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“He’s tired.”
That was it.
Nothing more.
His attitude began to irritate me. It’d been amusing to toy with him a bit, but I sure as shit didn’t need him looking down his nose at me like he was.
“I think Everett will want to see me,” I said with a smile, deliberately using the man’s first name.
I didn’t think it was possible, but Nash stiffened even more. But he didn’t move. I grabbed my phone and dialed Ronan’s number.
“Hey, yeah, it’s me. Would you tell Everett to come call off his guard dog?” I said as I held Nash’s gaze. “Yeah, thanks.”
Within seconds of hanging up with Ronan, the door behind Nash was opening. “Gage,” Everett said politely. He looked a little bit better than he had before – not rested, exactly, but he’d changed his clothes and had likely showered because his hair looked perfectly in place. “Nash, step aside,” Everett said, a thread of irritation in his voice. I barely managed not to smirk at Nash as he did Everett’s bidding. I took Everett’s proffered hand.
“How are you doing, Everett?” I asked.
Everett managed a small nod. “Been better,” he admitted. “But Reese hasn’t gotten me kicked out of the hospital, so that’s something, I guess.”
I smiled and followed Everett into the room. I wasn’t the least bit surprised when Nash joined us.
There were a few trays of food sitting in the middle of the table, but there was only a coffee cup by the two chairs that Everett led me to. I nodded at Ronan. “Did you see him?” Ronan asked.
I nodded.
“Who? Reese?” Everett asked. “Is he okay?”
“He’s doing good. We talked for a few minutes and then I got him to accept some meds for his pain.”
“Good,” Everett said with a nod. He was clasping and unclasping his hands in front of him on the table. I sat down in the chair next to him. “He was always such a stubborn little boy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he was well-behaved and everything, but he always wanted to do things for himself.”
I nodded in understanding as we fell into an awkward silence. I couldn’t stand to watch Everett’s hands moving so restlessly, so I put my hand over his before I even considered how it would look. Everett instantly stilled, and I heard him suck in a little breath of air. His skin was colder than it should have been, but I tended to run hotter than most people, so what did I really know? I let my thumb skim over Everett’s skin for a second before I forced myself to release him. I was pleased when he kept his hands still.
“Everett, have you eaten anything today?” I asked.
His eyes lifted to meet mine. “Um, no, not yet. I will, though.”
There was something about the comment that had my insides lighting up. The way he’d said the words – like he was eager to please me or something.
“Gage.”
Ronan’s voice tore me from the inappropriate turn my thoughts had taken. He was watching me with knowing eyes.
“Did you talk to Reese?” he asked.
I knew what he was really asking. “Yeah, he’s okay with it.”
“Okay with what?” Everett asked. “Is he all right?”
The despair in the man’s voice tore at my heart. I couldn’t even imagine how helpless and powerless he had to be feeling not to be able to see his son, touch him. If someone had told me I couldn’t be there for my kid when she was hurt and suffering, that person wouldn’t have been able to walk upright after I’d finished with them. But if my daughter had been the one to tell me she wanted nothing to do with me…
I shook my head before I even realized what I was doing. I forced myself to focus and said, “I’ve gotten Reese to agree to come stay with me and my family once he’s discharged.”
“In Seattle?” Everett asked.
I nodded. “Ronan told you about the plan to move him to Seattle after his surgery?”
“Um, yes, we were just talking about it,” Everett said. “I was hoping… I was hoping…” Everett let out a choked laugh and shook his head. “No, it’s good. He should stay with you. He clearly trusts you.”
Pain went through me as I understood what Everett wasn’t saying.
He’d hoped Reese would stay with him so he could take care of him.
Fuck, what had I done? Although I knew Reese likely would have said no to that, maybe if that had been his only option, he would have relented and father and son could have had a chance to fix whatever was broken between them.
I glanced over my shoulder at Nash and saw him looking at me with disapproval.
God, the guy really was Everett’s guard dog.
I turned my gaze back to Everett and saw Ronan watching me carefully. And in that moment, I knew what I was going to do. It could quite possibly make things a thousand times worse, but I didn’t care. My hope had been to fix Reese, but maybe he needed to recover from more than just his physical injuries.
