“For what?”
She wasn’t even angry now. He wasn’t sure what she was feeling and just wished she’d open up.
“For losing my temper earlier. With your father, with you. Jesus, do you think he had a heart attack? Do you think I caused it?”
Once he’d laid Norris on the floor, he hadn’t felt a pulse but then maybe missed it in the excitement. Norris was breathing, he knew that much. After a few chest compressions he finally felt the bump under his fingers and shared that with the EMTs when they came in.
He’d never seen the man so pale, so fragile before.
Not something he wanted to see again either.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know anything about his health. It’s not something he’s talked about. I made a comment about him looking thin and he said he didn’t have much of an appetite lately. He admitted he’s tired by the end of the day, but he’s in his early sixties and still works long days.”
“I know it’s not the time,” he said. “But I am sorry I talked to you that way. He triggered me. You didn’t deserve what he said. Neither of us did.”
He remembered the conversation with his mother a month ago. Stand with Nora for support, not to fix. To know the difference. He didn’t listen well it seemed.
“No,” she said, looking at him, her eyes almost seeing through him and not focusing. “We didn’t. I didn’t. And I was in his office giving it to him just the same when he grabbed his chest and keeled over.”
Which meant she was going to live with that guilt if something happened.
Hell, he was feeling a part of it too, so he could only imagine what she was going through.
“Don’t put it on yourself,” he said. “We don’t know what is going on.”
“No.”
He pulled her under his arm, and she placed her head against his chest.
She didn’t normally allow herself to be this vulnerable in public.
The panic he felt she was going to leave him was still lingering in his chest.
That he’d pushed her away when he was trying to pull her close.
Her words that his mother would side with her hit home.
Janet Bond most definitely would do that.
If they could get past another hurdle in their way. Because the last thing he needed or wanted was for them to take steps back when they were finally moving forward.
“I know it’s not the time. I probably overreacted, but all I saw was how he was talking to you. Talking about us and what we have. It’s not like that. I hope you don’t see it that way.”
“No,” she whispered against his chest. “And I was telling him that when it happened. Explaining what it was and how he made me feel. I’ve never done that before. Never stood up to him.”
She sniffled and he ran his hand down her arm, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”
At least he hoped that was the case.
She nodded as if she believed him. Or maybe wanted to believe him.
All the money in the world couldn’t make this situation go any faster.
“Eleanor Jones?”
She stood up. “That’s me.”
“If you’ll come this way,” the nurse said. “Your father is awake. They are still running tests, but he’s asking for you.”
