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For now, he simply had to work on getting a little bit closer to the target. The time was near; it was just a matter of throwing Hartman’s guys off his trail. They’d been parked down the road from his place for several days now, and although at first, he thought it was the angels watching over him, once he sobered up, the voices settled down enough to allow for his latest vision. He saw that those bastards were keeping tabs on him. Now all he needed was to create a little d
istraction in order to get out of town. He had the notion that God would be delivering the answer very soon. Soon enough, he would be well on his way.
Michele woke up and looked at Patrick with a certain resignation he hadn’t seen before. “Hey there,” he whispered. She looked better than she had earlier; there was finally some color to her face. He reached for her hand and wrapped it in his before she pulled away and ran it down her stomach. “The baby?”
“The baby’s fine. Perfectly normal. How are you?”
She shifted a little in bed and winced, reaching for her head. “Tired.”
“I think they’re going to let us out of here pretty soon. And I was thinking that since you need to take a few days off I’d drive you home and stay with you there for a little while until you’re back on your feet.”
“I don’t know, Patrick. I think I’m going to call my sister.”
Patrick stepped away and paced the room. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
Michele toyed with the IV in her arm, hesitating before she spoke. “I just don’t think I can do this anymore. It’s not healthy. I mean . . . clearly.”
“All right, well, we’ll talk about all that when you’re feeling better.”
“No, Patrick, I think we need to talk about it here. Now. This baby means everything to me. I’ve been given a chance, a gift, you know, and I’m messing it up. I’ve been so wrapped up in you that I’m not taking care of me. But it’s no longer about me. Don’t you see? What we’ve had isn’t enough for me anymore, now that I have somebody else to worry about.”
He walked to her bed and knelt down beside her. “I know, Michele. And I’m so sorry. I know I’ve been selfish, and I promise you if you give me another shot I’m going to make up for it. I don’t know how all of this is supposed to work out, but I know now, after everything that happened today, that I want to try. When I saw you lying there like that, I swore to myself, to whoever would listen, that if you were okay then I’d do whatever it took to make it right. So that’s what I want. I want to make it right, and I want to start making you happy.”
“Oh, yeah? And what about your wife?” Michele frowned.
“I’m going to give her the divorce she wants. Look. I know that it’s what I should’ve done all along. And I know what you’re thinking. I know that I don’t have the best track record, but I’m asking you to give me another chance to get it right, if not for me then for our child. Don’t you think we deserve to give this a fair shot for it?”
Michele wiped the tears from her eyes. “For her. It’s a girl, Patrick. We’re having a girl.”
Patrick face beamed. “A girl?”
“Yeah. I had an amnio done a few weeks ago because of my advanced maternal age. They told me that it’s a girl and that she looks absolutely perfect.” Her smile widened.
“Wow. So what do you say then? Seriously, I really think we can make this work, you and I.”
Michele grinned. “I say it’s time we got you a transfer before corporate has a shit fit.”
Patrick climbed in the bed and kissed her forehead gently. He exhaled a sigh of relief, nervously placing his hand on Michele’s belly. “Good, I’m glad it’s settled then.”
The sun was setting, and it was quickly growing dark as Patrick headed back to the house. He wanted to talk to Addison before they released Michele from the hospital and explain that he needed to leave for a few days. He still hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to her, but he assumed that she should be back by now. What he wasn’t looking forward to though was dealing with his mother. She and Addison together would be pure hell. Still, he figured that Addie couldn’t be too angry with him; after all, he wasn’t stupid. He knew the real reason that she’d gone back to Austin. That said, he probably should’ve warned her about the shit storm she would likely be walking into with his mother.
Making his way through the gate, he nodded at the men waiting off to the side in their SUV. They hadn’t been there when he’d left that he remembered, so he gathered that if they were there now, then his wife was mostly likely back. He had to admit that seeing them there was a little strange; he couldn’t quite grasp just what kind of person needed to have people following them, knowing their comings and goings at all times. What kind of life would that be, anyway? What would this mean for his children? How would that kind of lifestyle affect them? That was something he needed to discuss with Addie. In fact, there were a lot of things that had to be worked out between the two of them. But these talks would have to wait; he needed to get back to the hospital. Sure enough, her car was out front. Taking a deep breath, Patrick stepped out of his car and wrapped his wool coat around him. The temperature had been rapidly dropping after a front had blown in that afternoon. He put his key in and hesitantly turned the door handle, praying he could get in and get out quickly. Knowing his parents, he guessed not. He tiptoed in and listened for a moment before entering the living area. He shuddered when he saw his parents sitting on the sofa opposite Addison. This wasn’t going to be good. He looked from his mother to Addison, who was staring at her hands in her lap before she met his gaze. His father cleared his voice and stood. “Patrick.”
Patrick retreated. “Look. I don’t really have time for this. I’m just here to grab a few things. I really have to head back to the hospital here pretty quickly. Addison, I need to speak to you in the other room, please.”
Addie stood and faced him; oddly enough, he was almost sure that he could detect the slightest hint of a smile upon her face. “Everything okay?”
“Patrick,” Penny interrupted. She huffed before continuing. “Addison, here, assures us that she knew of your situation and tells us that all of this is going to be cleared up amicably, which, of course, we’re very pleased to hear.”
Patrick looked surprised. “That’s always been the plan, Mother—”
“Yes, well your father and I just want what’s best for you, but, honey I have to say—”
Penny was cut off as Addie’s cell phone rang, and she stepped outside onto the deck to take the call. When she came back in a few minutes later, Patrick noticed that her face had drained of any color.
“Patrick, I need to speak to you alone, please,” she whispered, her eyes glazed over.
Penny sighed. “I think it’s best if your father and I get back home now that the children are in bed. It’s probably best to leave you two to it. I’ve got a huge luncheon and still lots yet to put together for it.”
