A Better Man (The Heartbreak Brothers 3)

That’s all Courtney had heard before Mary had hung up. But then, she didn’t need to hear any more. The tone in Mary’s voice was enough to send a shot of ice cold fear through her veins.

Mary and Ellis were losing another son. This time, Courtney didn’t know if they’d survive it.

They were in the far corner of the waiting room, both staring into the air in front of them, their hands tightly clasped together as though afraid to let go. Courtney hurried over, blinking away the tears as she hugged them both.

“Is there any news?” she asked. “How is he?”

“We’re still waiting for the doctor to come out.” Mary’s voice was a whisper.

“Do you know what happened?” she asked them, trying to swallow down her panic.

“There was a robbery at a gas station,” Ellis said, his voice bleak. “That’s all we know.”

Courtney looked away so they couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She couldn’t crumple in front of them. They didn’t need to be worrying about her when she should be the one doing the consoling. Her leg muscles felt weak. Enough for her to sit down heavily next to Mary.

From the corner of her eye she could see the old woman’s lips moving rapidly. It took Courtney a moment to realize she was saying a prayer. Begging for her son to stay alive. The only child that she had left.

Touching her bump, Courtney closed her eyes and sent up

a prayer, too. Mary and Ellis didn’t deserve this. Not again.

Her phone buzzed, and she opened her eyes to look at the caller. Maddie Hartson. Shooting a rueful glance at Mary, she lifted it up. “I should take this. They’re worried about Carl.”

“People are so kind,” Mary said softly. “Yes, you should answer it.”

“Hello?” Courtney’s voice was quiet as she walked to the far window in an attempt not to disturb anybody in the waiting room. Every single person sitting here had their own sad story. They didn’t need to hear hers.

“Courtney? How’s Carl? Is there any news?” Maddie asked, her voice full of concern.

“Nothing yet,” Courtney murmured. “We’re waiting to hear from the doctor.”

“Oh no. We’re praying so hard for you all.” Maddie sighed. “Are you sure I can’t come be with you? We’re on the way to the airport, but I could ask the driver to turn around.”

Courtney’s heart clenched. “No. It’s fine, but thank you for the offer. You have a flight to catch.” The thought of it made her stomach flip. She was supposed to be catching that airplane to Boston, too.

What if this had happened a few hours later, while she was in mid-air? The thought of Mary and Ellis coping alone made her breath catch in her throat. She would have let them down.

Again.

“I could ask Gray to delay the flight,” Maddie suggested. “Or I could catch a later one?”

“No,” Courtney said quickly. “Please go. Logan’s expecting you all. I don’t want him to be let down.”

“Okay,” Maddie replied softly. “But please let me know of any changes. You take it easy, okay? Look after yourself and that baby.”

“I will. Thank you.” She tried to keep her voice even, saying goodbye before she ended the call. With her lips pursed, she switched her phone off altogether, not sure she had the strength to speak to anybody else right now.

Not even Logan. Or maybe especially not him. She swallowed hard, but it did nothing to calm her stomach.

When she walked back to where Mary and Ellis were sitting, nausea washed over her again.

“I need the bathroom,” she whispered to them, not wanting to cause any alarm. “I’ll only be a moment.”

She made it to the stall just in time, though it was a close call. Leaning over the bowl, she threw up her breakfast, her body shaking until there was nothing left to come out. Tears ran hot down her face as she flushed it away, then walked over to the sink to clean herself up as best she could.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she grimaced. Her hair was half-styled, with pins keeping her ringlets curled around the nape of her neck. Courtney pulled them out, throwing them in the trash as her hair spilled out over her shoulders.

She hated the reflection staring back at her. It belonged to a woman who ruined everything she touched. Two years ago, she’d told a man she wasn’t sure she loved him any more, and he’d ended up here, losing his life less than an hour later.