.”
“Yeah, I got this.” He grinned.
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“I’m her dad, Eden. I might not be the best dad, or anywhere in the top hundred, but I do love her.” He rubbed his hand over Lily’s head. “Both of them.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’ll take my phone.”
“I’ll crash on your bed?” he asked. “Since Ivy’s already sleeping—I’d hate to disturb her.”
She nodded, packing supplies into Lily’s diaper bag before buckling her into her seat. She fussed, but there wasn’t much Eden could do. She loaded Lily’s seat in the car and drove carefully, the storm still raging.
She wasn’t family, and she didn’t want to intrude, but she needed to make sure Archer was okay. That Clara was okay.
And Teddy.
It had taken thirty minutes to find him. Toben had stopped by long enough to let her know Teddy had been found and a neighbor was using his helicopter to take him to the hospital. They assumed River had gotten spooked by the storm and thrown Teddy. He’d been found, unconscious, in a field. And until the patriarch was talking, it was the only thing they’d come up with.
She drove through the rain, using her GPS to guide the way. After she’d parked, she held Lily close and ran through the downpour.
She stood inside the lobby, adjusting Lily under the blanket she’d covered her with, and glanced around. It was a small hospital. But then, Stonewall Crossing was a small town. She approached the desk but hesitated, knowing she wasn’t family and she’d probably get turned away.
“Eden?” It was Toben, carrying a tray of coffee cups. Deacon followed, equally coffee-cup-laden.
“Hi,” she said. “I...I wanted to see if I could do anything.”
“About time you got here,” Deacon grumbled. “Follow me.”
She frowned at Deacon but followed him through two swinging doors and down a blindingly white hallway to the waiting room packed wall-to-wall. Faces, some familiar, others not, regarded her with mild curiosity or disinterest. They didn’t care who she was; they all wanted to know one thing: Was Teddy okay? The level of love and concern in that small room was palpable.
“He’s in the hall,” Deacon said.
Eden headed in the direction Deacon pointed, turning the corner to find him. Archer. He leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets, head back and eyes closed. Totally still, shutting out the world—wanting to be alone.
Lily hiccuped. Again. And again.
Archer’s eyes opened, a small smile forming on his lips as he looked her way. He straightened, pulling his hands from his pockets and flexing them. It was the look on his face—defeat, fear and sadness—that made her go to him.
She didn’t hesitate, but slid her free arm around his waist and pressed against him—as much as possible with Lily between them. His arms wrapped about her, supporting Lily’s weight while keeping her close. His sigh was deep and slow, but his hand gripped the back of her shirt, pulling her closer.
“What can I do?” she murmured against his chest. “Do you know anything?”
“He was unconscious when I found him. Don’t know if he was thrown or fell...” His words were muffled against the top of her head. “Good damn thing it had been raining. Mud made his landing a little softer.”
Lily peeked up from under her blanket then, shooting Archer a sleepy grin. Her little fingers reached up to stroke his chin.
Eden looked up to see him smile at Lily with love. He shifted, cradling Lily across his chest and tucking her blanket around her. “Bedtime, little bug,” he said, using Eden’s pet name. “Sleep now.” His voice was low and soft.