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He watched her for a few beats. His expression was unreadable. She could’ve talked herself into believing that he looked relieved. Finally, he said, “Black.”
She nodded. “I’ll be right back.” As she turned to go on her errand, she thought about rattling off her cell number and telling him to call her if he got any news, but then she thought better of it. Besides, she was only going to the hospital cafeteria. She wouldn’t be gone long.
Still, life could change on a dime. One minute you were in a tourist trap restaurant obsessing over past differences, and the next, someone you loved was clinging to life.
And she hadn’t cleared the waiting room when she heard him utter an expletive. When she turned, he was on his feet, looking at his watch.
“What’s wrong?” Elle asked, returning to his side.
“Chloe,” he murmured. “My brother’s daughter. She’s in school. Aidan usually picks her up around this time. I have to call the school.”
Aidan had a daughter? Where was the little girl’s mother? Obviously, this wasn’t the time to ask, because she wasn’t here at the hospital and Daniel wasn’t counting on her to pick up the child.
He fumbled with his cell phone and got frustrated with the slow internet.
“Daniel, let me help,” she said. “Please.”
“I have to call the school and tell them about Aidan’s accident. But I don’t know the number and I can’t—”
“Where does she go to school and what’s her name?”
“She goes to Country Day. I’ll have to talk to them.”
“I’ll look up the number for you,” Elle said. “Sit down.” Her voice was gentle but firm. He did what she said, lowering himself onto the vinyl seat again.
“Do you remember Josey Jensen?” she asked. “We went to school with her.”
Daniel gave a dazed, noncommittal shrug.
“She’s the dean of students at Country Day now,” said Elle. “Do you want me to talk to her and explain what happened?”
“No,” Daniel said. “Let me call the school.”
Elle nodded. After she pulled up the number, she read it to him. He punched it into his phone and then walked away, toward the hall that led to the exit.
A few minutes later, he returned looking a little sheepish.
“Chloe gets out of school in about an hour. Is there any way you’d be able to go get her? I would, but I don’t want to leave the hospital in case the doctor finishes Aidan’s surgery. I want to be here.”
“Of course,” Elle said, happy she could be useful.
“At the end of the school day, your friend Josey is going to get Chloe from her class and bring her to the office. She said it’s fine if you pick her up.”
“How about if I take her to the inn?” Elle suggested. “Mom and Gigi will take good care of her. That way I can come back and bring you something to eat. We never did get to eat lunch. You must be starving.”
It was a dumb thing to say. She knew it as soon as the words passed her lips. Food was probably the last thing on his mind... Then again, he was a guy. Not to stereotype, but most guys could usually eat whenever and whatever food appeared in front of them. And Daniel wasn’t balking at the suggestion.
“Daniel, she’s going to wonder why a total stranger is picking her up from school. What would you like me to tell her?”
Daniel shrugged and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “She’s five years old. What do you tell a five-year-old in a case like this?”
“I’m a teacher. Unless you have something specific you want me to tell her, you can leave it to me. I’ll handle it. But I do need your cell number just in case.”
As he rattled off the numbers, she punched them into her phone and then called him.
“Now you have my number, too. Just in case.”
He nodded as he silenced his phone.
“I’m going to go get Chloe now—”
“Elle, I remembered something. Chloe won’t get into a car with anyone unless the person knows the special code word she and Aidan came up with.”
“Oh, good. That’s important. Do you know it?”
Daniel smiled sadly. “Yeah. It’s rutabaga. The word makes Chloe laugh.”
