But everything was okay. Nicole had not been badly hurt and he was alive, though not exactly kicking at the moment. His mother returned with a doctor and he was subjected to a series of medical checks, as well as a host of questions testing his memory and cognitive ability. Apparently he’d been in a comatose state since the surgery—broken ribs, punctured lung—but he was mending very nicely due to the absolute rest of not being conscious for the past five days.
Orderlies came in and cranked up the back third of the hospital bed so he could sit up with comfort and support. In moving, Quin caught sight of the blue Ulysses butterfly on top of the bedside cabinet. Seeing it caused a severe jolt to his heart. What did it mean? He hadn’t forgotten the silver chain. Being injured through no fault of his own didn’t deserve rejection.
He reached out to it. “How did this get here?”
“Zoe insisted on bringing it to make you feel better,” his mother answered with an indulgent smile.
The surge of fighting adrenalin eased.
“Your daughter and fiancée have been regular visitors,” the doctor remarked.
Fiancée?
Another thump to his heart.
“Oh!” His mother cried, clasping her hands again. “I have to call Nicole. I promised I would if you woke up.”
“Then do it, Madre,” Quin urged, wanting very much to ascertain if Nicole had changed her mind about not marrying him. It was highly encouraging news that she had come to visit him in hospital, bringing Zoe with her, too! Or had she simply been obliging Zoe’s wish to see her Daddy since he’d been in no condition to visit her. She might have simply called herself his fiancée to get easy access to him. Quin couldn’t quite bring himself to believe she’d had a complete change of heart since Friday night.
The doctor told the orderlies to bring Quin a light meal, then took his leave, satisfied that his patient had come out of his coma with no ill effects.
His mother returned in a flurry of excitement. “I couldn’t get onto Nicole. I forgot about evening classes at the dance school. But I spoke to Linda and she’ll let Nicole know. I expect she’ll come and visit you tomorrow morning, Joaquin.”
Would she? Now that he was out of the woods?
“Is it evening?” he asked, the artificially lit room making it impossible to tell.
“Yes, dear, and Nicole won’t get home until ten-thirty. Too late to visit tonight.”
“You’ve met her mother, as well as Zoe?”
“Oh, yes. The police informed us separately of the accident—how they’d been chasing a car thief and he ran the red lights, ploughing straight into your car. We both rushed here to the hospital and introduced ourselves to each other in the waiting room. I must say Linda has been very kind, giving me her company and welcoming me into her home to visit Zoe.”
“Did Nicole welcome you, too?”
She hesitated, possibly hearing the doubt in his voice. “She did not object, Joaquin,” came the cautious reply. “Nicole has been very quiet. Mostly we’ve met in passing. We have taken turns to sit with you, trying to talk you out of the coma.”
But he had not woken to Nicole’s voice.
Had she talked to him?
If so, what had she said?
He looked at the blue butterfly—his gift returned to him.
Or was it at the heart of a circle linking Nicole and Zoe and himself for the rest of their lives?
He wouldn’t know until Nicole came to see him…if she did.
Nicole stood outside the private room Quin had been moved to this morning and took several deep breaths, trying to calm the host of fluttering butterflies that had invaded her stomach. Evita Gallardo had assured her Quin was fine, completely himself again, and his first concern on waking from the coma had been to ask about her. So that had to mean he cared about her, didn’t it? Cared deeply?
Or maybe he’d just remembered the accident and wanted to know if she’d survived it. After all, there was Zoe to consider. She was the mother of his child and it wouldn’t be good for their daughter to be motherless.
Not good to be fatherless, either.
Zoe talked of little else but her daddy, her innocent little heart completely captivated by Quin. She’d been dancing around the house all morning unable to contain her joy and excitement at hearing he was better, sure in her own mind that the Ulysses butterfly had worked its magic on him.
Nicole knew she’d kept her own heart