“No problem.”
Ivy ended the call as he pulled into the hospital parking lot.Based on her tense expression, she feared the worst.
He parked and stopped her from exiting the truck with a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, whatever we find out in there is not your fault,” he said to her.
“Why does it feel like the opposite is true?”
“I never should’ve gone with Kade, and then neither of you would’ve been put in the position of needing to make the drive together,” he said.
Ivy compressed her lips into a frown.“If I don’t get to take the blame for this, neither do you.”
“But I—”
“Made the right call in choosing to back your brothers,” she said, interrupting his protest.“Chloe and I decided to make the drive here together.So, you can’t take the blame for what two grown women decided when they didn’t include you in the process.I just thought I’d be here and back before you could miss me, and I knew you needed to rest.”
“Okay,” he said.“Fine.You make good points, and you are both grown and stubborn women who are capable of making your own choices.”
“We agree then?”
“Some part of me is always going to want to take the blame for anything that goes wrong,” he said.“I think I learned that as a kid with my mom’s condition.I blamed myself for setting her off into depression.”
“Funny how kids have a way of blaming themselves for everything that goes on in adult lives,” she said.“I’ve experienced it personally, and I see it with my patients when there’s discord in families.”
“What do you tell the kids?”
“That it’s not their fault,” she said.
“Funny how we tell others that so easily and don’t let ourselves off the hook when we probably should.”
Was he being too hard on himself?
If Chloe lost her baby, he couldn’t imagine a world where he didn’t feel responsible.They were about to find out.
Ivy talked a good game,but she was just as guilty about blaming herself.
“Shall we go inside?”he asked.
“Yes, let’s go.”
Beau came around and opened the door for her despite the fact he was in considerable pain.She saw it in the deepening creases in his forehead every time he lifted his shoulder or twisted a certain way.The man had to be beyond exhausted at this point.
“Promise me you’ll get some rest soon,” she said to him, taking his arm and looping it around her shoulder to give him a boost of support.
“We both need to sleep at some point.”
She felt that statement in her bones.Right now, though, all she could think about was Chloe and the situation they were about to walk into.“We’ll figure it out.”
Beau nodded as they walked into the ER bay.
They must’ve looked a mess because a nurse came around to meet them, leaving the check-in counter momentarily unattended.
Her laser-focused gaze pointed to Beau.“Let’s get you into a room right away.Are you in pain?Can you walk, or do you need a wheelchair?”
“We’re here to check on my sister, Chloe Sturgess, er, Barrett actually,” Beau said.“I’m fine.”
The nurse looked him up and down with a frown.“Sir, I think you should be checked out while you’re here.There’s fresh blood on your shirt and—”
