Chapter 10 #2
“It was a team effort,” he said modestly. “Any word on how she’s doing?”
“They’re keeping her here overnight. Her parents are with her.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to go talk to Walter,” Roxy said. “Nice to meet you, Georgie.”
“You, too.”
After Roxy left them, Nathan led her away from the others and wrapped his arms around her. “Relax, Georgie.”
“I can’t.”
He massaged her shoulders. “Try.”
“Your arm has to hurt. You shouldn’t be using it so much.”
“Let me worry about that.”
Unable to resist the comfort he offered, Georgie rested her face against his chest. “Why did this have to happen? Who could’ve done this to such a sweet old man? He wasn’t bothering anyone.”
“I’ve been around it for years, and I’m still surprised by what people are capable of.”
Georgie raised her head and looked up at him. “What happened today?”
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it.”
“What if you need to talk about it?”
He framed her face with his hands and ran his thumbs along her jaw. “You make me ache, Georgie Quinn.”
His softly spoken words and gentle touch went straight to her heart, and she found she couldn’t look away from him even though she knew that standing there staring at him was not doing a damned thing to advance her “don’t get involved” campaign.
She wondered if he’d still want her so much if he knew about the threat to her health.
He’d probably run for his life if he knew the truth. Who could blame him?
Their intense moment was interrupted by a flurry of activity in the hallway.
Georgie heard someone mention the ICU as a gurney rolled toward the elevator.
She glanced down at the patient, and only a patch of snow-white hair identified him as Gus.
His face was black-and-blue and swollen almost beyond recognition.
Georgie released a muffled gasp. “Oh God! Oh Gus.” When she was able to move again, she bolted for the door, certain she was going to be sick if she didn’t get out of there immediately. Nathan and several of the seniors tried to stop her, but the moment she cleared the door, she took off running.
Georgie walked for hours. She figured if she just kept moving, she could somehow manage to avoid hearing any more bad news.
It was laughable, really. Her mother died, her sister was having a double mastectomy, her own life might depend on the results of a blood test, her boyfriend dumped her, her boss fired her, Gus was attacked.
Could it get any worse? Gus could die. No! He’s not going to die. He can’t. He can’t do that to me.
She found herself at the top of Dean Avenue and stood there for a long time before she could make herself take the first step down the hill. Exhausted to the bone, she couldn’t go on anymore. Besides, she was only postponing the inevitable. “Please, God,” she whispered. “Don’t let him die. Please.”
As she approached the house, she came to a halt at the foot of the stairs when she found Nathan sitting on the top step waiting for her.
They both spoke at once.
“What are you doing here?”
“Where’ve you been?”
Georgie folded her arms and looked down at the sidewalk. “Did he die?”
“Not that I know of, but I’ve been looking for you for the past two hours.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. Are you okay, Georgie?”
She shrugged. “I don’t even know what that is anymore.”
“Why didn’t you tell me your mother died?”
Her jaw shifted from side to side as she looked up at him. “The night we spent together . . . I wanted a break from having to think about it.”
He reached out to her. “I figured she was away on vacation or something. I’d never even heard she was sick.”
Georgie took his hand and let him guide her up the stairs to sit next to him. “It happened fast, and she didn’t want people to know how bad it was, so we kept it quiet. She worried about her friends at the center more than she worried about herself.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” He cradled her hand between both of his. “And for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an admirable thing trying to keep the center open. My grandfather all but lived there the last few years of his life.”
“Ian told me.” She paused for just a heartbeat, but it was long enough to make the decision to trust him.
“For weeks I’ve been going there every day, doing what needs to be done, trying to get through the days until they could find someone to take my mother’s place.
And all that time I thought the job was beneath me, like I was too good for the place or something. ”
“I can see why you’d think that. You worked hard for the career you have in Atlanta.”
“Had,” Georgie reminded him. “But it wasn’t until tonight, at the hospital, that I realized I’m the one who’s not good enough for them.
My mother would’ve gone to find Gus. She would have searched for him until she found him, and maybe she would’ve gotten to him before he spent a day lying on a hard floor fighting for his life. ”
“Don’t do that to yourself, Georgie. You’re doing the best you can.”
“But it’s not good enough!” she cried. “Don’t you see?” In a whisper, she added, “It’s not good enough.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him as she sobbed.
She cried until her eyes hurt and her chest ached.
He surprised her when he scooped her up and carried her inside.
Georgie glanced up to find his face tight with pain. “You shouldn’t be doing this, Nathan.”
He forced a smile. “Which way to your room?”
She directed him up the stairs. Embarrassed and touched, she took a stab at levity. “Do I need to be worried about what your brothers have done with my roommates?”
“Nah. They’ll take good care of them.”
“If they’re anything like you, my friends are lucky.”
He laid her down on the bed. “Why, Georgie Quinn, was that a compliment?”
She kept her arms looped around his neck. “Stay with me for a while?”
“I can do that.” He stretched out next to her and extended his good arm to bring her close to him.
Georgie rested her head on his chest. “Does your arm hurt?”
“Like a bastard. Tess was right.”
Alarmed, she lifted her head so she could see his face. “Don’t you have pain pills?”
“In the car. I’m okay.”
“Want me to go get them for you? There’s no need for you to suffer.”
“I’ll go, but if I do, can I come back?”
She smiled weakly. “Yeah.”
He kissed her forehead. “In that case, I’ll be right back.”