“What about your arm?”
Joy smiled. “I cut it on a branch. Bianca washed it out with an unopened bottle of water and bandaged it up for me. A doctor’s going to look at it in a minute to see if I need stitches, but I wanted to see you first.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re really okay?”
She nodded. “I am.”
He held her tight. “Bianca washed out your cut?”
“She did. Jillian volunteered to do it, but Bianca made her drive so we could get to the hospital faster.”
“You said there was blood. Bianca didn’t pass out?”
Joy laughed. “No, she was like this commando, telling Jillian to drive and me to hold still so she could take care of my wound.”
Smiling at Joy’s description, Daniel gave his daughter another hug. “You’re really fine?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m really fine.”
He studied her carefully, looking for any signs of distress. She actually looked amazing. Her hair was damp from the rain, and her clothes were dirty, but she seemed healthy and happy.
“I’m sorry I ran off,” she said. “I didn’t mean to cause so much drama. I just needed a minute to wrap my head around everything. And then I got lost, and my phone died.”
“I know. And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about the paternity test or the first time I met you. I love you so much, honey. I’d never intentionally do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?”
She nodded. “I love you, too.”
Overcome with emotion, a tear slid down Daniel’s face. He hastily brushed it away and blinked hard. He’d never cried in front of Joy. Never really cried in front of anyone.
“Dad,” Joy said, smiling. “I’m fine. Really.”
“I know.” He wiped his eyes and gave an embarrassed laugh. “Lying here, not knowing if you were okay or not, was torture. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
“You’re one to talk. You had to be carted off in an ambulance.”
“And I’m having surgery tomorrow,” he added.
“I heard.”
A beat of silence fell between them, then he asked about her rescue. “You said Bianca and Jillian found you?”
“Yeah, it was crazy. All these people were looking for me, but Bianca said she had this feeling I was at Camp Windham. I don’t know how I got there. It was so dark after my phone died. I kept walking along the trail, thinking it’d lead me back to the museum. Somehow, I eventually came close enough to see the camp lights and hear the bell.”
“The bell?”
She nodded. “Bianca and Jillian rang this church bell at the camp. That’s how I found them.”
“Where’s Bianca now?”
“She’s in the waiting room with Jillian.”
He swallowed. “Will you go get her for me? I need to see her.”
Joy nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Chapter 47
Bianca
“So, I guess Keith’s not having an affair after all,” Jillian said as the two of us sat in the hospital waiting room.
I laughed. “Now you understand why I thought you were crazy.”
She nodded. “I can’t believe I didn’t figure out Keith was planning a surprise party for me. All his secrecy and suspicious behavior makes sense now.”
I smiled. “He loves you. He’s worried about you, but he loves you so much. He’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“He’s worried about me? Why?”
I chose my words carefully, not wanting to cause any more problems today. “You’re not sleeping, you’re folding laundry in the middle of the night, and you’re trying to do everything yourself.”
“He told you that?” She made a scoffing sound. “It’s just been so hard keeping up with everything. I had all this energy when Matt and Drew were babies, but now I’m exhausted, and the house is a wreck.”
“You had the boys years ago. You’re a little older now. Don’t you think your advanced maternal age makes a big difference?”
She gave me a loving elbow to the stomach. “Thanks a lot.”
I laughed and nudged her back. “It’s true.”
“I know, but you don’t have to remind me.”
I shrugged. “Linda Faith is a difficult baby, too. Don’t get me wrong. She’s delightful and I adore her, but I don’t remember the boys being so demanding.”
My sister stiffened, making me fear I’d gone too far. “I’m sorry,” I said, quickly apologizing. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, I’m really happy to hear you say that.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I thought it was just me. Mom thinks Linda Faith is perfect. She said I’ve just forgotten how hard it was with the boys. Keith thinks the baby’s crying is cute. To me, her shrieks set me on edge. It makes me feel like a bad mother.”
“You’re not a bad mother, Jillian. Just the opposite.”
“Thanks.”
“And she has to grow out of it, right? Eventually? She’s not going to be fussy her whole life.”
Jillian sighed. “I hope not.”
I glanced outside, noticing the rain had finally stopped. “Has seeing her smile made a difference?”
“Yes.” For the first time since our conversation, Jillian relaxed. “I was so relieved when she finally smiled.”
“Relieved?”
She nodded. “I was beginning to think she didn’t like me.”
I laughed. “How can someone as intelligent as you believe your own baby didn’t like you?”
“I don’t know. I probably sound crazy and irrational.”
“You do, but lack of sleep and a crying baby can make a person crazy and irrational.”
“True. Speaking of crazy and irrational ideas . . . the other day, Keith asked me what I thought about not going back to work.”
“What’d you say?”
“I said I didn’t know. I love being a nurse, and I worked hard to get where I am in my career. Plus, it took us forever to find someone to take care of the baby.”
I nodded, understanding her struggle. “Maybe, after everything you’ve been through, staying home to take care of your family full time might be a good thing.”
“Maybe.” She glanced across the waiting room as the emergency room doors opened and Keith strode toward us.
Immediately, Jillian shot to her feet and raced to her husband. They embraced, and Keith kissed the top of her head. “You found Joy? She’s doing okay?”
Jillian nodded. “We did. She’s back with her father right now.”
“I can’t believe she made it all the way to the camp in the dark. Even the sheriff didn’t think she’d go that way.”
Jillian gestured toward me. “Bianca was the one who found her. I just drove the car.”
I shook my head. “Had you not told me the story about Matt, we might’ve missed her.”
Keith frowned. “What story about Matt?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Jillian shot me a warning look that said I needed to keep my big mouth shut.
Keith started to press her about Matt, but Jillian cut him off. “I can’t believe you’ve been planning a surprise party for me this whole time. I was worried you might be having an affair.”
Keith stared into his wife’s eyes and shook his head. “Never.”
My sister swallowed hard. “I just can’t believe you went to all that effort for my birthday.”
Keith grinned. “We wanted to surprise you, didn’t we, Bianca?”
I nodded and refrained from adding that I hadn’t been part of the “we” until much later. And the person who’d been part of the “we” all along, Vicki, had been too busy with work to help today.
“So, what’s going on with the party now?” Jillian asked. “Are people still there?”
“They are. Half the guests joined the search party in looking for Joy,” Keith explained. “Once she was found, they went home to shower and change. The
other half have been up at the museum with Matt and Drew the whole time.”
Jillian glanced down at her muddy clothes, then looked at me with a guilty expression.
“You should go,” I said, reading her mind. “I’m going to wait for Joy and make sure Daniel’s okay, but you should go to your party.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Jillian looked at Keith who said, “It’s up to you, but I think your sister is right.”
“Of course, I’m right. I’ll come a little later if I can.”
“Well, don’t come too late,” Keith said. “You’re going to want to be there for the big surprise.”
“The big surprise?” I asked.
Keith grinned. “Yeah, it’s a good one. You’ll never guess what it is.” He glanced at his clock. “It should be arriving in an hour, so try to make it by then, okay?”
“What is it?” Jillian and I asked at the same time.
Shaking his head, Keith chuckled. “Sorry, ladies. You’re going to have to see this one for yourself.”
Looking at my sister, I mouthed, “Text me as soon as you find out, okay?”
Keith just laughed. “I promise, neither one of you will ever guess. Even your parents and Vicki don’t know. All I can say is it’s big, and everyone is going to be blown away.”
“Now you have to tell us,” I insisted as Jillian nodded in agreement.
Keith shook his head. “No way.”
Jillian glanced at me. “Don’t worry. I know what his weakness is, so I’ll get him to tell me.”
Keith just laughed.
Joy came into the waiting room then and apologized. “I’m sorry I caused so much trouble. I shouldn’t have run off like that. It was just such a shock. Then I couldn’t find my way back to the museum, and you know the rest.”
I slipped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, honey. The most important thing is you’re safe now.”
Both Keith and Jillian nodded.
“What about your dad?” Keith asked. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s okay. He’s having surgery on his ankle tomorrow.”
“I bet he was happy to see you,” I said.
Joy smiled. “He cried.”
“Of course, he did,” Jillian said. “He was worried sick about you. We all were.”
Joy nodded. “I know. Right now, he’s worried about messing up your party. Please tell me it’s still on.”
“It is. Keith and I are headed up there now.”
“Good. Will you tell everyone thank you for helping me and my dad tonight?”
“We will,” Keith said. “And if you’re up to it, you should come, too. Like I told Jillian and Bianca, there’s going to be a big surprise.”
“What is it?” Joy asked.
Keith just grinned. Then, he took his wife’s hand and led her out the door.
After they left, Joy told me her dad wanted to see me.
“Oh, okay.” I suddenly felt anxious as I ran a hand through my tangled hair. I’d tried brushing it in the hospital bathroom, but it was no use.
“You look fine,” Joy said, smiling at me.
“No, I don’t.”
She laughed. “My dad’s not going to care what you look like. He’s just going to be happy to see you.”
I hope so. Nervous about seeing Daniel, I walked down the hall to his room. At the door, Joy paused. “I’m supposed to see the doctor about the cut on my arm.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She shook her head. “No, you go see my dad, and I’ll catch up with you later.”
I stared at her a beat. “If the doctor says you need a stitch, let’s see if we can get a plastic surgeon to do it so it won’t leave a scar.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
“Good luck, honey, and I’ll come find you in a minute.”
She nodded and headed back to the ER, giving me a chance to talk to her father in private. I needed to apologize to him for my role in all this drama.
Knocking on the door, I pushed it open. “Daniel?”
“Hey.” His voice was gravelly, but he smiled.
“Daniel, I just want to say that I’m so sorry. My timing was horrible and—”
He patted the bed beside him. “Come here. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who needs to apologize to you. Do you think you could forgive me?”
I sighed. “Oh, Daniel. There’s nothing to forgive.” Blinking back tears, I gave him a huge hug.
He wrapped his arms around me. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He kissed me then, and everything inside me melted. There wasn’t any other place I wanted to be than right here, right now, with this man.
When our kiss ended, he took my hand and smiled. “Let’s not do that again, okay?”
“What? Make out in a hospital room?”
He laughed. “No, get in a fight that leads to me tumbling down a mountain.”
I laughed, and we talked a little more about everything that’d happened. He told me about his upcoming surgery and asked if Joy could stay at my place while he was in the hospital.
“Of course. I’d love to have her.”
When Joy returned with news that she didn’t need a stitch for her arm, we told her the plan, and she seemed pleased. Then, she asked if she could go to the party. “Kayla said everyone is there, and the DJ is really good.”
“You want to leave me so you can go to the party?” Daniel asked, feigning mock outrage.
She nodded. “I know you could’ve died out there in the woods trying to rescue me and all, but yeah. I want to go to Jillian’s party. There’s supposed to be a big surprise and fabulous food. Plus, you’re probably going to sleep anyway.”
Stifling a yawn, he laughed. “You’re probably right.”
“Does that mean I can go?”
He nodded. “Yes, you and Bianca should definitely go. Just promise you’ll come back in the morning before my surgery.”
“We promise,” Joy said as I nodded in agreement.
“Good. Now, let me get some rest, okay?”
“Okay.” Joy gave her dad a quick hug, then headed out the door.
The hug I gave Daniel before leaving wasn’t so quick, but eventually, I left with Joy as well.
Chapter 48
Bianca
After showering and changing, Joy and I arrived at the party just as Keith offered a toast to his beautiful bride. I’d always thought it pretentious and annoying when a man referred to his wife as his bride, but my handsome brother-in-law managed to pull it off.
By the time he finished speaking, there wasn’t a dry eye in sight, mine included. After that, the band played the happy couple’s song, “Do I” by Luke Bryan. Keith and Jillian opened up the dance floor, followed by several other couples, including my parents.
I thought about Daniel back in the hospital by himself and said a little prayer he was sleeping well. Tomorrow, he’d have surgery, then he’d begin the road to recovery. I imagined it would take a while for his ankle to fully heal, but thankfully his injuries hadn’t been more extensive.
I thought about Claudia and had a moment of sadness that she wasn’t here. Hopefully, she and Leland would make it home safely.
Maybe Daniel was right. Maybe blood wasn’t thicker than water, and maybe I’d never feel as close to Claudia as I felt to Joy. But I was so grateful to have met her and learn how wonderful she was. And I was so grateful for the healing between my father and me.
As for whether or not Joy’s mom was the nurse in South Carolina, maybe we’d never know. I suppose I could do an internet search for the name Tiffany Jackson, but that wasn’t happening tonight, not when I was surrounded by friends and family at this beautiful party.
“They look good together,” Joy said, gesturing across the room at Vicki who was dancing with a tall, broad-shouldered, military man.
“That’s Mac Baumguard, a friend of Keith’s. He was engaged last year, but i
t didn’t work out.”
“Do you think Vicki’s interested in him?”
I shrugged. “Who knows. Vicki’s a heartbreaker with the attention span the size of a gnat when it comes to guys. She talks about wanting to get married, but she doesn’t seem to be able to stay with anyone long enough for that to happen.”
Joy smiled, and we continued watching Vicki and Mac dance. Joy was right in that they did look good together. Then again, Vicki was so cute she looked good with every guy.
When the song ended, Keith took Jillian’s hand, and they returned to the stage. “My wife just told me she’s ready for her surprise, so without further ado, let’s get started.”
He clicked a button and a large screen behind them descended. Great, I thought, the surprise is a photo and video montage to my perfect older sister. Prepare yourself, Bianca. You’re about to see several unflattering pictures of yourself standing next to your gorgeous sisters.
Joy leaned over and whispered, “Please tell me the surprise isn’t a slideshow.”
I shrugged. “I know just as much as you do, but hopefully, there will be more to it.”
“Hopefully.” Her voice matched the sarcasm I felt.
Speaking into the microphone, Keith said, “I started planning this party a few hours after we opened Christmas presents. Jillian gave me a beautiful photo album filled with pictures, showing all our years together. That album meant the world to me, and I wanted to give my beautiful bride something in return that might mean a fraction as much. So, Jills, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.”
Soft background music played. Then, the crowd sighed as pictures and video clips of Jillian as a child appeared on the screen. Just as I expected, there were several cringe-worthy photos of myself with Jillian. There were also several pictures showing me laughing with my family. I had to blink back tears at the sight of Marcus, riding horses with Jillian, Vicki, and me. What a heartthrob.
Joy must’ve noticed my emotion in the darkness because she gave me a little side hug. “I wish I could’ve met your brother.”
“Me, too. You would’ve loved him.”
The slideshow continued until it reached a video clip of Anna, Nick, and their kids. I smiled as my sister-in-law and her family wished Jillian a very happy birthday.
Bianca's Joy: Rose Island Book 3 Page 23