Divine (13 page)

“He’s family,” Bradley said. She heard her
brother’s voice loud and clear, but who was with him?

She went rigid.
Matt?
Oh please,
let it be.
Ugh!
She wanted to scream.
Please let me
talk! Let me see!
Her anxiety escalated.
So unfair!

“Okay, then,” the man said, a second before
she heard the door tap closed.

“She got out,” Bradley said and cradled her
hand. “Didn’t she?”

Got out?
What did he mean?

“She escaped the turmoil,” Bradley said to
whoever else breathed in the room. “Trina and I try to do the right
thing in accordance with our family’s way of thinking. We strove
for our parents’ respect.”

Her brother continued as if giving a
monologue. “I messed up. If I had been stronger, confronted them,
you wouldn’t be fighting to live. You would have been with Matt and
not in that damn car.”

No, Bradley!
It’s not your fault.
It’s no one’s fault. Wait a second. The driver of the SUV is to
blame! That SOB.
Oops, she covered her mouth—at least in her
mind she did.

“May I have a moment?”

Matt’s voice washed over her like a summer’s
day. Oh, how she’d missed hearing his hint of an accent, the
inflection stronger since his rugged good looks didn’t distract
her. She pictured him grinning, the way he watched her from the
corner of his eyes when he didn’t think she saw. Sexy, so darn hot
she wanted to jump his bones. She wanted him! His friendship!
Comfort! She could name his traits for hours and still not finish
listing everything she loved about him.

“Sure.” Bradley kissed her forehead and
released her hand. “I’ll get us some coffee.”

“Thanks.” Matt sounded croaky.

He sniffled. The chair scraped on the floor.
Then he touched her. Oh gosh, she wanted to leap out of her skin
and dance. Both of his hands wrapped around hers. His head touched
the back of her hand and his silky hair brushed over her. “God,
Trina!” He sobbed, his voice a mess of broken slurs and cracked
tones. “I shouldn’t have gotten mad. It’s your decision who you
want to be with.”

I’m not engaged.

“I have no right to request or demand
anything from you.”

Yes, you do!

“While I fought in Afghanistan, I had so much
time to think. I imagined we had a relationship. When I found out
you were engaged to some Joe Blow, I went ape shit.”

His words faded and he rubbed her finger
where the ring would be. “The hospital must have it.” He snickered.
“The Lovetts wouldn’t trust anyone to have your possessions. They
probably have it locked away in their safe.”

No, no one has it. I’m not engaged, she
screamed again. Matt, I’m okay. Please hear me. Come get in bed.
Snuggle as we used to in the grass next to the river. Just be with
me.

Sobs flooded her ears, as if someone ripped
out his insides.

No-o-o! Matt! No. I’m okay!

“I love you. I’ve loved you in some form
since the day we met. I didn’t realize how much until the day I saw
the ring on your finger, and now,” he paused, “and now, I may never
get the chance to tell you. You will always be in my heart.” Warm
lips touched hers.

Let me kiss him!

She felt him touching her as sure as the day
was long, felt his love bone deep. If only she could speak her
feelings, her thoughts, say ‘I love you.’ How good everything would
be.

The warmth moved to her eyelids. “How would
you like to live in Montana?” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“Mountains and land stretch for miles. The purples flowers Mom
raved about.” He chuckled. “We could have it all there, you and
me.” He spread kisses across her face before touching her lips once
more.

Climb in bed. Let me feel you. Come on! Oh,
Lord, hear my thoughts! Please!

The chair screeched again.

Her spirit sunk.
He’s leaving. Matt, don’t
go. Stay.

The mattress dipped.

Oh my god! He heard me! He heard me! Did I
speak?
Matt?

He didn’t answer.

Ugh!

“One thing you should know. I’m not quite the
man I was. I have a bum leg.” He made a funny noise then shifted
some more.

Tenderness like she’d never experienced,
never knew she needed, flanked her right side. If she could simply
wrap an arm around him, hold him close.

A hand slid across her stomach and his lips
touched her cheeks. “I’ll always be yours, sweetheart. Always.”

Soft breaths blew across her skin. She
breathed in the scent of alcohol. Since when did he drink?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was he was
here. Everything would be okay. He’d find a way to get her help,
make her better. They’d ride into the sunset together. She
chuckled, a sound only she heard. How she’d love to climb into the
saddle of her horse and ride into the mountains…with Matt.

Better yet, to watch children feed the horses
at Matt’s and her petting zoo while their parents shopped in the
garden nursery. A dose of adrenaline rushed her, reviving her
depleted spirit. “It would be divine,” she wanted to say, but
couldn’t hear anything past her heartbeat drumming loudly in her
ears.

Matt’s stomach flipped. He snapped out of his
sleepiness and lifted onto an elbow until he saw her sweet face.
Trina spoke. It was her. It had to be. No one else knew the word,
its significance, what it meant.

He gawked and took in a ragged breath,
smelling her unique, wonderful scent, and waited for her to speak
again.

She didn’t.

Except for the steady beeps of the monitors,
the room remained quiet. The sun’s rays streamed through the
hospital’s window. The built-in mini blinds didn’t block out the
bright light. He squinted and focused on her. She hadn’t moved. Her
lips slightly parted. Eyelids closed, but not squeezed shut, soft,
and line-free.

He kissed her cheek and feather-touched her
stomach, making circles around her belly button through the cotton
hospital gown. “Sweetie, did you say something?” He kept his voice
light, relaxed, and repressed the eagerness out of his tone.

No answer.

“If you can hear me, move your eyelids.”

Nothing.

He lowered to the mattress and snuggled
against her. Weariness from the last several hours plagued his
body, his mind. Did he dream she spoke? Wanted it so intensely, he
imagined it. For him to think he heard the one word that would
connect them, that would let him know she was okay, proved reality
had left.

He lived in a dreamer’s world, hoping she’d
speak, that she would open her eyes for him…to see him. He rested
his hand on her arm, savored her warm, soft skin, and once again
enjoyed the comfort of being close.

He didn’t know if he was coming or going, but
one thing he did know. As soon as she healed, he’d accept his
brother’s offer to come to Montana and take her. They’d sit on the
porch, breathe in the fresh air, and bask in the sun, the two of
them. It’d be like heaven, divine.

“What the hell?” Trina’s father’s gravelly
voice boomed.

He groaned.

Mr. and Mrs. Lovett never considered him
worthy for their princess, since he didn’t have the heritage or the
education. He breathed in Trina’s scent once more. Knowing Mr.
Lovett would evict him, he kissed her forehead and rose to a
sitting position on the edge of the mattress.

Anger didn’t reflect in Mr. Lovett’s stern
mien as he had expected. No, it was something different.
Compassion?

“Son, you don’t belong here. This situation
is for family.”

My bad.
Why in the hell did he think
Merrill Lovett could show empathy?

“Bradley Lovett told the security guard he
was part of the family,” a female voice said from the corner, near
the sink.

He hadn’t noticed the nurse filling a basin
of water. A fresh towel and washcloth rested on the counter.

“My son doesn’t know his own head from a hole
in the wall,” Mr. Lovett said with an impassive laugh.

“Oh, excuse me.” The nurse’s wide eyes
revealed her awkwardness. She dried her hands on the towel. “I’ll
come later to give Miss Lovett her bath.” The nurse left.

A female’s gasp filled the room before Mrs.
Lovett’s tight bun popped around the door. “Oh, heavens,” she said.
“Mr. Carson.”

Mr. Lovett pressed his lips together and
approached the bed. He rested a hand on Trina’s ankle and stared at
where he touched his daughter. Slack, dull eyed, drooping
shoulders, the man was whipped. “Matt.”

For her dad to call him by his given name
touched him in an odd way, as if they’d connected. In a way, they
were. They both loved someone who in their present state couldn’t
love them back.

“The doctors say there’s no hope.” Mr. Lovett
sucked in a deep breath. “Son, you’ve already been through so much.
Losing your parents at such a young age, the leg—” He bobbed his
head toward Matt’s artificial limb and dragged a hand across his
nose and mouth. “What I’m—”

“What he’s saying,” Mrs. Lovett broke in
moving closer, “is it’s time for you to move on, find happiness.
She could stay in this state for years.”

“You don’t know. She might wake up,” he said,
his voice cracking. “I heard her speak.”

Mrs. Lovett’s eyes welled with moisture, and
she cupped his cheek.

Her parents had never shown him any form of
affection.

“I think I hear her speak, too. Like, ‘I love
you,’ ‘I’m okay.’” She lifted a shoulder. “Those words live in my
fantasies. What I hope she says.”

“Son, there’s someone out there for
everybody. I may be impetuous at times.” Mr. Lovett lifted the
corner of his mouth and sneered. “I have to be to get as far as I
have, but I’m saying this with as much respect as I can, you need
to move on. This
Trina fantasy
you have will destroy you.
Let her go. Find someone new.”

“She has,” Mrs. Lovett said.

A gunshot wound couldn’t have had more impact
than the reminder that she had another man in her life. Once he
learned she’d been hurt, he’d rushed to the hospital. Using the
mattress for support, he straightened. “Where is he?”

“Where’s who, dear?” Mrs. Lovett clasped her
hands in front of her, her attention targeted on him.

“Where’s the fiancé?”

Mr. and Mrs. Lovett glanced at each other
before Mrs. Lovett checked out the floor, and Mr. Lovett focused on
him.

“I wouldn’t know,” Mr. Lovett said. “I don’t
keep the man’s schedule.”

Their expectant faces, the weariness, and
sadness etched new lines around their eyes. Sensing they’d been
through the ringer, he wondered if he should trust them. “I can’t
leave.”

Mr. Lovett moved a step closer. “I’ve asked
all I can. Without any more hesitation, I’m telling you to
leave.”

Damn, he was a dumbfuck to think they’d
changed. Even at the side of their daughter’s hospital bed, they
still were vile human beings. “I don’t take orders from you.”

“No, you don’t,” Mr. Lovett said slowly. “A
guard has directions to stand outside her room and not let anyone
in except for the names on the list.”

Matt fisted his hands at his sides. He wanted
to grab Mr. Lovett by his throat and let loose the rage suppressed
inside him. Let loose the fury plunging him into the darkness.

“This is for your own good,” Mrs. Lovett
said, her voice syrupy sweet. “You can’t live like this.”

Matt’s cell buzzed. Thank goodness for a
distraction. If he stayed another minute, he’d punch someone.
“Excuse me,” he said, taking the opportunity to exit the stifling
room and answer the call. “Carson.”

“How ya holding up?” Travis’ voice rose above
the noise of tires traveling the pavement.

“I’m coping,” he barked and moved out of
hearing range from the security guard.

“How is she?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Telling his
brother would push him further to the edge of losing control.

“Okay. I’m packed and heading to Montana.
Come visit.”

Some of Matt’s fury released. “I will,” he
said with more control. “I’ll be in touch in a couple of days.”

Travis disconnected.

He propped his shoulder against the wall. All
this time, he thought she didn’t try to contact him after their
argument at Molly’s, not so. She lay in a hospital bed while he
carried on with a pity party.

What would he do? Leaving wasn’t an option.
Yet he couldn’t help but think, what if the Lovetts were correct.
What if she didn’t wake up? Would he wait forever? Of all the tight
spots he’d endured, this one was by far the worst.

Mr. and Mrs. Lovett exited the hospital room
and closed the door behind them.

“This isn’t about you,” Mr. Lovett said,
nodding at the guard. “We had to hire someone to keep out the
scavengers. People like to sneak into patient’s rooms and steal
their belongings.”