I reluctantly pick up my phone. It’s not a number I recognize. “Dale Steel.”
“Mr. Steel, this is Dr. Jane Forrester. I’m the on-call cardiologist at St. Mary’s. I have some news about Floyd Jolly.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m afraid Mr. Jolly has developed sepsis.”
“That’s an infection, right?”
“Yes, a systemic infection. It’s uncommon after heart surgery, as we administer antibiotics, but it does happen.”
I inhale. “All right. What does this mean for his prognosis?”
“He’s running a high fever and his kidneys are failing. We’re administering more antibiotics as well as continuing his pain meds. He’s on oxygen. But I have to be honest with you. It doesn’t look good.”
I drop my mouth open.
What am I supposed to feel?
I’ve felt more in the past three days with Ashley than I’ve ever allowed myself to feel, and right now, I feel…
Not sad, exactly. Not angry. Not happy, of course. But it’s definitely something that I can’t pinpoint.
Regret? Perhaps a touch. But why? Floyd is the one who should be having regrets.
Resignation? Yeah, that’s definitely there, kind of mixed with the tiny smidge of regret.
“What is it?” Ashley asks softly.
I don’t answer her.
“Mr. Steel?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“We’ve called in the infectious disease specialist, and we have the internist on call looking at him now. If his kidneys continue to fail, we may have to administer dialysis.”
“Okay. I see.”
“And there’s one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“He wants to see you.”
I’m not sure why her words surprise me, but they do. “Why?”
“He knows his situation, Mr. Steel. We’ve been honest with him. His body is weak from his withdrawal and from the open-heart surgery. It’s not likely that he’ll live.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Ashley
In a robotic tone—only a tiny sliver of his dark red shines through—Dale explains to me what the doctor on the phone said about his birth father.
“You should go,” I say.
“Not tonight.”
“What if he doesn’t make it through the night? He wants to see you.”
“Ashley, I’m exhausted. I can’t do it tonight. I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but I just can’t.”
Don’t push.
Those words have become my mantra with Dale. But a man is dying here. The man who fathered him.
Then again, if my father had lived longer and then asked for me on his deathbed, would I have gone?
Yes, I would have. Out of curiosity if nothing else. Part of me wants to know if the birthmark on my shoulder came from him. Or my full lips. My mother’s are thin.
But Dale and I are two different people, and he’s already met his birth father. Indeed, he already spent a whole day at the hospital during the man’s bypass surgery.
“I understand,” I finally say, “but don’t you think you should tell your parents?”
He stays silent for a few seconds. Then, “Yeah, we probably should.”
My heart jumps. “We?”
He nods. “We. Would you come with me?”
“Of course! Do you think they’re still up?”
“Dad will be. He never goes to bed before midnight. Mom is a crapshoot. She might be.”
“Then let’s go.” I grab my clothes and start getting dressed.
“Ashley…”
I nearly stumble as I try to put my leg into my jeans. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For just… I don’t know. For being with me.”
I stumble toward him with only one leg in my jeans and melt into his arms. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
“The necklace looks lovely on you.” Jade smiles.
We’re sitting in Talon’s office, where Dale just told his parents about Floyd.
I touch the necklace, letting its jewels slide beneath my fingertips. “I’m honored that he wants me to have it.”
“I knew when I gave it to him that he’d make it a special gift to someone, and I see that he has.”
Warmth coats me. I have Dale’s mother’s blessing, and that means everything.
“I don’t want to go tonight, Dad,” Dale is saying to Talon. “I just can’t.”
“Fair enough,” Talon says. “We’ll go first thing in the morning.”
“What if he doesn’t make it?”
“Then he won’t make it. You have nothing to feel guilty about, son. But you do need to call your brother.”
Dale sighs and messes with his still-damp hair. “I hate to pull the father-son card, but would you do it?”
“I’ll call him. I wish he’d stayed another day. Then he’d be here and could see Floyd one last time.”
“He may still be able to,” Dale says. “We don’t know for sure that he’s going to die.”
“That’s true.” Talon yawns.
Talon’s tone isn’t convincing any of us. Dale’s birth father’s days are numbered. I’ll respect Dale’s decision to wait until morning. I just hope Floyd can hold out.
“Thanks, Dad,” Dale says. “I owe you one.”
“You owe me nothing. Fathers take care of their kids. For life.” Talon’s eyes take on a sadness.
I look to Jade, who’s watching her husband, her expression worried.
We walk back to the guesthouse hand in hand.
“Your dad had a weird expression on his face when he said that fathers take care of their kids.”