WILLOW
Idecide to keep the pregnancy to myself for the time being. An OB-GYN consult is needed first, along with some more detailed tests, including blood work—I tell myself this to justify the secrecy after I chewed Cole, Asher, and Toby out over their secrecy regarding Sheila.
With a racing heart and enough electrolytes in my system to make me look and act like a functioning human being, I knock on the door of Bill Morgan’s private room at the medical center.
“Hi,” I say with a soft smile.
The Morgan brothers look up. They’re sitting a couple of feet away from their father’s bed. William’s eyes glow as soon as he recognizes me.
“Willow, what a joy to see you!” he says, genuinely thrilled.
“Mr. Morgan,” I reply and hold up a carefully selected gift basket. “I brought these for you, all heart-friendly options, of course.”
“That’s mighty sweet of you. Really not necessary, though. I don’t plan on sticking around this place for much longer.”
Asher chuckles softly. “They’re not letting you out of here until they make sure you’re okay, Pops, so cool your heels.”
I set the basket down on a table to my left, which is already home to a couple of other lavish gift baskets.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be back on my feet in no time.”
“It’s nice of you to visit,” Cole tells me, his gaze softening as our eyes meet. “I take it Jamie told you?”
I nod slowly. “He did, yes. It really was no trouble.”
“How’ve you been?” Toby asks.
It feels awkward between us. I don’t know why I thought it would be different or better. I’m the one who walked out.
“I’ve been fine, just resting through what’s left of the holidays. Come the new year, Jamie and I will be knee and elbow deep in new events,” I reply.
Bill’s gaze bounces from me to each of his sons, humor flickering in his eyes. “Boys, if I could have a minute alone with Willow, I’d greatly appreciate it,” he says, surprising everyone.
Cole, Asher, and Toby look at one another, then back at their father, before they settle on me for the longest and probably most uncomfortable handful of seconds. In my womb, there’s a life growing, and one of them is the father. The thought lingers in the back of my mind, haunting me and likely teaching me a lesson I’ll understand later.
For now, it’s a secret, and I need to keep my game face on.
“I don’t mind,” I tell them.
“We’ll be right outside,” Cole says.
I offer a faint smile and wait for them to leave. As soon as the door closes behind them, William points to the chair closest to his bed. “Have a seat, kiddo.”
“Sure.”
Once I’m seated, I get a better look at the great Bill Morgan. Photos from his youth show a man bearing a striking resemblance to Cole—or better said, the other way around. But he was bold and powerful, a presence that could not be ignored. Yet even in old age, and fresh off the heels of a heart attack, he still keeps his head up and his bluish-green eyes bright with a thirst for living like no one else. He gives me a warm smile, and it fills me with a strange sense of comfort. This man knows how to lead, both in his personal and his professional lives.
“Willow, the trouble with my heart isn’t the disease I’ve been living with. It’s not even the heart attack that damn near killed me the other day,” he says. “It’s that I haven’t let it take the reins more often.”
“Mr. Morgan, I’m not sure I follow.”
“Please, call me Bill.”
“Okay, Bill,” I reply with a soft smile.
“Most of my life, I was busy running the business, making friends, keeping my enemies close, putting together deals and strategies designed to turn a profit without hurting the people. It’s been a challenge. Sacrifices were made,” he says. “I wasn’t around as much as I would’ve wanted for the boys or for their mother. When Sheila came into my life, Ifelt like God was giving me a second chance to try and do better. I took it.”
