I watched his face, the fear and hate and pain as he tried to speak. He nodded, unable to form words. His eyes held mine, filling with tears.
I started crying harder, leaning forward to wrap my arms around him. I held him tightly, aware of how slowly his arms came around me again.
“He was going to kill you, Claire.” He pulled me tight against him then. “I’m sorry, Claire, so sorry. I tried to talk to him, to stop him.”
I felt my heart pounding.I burrowed into his neck, whispering softly, “You shouldn’t have been there. You could have been—”
“Ms. Collins.” The nurse was in the doorway, her face torn between compassion and frustration. “You really need to stay calm. Your monitor is going crazy.” She paused. “I know you want to stay, Mr. Wiley, but I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave if she continues to get excited.”
Josh carefully laid me back against the pillows, but his hands still clasped mine.
“I’m calm.” I clung to his hands.
The nurse came in, pressed a few buttons on the IV pump, and looked at us. “Are you having any pain?”
“A bit, but you’re probably not asking me.” His laugh was strained.
She smiled. “Mr. Wiley, just keep her calm, okay?” I was only vaguely aware of being reclined, the overhead lights being dimmed. “I’m giving you some medicine that will probably make you sleepy.”
“I’m fine, really.”
“Claire, don’t be brave. Take the medicine. For me. Please.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
“Fine,” I murmured, watching as she injected something into my IV line.
She smiled and looked at Josh. “Calm.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
“I’ve a request. A selfish one,” he whispered as he pushed the hair from my forehead.
“Oh?” I was already feeling pleasantly mellow.
“Can I stay?”
I patted the bed. “Yes.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at me. “I don’t know what hurts and what doesn’t.”
“You make it all better.” My words were thick.
He curled around me, his breath against my forehead. “I love you, Claire.”
I nodded, clutching his shirt and holding him close. I felt secure in his arms wrapped tightly around me, and slept without any dreams at all.
***
“Can you drink a little bit more, sweetie?”Mom was moving things around on my dinner tray absently, trying to find something to occupy herself.
Shannon sat dozing in the corner of the room. Despite my protests, she had arrived as soon as she could. She was anxious to get me, the kids, and Mom out of Texas forever. She and Arthur had given me her house, ignoring all of my protests.
“It’s the least I can do. After forcing your hand over the book, I feel like this is partly my fault. I want to do this. Let me buy you off a little.” She’d smiled as she cast a quick glance in my general direction. She’d had a hard time looking at me when she first arrived. “Besides, if you don’t take it, I’ll give it to your mom. Either way, it’s going to be yours.”
I’d shaken my head. “I think giving me a house in Hollywood is a little more than buying me off, Shannon.”
“I want to do this for you. For Christ’s sake, Claire. I can do it for you, so let me. Let me do one little thing to remove some stress, please.” She’d looked rather emotional then.
“Claire.” Mom’s voice had been gentle. “It would be great for us to have a place to go without it feeling temporary, or getting settled and then having to move on.” Mom had squeezed Shannon’s shoulder as she spoke. “It is very generous of you, Shannon. If she won’t take the house, I will.”
“Thank Arthur. The man has more savings than I’d ever imagined. As he pointed out, he can’t take it with him and we have no kids, so this is what we want to do instead.” She had smiled at me, then hugged me. “Okay?”