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Dr. Miller entered, saw him awake in the bed and smiled. “Well, I hope those sharp, clear eyes are a good indication of what’s going on behind them,” she said. “Good to meet you, Mr. Corona.”
“I’ll stop in to say goodbye before I leave,” Kara told him and she left the room.
Jim threw back the covers and had his legs over the side of the bed before the doctor uttered her first protest.
“No use arguing, Doc. I’m a police officer. My son has been abducted by a felon, and I’m going after him.”
“I don’t blame you. Can I at least check your pupils? Maybe get a BP and a quick listen to your heart first?”
“No.”
“You have thirty-six stitches in your head, Mr. Corona. You’re lucky you didn’t fracture your skull.”
“Very lucky. I know. But since I didn’t, I have to leave.” He looked down at the trousers he wore and remembered they were part of the tux. The tux he’d been wearing to marry Kara Brand. And now she knew the truth—that he didn’t love her—and it made his stomach hurt to realize how deeply he had hurt her.
She didn’t deserve that. She’d been nothing but wonderful to him and Tyler. He felt like an assassin.
“Where’s my shirt?” he asked the doctor.
“I’ll give you your shirt after I check your vitals. Deal?”
He sighed and rolled his eyes but agreed.
The doc made quick work of it, which he appreciated. Then she turned and opened a large plastic bag that had been sitting on the floor, dug out a white shirt and tossed it to him. He caught it and she nodded. “Reflexes are okay.”
“Sneaky, aren’t you? You have a release form I can sign, Doctor? If you do, bring it now, ‘cause in another thirty seconds I’ll be out of here.”
She nodded. “All right, have it your way.” She yanked his chart off the door, flipped it open, scribbled something on it and drew a big X. Then she handed it to him, along with the pen. She set the bag with the rest of his belongings on the bed beside him.
He scribbled his name beside the X and handed it back to her. Then he pulled on his white shirt. He dug around in the plastic bag for his shoes and socks and she left him alone. But when he bent over to pull on the socks, he was hit with such a rush of dizziness he wound up on his knees on the floor.
And then Kara was there, on her knees, too, gripping his shoulders, helping him to get up again. He met her eyes. They were wet. She’d been crying. Hell, he’d made her cry. She was no longer wearing the wedding gown. God it had just about knocked him out of the bed when he’d glimpsed her in it. Such a powerful image, Kara Brand as his bride. She wore jeans now and a small green sweater.
“You should stay here until the doctor wants to let you go,” she said.
“Right. You wouldn’t if it was your kid.”
“Heismy kid.”
He lifted his head. She blinked, those huge green eyes swimming.
“At least, I’d like for him to be.”
She pushed him until he sat on the bed, then she knelt and pulled his socks onto his feet. When she got them on straight, she added the shoes, even tied them for him. “I love him, Jimmy.” She couldn’t seem to meet his eyes. “And you don’t have to marry me to ensure I stay in his life. You really don’t.”
He didn’t even know how to respond to that. The local chief of police came in before he could think of a way.
“Jim. Sorry we’re meeting again under these circumstances. I want you to know we’re doing everything we can to find your son.”
Jimmy nodded, getting to his feet. “I need to be out looking for him. But if you can ride with us to the house, I’ll fill you in on the way.”
Chief Wheatly said, “I need to take my own car, but we can talk at the house. I’ve been in touch with your Chief Wilcox in Chicago, and he’s already brought me up to date on a lot of this. Have Stefano or Angela contacted you since they took him?”
“No. But I haven’t been at the house, and I left my cell phone there, so I don’t see how they could.”
Jimmy started for the door a bit unsteadily. But then Kara was beside him, sliding an arm around his waist, holding him. She was strong and sure of herself and loyal and determined.
She wouldn’t let him down.
