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“Thanks. I’ll let you know if I find out anything more.”
Eli didn’t respond. There was no nod, no gratitude for her offering. If anything, he looked a little lost. Worry lined his weathered features.
Bella let herself out of his office. It didn’t take long to find the kitchen Eli had mentioned and, just as he’d predicted, Nick was seated at the table with his homework.
“Officer Bella!” He hopped up from the table and Charlotte spun around from where she stood at the stove. Her eyes met Bella’s warily. Nick ran toward Bella and stopped short of throwing his arms around her. “What are you doing here? Are you here to see my dad?”
Bella glanced toward Charlotte, not knowing how much she should share about the hospital stay in front of the kid. “Actually, I came to see if you wanted to come with me to visit your dad. He’s not feeling well.”
Nick’s eyes widened fearfully. “Grandma said I might have to stay with her tonight. She said he was busy.” His accusatory tone made Bella flinch. Oops. She’d overstepped.
Except, if she knew Grant like she thought she did, he wouldn’t want his kid to go even one night not knowing where he was. “Your dad is perfectly fine. In fact, I’m sure he’d like to see you, too.”
“Can I stay with him?”
“Oh, Nick, sweetheart, I don’t think that’s a good—” Charlotte started, but Bella stopped her cold.
“I don’t see a problem with him visiting Grant. Things like this happen all the time. And if they don’t like it, I’ll bring him right back.”
Charlotte didn’t look convinced, but Nick’s excitement had made his worry all but vanish. “I’ll get my stuff.” He charged from the kitchen and out the door, leaving Bella to contend with his overprotective grandmother.
“I swear, if the hospital staff won’t let him stay, then he’ll be right back here and he can stay the night with you.”
“Do you mind telling me what happened? Surely you’ve been informed.”
“I’m not at liberty to say. There are all sorts of laws I’d be breaking.” Bella gave her an apologetic smile.
“I don’t like it,” Charlotte grabbed a hand towel and wrung it between her hands. “We don’t even know you. How can I trust you?”
“Charlotte,” Eli’s voice came from behind Bella, “just let her take him. The boy needs to be with his father.”
“But—” Charlotte argued.
Eli shook his head. “You heard the deputy. She’ll bring him back if there are any problems.
“I could take him just as easily,” she insisted.
Bella’s eyes ricocheted from the cook to her boss and back.
“You’ve got your own work to do. Officer Whitfield is on her way over there, anyway.”
Charlotte’s lips thinned and the lines around her eyes deepened. If looks could kill, this one would have done some real damage. “Fine. But I want any update you get. He’s my family, too.”
Bella lifted her brows. Hadn’t Grant said his relationship with Charlotte’s daughter had ended more than six years ago? Were they really that close? Something wasn’t adding up.
Who was Bella to judge? Just because her own familial relationships had been strained didn’t mean Grant’s were as well.
“I’m ready!” Nick practically shouted, causing them all to jump. He held up his backpack with pride. “My homework’s in here so I can finish it if my dad takes aa nap. Let’s go see him.”
Bella nodded to the other adults. “I’ll let you know if there are any updates that Grant would like me to share. Thanks for your help.”
She placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder and guided him toward the door. Hopefully, Grant would be awake by the time they got there.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Bright light burned into Grant’s eyelids, but they were too heavy for him to open. His whole body felt like it weighed ten times as much as it should have. He was even finding it hard to find the energy to breathe. What if his lungs collapsed beneath his ribs?
His heart rate ticked up and the annoying beeping sound to his right grew faster and faster—more obnoxious than before.
