It was nice to know he’d cared enough to hang around and see whether she lived or died.
“Have they said when they’re letting me out of here?” She felt like hell, felt weak as a kitten actually, but she despised hospitals.
“A few more days. Until you’re strong enough and the effect of the drug is gone completely.”
“I guess I can deal with that.”
“There are others waiting to see you.” Kale looked at her hand, where he held it in his own, before meeting her gaze again. “I guess I should give someone else a turn.”
That’s when she noticed all the flowers. Twenty, no, at least thirty, arrangements. Including red roses.
“Wait.”Deepest regrets.“Who sent the roses?”
“You want me to check the card?”
“No. I mean to the parents of the victims?”
“Oh, yeah. It was Lynda. She does it every time someone passes away. The whole covert order in Bangor was about making it look as if Jerri Lynn was setting her up. Apparently, Jerri Lynn had gone with her that day.”
“I can’t believe so many people sent flowers,” Sarah muttered.
“And you thought nobody liked you.”
Duh.
Instinct nudged Sarah. “Why don’t you look at the card with the roses?” She needed to know.
“Sure.” Kale crossed the room and pulled the card from the greenery. “Deepest regrets.”
Sarah’s pulse stumbled.
“Jerri Lynn Pope.”
Sarah cleared her throat. “That’s creepy.”
Kale shrugged. “You have to remember, both her parents are accused of murder. She’s pretty much alone now.”
“Yeah.” Sarah knew how it felt to be suddenly alone. She also knew that Jerri Lynn was one weird girl ... from one bizarre family. Although Sarah felt bad for Jerri Lynn on one level, there was still something she didn’t trust about her.
“I’ve been holding on to something for you.” Kale reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace Matilda had given Sarah. “It seemed important to you, and I didn’t want it to get lost. They took it off you in the ER.” He placed it in her hand.
“Thanks.” The rune felt cool against her palm. “Matilda gave it to me.”
“Matilda and about a dozen other people are in the corridor waiting to see you,” Kale told her, “but I thought I should fill you in first.”
Sarah blinked, overwhelmed with all the information and emotions. “I appreciate that.”
“By the way,” he added, “my parents have offered to take Matilda in, if she’ll agree. Polly loves her like a sister and has convinced them to help.”
Now there was some good news. Something to celebrate. Sarah’s heart felt glad.
Kale stared at their joined hands a long moment. Then he lifted his gaze to hers. “I was coming after you, you know. I didn’t want you to go.” He looked down again. “I won’t beg you to stay, because that wouldn’t be right. But ...” That dark, dark gaze met hers once more. “To hell with it. I’ll beg. I really want you to stay. Think about it, Sarah, okay? Seriously think about it.”
That was something she could definitely promise him. “Sounds like a plan.”
This was going to be a new beginning for her. She was never going to worry about DNA or genetics again. She was who she was. No matter who or what her mother and father were. Sarah considered that Jerri Lynn faced the same dilemma. So far she hadn’t killed anyone. Even though Sarah had considered the girl a prime suspect, but now she knew the truth.
Instinct nudged her.
