It's Better This Way(53)

“Dad insisted he wanted Julia,” Adam was telling his brother. “Did you let her know he’s out of surgery?”

Michael snorted. “After what happened, are you kidding? The less we have to do with that family, the better.”

Heath wanted to know exactly what had happened. From the sound of it, it wasn’t good.

“You won’t be able to keep her away,” Adam returned, “and Dad’s determined he wants her at his side.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Heath had heard enough. “What did you say to her?” he demanded, angry now and impatient.

Both his sons looked surprised when they realized he had heard them talking. “We thought it best if she left the hospital,” Adam explained. “She was crying and worried. Her daughter was with her, and then Michael and Hillary got into a shouting match.”

Heath groaned, well able to picture the volatile scene.

    “That daughter of hers is evil,” Michael inserted, frowning.

“As you might have guessed, Michael and I were upset and worried. Julia was, too, and then Hillary got into the mix. It wasn’t pretty.”

“What did you say to Julia?” Heath needed to know what had taken place so he could fix this.

Michael shrugged, as if that would explain everything. “She demanded that we stop shouting.”

“Then some woman I’ve never seen arrived, and Julia left with her,” Adam added.

“It must have been Amanda,” he said, closing his eyes. The thought of what she must have endured upset his stomach.

“It wasn’t like she introduced us, Dad,” Adam said. “It could have been her sister. They sort of looked alike, I guess.”

“What about Hillary?”

Michael looked uncomfortable as his gaze moved around the room, avoiding Heath’s. “She had a few choice words to say after her mother was gone, and then she left like she couldn’t get away from us fast enough.”

Heath breathed deeply and waited until his temper had cooled before he spoke. “Listen, you two, I understand there is bad blood between our families. That’s unfortunate. What you need to remember is that Julia and I are separate from what happened between you and her daughters.”

“Dad—”

“No, you listen.” He raised his arm without realizing it was connected to an IV pole, which set a buzzer off. When he lowered his arm again, the sound stopped.

“You’re my sons and are a part of me. I love you. If necessary, I would die for you. What I won’t do is let you stand between me and the woman who has changed my life. Julia means the world to me. Have you any clue how isolated I’d become after your mother left? Julia has given me far more than either of you realize. She’s everything to me. I love her.”

    “Dad, no,” Michael said, and his face tensed. “Don’t do anything rash, like marry her. You barely know this woman.”

“How can you trust her?” Adam asked.

Arguing wasn’t going to convince his sons that Julia was the woman for him. Their minds were set, and nothing he said would convince them otherwise. His strength was waning, and he closed his eyes. Later he’d have more to say—for now, for now, he needed to sleep.



* * *



—

Heath woke when Hillary Jones entered his room. She stood stiffly, just inside the door, as though this was the last place she wanted to be.

“You asked to see me?”

He nodded, nearly desperate, since he hadn’t been able to reach Julia, after repeatedly trying. “Thank you for coming.”

“I’m on break and only have a few minutes,” she said gruffly, having no qualms about letting him know she was eager to be on her way.

“I appreciate that you’re here. I wanted to apologize for the way my sons treated you and your mother yesterday.”

She lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact. “You don’t need to apologize; I gave as good as I got.”

He was tempted to smile. “So I understand. Good for you.”

She looked up then, as if surprised. “Mom was badly shaken. If your sons owe anyone an apology, it’s my mother. They were horrible to her, insisting she should leave. They made it sound as if she was responsible for your heart attack, which we both know is ridiculous.”

    This was exactly what Heath feared. “That should never have happened. How is she now?”

“She spent the night with my aunt Amanda.”

“I haven’t been able to reach her.” That worried Heath more than anything the heart specialist had told him earlier.

“She wasn’t able to sleep after she left the hospital. I spoke to her this morning, and she said she was going home to nap. I suggested she turn her ringer off. She probably forgot to turn it back on.”

That helped explain her silence and eased his mind. “I’d feel better if I was able to talk to her, reassure her I’m alive and well.”

“I let her know you were recovering from surgery. She wanted to come to see you herself, only I discouraged it for fear she’d run into one of your sons. I assured her you would be back home soon.”

Heath had gotten the same news from the heart specialist, along with a list of new medications he would need to take for the foreseeable future.