Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers, #1)(74)

“He should be here shortly. He’ll probably release you today,” she said to Abby, as if she had asked the question.

Abby’s brows pinched in worry. “Why don’t you get the kids, then come back for me?”

“You sure?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Matt kissed her head. “All right then. I’ll be back soon.”

“Matt?”

He paused and looked back.

“I l—”

“Raise your arm, hon.” The nurse went about removing the IV.

Matt winked at Abby from the door. “I know.” She loved him. He’d already known it, but still. He smiled all the way to the car.

—

Matt tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and waited for a light to change. He was more than anxious to get to the kids, picturing them scared and confused. I should have been here.

He and Vance pulled up in front of the student housing two blocks from the college campus. Abby’s Suburban was parked on the street. The large dent and busted taillight made him wince. Should have been here. He’d barely taken three steps when the front door of a tiny house flew open and Gracie and Jack barreled toward him.

Matt squatted down just in time to catch them and pull them in. A second later Charlie reached them, pushing his way in and almost toppling Matt onto his back. They were all talking at once about cars and crashes and Mommy.

“Mommy got cut wike me,” Charlie said, pointing to his forehead.

When they finally settled down enough to take a breath, Matt stood to introduce them to Vance. Then he saw Annie, standing rigidly on the sidewalk beside a young blond woman. Had he ever seen Annie without her neat braids? She looked younger, and lost. He took a few steps toward her and saw she was shaking with the effort not to cry.

“Annie.” He held out his hand and waited.

She took a tentative step forward, then another, and suddenly she was running toward him, her wild hair blowing out behind her. He went to his knees and caught her to his chest, feeling her little arms wrap around his neck, her legs around his waist. And his heart strained under the added weight of Annie’s sobs against his neck.

“Shh. It’s okay now. It’s okay.” She was hysterical and it was disconcerting to see her like this. He could barely understand her through the crying.

“Mommy was hurt. D-didn’t know where to f-find you.” Her words were choked and catching in her throat as she struggled to talk and suck in bits of air at the same time.

“I’m here now.” He held her tightly, rubbing her back and hating himself more every second. “It’s okay now. Mommy’s okay.”

He tried to wipe the hair out of the way so he could see her face. His little princess with the weight of the world on her shoulders, her heart so full of worry.

Her sobs and sniffles slowly subsided, but her grasp didn’t loosen. He stood with her still clinging to him and walked to the young woman who’d stepped up and helped when he wasn’t here.

“Hi. I’m Matt.”

She stuck out her hand. “I’m Meredith. The babysitter.”

“That’s Meredif,” Gracie said, taking his hand. “She takes care of us good, but I wanted you.”

He gave Gracie’s hand a squeeze. “I see you got the car. Thank you.”

“The accident happened right in front of the school and it didn’t need to be towed. The school called me. I’m listed as the person to call in an emergency.”

“Well, I can’t thank you enough.”

Charlie was climbing up his leg, so he let go of Gracie, grabbed him up like a football, and headed to the Suburban.

Gracie and Jack followed. Meredith walked over with two small bags as he buckled everyone in.

“I hope Mrs. Davis is okay. I can help out more after next week, after exams.”

“I’ll tell her. Thank you again.”

“Lead the way and I’ll follow you,” Vance said as Matt slid behind the wheel.

—

Matt had sent Vance on his way with the rental car several hours ago. It took some doing, but he’d finally convinced Abby to relax in a bath and let him get the kids fed and bathed by himself.

Her phone rang as he came in from taking out the empty pizza boxes. He saw the caller’s name on the screen and answered. “Hello?”

“Hi. This is Angie, Abby’s friend. We met—”

“I remember. Abby’s taking a bath.”

“Good. I talked to her this morning, so I know she’s okay, thank the Lord. Now I want to talk to you.”

Abby’s friend did not sound happy. “Okay.”

“I’m going to be up front with you because my kids will find me in the closet any second. You don’t deserve her. And before you get all bent out of shape and say I don’t know you, you’re right. I don’t. But no one deserves Abby. There’s not a sweeter, more loving person—”

“You don’t need to tell me that.”

“Well, I’m going to, so you can listen. She had a really shitty childhood and then a shitty husband, and I suspect I don’t know the half of it. I wasn’t Josh’s biggest fan. In fact I told Abby to divorce his ass when I found out she took a cab home from the hospital after giving birth to Annie.”