Vulnerable [Suncoast Society] (Suncoast Society #29)(55)

They spent a few minutes there with him before returning to the waiting room. “Laurel can’t see him like this,” Eva whispered as they walked.

“I think she should,” Jesse said. “She’s going to want to see him and demand to see him until we let her.”

“He’s right,” Tilly said. “She’s old enough to understand he’s injured. Right now, it’s worse for her not seeing him. She can’t put abstract concepts like this together at her age. She’s going to need to see him, at least for a minute. If something happens, she needs the chance to at least tell him she loves him, just in case.”

Eva hugged herself. “I can’t… I just can’t. I can’t do it.”

“I can,” Jesse said. “Let me bring her back. Please? Me and Tilly.”

Eva looked like she wanted to argue, then slumped against the wall. “Okay,” she softly said.

Tilly ushered them back out to the waiting room. Laurel had made it into Cris’ lap, where he was showing her something on his phone.

“Can I go see Daddy now?” she immediately asked.

Tilly knelt in front of Cris. “Uncle Jesse and I will take you back,” she said. “There can only be so many at a time in there. It’s a very small room and there are other very sick people around who need it to be quiet for them to get better. Just like Daddy needs it quiet.”

“Okay.” Laurel reached for Jesse. He didn’t miss how it seemed like she had almost regressed a little in age, the way she was acting.

Then again, wasn’t he, too? Leaning on Tilly like this?

If he wanted to be a stepdad, he needed to step up.

Holding Laurel, he carried her back, Tilly keeping an arm around his waist for support.

“Now, honey,” Tilly said, “Daddy is sleeping. He’s going to need to sleep a whole lot because he had surgery. They’re giving him medicine to keep him asleep. That’s to keep him from feeling any pain, and so he can get better. He has some bruises from the accident, and there are wires and stuff that run to machines that tell the nurses and doctors how he’s doing. So don’t be scared. Okay?”

“Okay.”

They stopped outside the curtained doorway. Tilly made Jesse look her in the eye. “You okay?”

“No, but I don’t have a choice.”

She palmed his cheek. “I’ll give him a good report when he feels better, I promise.”

He managed a half-assed smile.

“Aunt Tilly,” Laurel said, “are you really a nurse?”

“I am, sweetie. I have the degree and everything.”

“I thought you worked for that movie guy.”

“I do now, but I was a nurse before.”

“How’d you go from being a nurse to working in movies?”

Jesse couldn’t hold back his snort.

Tilly shot him a glare, but smiled at Laurel. “It’s a really long story, sweetheart. I was a nurse, then I met Landry and married him, and Nick was friends with friends of mine, and then I went to work for them.”

“Oh. Okay.” Tilly seemed to have the magic touch when it came to satisfying Laurel’s questions the first time around.

Jesse sighed. I swear, one day, I will get the hang of talking to this child.

Tilly led the way inside. Laurel clung tightly to him as he shifted her on his hip for a better grip. If nothing else, he would get a hell of an upper body workout from carrying her around.

And he’d carry her as long as she’d let him and wanted him to and he was physically able to.

Laurel rested her head on Jesse’s shoulder. “Can I talk to him?” Laurel whispered, apparently taking Tilly’s warning about being quiet to heart.

“Of course you can, sweetheart,” Tilly said. “Just whisper.” They stood on Leo’s right. Tilly slipped her hand under Leo’s and gently lifted it enough so Laurel could stroke the back of it.

“Daddy, I love you,” Laurel softly said. “Please sleep good and get better quick.” She patted his hand.

Jesse also reached in and touched his hand. “I love you, too, Leo,” he said, fighting back the urge to call him Sir. “You’re going to be fine. I promise, I’ll take good care of Laurel and Eva. Tilly’s helping us.”

He knew he didn’t imagine Tilly sniffling and blinking back tears. “You get better, you hear me?” Tilly said. “That’s an order.”

Jesse struggled not to laugh, knowing if he did it’d turn into tears and he couldn’t cry.

Not now. Not like this, and not in front of Laurel. Not yet. He needed a good, hard, cleansing snot-sob of a cry, and that had to be either alone or with Tilly.

Not here. Not in front of Laurel.

To Laurel, he was her stepdad, and he needed to be strong for her.

Because he knew that was what Leo would want.

And, no matter what, he would do what his Sir wanted, because he was always Sir’s good boy.





Chapter Twenty-One


Tilly was leading them back to the waiting room when they ran into Cris on his way into the unit.

“Come now,” was all he said to Tilly before turning and heading back.

Tilly ran, passing him, heading for the waiting room.

“What’s wrong?” Laurel asked Jesse.