Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes) (30 page)

Grace was grateful she knew the route to the hospital well enough to drive it with her eyes closed. Okay, maybe not quite that well.

Cam sat beside her, pale, his hands trembling. Her own hands were clenched tightly on the wheel to make sure he didn’t see them shaking. The entire community loved Martin Whitman. If something were to happen to him, she couldn’t imagine how the town would react. It would fall apart. He was the glue that held the place together.

“He’s going to be okay, Cam. He’s too strong and too stubborn to ever let anything happen to him.”

“I know. I’ll just feel better when I get inside and get more information.”

When they finally arrived, they rushed from the car and into the emergency department, where they found Cam’s brothers, their wives, and many other people from the community.

“Why aren’t you in there with Dad?” Cam asked Spence, his voice shaking in panic.

“You know I can’t work on him, Cam, and anyway, I’m a surgeon, not a neurologist,” Spence reminded him. “They’re keeping us updated. It does look like it was a stroke, but Eileen was with him, and they got him here fast.”

“I want to go back there. Get me back there,” Cam demanded.

“You have to calm down, brother,” Jackson said. “It’s bad enough that they’re working on their boss’s father. They don’t need you in there shouting at them.”

“He may be telling you to calm down, but those were the words I just said to him five minutes ago,” Alyssa told him.

“We have a good staff here, Cam, and he got in here without any delay. He’s going to be okay,” Sage assured him, and she threw her arms around her brother-in-law.

“I know, Sage. I just need to see him. Did you see him?”

“Yes. I was in back working when Martin came in. I thought it best that I come out here,” she told Camden. “He was already speaking better by the time he got here. They’re getting him all hooked up and taking scans. The first hour after a stroke is critical, and Eileen got him here quickly.”

Grace looked at Sage and then over at Eileen. Bethel was holding the poor woman as she sobbed quietly in a corner of the waiting room.

“What time did this happen?” Grace asked as two and two started coming together.

“I think about an hour ago now,” Sage answered, and then her eyes widened as she looked at Grace.

Before anyone figured out what the two of them were thinking, the doctor came through the doors, and everyone turned to hear what he had to say.

“Thanks for your patience, Dr. Whitman. We have information about your father. Do you want to follow me into the back?”

“No, that’s okay, Dr. Eiseman, everyone here is family, or family friends, and we all want to know what’s happening,” Spence replied.

“Okay. I’ll explain this so everyone can understand,” he told Spence before looking out at the rest of the group, who were standing by tensely.

“Martin had what we call a transient ischemic attack, TIA stroke for short, or what a lot of people call a ministroke. Some don’t give these strokes the proper attention, but this is a warning, and you need to take it very seriously. A small clot traveled to his brain, and though we’re still going through the scans, it looks like the episode isn’t going to leave any lasting symptoms. We’re very optimistic that there won’t be any permanent brain damage.”

“Then can we see him?”

“He’s getting transferred now,” Dr. Eiseman said, “but I want to repeat that TIAs are often a warning, letting us know we need to make some lifestyle changes so a major stroke doesn’t follow.”

“Is he still in danger?” Cam asked.

“We’ll keep him overnight at the least, but I think the clot will dissolve fully. However, you should know that, after a TIA, one in three people go on to have a major stroke within a year. We need to get him on meds, and he needs to start doing some things differently.”

“I’ll make sure he follows through. I’m not losing my father,” Spence said, the doctor in him never more evident.

“I know you will, Spence. Give the nurses about fifteen minutes to get him moved to his room, and then you can visit. If the people now filling this lobby are all here to see Martin, you know to take turns.”

With that, Dr. Eiseman left them and a hush fell over the crowded lobby, which seemed to be growing more crowded by the minute as news about Martin spread through their small community.

Michael finally spoke up after maintaining his silence the entire time. “Does this mean he’s going to be fine?” he asked.

“Yes, Michael, he should be fine,” Spence assured his brother.

“I’m still not going to feel better until I can see him,” Michael said.

The whole crowd nodded their heads in agreement. Fifteen minutes seemed to take forever, and then there was chaos when it came time to deciding who could go in first.

“Cam, why don’t you and Grace take Eileen back there?” Spence said as he gave his brother a compassionate look.

Eileen objected. “You kids should go and visit him first,” she said.

“I have a feeling he’s going to want to see you,” Spence told her before leaning down and kissing her cheek. “Go give him hell for scaring us so much.”

Eileen attempted a smile but was unable to pull it off. Grace wrapped her arm around the woman and led her through the hallway to Martin’s room. When they paused in the doorway at the sight of him, such a large, robust man looking so pale and tired with his eyes closed, it brought more tears to Grace’s eyes.

“If he’s sleeping, we shouldn’t disturb him,” Eileen said as fresh tears tracked down her face.

“Eileen? Is that you?” His voice was so hoarse, it broke Grace’s heart. She stood back as Cam and Eileen moved forward.

“I’m here, darling. I’m here,” Eileen whispered. She sat in the chair by the bed and reached out to take his hand.

He opened his eyes and gazed at Eileen with such a look of love that Grace could see the radiance from ten feet away. She felt like an intruder. Cam moved back by her and whispered in her ear.

“How did I miss this?”

“I don’t know how any of us did, Cam.”

“Now, don’t you be crying for me, Eileen,” Martin said. “I’ll be just fine. I wouldn’t leave you or my children. There’s too much life still to be lived.”

“Oh, Martin, I’ve never been so frightened. You’re my life now, and I just . . . I can’t lose you, my love.”

She leaned forward and rested her head on his chest, and he lifted his free arm and wrapped it around her.

“I love you, too, Eileen, so much that my heart aches when you aren’t around. Not everyone gets to find two soul mates in this lifetime, but I’m one of the lucky ones. You bring me joy and there’s no way I would give that up to something as silly as an itty-bitty clot.” His voice was stronger now, love coming through it loud and clear.

“Well, we’re making some changes, Martin. I’m talking to your cook right away, and we’re both going to eat healthier and drink less and get more exercise.”

“I’ve been doing just fine with how I live, Eileen. This was just a little bitty thing, nothing to get so worked up about. I promise you that I’ll still be swinging you around the dance floor when we’re ninety.”

“I’m going to make sure you keep that promise, Martin,” she said, a smile finally filling her lips as she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

“Then you will have to become my wife so you’re with me every single day.”

Eileen couldn’t speak through her tears, but she nodded, and it was the most beautiful thing Grace had ever witnessed.

“Let’s leave them alone,” Cam whispered as he pulled Grace into the hallway.

“I thought you needed to talk to him,” Grace said.

“I just needed to know he was okay, to see it with my own eyes. My dad has been alone for a very long time. He’s found love again with an amazing woman. This stroke scared him enough, it looks like, to admit it to her—or maybe to us, I don’t know, but I’m grateful. Let’s go tell the rest of them to give the lovebirds a few more minutes.”

“It’s kind of funny, but I think your father and Eileen—the town’s favorite grandparents—are going to have a wedding before I do,” Grace said with a laugh.

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Cam muttered as they pushed through the waiting-room doors.

Grace’s heart nearly stopped with his comment, but before she could ask him to clarify it, they were surrounded by people asking questions about Martin. Soon, Grace was pulled from Cam’s hold, and the crowd between them kept growing wider.

When their gaze connected a few minutes later, she saw something shining in his eyes that gave her hope of finally getting her happy ending. Even though he hadn’t asked her to love him forever yet, her own eyes answered him with a glowing yes.

“I need coffee. Can I get you any?” she asked Sage.

“I’ll follow right behind you,” Sage replied. “I want to chat with the nurse for a minute.”

Grace walked from the room, the quiet a relief after the din of so many people talking at once. But a smile was on her lips. Although the day had taken a scary turn after starting out well, love was in the air right now and the possibilities seemed endless.

She decided to step outside and get a little fresh air. She’d meet Sage in a few minutes. She couldn’t wait to tell all to her best friend—tell her she was going to marry the love of her life even if she had to drag him to the altar, which she didn’t think she’d have to do, and then the two of them could gossip about Martin and Eileen.

Who would have ever imagined that—

“You stupid bitch. You’ve ruined everything for me. Now I’m going to ruin it all for you.”

Grace froze at the sound of that voice—the voice she’d thought was gone from her life. But she’d already decided to face her fears, and she was through with running from people. Her body stiff, she turned and then the blood ran from her face.

“Yeah, you should be afraid, because today you’re going to die—but not until I get something first!”

Before Grace could scream, run, fight, do anything, Jimmy’s arm came up and he hit her in the head with the butt of the gun he’d just been pointing at her. Everything went black.

Grace’s head was pounding and a buzzing was sounding in her ears as she tried to figure out where she was. She could tell even with her eyes still closed that it wasn’t pitch-black, so either night hadn’t fallen yet or she was in a lit room.

The last thing she remembered was Jimmy attacking her, then nothing. As much as she feared what she’d see when she opened her eyes, she had no choice. She had to try and figure out her surroundings.

Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, and the light and the movement of the car she found herself in sent more pain shooting through her head. Trying to move, she discovered that she was tied up in the backseat of what had to be Jimmy’s vehicle, or one he’d stolen.

She looked toward the window, but that gave her no clue as to where she was. All she could see was a blur of green as Jimmy sped through what seemed to be a remote area. There were no billboard signs, nothing to show her any sort of location.

Trying to make as little movement as possible now, she shifted on the seat, rubbing her hip against the back of the cheap vinyl to see whether her cell phone was still in her pocket. At that moment, it vibrated—she’d turned it off the ringer at the hospital—and she nearly sobbed with relief.

Her purse was nowhere to be found, and the fool must have assumed her phone was in there and gotten rid of it. As long as her phone was on her, she knew there was a chance she could call for help.

The car suddenly stopped, and Grace briefly considered shutting her eyes, pretending she was still knocked out. But the thought of not seeing what he was going to do next was too scary.

Holding her breath, she didn’t have to wait long for Jimmy to exit the car and pull open the door to the backseat.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good.”

Grabbing her by the hair, he yanked her up into a sitting position, sending the pain in her head to a whole new level.

“What do you want, Jimmy?” she cried.

“You destroyed me, Grace. At first I was just going to shoot you in the head, end your life, and bring myself some sort of relief, but then I started to think about it as we were driving. And you see, my life is ruined because my source of money got cut off. I didn’t want to have sex with your wrinkly old mom anymore, so she quit giving me my monthly payments. I wasn’t thinking that was a problem, since I had a very wealthy fiancée. But then my fiancée figured out I didn’t make as much as I’d claimed to make from the art gallery, so she left me—the shallow bitch.”