“I’m not leaving.” I shook off his hand and crossed my arms.
“Yeah, you are.”
“You don’t get to come in here and tell me what to do,” I snapped.
My anger didn’t faze him. “We can stand here and argue, but you’re still coming with me. Even if I have to put you over my shoulder.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I hissed.
“You want to try me?” he challenged. “I’m doing this because you need to eat. You need a break from here.”
“But—”
He glared down at me. “No, Katy. It will take days before he wakes up. You can’t sit there and wait.”
“Dee did for you,” I shot back.
His expression softened at the mention of his wife.
“She did, except she didn’t have two little girls who need to see their mommy. And she told me how good it felt when Richard gave her a break and she could decompress for a while and clear her head. I’m returning the favor, so stop disagreeing and come with me. The longer you argue, the longer you’re gone.”
I knew he was right and my anger waned, but still, I hesitated.
“Once we eat, you can check on him, and Graham will pick you up and take you to their place. You can be with the girls for a while, and I’ll stay with Richard. Now he is out of ICU, the rules are a little easier. We’ll make a schedule, and you are getting out of here. Richard would be furious if he saw you and knew I didn’t step in. So be quiet and come eat a damn bowl of soup.” He speared a hand through his hair. “I don’t want Richard’s main priority to be kicking my ass for not looking after his wife when he wakes up, all right?”
I gave in, seeing how upset he was. “All right.”
He grabbed my hand again. “Let’s go.”The soup was delicious. Maddox watched me eat, insisting on a grilled cheese sandwich with the soup. He inhaled two bowls as I slowly made my way through my meal, knowing he would be upset if I didn’t eat.
His presence was comforting. He knew Richard so well. Despite the miles between them, they spoke almost daily, texted all the time, and had video chats with each other. Gracie often got in on the action—she loved “Unca Mattog” as she called him. His nickname “Mad Dog” was too difficult to say with her lisp, and he loved her spin on it.
“Have you seen the girls?”
He nodded. “This morning. Who do you think took the picture of Graham with Heather in the pool?”
I had to smile. “I didn’t think of that. Laura was in the pool with Gracie. I guess I assumed Jenna was there.”
“No, I went to visit. I was there when you texted Graham and gave him the news. I came straight here. I saw Carol at the desk, and she told me you were down here.”
I was dumbfounded. “You know Carol?”
He smirked. “I know them all, Katy. I asked them not to say I was around because I didn’t want to tear you from Richard. But I’ve been close. They let me peek in on occasion.”
Tears threatened again at his words. I clasped his hand and squeezed, incapable of words. What could I say that would be adequate? Thank you wasn’t enough, although I knew Maddox didn’t want thanks. He was here because of the strength of his relationship with Richard.
“Where have you been otherwise?”
“Here for the most part. I work, eat, go check on you, come back, work some more. Eat. I think I’ve gained five pounds. Their pie is stellar. In fact, you need a piece.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but his look silenced me. He waved to the waitress and ordered us coffee and pie, waited until they arrived, and lifted his cup.
“Tell me what the doctor said.”9KatyAs he promised, Maddox didn’t keep me from the hospital for long. We returned as soon as I got a message saying Richard had been moved. Maddox followed me into his new room, a silent companion, there to support me.
I went directly to the side of the bed. There were still machines whirring and beeping away, but there were fewer of them. Richard had obviously been given a sponge bath, his hair damp around his ears where they had wiped with the wet cloth. The room was large and bright with two comfortable-looking chairs and even a small sofa. The usual kind of hospital bathroom was in the corner, and the walls the same green, but it was private and had a window that looked over the street.
I cupped Richard’s cheek. “Hello, my darling. I was gone for a while, but I’m back. You look so much better. And look who I found!”
Maddox stood at the end of the bed, his hands wrapped around the metal frame.