Isurvived the following few days solely because of the women from Kellan’s club. Leigh and Layla helped me with everything, and I do mean everything—from helping care for my children to helping me take a shower. River and Kennedy made sure everything was okay with Kellan, Sienna, and my mother when I wasn’t at the hospital to hover over them. Much to my chagrin, I couldn’t be at the hospital as much as I wanted.
Once I was discharged from the hospital, I was torn between leaving and staying. Mom, Kellan, and Sienna were all still there and would be for some time while Riley and Braxton were at home. Leigh offered to drive me to the hospital whenever I wanted to visit. When Riley and Braxton were home from school, Layla offered to stay with them. However, that option didn’t work out as planned because they wanted to visit Nana, Kellan, and Baby Sienna as often as they could. Ultimately, I visited for a few hours in the morning, came home to rest, and went back with the kids for a few hours in the afternoon.
After a week in the hospital, the doctors finally said Kellan was ready to be discharged. “I want to make sure I’ve been very clear about this; you are ready to be discharged from the hospital, but that does not in any way mean you are ready to resume your regular activities. Will you have someone available to help you for at least the first few days?”
“Yes, he does. He will be staying with me,” I answered before Kellan could utter a single word.
“Avery, I’ll be fine at my place. When Coal isn’t there, one of the brothers can come by if I need anything,” he countered.
I blamed the pregnancy hormones for what happened next. Without preamble, I unleashed an angry tirade. “I can’t run all over town checking on everyone. I need my people in one place, and until that happens, I refuse to have them in more than two places. So, you will be with me,” I demanded.
Kellan cupped my cheek and never took his eyes off of mine when he said, “Looks like I’m staying with her, Doc.”
“I think that’s a wise choice,” the doctor joked. “I’ll get started on your orders and we should have you ready to go within an hour or two.”
“Thanks,” Kellan replied but kept his attention focused on me.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted. “I’m exhausted, and I had no idea how much different it would be to recover from a c-section than a vaginal delivery.”
He nodded and gave me a knowing look. “And what else?”
“What do you mean ‘what else?’ I’m stressed, Kellan. I’m worried about you, Mom, and Sienna. Christmas is just around the corner, and I don’t have presents for anyone. I’m trying not to even think about the fact that our little girl will spend her first Christmas in the hospital,” I explained quickly.
“Yeah, and what else? I know you’re keeping something from me. You have a tell,” he stated.
“A tell?”
“Yes, you avert your eyes and run your teeth over your bottom lip when you’re trying to avoid a topic. So, just get it over with and tell me.”
I sighed in exasperation. I should have known I wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever, but I just didn’t want to add to everything else we had on our plates. “After Ian died, the officers in his district put together a small fundraiser for the kids for Christmas last year and the year before. I received a call from Ian’s best friend and coworker, Mark, to tell me that they weren’t doing it this year since I moved away from Croftridge and have moved on with my life. And it’s not about the money, it really isn’t. I just didn’t like how he said it. I mean, regardless of what’s going on in my life, Riley and Braxton are still Ian’s children.”
Kellan’s face hardened. “Let me get this straight. Because of your relationship with me, they decided not to do the charity fundraiser for your kids?”
I didn’t know how to answer him. He was correct, but I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire that was clearly burning behind his eyes. “He didn’t use those words exactly.”
“When did this happen?”
“I’m not sure. A week or two before the accidents?”
He nodded and reached for his phone. After typing what appeared to be a lengthy message, he put it away with a satisfied grin.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Rectified a situation,” he said cryptically. “Is there more?”
“I don’t know. I guess he hurt my feelings, too. Mark and Ian had been best friends since high school. When Ian died, Mark helped me and the kids through some really tough times. Even after we moved, he came to visit and spent the weekend with us every few weeks.”
“When was the last time he came to visit?” Kellan asked in a tone I hadn’t heard from him before.
“The weekend before the kids went on vacation with my parents,” I said carefully. “He was supposed to come up the weekend after they got back, but I ended up in the hospital. We haven’t rescheduled his visit yet.”
“You won’t be rescheduling.”
“What?”
“You will not have a man spend the weekend with you in your house, especially if I’m not around,” he said and stared at me in a way that dared me to challenge him.
“He’s a family friend,” I explained.
