There was nothing more he’d wish for.
“We’ll see. So only a minute and you can’t wake her up.” He guided her toward the hospital room and eased open the door. Angie followed only so far and peeked in as they tiptoed near the bed.
“See? She’s still here,” he said quietly.
Jordan wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against him. Leaning closer, she whispered in his ear, “Can I kiss her better?”
“We can’t wake her.” He knew how much Jordan believed in the power of those healing kisses. “Maybe you can kiss the top of her head. Lightly.”
The girl nodded, and he lowered her down until her lips gently pressed against the dark brown hair, so like her own. Only a moment, then he lifted her back up and backed toward the door.
“Blow her a kiss, too. I’m sure that will help.”
After Jordan touched her hand to her lips and waved it at her mother, he left the room.
As they approached Angie, still waiting in the hallway, Theo gave Jordan a kiss. “I’ll pick you up once I get your mom home and make her comfortable. Love you, peanut.”
“Love you, Daddy. Love Mama, too.”
Once they left, he checked in on Chelsea to make sure she was still asleep, then hoofed it down to the cafeteria and got a cup of coffee. What he really needed was some good sleep, yet he’d do it all again to keep her from freaking out. The fear in her eyes when she thought she had to stay here had almost knocked him over. And when she told him why, he thought his insides were bleeding. What she went through still rocked through him like a wrecking ball, and the guilt piled higher and higher.
The nurse was exiting Chelsea’s room when he got back.
“Let me know if you need anything or if she seems in more pain than usual. I did a quick vitals check, but she mostly slept through it, only rousing a bit. Her doctor probably won’t be in until mid-morning, so order some breakfast and relax.”
Relaxing wasn’t something he’d done much of since his wife had returned. His wife. Even though he hadn’t used those words often, he liked them, hoped he could continue using them in reference to Chelsea.
Settled back in her room, he simply watched her sleep. For once, she seemed totally at peace. It didn’t last long with the staff coming and taking blood and checking her IV. When they left her alone, he sat and held her hand and smiled at her. It seemed to keep her calm.
“Do you think they’ll let me go home soon? I miss Jordan.” Her voice was small but determined.
“She stopped by to see you this morning before school.”
“What? I don’t remember that.” Tears gathered in her eyes, and he rushed to put her at ease.
“You were asleep, and I told her not to wake you up. You didn’t forget. Last night was rough, and I thought you needed sleep more.”
“Will you bring her to my house so I can see her? The doctor said I couldn’t drive for a little while.”
Pulling her hands to his mouth, he kissed her knuckles. “I thought it might be better if you came to our house. That way I can take care of you, and you can see Jordan all you want. Plus, your house is a bit of a mess right now.”
“Don’t you have to work?” Her confused expression pulled at him.
“I took the next few days off. I’ve got plenty of time coming to me. I don’t want you worrying about anything.”
A dreamy expression crossed her face as she closed her eyes. “You’re going to take care of me.”
“Always, pixie girl.” Too bad he hadn’t tried harder to do that years ago.
He kissed the tip of her nose, making sure to keep it light. There was some discoloration around her eyes this morning, most likely from the broken nose, and some tiny cuts from the broken glass. Even with all that, she was still amazingly beautiful.
When the doctor showed up a few hours later, he declared Chelsea fit to go, provided she had someone with her for the next few days and she made an appointment to see her own doctor soon. There would be no driving for a while, and Theo got a whole list of symptoms he needed to watch for, along with a prescription for some medication that would help with the nausea. Over-the-counter pain reliever would help with any discomfort.
After assisting her in getting dressed, an orderly wheeled her to the entrance as Theo brought the car around to the door. Her eyes, when he pulled up, showed her relief. Did she honestly think he’d drive off and leave her?
As he settled her in the car and maneuvered onto the road, he knew that soon they’d have to do some more talking. Her fear of not being with Jordan was understandable, but he sensed deep down there was a whole lot more to discover about his wife.
Chapter nineteen
