Page 59 of Isla by Any Other Name

“Yeah, there are four burly guys in there, each one hotter than the last. The testosterone is thick in there.”

Isla felt the corners of her lips rise . “Thanks, Grace.”

Isla knew she should have just waited for Kech to take her home, but she couldn’t leave without making sure that Mitch was okay. She couldn’t believe that he was here. My Mitch. Just the chance to look down at his face one more time was a dream come true. She’d just sit with him for a moment and then she’d leave.

Her heart ached. The pain was unbearable. But there was also a fluttering excitement, just to be so near to him. She walked into the ICU and smiled at the nurse at the desk.

“Hi Millie, just checking on my patient before I call it a day. Larkin?”

“Mr. Larkin’s in room five, Siobhan. He’s doing as well as can be expected. He’s stable.”

She stopped in front of the door and drew a deep breath. Just a few minutes, that’s all she needed. Just to make sure he was okay.

Isla walked over to the bed. Mitch was so pale. She would give anything to see his beautiful blue eyes. She pulled up the chair in the corner and took his hand in hers. The hand she knew so well. She knew every callous, every scar. These strong hands had held her softly when she was scared, held her firmly when they were making love. How she wished she could feel those arms around her once more. She knew it was a wish she would never have fulfilled. She needed to keep Jesse safe at all costs and it meant not seeing Mitch again. She had promised God she would keep him safe and she would, no matter what. She just needed to look at him one last time, feel his skin against hers. Then she could leave his side for the sake of their son. She knew it was what Mitch would have wanted, for her to keep Jesse safe.

She laid her head on his hand and turned it over, kissing his palm. Just for a moment, her eyes closed. She woke with a start when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and found Kech standing behind her.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked with concern.

“I’m fine—promise,” she said, though tears streamed down her face.

Kech gave her a gentle smile. “You’re not fine, Siobhan. There’s a story behind those tears. You know you can tell me anything.”

That just made Isla cry harder. “I know I can. You’re my best friend, Kech, and I’ve kept so much from you. But right now, I just want to go home and hold my son.”

Kech nodded. Then he looked over at Mitch. “He’s Jesse’s father, isn’t he?”

Isla nodded.

“Does he know you’re here?”

She shook her head. “He hasn’t woken up yet. I just wanted to make sure he was okay before I left. I don’t want him to know I was here. He’s better off not knowing. I’ll tell you everything on the way home.” She stood and looked down at Mitch, still asleep. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his, her tears falling on his cheeks. She wiped them away with her fingertips and turned toward Kech. “I’m ready.”

Kech took her arm and guided her out the door. “Let’s get you home and tucked in. Mom said not to worry about Jesse, he’s fine.”

“Can we just stop off at her house before you take me home?” asked Isla. “I just need to hold him before I go to sleep.”

“Sure,” said Kech tenderly. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

They walked down the hall. Isla was oblivious to all around her. She just wanted to go home to her baby. She was walking away from the only man she would ever love, for the second time.

Jax looked at the crying nurse walking down the hall. Then he looked at Nick. Molly? he mouthed. She looked like Molly, but the last time he’d seen her, Molly had short, dark hair. The woman that passed them had long strawberry blond hair pulled in a ponytail. Could it be?

Jax and Nick continued to Mitch’s room. The doctor said it had been touch and go, but he would be fine after a few months of rehab. When they got to his room, he was still out of it. Jax took the chair next to the bed while Nick stood on the other side and watched him sleep. They talked about the events of the night while they waited for him to wake up. They only had a few minutes before the nurse came in to kick them out. And they wanted to see him awake before they left for the ranch.

Five minutes later, Mitch started to stir. He opened his eyes and looked over to his side. “Where’s Isla? She was here. Where is she?”

“Mitch, she’s not here. You were dreaming,” Jax said as he looked over at Nick. He knew that news of Molly, Isla, whatever her name was…would only hurt Mitch right now. And Mitch was already as hurt as one man could be.

“No! She was here! I know she was. I could feel her.”

“Hey buddy, it was a dream. Now go back to sleep, get some shut-eye. We’re headed for the ranch now that we know your sorry ass is okay. Curt will be here when you wake up. He’s staying till we get back,” Jax said as he squeezed Mitch’s shoulder. “We’ll see you in a few hours.”

They left and walked into the waiting room.

“Is he awake?” Curt asked.

Jax nodded. “Yeah, he just woke up. He said Isla was with him. We told him he was dreaming. But I could tell he wasn’t convinced. Curt, is it possible that she was here?”