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“A-and if the worst happens, they should be allowed the chance to say goodbye to Vince.” Nellie glanced at Ryan and Lucas, but before she could ask, Ryan turned toward the door.
“I’ll get them. They’re at Vince’s brother’s, right?”
“Yes. Thank you,” she called after him as he hurried through the door. She slumped back and hugged Noah again.
The baby was beginning to fuss a bit, and Lucas thought he was probably hungry by the way he chewed on his fist. Carly took him and walked the floor a few minutes before she turned toward Lucas. “Is there a private room I could use?”
“This way.” Lucas led her to a small consultation room. “This should work. I’ll stand guard out here.” He hesitated. “Thank you for coming. You’re just what Nellie needed. You’ve been in her shoes.”
He hadn’t stopped to think much about what she’d endured when Eric died, but he was seeing it play out in front of him now. And she’d rushed to be here the minute she’d heard, even though it had to have been hard to step into a situation she’d already experienced. He suspected it was because of affection for him.
She tipped her head up. “I didn’t have the hope she has. Eric was dead when I found him. But I know the fear she feels about her future and what will become of her and her children. I had my grandmother, and I know Nellie has you and her family too. She’s blessed in that way.”
“And the whole force will be there for them.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Listen to me, talking like it’s already happened. Vince isn’t dead yet, and by God’s grace, I pray he pulls through. But I’m scared.”
She put her hand on his. “I wish I could help your fear and pain.”
He set his other hand on top of hers and squeezed. “You already have by coming.” Noah’s complaints grew louder. “I think you’d better feed your son.”
She nodded and slipped into the small room to find a comfortable chair. Lucas leaned his back against the door to protect her privacy and thought about all Carly had endured. Noah would never know his father, and Caroline wouldn’t either. That realization stirred compassion for the baby girl being cared for at his house.
***
It was nearly four in the afternoon by the time the doctor dressed in blue scrubs entered the waiting room. Lucas shot to his feet with Noah in his arms. He took Nellie’s hand, and she hung on to his fingers in a tight grip. Carly moved close on his other side as he examined the doctor’s face for some kind of clue to the news he was about to deliver.
The doctor, a man in his fifties, glanced around until his gaze landed on the little group huddled together by the window. “Mrs.Steadman?”
Nellie nodded, and her grip on Lucas tightened. “I-is Vince going to live?”
The doctor’s lips tipped up in what might have been a halfsmile. “Well, he’s not out of the woods yet, but we retrieved the bullet and stopped the bleeding. I’m cautiously optimistic he’s going to make it, but his recovery will be a while. We’re lucky the bullet missed his lungs.” He reached out and touched her shoulder. “A nurse will let you know when he’s in his room and you can see him.”
“Thank the good Lord,” Nellie whispered. “And thank you for all you did for him, Doctor.”
“My pleasure.” He released her shoulder and walked away at a fast clip.
Lucas embraced Nellie with his free arm, but she pulled away when a commotion at the door alerted her that Ryan had returned with the twins. The teenagers called out, “Mom!” and rushed toward her.
She hugged them. “The doctor was just here, and your dad is going to be okay.”
It wasn’t quite what the doctor said, but Lucas would have offered the same reassurance. He felt a little giddy himself at the news. He’d been dreading hearing that Vince had died. He watched Vince’s little family celebrate, and it felt like watching a happy party through a window. On the outside looking in.
They’d want to include him if they knew he felt that way, but all he had was Ryan. It used to be enough, but now he wasn’t so sure. He stared at Carly’s beautiful face with her shining eyes and joyous smile. His arms tightened around the welcome weight of the baby in his arms.
Carly’s smile widened when she saw him staring at her. “Wonderful news, just wonderful. I should probably go home and help Gram finish prepping for the most important dinner of her life.” She wrinkled her nose. “Funny how easy it is tocall your house ‘home’ when you probably can’t wait to get the Tuckers out of there. We’ve taken over everything.” Her smile wobbled and flattened. “Honestly, Lucas, I’m sorry for what we’ve done to your life. I think little Caroline might have been the final straw that added to the chaos.”
“She hasn’t been a problem.”
“You sure? I could look for a house to rent.”
“You know how impossible that would be with the busy season starting. Besides, I don’t want you to leave.”
He checked his impulse to say more when he couldn’t commit to too much. His emotions and feelings were too chaotic and unfamiliar to be able to nail them down to talk about. Or even for him to understand them.
“I’ll check on Kelly while you go on home. I’ll be along as quickly as I can. I think Nellie will be all right now. She and the kids will be able to see Vince after a while, and they won’t need me.”
She lifted Noah out of his arms. “I’ll relieve you of this guy. Don’t leave the hospital if Vince and his family need you. We can handle things at dinner.”
At her words he realized he didn’t want to miss the happy drama that would be unfolding in his living room. He’d found himself an integral part of the Tuckers’ lives, and he didn’t want to be on the outside looking in. Not if he could help it.
