Just One Dare (The Kingston Family 5)

“And the rest of the family?” He was pushing her on purpose. She’d been here all night, alone, and he wanted to know why.

“I didn’t want to bother them. They all live so far away. It would take a long time for any of them to get here. Leah and I were fine,” she insisted.

He narrowed his gaze. Did she not realize how she’d deliberately sabotaged the very things she craved?

“Mommy?” Leah’s raspy, low voice called out from inside the room, followed by coughing that hurt Nick to hear.

If this was sounding better, he couldn’t imagine what Aurora had been dealing with.

Aurora met his gaze and he followed her into the room.

“Hey, baby!” Aurora rushed over and eased herself down on the bed. “Look who’s here.”

Before he even made it to her other side, Leah’s eyes lit up. “Daddy!” Her exclamation resulted in a coughing fit that had him wincing.

But he couldn’t miss the joy that filled him at what Leah called him. He looked at Aurora, wondering how she’d take the change, but all he saw was a soft smile on her lips.

“Yeah, baby. I’m here,” he said, with a lump in the back of his throat. He walked around to the head of the bed, pushing the IV pole out of the way.

Tears from coughing tracked down Leah’s little face and she swiped at them with the back of her free hand. The other arm had the I.V. in.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Aurora asked softly.

Leah rubbed her eyes, her skin still pale. “My arm hurts.” She pointed to the tape holding the IV needle where her arm bent.

“I’m sure they’ll take it out soon,” Aurora reassured her.

“My throat hurts, too.”

Nick slid his hand over her head, then leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“That’s from coughing,” Aurora said. “Let me go talk to the nurse. Maybe they can get you something to drink, okay?”

Leah bobbed her head.

“Nick…I mean, Daddy will stay with you.” Aurora rose to her feet and rushed out to find a nurse.

“Hey, kid. I missed you,” Nick said.

Eyes so like his own looked back at him. “I missed you, too. Me and Mommy watched sooo many movies,” she said in the dramatic fashion he adored.

He chuckled. “I bet you did.”

“Here you go. Apple juice.” Aurora came back into the room and handed her a plastic cup with the sealed foil top pulled back and a straw inside. “I’ll hold it. You sip.”

Leah slurped down a good amount of the drink, which Nick was pleased to see.

“Ms. Kingston?” A nurse stepped inside.

“Yes?”

The redheaded nurse smiled. “The main desk called up. You have family downstairs, and there are too many people to let up at once.”

Aurora blinked, her eyes wide in obvious surprise. “Oh! I’ll go down and talk to them. Is it okay if we do shifts, so a couple of people can see her? Or would it be better if I ask them to go to Leah’s grandmother’s place, where they can see Leah later,” she said, more to herself than to the nurse.

“I think that second option might work better,” the woman said.

Nick withheld his grin. Of course, her family had shown up, despite her telling them not to come. She had a lot to learn about what families did for those they loved. And he intended to teach her.

They hadn’t had another conversation about their feelings or the future, but he had to be optimistic. Without hope, what else was there?

* * *

Nick had insisted on going down and handling her family so that Aurora could stay with Leah. He stepped out of the elevator on the lobby floor, walked down the hall, and turned the corner to the front reception area of the hospital. He spotted Aurora’s family immediately, congregated in a small group. There weren’t as many Kingstons here as he’d thought. Still, they felt like an army, much like his family.

He glanced around, looking for someone he recognized from Leah’s birthday party. Melly caught his gaze first.

“Nick!” Melly rushed over and surprised him by greeting him with a warm hug. “Is Leah okay?” she asked, stepping back. “I feel so guilty! I fell asleep early and left my phone in another room so I missed Aurora’s call.”

“She’s better, or so Aurora tells me. The cough still sounds pretty scary.” Nick shuddered just thinking of the sound coming from Leah’s little chest.

Melly nodded. “Croup can test any parent, as you’ll learn.” She patted his arm.

“Who else is here?” he asked.

“Linc came but Jordan had to go see her mother. Chloe and Beck said they’d call Aurora tonight. Xander and Sasha are over there.” She gestured to the corner where Sasha, wearing a baseball cap low on her eyes, did her best not to be noticed.

Somehow, she’d been managing to live a normal life, and according to Harrison, she was happier than she’d ever been. “And of course, Dash and Cassidy are home with the baby.”