WENDY RUSHED INTO Anchorage Mercy ER alongside the gurney. Zac was once again the paramedic on duty and wheeled Tom in. Jake met them at the ambulance entrance. It was weird being on this side of the situation again. Weird and way more stressful than the twins’ delivery had been. Because this time Tom was in danger.
Jake met Wendy’s gaze for a moment before turning to Zac. “Give me the rundown.”
“Thirty-four-year-old male with loss of consciousness after being struck by a motor vehicle. Contusions on the left shoulder and hip and a two-centimeter laceration on the left cheekbone.” Zac’s voice was calm and clear, even as he gave Wendy a sympathetic look. The ER crew took over and steered Tom’s gurney into Trauma Bay Three.
Zac clapped Wendy on the shoulder once the curtains were closed on Tom’s area, shutting them out in the hallway. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. Don’t worry, okay? I’ve seen a lot of these accidents over the years and it’s not as bad as it looks. He’s young and strong and healthy. Call me if you need anything, okay?”
She swallowed hard and gave him a curt nod, but not worrying was out of the question.
Zac headed back outside to check on his rig and Wendy stood just beyond the curtain of Tom’s area, uncertain what to do. The nurse in her wanted to charge inside and make sure he was treated properly. The woman in her was petrified of losing another person she loved.
Yep. She loved Tom Farber. So much her heart felt ready to burst with it. Figured she could admit it now, when it might just be too late.
Please, God, don’t let it be too late.
Thankfully, as usual, Jake talked his way through the exam, keeping her apprised of Tom’s condition. “Two pulse radials bilaterally. No fractures noted on palpation, but we’ll need to get X-rays on all extremities and C-spine for fractures, and an MRI of that left shoulder and his head. I’m suspecting a dislocation. Contusions on left shoulder and hip. Checking inside his mouth. No broken teeth or injuries. Airways clear and breathing normal. Pupils are equal and reactive to light. Let’s get him to MRI and see what’s going on inside his skull, check for possible concussion and rule out intracranial bleeding. Order an ultrasound too to check for any abdominal injuries. Tom? Dr. Thomas Farber, can you hear me?”
Wendy held her breath, hoping to hear Tom’s voice. But nothing.
“Tom?” Jake tried again. “Nope. He’s still out. Localizes to pain on all extremities. Good. Okay, people. Let’s get him out of here and up to MRI now, please.”
The curtain swooshed aside, and Jake strode over to where Wendy leaned against the wall because she was afraid her legs wouldn’t support her. He took off his gloves and gown then guided her into a small private waiting room nearby. Once the door closed behind them, he pulled her into a hug, rubbing her stiff back. “He’s good, Wen. Well, as good as you can be after getting hit by a car. I’m sending him for an MRI to see if there’s a concussion, but otherwise he’s okay. We’ll get X-rays to make sure nothing’s broken, and he’ll probably be sore for a couple of weeks, maybe a sling if that shoulder’s dislocated, but he should heal fine. What happened?”
All the fear and the pain and the emotions Wendy had kept bottled up for so long came pouring out in one long rush of a sentence. “I spent the weekend with Tom and we were redecorating his daughter’s room as a surprise for her when she got home and I got scared because I love Tom but I shouldn’t because I’m not good for him with my medical history and Sam needs a new mom but I could be dying and I think I’ve messed up everything good in my life because I’m too frightened to face the truth and...”
Her words trailed off and her vision dissolved in tears.
Jake patiently took all that in, frowning as he gently pushed Wendy into a seat then took the chair beside hers, holding her until her sobbing eased. Then he sat back and took her hands. “Right. Good. Feeling better?”
She nodded, feeling oddly numb after pouring out all those long-suppressed secrets and feelings.
“Okay. I’m glad to hear you’re in love. Finally.” He kept hold of her hands, warming her icy fingers. “As someone who has some experience at messing up the best things in his life, I can tell you you’ll get through this. Impossible as it seems right now, you will. If you stay open and don’t give up on each other.”
Wendy exhaled, sniffling. “Tom will be okay?”
“I think so, yes. Of course, I’ll have to wait for all the results to be sure but, yeah. I think he’ll make a full recovery. We’ll probably keep him overnight for observation, to be on the safe side.”
“Thanks, buddy.” She hugged Jake again then sat back, grabbing a tissue from the box on the table beside her. “I’ve decided I’m going to call on Tuesday and get my test results.”
“Wow.” Jake watched her closely. “What brought on this decision?”
She cringed. “Right before the accident, Tom broke up with me. He said I was letting my fears control my life. That I was being controlling.” Her ironic chuckle came out weak and raspy because of the crying she’d done. “Which is funny because this whole time that’s what he’s been trying to avoid doing with me because of his ex-wife.”
At Jake’s confused expression, she gave a dismissive wave. “Anyway, he’s right. That’s exactly my problem. Avoiding life, avoiding my test results, avoiding love, because I thought if I pretended they weren’t there or weren’t important to me then I wouldn’t get hurt.” She shook her head.
“But I got hurt anyway, because I ended up pushing away the best things in my life. So I’m done. I’m getting my tests results because it’s time to know the truth. Because I want what you and Molly have. Because I want a life and love and babies and a future with Tom that doesn’t involve a million cats, like you said.”
“Wow.” Jake leaned back in his chair. “I’ll be here for you, no matter what. You know that, right?”
“I do.” She smiled through her tears. “Thanks. I mean, I know it’s a long shot, given that all my brothers are negative.” She sighed. “But I’m still praying I’m mutation-free too.”
A nurse knocked then stuck her head into the room. “Uh, Jake, we need another doc on the floor. Got a new GSW en route. Also, the cops are here to talk to Wendy about the accident.”
“Great. Another gunshot wound. On my way.” Jake rubbed his eyes before pushing to his feet, stopping at the door and turning back to Wendy, handing her a plastic bag containing Tom’s clothes and his personal effects. “I’ll tell the cops you’re in here if you’re ready to give your report. Take as long as you need. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll let you know about Tom as soon as I hear something.”
“Thanks.” While she waited for the police, Wendy pulled Tom’s cellphone from the bag and scrolled through his contacts, looking for his parents’ number. They were due to bring Sam home on Monday, but they needed to know what was going on. Tom looked like he’d gone six rounds with Rocky Balboa at the moment, regardless if there was any permanent damage or not. After everything Sam had been through, the last thing the kid needed was to arrive home unprepared to see her dad post-accident.
Fresh nerves washed over Wendy as she dialed the number then waited for someone to pick up the line.
Finally, on the third ring, a woman answered. “Hello? Farber residence.”
“Uh, hi. You don’t know me, but my name’s Wendy Smith and I work with your son, Tom, at the hospital in Anchorage.” She hadn’t felt this shaky since she’d called the house of the first boy she’d liked back in fifth grade. “I’m calling to let you know your son—”
“Oh, my gosh. You’re that Wendy, aren’t you?” his mother said. “Sam’s told us so much about you. She’s really taken with you. How nice to finally speak with you.”
Warmth spread from Wendy’s chest outward, unexpected but not unpleasant. For once, hearing that someone might care for her too didn’t make her feel like running away. If anything, it made her want to run upstairs to the MRI room and be with Tom. First things first, though.
“Thank you. It’s nice to speak with you too,” Wendy said, before switching into nurse mode. “Listen, there’s been a bit of an accident. Please don’t be alarmed, but your son was struck by a car tonight.”
“Good Lord!” There was rustling as Tom’s mother relayed the information to his father then came back on the line. “Is Tommy all right?”
“The doctor thinks he’ll be fine, but he might have a concussion and possibly a dislocated shoulder. They want to keep him overnight here at Anchorage Mercy for observation. I didn’t want to upset Sam but thought I should let you know before you bring her home. The poor kid’s been through enough.”
“Oh, thank goodness our son’s all right,” his mother said. “And no. We don’t want to upset Sam. She’s been having a great time here with us. Should we head back tonight? Sam’s sleeping, but we can wake her if you think it’s necessary.”
“No, no. Let her sleep.” Wendy looked up as Jake stuck his head back into the waiting room. Two uniformed police officers stood behind him. Time to go. “Just maybe explain it to her tomorrow. Pending the MRI and X-rays, Tom shouldn’t have any lasting damage, but he’s pretty bruised and he has a cut on his left cheek. You can bring her home as scheduled on Monday and all should be good.”
“Hmm. We’ll see after we tell her tomorrow,” his mother said. “Please call us if anything changes. And I’ll look forward to meeting you in person.”
Wendy ended the call then signaled for the cops to come in. The interview went pretty quickly, seeing that she’d not really observed the accident at all. They finished up by asking her if Tom planned to press charges. She told them she didn’t think so, but they could ask him tomorrow. This day had ended badly enough for all of them. The driver was a woman in her sixties who’d been as traumatized by seeing Tom lying in the road as Wendy had been. Best to put this behind them and start afresh, at least in her opinion.
The officers left, and Wendy wandered back out into the controlled chaos of the ER. Jake was in between patients, writing out prescriptions at the nurses’ station. He waved Wendy over.
“Good news. The MRI and X-rays were negative. No bleeding in his brain, nothing broken. But he did suffer an acute anterior dislocation of his left shoulder. We set it at thirty degrees external rotation and he’ll need to wear a sling on that arm for three weeks, then see the ortho doc for a recheck.”
Wendy sagged with relief. “Thank God. Are you still keeping him overnight?”
“Yeah, he’s still out of it. Poor guy.” Jake walked around the desk to look up the number. “He’ll be up on the fifth floor. Room 506.”
“Thanks. And tell Zac thanks for all his help too, if you see him again.” Wendy headed for the elevators. For the first time in a long time she felt like she was getting a second chance and she wasn’t about to let it slip away. “I’ll be in Tom’s room if you need me.”
Tom blinked his eyes open to bright light streaming in through the windows and an annoying bleeping noise coming from somewhere nearby. His whole body ached, and there was a weird pulling on his left cheek. He went to brush it away with his left hand, but a throbbing pain in that shoulder stopped him. He frowned and yawned then turned his head slightly to see an array of monitors beside him with wires attached to his right arm and chest.
Hospital. He was in the hospital. Why?
His head hurt, but he forced himself to think. Right. He’d broken up with Wendy last night. Well, not really, since they’d never officially been a couple. At least not to her. To him? He’d have loved to call her his own.
My Wendy.
He turned slightly in the other direction to see her curled up in a chair beside his bed, sound asleep, one hand holding his, warm and steady. She had a book clutched to her chest. Little Women. The automatic blood-pressure cuff on his arm inflated again, pinching his skin. They’d been in the park. They’d argued. That’s when he’d walked out into the street.
Idiot.
She was here, but that didn’t mean all was forgiven. If she didn’t want him, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—be that guy. Indecision and resignation, along with his throbbing temples, made him wince.
At the same time, he still yearned to be with her. He wanted to apologize for the things he’d said, for trying to control the uncontrollable, though he’d never apologize for loving her. He wanted to go for more walks, to drink more coffees, to have more dinners, to explore Anchorage with her and Sam and have fun. To have not-fun too—like cleaning or laundry or more decorating and painting pink walls. To spend more time with her and Sam together, as a family. Do all the silly, simple things that everyone took for granted.
More than anything, he wanted to thank Wendy for helping him get his daughter back.
But given how they’d ended things, Tom doubted that was even possible.
He wiggled his toes to make sure they still worked and felt a zinging pain through his left hip. Teeth gritted, he tried to scoot up in bed, the coursing pain in his body making his eyes water. He must have landed on his left side after the car had hit him because that half of him felt like a solid chunk of agony.
“Tom?” Wendy stirred, her husky whisper stopping him cold.
She blinked at him, her gaze unfocused.
“Have you been here all night?” he asked, his throat dry and his cheek stinging.
“Of course.” She straightened and set her book aside. “How do you feel?”
“Like I got run over by a Mack truck.”
“More like a Prius.” She smiled, and his world brightened. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Me too.” He tried to move again, but the pain stopped him. “Did you tell Sam? I don’t want her to worry about me.”
“I called your parents last night and told them what happened. They’re going to tell her today.” She bit her lip and cringed. “I hope that’s okay. I thought they should know.”
He tried to smile, but his cheek made it hard. “Thanks. Looks like Mom’s psychology degree will come in handy after all, eh?”
“Yeah.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and stared down at her toes. “And you don’t need to thank me. In fact, I owe you an apology for last night. I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I panicked, and you paid the price. I’ll never forgive myself for you getting hurt because of me.”
The catch in her voice was too much for him to bear. Tom tugged on her hand, drawing her closer. “What happened last night wasn’t your fault, Wendy. You had no way of knowing this would happen. None. We’re both dealing with stuff. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.” She shook her head, causing her hair to fall across her face again. He longed to push it away, but she had hold of his good hand, so instead he sighed. And listened. “You were right. I have been letting my fear control me, but I’m done. I’m going to call and get my test results. On Tuesday. Right after the holiday.”
“Wendy, are you sure?”
“I am. Because of you.” She shrugged and bit her lip. “Thanks to you, I’m summoning my courage and finding out. I’ve put this off long enough and if I’m going to become more involved in your life and Sam’s, then I need to know I can be there for you both.”
Tom nodded, regretting the move instantly as the room spun dizzily.
“I love you, Tom Farber,” Wendy said, her voice rough with emotion. “I’d like to be with you, for whatever time I have left—days, years, whatever.”
He took that in for a minute. “Are you saying you want to date me?”
She gave him an irritated stare. “I’m saying I’m committed to you, you stubborn man. I’m committed to whatever the future holds for us. I love you. I wanted you to know. I’m tired of living with secrets.”
Tom couldn’t contain his grin this time, no matter how badly his cheek throbbed. “Agreed. No more secrets. I love you too, Wendy Smith. And I promise I’ll do my best not to be as stubborn or controlling or rule-abiding anymore.”
Wendy leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. “Now we just have to run it by Sam to get her approval.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door to his private hospital room and in trundled Tom’s parents with his daughter. Sam’s face was red and splotchy from crying and her expression was distraught. Before the door had even closed she rushed to Tom’s hospital bed and practically hurled herself on his chest, hugging him and kissing him. It hurt like hell, to be honest, but he wouldn’t have changed it for the world. “Oh, my God. When Grandma and Grandpa told me what happened, I made them drive me home. Please don’t die on me, Dad. Please!”
Tom let go of Wendy’s hand to hold his daughter close to his heart, like he’d wanted to since the moment she’d entered his life. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling the fragrance of the floral shampoo she liked. “I’m fine, sweetie. I’m not dying. Well, not for a long time anyway. I had a little accident last night, but they tell me I’ll make a full recovery. Right, Wendy?”
He glanced over at her beside his bed and found her swiping away tears as well. His heart ached with so much love for both of these fantastic women in his life.
“Yep. Your dad’s going to be fine, Sam.” Wendy sniffled. “He’s too bullheaded to die.”
Tom’s mother raised an eyebrow. “Got that right. Our Tommy was always getting himself into scrapes when he was younger. Too inquisitive for his own good.” She walked around the bed to hug Wendy. “Alice Farber, by the way.”
“You look like hell, son,” his dad said, carefully patting Tom’s uninjured right shoulder. “Glad you’re okay.”
“Me too, Dad.” Tom couldn’t seem to stop smiling now. “Me too.”
His mom let Wendy go and kissed her son’s forehead before walking back over to stand beside his dad. “What’s the golden rule here?”
“Look before you cross?” Tom’s sarcasm earned him a snort from Wendy and a flat stare from his mother. “What?”
“Treasure the ones you love,” his mom said, in her best psychologist tone.
“Dad?” Sam straightened and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry for the way I acted before. I was just so sad about Mom and scared you’d go away and leave me too. I love you.”
Tom’s heart felt like it would burst. “I love you too, sweetie. So much.”
“We have a surprise for you, Sam.” Wendy moved in beside Tom and took his hand again. “Back at your apartment.”
“A surprise?” Sam’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“I hope you like it. We worked hard to redo your room this weekend.”
“Yes! I can’t wait to see it!” A delighted squeal issued from the twelve-year-old before her gaze dropped to Tom’s and Wendy’s joined hands. “Wait. Are you guys together now? I knew you liked each other.”
Tom glanced over at Wendy, all pain forgotten under the rush of sweetness in his system. “Yeah, I plan on keeping Wendy around as long as she’ll have me.”
“For better or worse?” Wendy asked, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.
“For always.” He brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.
She smiled, then leaned closer. “Like I told your daughter, I don’t usually like that word. Always. But in this case, I’ll make an exception because it’s true.”