Page 56 of Rising Star

I nodded as we broke apart and shoved my hands in my pockets.

Without another word, I spun on my heels and got the hell out of the room and exited the building, desperate for some fresh air to settle my mind.

And assess my options.

* * *

“Hey you,” I whispered when I walked back into the hospital room an hour later.

Madison’s breathing was soft and steady, and I listened to it for a while before taking a seat beside her bed.

When I touched her hand, her eyes wavered open, and she offered me a weak curl of her lips.

“Sam,” she whispered.

I leaned forward, my lips connecting with her cheek.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Why am I here?”

Tears filled her eyes, and I used the pad of my finger to dry them.

“Two weeks ago, you got into an accident. It was bad. The doctors weren’t sure you’d make it.”

“Two weeks?” She winced. “You sure?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. You were put under sedation.”

She swallowed a sob. “How bad? No rainbows. Be honest with me.” Her voice had lost all her usual spirit and sounded so slurred I had to make an extra effort to understand her words.

“Your left leg. It got crushed. They did extensive reconstruction work to fix the damages, but it will be a long recovery. You could have lost your limb. There’re scars across your pelvic bone and down your left thigh and leg. They might require plastic surgery in the future. We gotta wait and see.”

Madison lifted her arm, her hand seeking mine. I knitted our fingers and brought our joined hands by her side, squeezing hers a little more than usual.

“Will I—?” More tears escaped from her eyes. “Will I ever walk again?”

I bobbed my head. “Yes. Your spine is fine. With time and physical therapy, your leg should be fully functioning.”

A heart-wrecking sob punctured the silence.

I let her cry. My own eyes were watery at the sight of my woman in distress. I combed her hair back with my free hand, resting my head on her shoulder while we navigated this new reality together.

“And the girls? Who’s watching them?”

I swallowed the bile rising at the back of my throat. “A woman Janice sent over. Her name is Doris.”

She bowed her head. “Is she…is she nice?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t teach math while baking and doesn’t throw dance parties, or know the steps to a line-dance, but other than that, the kids like her. They miss you, though. They ask about you all the time.”

“When can I see them? I need a hug. Or two hugs.” A little smile peeked through her sadness.

“Soon.” I gathered some courage from deep in me to speak the next few words. “We gotta talk about something,” I began. “I’m touring Texas right now. I fly here every couple of days, but I talked to Riley. And he talked to Emily. And we think it would be better if you stay in Nashville. For now. Here, you have your sister, who happens to be a surgeon, and your parents live a few hours’ drive from here. Bringing you on a bus right now doesn’t make sense. We have to discuss logistics.”

“You want me to stay here?”

I looked away, putting my messy thoughts in order. “It would be for the best. If it was realistic, you’d be on the bus with me, and I would hire a nurse to care for you when I’m unavailable. But the truth is, you need physical therapy and a schedule. A wheelchair. And lots of rest. And I can’t provide that. Not short-term at least. Not until you are a bit stronger. If you agree you’d be better here, Emily could move in with you at home. You wouldn’t have to leave the house.”

She nodded, not saying anything.