Forever Bound (11 page)

“Mr. Curtis?” she asked shyly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you…do you think that maybe we can have hot chocolate at our Christmas party?”

It wasn’t quite the question I was expecting. “Of course. I’m sure we can ask one of the moms to make it for us.” Then I noticed that some of the brightness left her angelic face. “What? What’s the matter, Jess?”

She shook her head at first, but I crouched down beside her until she looked at me. “Sometimes…sometimes I wish that my mom was like the other moms.”

I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. The kid didn’t often talk about her family stuff—particularly her mom—but it was clear that it bothers her. “You know, not all moms are alike,” I began diplomatically. “Some moms are great at baking while others don’t even know how. My mom used to make the best spaghetti and meatballs, but she always burned the cookies.”

“Really?” she asked, her eyes going wide again.

I nodded. “Really.”

“But…did she come to your Christmas pageants?”

I shook my head. “We didn’t really have those when I was in school. My mom worked a lot when I was your age, and so she didn’t always get to come to my school stuff. My dad came even less.”

“My daddy always comes to school stuff,” she said, sounding a bit more confident. “And he even has tea parties with me at home.”

“That’s because he’s a good dad and he loves you.”

She smiled. “I think you’re a good dad, Mr. Curtis.”

“Me? Oh, Jess, I’m not a dad.”

“Lily says that you like her mom and that maybe you would be her dad. I told her that she was lucky. She told me that her real dad died and she was sad. If you became her dad, then she’d have two. One in heaven and one here.”

I thought I was going to be sick. I stood back up and felt a cold sweat begin to cover my entire body as my heart fought to make its way out of my chest. I had no idea how long I stood there until Jess tugged on my hand. “The bell rang. We have to go.”

“Oh…right.” I felt like I was having an out of body experience. We walked down the long hall toward the front entrance of the school, and yet I felt like I was watching myself do it. Once outside, the cold wind whipped around me.

“There’s Lily! Hi, Lily! I’ll see you tomorrow!” Jessileigh called as she walked with me toward the spot where they usually waited. I didn’t even turn my head to see why Lily was outside. Usually she and Kristin didn’t leave until after all of the carpool kids were gone. Then I remembered that it was probably Kristin’s day to have carpool duty.

I scanned the area in search of Mr. Vanderhall’s car. We had talked on the phone last night, and he had mentioned that he was getting worried—Mitzi had been quiet for too long. He had a feeling that with Christmas approaching that she’d try something. We talked strategy for him and his home security team, and I offered to be around over the holidays if they needed me.

“There’s my dad!” Jess called out and pulled her hand from mine.

“Jess! Wait!” I called as she ran forward. It wasn’t like her to take off like that without me. She knew the drill. We always walked to the car together.

It all happened so fast. One minute I had a clear view of her. The next she was gone. There were screeching tires, and when I saw her again, I saw that it wasn’t Mr. Vanderhall’s car at all. It looked just like it, but that wasn’t her father in the driver’s seat. With nothing more than a quick glance, I was positive that it was Mitzi Vanderhall driving.

“Jess! Stop!” I ran through the small crowd of students and teachers—my only thought was to get to Jessileigh before she got into the wrong car or got hurt. I called her name again, and she finally stopped and turned but she was already in the middle of the driveway.

The car that she thought was hers swerved around the cars in front of it and sped dangerously fast toward us. I had to act quickly.

“Declan? What’s—” It was Kristin.

“Take her!” I said and shoved Jessileigh in her direction. “
Now
!”

The last thing I saw was Kristin’s arms around Jessileigh as she pulled her back.

The last thing I felt was a car slamming into me before everything went black.

Kristin

In movies, people always scream immediately when they see something horrifying happen. It’s supposed to be the natural reaction. Not for me, though. My throat closes. My eyes blur over. I freeze, unable to think, unable to move, unable to make a sound.

That was exactly what I did when I saw Declan get hit by the car. I was watching, so I saw the whole thing unfold in slow motion. He pushed Jessileigh toward me, and I grabbed her in my arms. The approaching car didn’t stop, and Declan couldn’t get out of the way.

I saw his body jerk at the impact. I heard the squeal of brakes. I saw him get thrown off his feet to land in an awkward heap on the pavement.

Then other people were screaming. Children and a couple of teachers and other parents. And a lot of things were happening all at once. People running forward. The car that had just hit Declan backing up with a violent lurch, scraping the front of another car that was unfortunately close.

Someone was on the phone, calling 911, I assumed. And several people leaned down over where Declan was prone on the ground.

I was a teacher, an authority figure. I should be cool and composed and help everyone else get through this crisis situation.

Plus, I knew Declan better than anyone else here.

But I was frozen, my arms still tightly around Jessileigh. Shielding her from the horror unfolding in front of us.  And I could do…nothing.

There was a black tidal wave of fear and pain that I was barely holding at bay. If I moved, it might unleash.

“He’s alive,” I heard someone say. I think it was the mother of one of the students. She was a veterinarian, which was probably as close to a doctor as we had available at the moment. “He got knocked out.”

I could suddenly breathe, letting out an exhale in a whoosh. I loosened my arms around Jessileigh, who was crying.

A murmur of release had followed this announcement, and Jessileigh turned to me through her tears and asked, “Is Mr. Curtis okay?”

“I hope so,” I said, finding my voice again. I took a few ragged breaths. “He’s hurt, but I think he’ll be okay.”

I had no reason to believe this, other than hopeful thinking and the fact that he wasn’t yet dead. But I had to say something, and I was praying it was true.

I heard a familiar whimper and turned around to see Lily running over toward me. I reached out my arm to hug her against me, feeling more myself, able to function again—although I was still shaky and terrified.

And that black tidal wave was still hovering over me, ready to descend at any minute.

I knew far too well how quickly disaster could strike, how tenuous any peace and security really was. When Nick died, it was with a sudden, devastating blow. No warning. No preparation. Just love ripped out of your life with a violent force.

It wasn’t something that could be lived through twice.

“Is he dead like Daddy?” Lily whispered, her little hands clinging to my sweater.

I almost choked on the question, on what it implied. “I don’t think so, sweetie. He’s just gotten knocked out. It happens when someone gets hit on the head too hard.”

Lily nodded and looked over at Jessileigh, who was wiping her eyes with her fists. “Are you okay, Jessileigh?” Lily asked.

The other girl nodded. “Mr. Curtis saved me.”

It was true. I had seen it happen. The car must have been driven by the girl’s mother, who was making a desperate ill-advised attempt to snatch her. She’d already screeched out of the parking lot, but maybe the cops would get her now.

Another murmur in the crowd began, starting from those leaning over Declan. “He’s awake,” someone said.

I let out another loud exhale at his news. Maybe he wasn’t hurt too much. Maybe he would be okay.

Maybe it was irrational, since I hadn’t really known him for that long. But I didn’t want to think about the world without Declan in it.

“Kristin,” someone called. One of the teachers who was kneeling down next to the veterinarian. “He’s asking for you.”

I swallowed hard and stumbled over, lowering myself in the space they made for me. My heart was racing, and I felt vaguely sick at how pale Declan looked and at the blood running from his temple to his cheekbone and already matting in his hair.

His eyes were half-opened though, and they landed on me. “Jess?” he asked, in barely a croak.

“She’s fine. I had her.”

This was evidently a relief to him, and I felt a strange wave of affection at how much he was committed to keeping safe whoever was under his care.

Then his expression changed, and his eyes warmed with a look that unmistakably soft and fond. He was gazing at me that way. “Don’t be scared,” he mumbled, shifting his position in a way that obviously gave him great pain.

“I’m fine,” I lied. I was terrified.

He seemed to realize this because his look softened even more. “And don’t…don’t…let them shave off my…hair.”

***

A few hours later, I was in a hospital room with him.

I’m not exactly sure how it happened, really.

The police and ambulance came. They took Declan away, but I had to stay and answer a lot of questions with the others who had seen the incident.

Then Lily’s grandparents took Lily home with them, since everyone seemed to assume I’d want to get right to the hospital to be with Declan.

I don’t know why everyone assumed that, since we certainly weren’t a couple. All we’d had was a fling, but no one else knew about that. But, still, everyone acted sweet and concerned with me, as if Declan was an important person in my life.

He wasn’t supposed to be.

But there was still that dark tidal wave, waiting to crash over me, drown me. And that shouldn’t be there if Declan was really just a fling.

I went to the hospital, though. I had to know that he was okay. They’d already given him a room, and the nurse told me that, since he had a concussion, he was allowed to doze off for a few minutes but he shouldn’t be allowed to sleep long. He would have to stay the night just to make sure he was okay. He had a couple of cracked ribs, but otherwise it was just the damage to his head.

His eyes were closed when I entered the room, so I moved carefully, walking over to the chair next to the bed.

They’d shaved a little of his hair, around where the bandage was. He looked paler than normal, and strangely young with his eyes closed.

He looked vulnerable. Breakable. Human.

He could die. He almost had.

The thought hurt so much I raised a hand to my chest, trying to pull myself together. I hadn’t quite done it when his eyes suddenly opened.

“I’m okay, Kristin,” he said softly. His voice was still hoarse, but it wasn’t nearly as broken as it had been before the ambulance had arrived.

“I know.” I took a shaky breath, telling myself for the hundredth time that my reaction was absolutely ridiculous.

Declan wasn’t dead. And we weren’t a couple.

He reached out toward me and, recognizing what he wanted, I adjusted my arm so he could take my hand. “It’s just a concussion.”

“And broken ribs.”

“I’ve had broken ribs before. They hurt like hell but aren’t the end of the world.”

I nodded, feeling emotion tightening in my throat again.

“Where’s Lily?” he asked, glancing over toward the door before his eyes returned to my face. He was quieter than normal, without his typical charm. I kind of liked it. It felt more real.

But it was also incredibly unsettling.

“With Nick’s parents. She was upset and wanted to come see you, but I didn’t think it was a good idea until I knew what was happening.”

He nodded. “Tell her she can come visit me later on.” His hand shifted until he was stroking my palm with his thumb. “I’m glad you came, though.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Yeah.”

He was looking at me deeply, with an intensity I wasn’t used to. As if he was telling me something with his eyes.

Something I desperately wanted to hear.

And something that caused a rising panic to run through me.

“Kristin,” he murmured.

“Yeah.” My response was brief, a little wobbly. I was holding my breath.

“Is this still a fling?”

“I…I don’t know.”

His lips turned up in a little smile, as if he was pleased by my response. I don’t know why—since I didn’t even know what my response meant.

“Come here,” he said.

“What?”

He lifted a hand toward me. “I can’t move much with these damned ribs, so you have to come here.”

I moved closer, so rattled I was pretty much clueless.

He smiled, his full, warm smile. “You need to lean down farther.” When I just stared in confusion, he added, “Damn it, I want to kiss you and I can’t reach.”

I gave a surprised giggle and leaned down so he could take my head in his hand. Then he lifted his enough to press his mouth against mine.

A shiver of excitement and pleasure and feeling ran through me. I kissed him back, our lips gently brushing against each other.

“That’s better,” he murmured against my mouth.

Smiling, I kissed him again.

I was pretty much completely overwhelmed when a voice from behind me said, “Oops. Bad timing.”

I jerked back and straightened up, my cheeks blazing with embarrassment. When I turned around, I saw two men I’d never seen before standing in the doorway.

They were both well-built and handsome, and they both looked like they could handle themselves really well in a fight. I instinctively knew these must be men who worked with Declan.

“Very bad timing,” Declan said, but he was smiling as he waved the other men in. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We heard you took a little tumble, so we figured we better hurry down to hold your hand.” The man who was slightly taller and who looked a little less rough smiled at me. “But I see you already have that covered.”

Declan gave his friend a good-natured snarl. “Kristin, these are two of my partners in the company. The smart ass is Levi, and the silent, glowering one is Cole.”

I shook hands with both men in turn, still feeling flustered and strangely self-conscious. These men were studying me with a kind of amused interest, as if they were both pleased and surprised by my presence.

“Where’s Seb?”

“He couldn’t get away,” Levi said. “But he said to let him know if you were still breathing.”

Declan laughed and then winced when it evidently hurt his ribs.

I could tell his friends had been genuinely concerned and were relieved that he was okay. I could tell that this was the way they interacted with each other, using humor to express affection. But it still made me a little sick to hear the joke about Declan almost dying.

Nick had died. And there wasn’t anything funny about that.

Suddenly, I stood up. “I better get back to Lily,” I said, trying to sound natural. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks.” He met my eyes, and there was that expression again. The soft, purposeful, serious one—as if something important was happening. “Bring her by to see me later this evening, if you can.”

“Okay.” I suddenly needed to get out of here. Right now. Before I collapsed into an emotional puddle. “It was nice to meet you guys.”

“You too,” Cole said, while Levi gave a friendly wave.

I was trembling when I got into the car, and it was a long time before the trembling stopped.

***

After an early supper with her grandparents, I took Lily to the hospital.

She wouldn’t have stopped nagging me if I didn’t, and I thought it was probably better for her to go, so she could see for herself that Declan was okay.

I was ridiculously nervous as we got out of the car, though, and even more nervous when we took the elevator up and walked down the hall.

His friends weren’t in the room when we peeked in, and Declan appeared to be asleep.

“Is he sleeping, Mommy?” Lily asked, in a stage whisper that echoed all the way down the hall.

Declan turned his head and smiled when he saw us. It was his normal small. Warm. Heart-stopping. “If I was, I’d be awake now. Come on in, Lily. I’m glad you came.”

Lily’s face broke into a wide grin, and she hurried over to the bed. “Are you feeling okay, Mr. Curtis? Mommy said your head and your ribs were banged up a little.”

“They are. But I’m feeling a lot better already.” Declan’s eyes shifted up to my face for just a minute—his expression almost hungry—before he returned them to rest on Lily’s face.

“I’m glad you’re okay. You were very brave.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, sir. You saved Jessileigh. Everyone says so.”

“Everyone, huh?” He gave a huff of amusement. “I was just doing my job.”

“You’re a better teacher than I thought,” Lily admitted soberly. “I’m sorry I thought you weren’t any good.”