She hesitated, as if about to lean over the bed and kiss him. Burke turned his head away. He knew he’d hurt her, but it was for her own good, he told himself. Allison would be better off without him. Whatever it took, he needed to convince her of that. Losing her would kill him. But even that would be better than having her stay and see him humiliated.
* * *
Allison had barely made it into the hall before the tears spilled over. She stumbled blindly ahead, almost bumping into a grim-looking, silver-haired nurse dressed in lavender scrubs.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked.
“I’ll be fine.” Embarrassed, Allison wiped her eyes. “It’s just that . . . oh, I don’t know. Seeing him like this, so helpless and so angry . . . it’s going to take some getting used to.”
“You know he has a good chance of recovery, don’t you?” The nurse guided Allison into an unoccupied room, where they could talk in private without disturbing patients. “It’s just going to take time and a lot of patience.”
“Yes, I know. But he’s being so hateful—mostly to me.” Allison gave an apologetic shake of her head. “I’m sorry for unloading on you this way. You’ve got more important things to do than listen to a blubbering fool like me.”
“Let me give you some advice,” the nurse said. “I’ve been working this ward a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of patients come and go. Your husband is a proud man. But underneath that pride, he’s scared to death. He’s scared of losing his dignity and his manhood. He’s even more scared of losing you. And that’s the one thing he doesn’t want you to know.”
“But why is he pushing me away?”
“Because he doesn’t want you to know how much he needs you. He doesn’t want you to see him as anything but strong and masterful. Think about it.” She glanced away at the sound of a call signal. “That’s for me. Got to go. All I can do is wish you luck.”
“Thanks.” Allison left the room and walked down the hall to the exit. Was the nurse right? Was Burke pushing her away because he was afraid of losing her? The logic didn’t make sense. But in a crazy sort of way, it did. At least it had given her something to think about.
In the parking lot, she was heading for her car when Garrett drove past. Allison hoped he hadn’t noticed her. She was too emotional to talk to him about Burke. But this wasn’t her lucky day. Garrett stopped, backed up, and rolled down the window of his black Cadillac Escalade.
“Hey, I was hoping to see you,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“About the way you’d expect. I was just leaving.”
“Well, before you rush off, I’ve got some big news you’ll want to hear. Climb in. We can talk while I drive you to your car.”
Did he sense her hesitation? “Come on,” he said. “It’s warm in here, and private. I won’t keep you long.”
Acquiescing, she climbed into the big SUV. The morning was chilly, the heated leather seats pleasantly warm. “I was just on my way to find out about Burke’s Porsche and call the insurance company,” she said. “Do you happen to know what the police did with the wreck?”
“It’s been towed to the impound lot, pending any investigation.” Garrett kept driving. “But don’t worry about the insurance. I snapped a photo of the car and gave the insurance company a call—the policy information was in the glove box. The claim’s already been filed. From the looks of the car, I’m guessing it’ll be a total loss. Burke’s lucky to be alive.”
Allison suppressed a shudder. “So you cleaned out the car?”
“The police did. Everything’s in a bag, in my briefcase. I’ll give it to you before I let you off.”
“Did they find Burke’s phone?”
“Th
ey did. I can give it to you or take it when I go up to see him.”
“Thanks. He seemed anxious to have it.” Allison didn’t want to owe Garrett, but he’d just taken a load off her mind. Now she could look ahead, to dealing with Brianna. “You said you had some news.”
“That’s right.” He pulled into the empty slot next to her Lexus. “I’ve nailed down an investor for the American Heartland.”
“That’s wonderful,” Allison said, hoping it really was.
“They’re ready to commit the full amount. I’ve got the contracts with me. All I need is Burke’s signature, and it’s a done deal.”
“Does it have to be today? Burke’s on pain medication. He’s in no condition to sign anything. I’m not even sure it would be legal.”
“I’ve thought of that,” Garrett said. “But if Burke were to give you power of attorney, you could sign it. The investors haven’t given me a deadline, but the longer we make them wait, the more likely they might be to lose interest and walk away.”
“I can’t imagine Burke would give me power of attorney,” Allison said. “Things have been . . . tense between us since the night of the party. And I’m not sure I’d even want it. It would be a huge responsibility.”