There were so many emotions riding through her right now, Laura could barely remember how to speak. She wanted to squeeze Faith and enjoy, while at the same time she wanted to take King in her arms and offer him comfort. The memories this must be dredging up had to be incredibly hard andpainful.
“Well, that answers the question of whether she can hear the difference in the tones of your voices. I’m going to make a few more adjustments, and give her two more programs, each one a little bit louder so that you can slowly increase the volume as her brain and auditory nerve tree learn how to accept the sounds around her.” Breanne stayed focused on her computer, selecting and shifting various items on thescreen.
Laura palmed Faith’s head against hershoulder.
King sat pale and silent in his chair, staring right throughthem.
Breanne continued, unaware of the attention he paid. “I also went ahead and ordered you a new at-home care kit since Melissa told me yours was destroyed in your house fire. So you’ll start out fresh with everything you could possibly need for the next severalmonths.”
King and Laura both jerked at the word fire. King shot to his feet, and then crossed to the door. “I’ll let you two finishup.”
“King—” but he cut her off by shutting the door, effectively separatingthem.
Faith wiggled out of Laura’s arms and darted after him, forcing Laura to snag her and pull her back. Assuming the seat King had evacuated, she settled Faith on her lap and held hertight.
Breanne shot her a questioning look. Laura shrugged casually, all the while feeling her world shifting out from under her feet. “You were saying you’d gotten a new kit? Does it have the new instructionbooklet?”
Chapter 18
Unable to facehis past or his present, King called in Diggs and Hicks to catch a ride with the women and took their SUV, leading the caravan back to the mansion. There was no way he’d survive the ride home feeling Laura’s gaze plastered to his back all theway.
As they made their way down the highway, King could feel the empty seat next to him, the empty seat where in his truck Trinity used to sit. The back of his right hand tingled and he curled his fingers into a tight fist. She always slid her hand across the console to hold his. Only now he couldn’t really remember what Trinity’s fingers must have felt like. Instead all he could feel was the blazing heat ofLaura.
He punched the steering wheel, and then he punched again. Why now? He’d been fine just the way he was before, he’d been content. He’d been able to block out the pain. Dammit, he couldn’t do this, notagain.
What right did he have to unconditional love again? He didn’t. He didn’t even have the right to long for it after failing hisfamily.
The thought drew his eye to the rearview mirror and the empty backseat. A cold sweat broke out across his chest and chills raced down his neck. Before tonight, the last time he’d driven a child in this car had been Hope, her pudgy little legs swinging in her car seat squealing for Daddy to gofaster.
King jerked his gaze to the road, staring blindly out the windshield, not seeing the road in front of him, not seeing anything but Hope racing to him with her little arms wide when he’d come home. She’d been so trusting for him to catch her. They both trusted him to take care ofthem.
Waves crashed in his ears and he ground his fists around the steering wheel. Just like Faith and Laura trusted him. He hadn’t been able to protect them and he’d lostthem.
He couldn’t do itagain.
He wouldn’t survive losing them all overagain.
* * *
“King!”Laura bolted from the car as soon as the men put it in park. King was already halfway up the front staircase. He didn’t turn or even pause, just blasted through the front door like she didn’texist.
Every cell in her body cried out for her to run after him. Her plans to talk to him on the way home from the hospital went up in smoke the moment she realized he’d taken the other vehicle to avoid her. To avoidthem.
And how could she blame him? He’d told her about his daughter, Hope, being killed, and the audiologist at the hospital calling him Dad had to have opened up those oldwounds.
Logically she knew she shouldn’t, but his rejection still hurt like hell. She had to talk to him. She had to get him to open up. Keeping those emotions so tightly wound would destroy him and it would destroy any connection she’d made with him. And Lord help her, she loved him too much to let that happen without afight.
“Laura.” Faith jumped down from the vehicle. She’d said her name out loud for the first time in several days. Her speech may have been slow and clumsy, but it was still music to herears.
Laura squatted down and held out her arms, catching Faith as she jumped in midair. “That was so good. You’re already catchingup.”
Faith leaned back and lifted her stuffed cat up, pointing to him. “Kitty.”
“Good job.” Diggs passed Laura the small care kit. She took it and said, “Thankyou.”
Diggs offered her a small sideways smile, his eyes full of compassion and understanding. “Give him some time. He’s opened up more to you than he has to any of us all the years we’ve known him. It’s got to behard.”
Laura blew out a sigh, clutching Faith to her. “I know, I think I should talk to himthough.”
