“I know this is triggering for you because of your parents,” he said. “You’re frightened. And that’s okay. It’s just a measurement of how much you love her.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss on her temple. “She’s an easy woman to love.” He was wearing his heart on his sleeve right now about his grandmother.
True leaned her head on his shoulder. “She really is.”
All of a sudden, Caleb, Landon, and Jacques appeared in the waiting room. Xavier looked past them to see if Red was on their heels, but he was nowhere in sight. Apparently, they had gotten a little turned around on the way with the directions due to Jacques being a nervous wreck. Between Xavier and True, they caught everyone up to speed on the situation. Everyone had their role in supporting one another. Jacques buoyed their spirits by telling amusing Hattie stories while Caleb ran to get coffee for everyone. Landon spouted facts about Alaska’s moose population and how it was the official state animal.
Xavier pulled Caleb aside. “Where’s Red?” he asked. He had almost slipped and used the D word.
Caleb scrunched up his face. “He wouldn’t come with us. It was strange,” Caleb said, scratching his jaw. “He said that hospitals make him uncomfortable.” He shook his head, looking disgusted. “Jacques tried to convince him to come,telling him that we would all be together, but nothing would sway him.”
Xavier let out the breath he’d been holding. What would they tell Hattie when they went back to check on her? That her own son couldn’t gather the strength to see her?
Red was proving once again that he couldn’t be counted on.Fool me once, twice, a hundred times.Xavier wasn’t going to open his emotional vault to a man who always ran away at the first sign of trouble or human frailty. Wasn’t that what his mother had said? That every time she had needed him as a husband or a father, Red had left her in the lurch.
Xavier wasn’t interested in being played for a fool, not by anyone in this world, especially his father.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
True stood right by Hattie’s family as Dr. Akash came to the waiting room and updated them on Hattie’s condition. At this point, she was one of the Stones, united in their concern for their matriarch. She couldn’t have felt closer to Hattie if she were her own flesh and blood. All that mattered was Hattie’s well-being.
“Hattie is stable at the moment,” Dr. Akash announced. “We gave her some IV fluids, and we’d like her to stay overnight for observation.”
Everyone collectively let out a sigh of relief. Hattie was going to make it.
“Was it her blood sugar again?” Jacques asked. The poor man looked distraught, but he was trying to hold it together by supporting everyone else. Red, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.
“No, it wasn’t a blood sugar issue. It’s important to understand that at this stage in her illness, her body doesn’t have the strength it used to,” the doctor explained. “I don’t want to sound indelicate, but her body is giving out.”
“So, did you give her any instructions post discharge?” True asked.
He winked at her. “I know better than to tell Hattie how to live her life. I’ll do whatever I can to extend her life as long as possible and keep her pain-free, but she is terminal, and I can’t change that.”
When they made their way to Hattie’s room, she was sitting up in the hospital bed looking alert and irritated. “I want to go home! I’ve got a meeting in the morning with a new distributor. Jacques, help me up!”
“Hattie, I can’t do that. You need to stay put,” Jacques said, gently pushing her back down on the bed. Hattie tried to get up, but the slight pressure Jacques was exerting kept her in place. True imagined she didn’t have the strength to put up much of a fight. Although she looked better at the moment, Hattie still appeared to be in a weakened state.
“Where’s Red? He’ll take me home,” Hattie said defiantly. True exchanged a glance with Xavier, who didn’t seem pleased with his father’s disappearing act. A vein was jumping around above his eye. This couldn’t be good for his strained relationship with his father.
Everyone seemed at a loss as to how to deal with Hattie. They watched as Jacques inhaled a deep breath and stood up straight, his shoulders erect. “Hattie Stone. You need to listen up and listen good.” His voice bristled with authority. “Everyone in this room loves you. And that includes me. You scared us to death back there at the house.” He reached out and gripped her hand. “We want the very best for you. Always. What you’re going through is unimaginable, but we’re trying to support you the best way we can, so knock off the foolishness.”
Hattie was gazing at him with wide, shocked eyes. True’s jaw dropped. Jacques had always been so genteel and mild mannered, always agreeable and catering to Hattie’s wishes.True imagined this was the first time he had ever told her how things were going to be.
“Sometimes life tells us to be still. This is one of those times,” Jacques said in a decisive tone that brooked no disagreement.
Hattie sputtered. “Some birthday this turned out be!” She sank back into the hospital bed and stuck her lip out.
“I’m going to ask them to bring in a cot so I can stay with you,” Jacques said, raising Hattie’s hand to his lips before placing a kiss on it. Hattie looked like she might swoon. They really were adorable.
“Oh, Jacques, that’s awfully sweet of you,” Hattie said in a syrupy-sweet voice. “Give me some sugar.”
Jacques leaned in and placed a kiss on Hattie’s lips. True wasn’t sure if she had ever seen anything so adorable in her whole life. True stepped back to give the couple some privacy and motioned for the Stone brothers to do the same.
“Crisis averted,” Xavier murmured. He wiped his hand across his forehead in a gesture of relief.
“Who knew Jacques had it in him to take on Hattie?” Caleb asked. “He’s a boss.”
“Love can move mountains,” Landon said, earning him a chorus of groans. He grinned at them, clearly proud of himself.
True looked at the clock hanging on the wall. “Yikes. I’ve got to scoot to pick up Jaylen at Tai’s house.”
