Whiskey and Country

37

NICHOLAS

“Hey baby, ready to go home?” Dahlia asked Jack as we entered his hospital room, our hands linked together. The boy nodded. Dahlia brought her gaze to Carter. “Hey Cart.” She let go of me and jumped into her friend’s arms. He hugged her tight, and his lips lingered on the top of her head. My heart trembled in my chest. I’d have to get used to this. Their chemistry. Their proximity. Their love.

“Dah, I was so scared.” He stepped back and ran his hands over his face. “I hate it when I’m far away.”

Dahlia held his face, her eyes fixed on his. I’d never seen them like this. So close. So… I missed the right word. Carter pressed his forehead against hers, and for a minute, time halted. With their eyes shut, they just stayed like that, bringing each other the comfort they both required without even saying a word.

I was amazed as much as I was bothered by this display of affection playing before me. Jack must have sensed it because he jumped from the bed and came to me, his arms in the air until I picked him up.

“Hey little guy. How are you doing?”

He offered me a too-big-for-his-tiny-face warm smile.

As if he spread magic in me, the wounds of my heart healed. For good this time.

“Go in the ambuladalance again?” he asked. I shook my head, unable to stop chuckling.

“I wish. But we can’t. It’s only for emergencies. And sick people.”

“Like Buddy?” My insides tightened up.

“Yeah. Like Buddy.” I squeezed Jack against my heart. “You wanna get out of here?” I lowered my voice. “Let me tell you a secret. I’m super hungry. I could eat a hippopotamus.” Jack snickered. “What about pizza? I’m sure your Mama and Carter would love to join us. I think we should celebrate right now.”

“Pizza, pizza, pizza,” Jack singsonged, his arms circling my neck.

“Let’s go then,” Carter added, turning to face us. “I’m starving.”

“Gimme a sec, boys. I’ll go to sign all those papers,” Dahlia said, exiting the room.

A silence fell between us. I could hear each of our breaths.

After a few seconds, Carter extended his arm. “Thanks, Nick. For saving Jack’s life. I’m sorry for giving you shit earlier.”

I blinked. Was I dreaming? Carter Hills was thanking me? Note this day, Derek. My palm slid into his, but he pulled me into some sort of bro hug when our hands connected. That lasted about half a second. But still. Maybe we could make it work after all.

Carter blinked what looked like tears away and grabbed Jack’s stuff.

Dahlia returned, and we got going.

In the hallway, I lowered Jack to his feet, and he reached for Carter’s hand. After a second, he reached for mine too.

My eyes found Dahlia, and emotions brimmed in hers.

“I love you,” she mouthed. I grabbed her hand in mine, and the four of us left together.

Back home, because Dahlia and Jack were spending the night at my place—no way I’d sleep away from them after the day we had—I took Jack aside. We sat cross-legged on the living room floor, facing each other.

“Okay, I have a special someone for you to meet. His name is Rex.” I fished the stuffed dinosaur that used to be Derek’s from behind my back. “He used to belong to a friend of mine. A boy, just like you.” Jack grabbed the toy, kissed his head, and brought it to his heart. As if he could feel how important it had been to another child before. “I want you to have it. Derek would have wanted that too.”

Jack glanced at me with his round steel-gray eyes.

“Rex is magic. He’ll watch over you at night. To make sure you’re safe and sound. You want him?”

Jack bobbed his head, his eyes still on me. “No cry, Nick. No cry,” he said, moving to his feet and brushing my hair.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. I hadn’t even noticed the tears pooling there.

“You’re right, little guy. Let’s be happy.”

Jack hooked on to my neck. “Rex my friend. Rex my best bestest friend.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “Yes, he is. And this one won’t go away. Ever.”

I raised my eyes to the ceiling as if Derek could see us in that instant. From his cloud. As if he was here with us. A part of him living through my actions.

With my head tilted back, I winked. “Cheers, bro.”

My arms fastened around Jack, and we hugged before joining Dahlia and Carter on the back deck.

Yeah, the country music star had to come and check on my house to make sure it was good enough for his family. Our family.

Jack climbed up Carter’s long legs to sit on his lap. “Look, Cattter,” he said, pushing the stuffed animal in his face. “Rex my bestest friend. Nicksaidhemagical. I love Rex. I love Nick.”

An arm snaked around mine. Dahlia’s.

The way she stared at me. With love. And lust. And something more. I got starstruck. Yeah, Dahlia Ellis was the one for me. My person. My soulmate. My everything.

“Derek’s?” she asked, her voice soft as a whisper. I nodded. Because emotions blocked my airways, and I had nothing more to say. She pressed her head on my shoulder. “I love ya, Nicholas Peterson. I’m crazy about you.”

I enveloped her in my arms as we watched Carter push Jack on the swing set, both of them laughing their hearts out and goofing around.

Yeah, the four of us were a family. For better or for worse.

Kissing my fingers, I saluted the sky.

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