“Want to go to get something to eat?” she offered.
“No. I’m not hungry.” Which wasn’t true. He was starving, but he was too annoyed with everything to want to do anything at that point.
Debra stood and stuck her laptop in her bag. “I’m going to go get something. Want me to grab you a milkshake?”
He shook his head and closed his eyes. “No thank you.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Lance Walker?” a voice called out.
Lance jerked awake and sat up in his chair. “That’s me.”
The waiting room was nearly empty, and Debra hadn’t come back from getting food. A nurse smiled at him before looking down at the paper in her hand.
“We’re going to go get you prepped for surgery.”
“Wait—what? Surgery?” Was he still sleeping? Lance rubbed his forehead.
“Your x-ray showed that one of the bones in your leg moved slightly out of place, so they need to replace the pin.” She handed Lance the paper.
He glanced through it, reading off the results. The bones they’d worked on for the surgery hadn’t healed correctly and there was a stress fracture in his left leg. He knew he shouldn’t have tried dancing. How could he have been so stupid?
“Did you have anyone with you? We can wait if you’d like.”
Thoughts of the night before in the storage area ran through his mind. What had brought emotions of pleasure and enjoyment the night before, brought pain, and surprisingly, anger. He couldn’t bring himself to see Debra just then. “No, there’s no one waiting. Let’s go.”
The girl looked at him, confused. “You sure? I thought there—”
“No one,” he interrupted. Debra was here, but there wasn’t much she could do that point, anyway. “Which way are we headed?”
The nurse helped him over to the OR and into one of the changing rooms. The small impersonal room held nothing but a bed, a robe, and a few machines. It didn’t help his loneliness at all.
The nurse helped him onto the bed and set the clothing next to him. “Do you need help with changing?”
He shook his head. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”
She left and closed the curtain behind her. Lance changed into his gown and set his clothes on the chair next to him. He stared at his phone, knowing he should let someone know what was going on. He sent a quick text to his parents and another to Nikki so she’d know not to wait for him the next day. His text to Debra was short, and he dropped his phone onto his clothes.
Thoughts of everything he’d done over the last couple of days, and the time he’d have to waste in the hospital bed again floated through his head as tubes were hooked up to him, and the doctors ran through their instructions. It was a relief when the anesthesia finally took over and helped him drift off into sleep. He only hoped that this time his legs would heal correctly.
“Good morning, Mr. Walker. It’s time to wake up,” a soft voice said.
Lance blinked his eyes, fighting the grogginess still threatening to overtake him. He rubbed his face with this good hand and winced as the IV tugged at his skin. “How’d everything go?”
“The surgeon will be in soon to let you know. Once you’re feeling up to it, we’ll move you to your room. Can I get you anything?” The nurse checked the monitors and adjusted the stream of fluid on the IV.
“I’m fine. Just tired.” His mouth was dry, most likely from the medicine they’d given him for the pain.
“All right. Let me know.” She walked over to check on another patient, and Lance closed his eyes again.
It was a few more minutes before the surgeon came in with his stethoscope around his neck and his mask up on his forehead. “Hey, you’re awake. The surgery went well. We’ve pinned that bone, so it can’t move this time. Everything else looks like it’s healing nicely. Once the swelling goes down and we get the stitches out, we’ll cast your leg and hand and you’ll be good as new.”
“When do you think that will be?” Lance hated how much he slurred. He’d have to have them change his meds so he could be more awake.
The doctor laughed. “Always looking to get out. It shouldn’t be more than a day or two, depending on how well you behave.”
“I’ll be an angel.” Lance swallowed hard, trying to get moisture in his mouth.
The doctor laughed as he left the room. The nurse hurried over and lowered the bed before pushing his gurney into another room. Several nurses moved around the room, getting things prepared for him. He just wanted them to leave so he could sleep for the two days until they’d let him out.
Debra rushed into the room, looking frantic. “I can’t believe they just rushed you in here like this. What happened?”
“My leg fractured from our dance the other night.” His voice was a little sharper than he’d wanted, and he knew he wasn’t being fair. The dance hadn’t been the only dumb thing he’d done that night, but his mind was cloudy, and he didn’t want to think anymore.
She covered her mouth in shock. Her beautiful hazel eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.”
Lance looked away and stared out the window. “I think you should leave.”
Her gasp stabbed into his soul, but he didn’t turn back. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. But if that’s what you want, I’ll go.”
Lance could hear her walk away, and he heard a small sob as she walked down the hallway. His heart screamed at him to call her back into the room, but his mind squashed the hurt. If he hadn’t been so involved with her, things would have been fine, and he’d still be okay. But that one night had messed up everything, and now he’d have to miss the awards show, and possibly his fashion show.
A single tear ran down his cheek as he continued to stare out the window until sleep took over. She was his everything, but at that point, he needed to push that away and concentrate on feeling better. Even if it meant throwing away the one thing that had finally made him feel alive.
Chapter 11
Debra choked down tears as she walked to the train stop. The keys to the Porsche were still in her purse, but she’d just have to give them to Nikki. There was no way she was walking back into the room to hand them back to Lance. And it wasn’t like he could do anything with them anyway. Not after another surgery.
The train came in a few minutes late, and Debra found a seat in one of the last cars. The rumbling of the tracks passing by was what she needed to help bring on the numbness that came from heartbreak. She should have stopped herself from liking him. It wasn’t worth it. Having to see him and work with him would now be awkward, but maybe she could just have Erin take over the account completely. It would be in good hands, and Debra could focus on something else.
Instead of getting off at the stop that would take her to her apartment, Debra continued until the end of the line before switching to another train. There was no way she wanted to go home right now. There were too many things left there that would remind her of him, and she didn’t need that.
After switching trains one more time, she pulled out her phone and pushed a button. It was way too late to be calling anyone, but she knew her brother would answer.
A raspy, tired voice answered. “You okay, Debra?”
“Hey, Aaron. Sorry it’s so late, but I wanted to visit Mom and Dad. Could you grab me from the bus station?”
“I’m not sure Mom and Dad are awake right now. I’ll just bring you here and take you in the morning.” His voice was more awake now. “What’s going on?”
Debra grimaced. “Boy troubles. And that would be great, thanks.”
“Of course.” He hung up.
This wasn’t the first time she’d crashed his house after a breakup, but it had been years. Then she’d grown up and decided that relationships weren’t worth it. She stepped off the train and walked the hundred yards over to the bus stop. The cold wind and dark night made her a little jumpy, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to go home.
The bus ride was short, which was a good thi
ng. One of the other passengers stared at her the entire way, and it was getting on her nerves. By the time the bus pulled up to the stop, her nerves were shot. But Aaron was there like clockwork. She stepped off the bus and ran to his truck to climb in.
“Thanks again.” She slammed the door and pulled on her seat belt. “Sophia’s not too upset, is she?”
“No, she was actually up eating ice cream.” He laughed. “Good thing this pregnancy is almost done. I’m not sure my budget can handle much more.”
Debra smiled. “I’m sure she feels the same way you do.”
“More so, I think. She’s been walking a few miles every day just to get contractions going.” Aaron turned onto his street. “So are you going to tell me what happened or are we just going to pretend like everything is okay?”
“He had to have another surgery on his leg because it wasn’t healed when he tried to step on it. Instead of letting me help, he pushed me away.” Debra stared out the window as they pulled into his driveway.
The house was a cozy little three-bedroom house with a small yard, but it had been Aaron’s home for years. Debra stepped out of the car and walked up onto the porch.
Aaron took Debra’s arm and turned her toward him. “He’s in pain, and he’s annoyed he’s back in the hospital. Give him some time.”
“I know. But it feels like more than just pushing me out of the room for the evening.” She shook her head “The whole day was just messy.”
“Oh, Debra, here you are.” Sophia hugged her tightly. “I was so worried when you called. Is everything okay?”
Aaron kissed Sophia on the forehead. “She’ll be just fine as soon as things cool off. Come on, I’m taking you to bed before you finish off the carton.”
Debra watched them leave the kitchen and went to the room they’d saved for her and set her purse on the bed. A crib had been moved into the room, and small nursery toys sat on shelves and a rocking chair. It looked as though her spot in their house was about to be taken over, but she could handle sharing it with the new addition.
“Sure you don’t want to stick around?” Aaron flipped a pancake onto the skillet.
Debra shook her head. “I want to see Mom and Dad, but I’ll be back tonight for Aiden’s game.”
“Good. He’ll be thrilled. Let me get this done and then we’ll head over. Unless you want to borrow the truck?”
As tempting as it was, Debra was done with borrowing cars for a while. “No, I’ll just wait. This’ll give Mom an excuse to go to the game.”
“That’s true.” He slid the pancake onto a plate and wiped his hands. “Okay, let me grab my keys.”
They left the house and drove the ten miles to see their parents. Snow fell, but it was light enough that nothing stuck on the ground. It was just gloomy enough to match Debra’s mood. She knew she should be at work, but she had her laptop and she could work at her parents’ house. It was too loud at Aaron’s with the kids running around. They were great kids, but she needed the quiet for phone calls.
Dad’s old truck and Mom’s small silver car sat in the driveway. Debra waved and promised again that she’d be at the game before pulling her coat closer and making her way to the front door. The wind promised that more snow was on the way, as she knocked.
The door opened and her mom squealed when she saw Debra. “I had no idea you were coming.”
Debra gave her mom a hug and kiss before following her inside. “It was a split second decision. Where’s Dad?”
“Watching football in the living room.” Her mom headed for the kitchen, and Debra went to find her dad.
“Hey, Dad.” She dropped into the couch next to her dad’s big chair.
Her dad turned off the TV and turned to her. “Did I miss a message or something? I had no idea you were coming.”
“No, I just wanted to come and visit.”
“Ah, boy trouble again, huh? I really thought this Lance guy was perfect for you.” Her dad scratched his cheek.
Debra laughed. “I did too. Things are fine. Just taking a break for a bit. Hey, I have a little work to do. I’ll be upstairs in my room, okay?”
“Just use my office. The WiFi works best there.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She grabbed her bag and walked down the hallway to the office, closing the door behind her.
She sat at the desk and turned a circle in the large chair, just like she did every time she’d come into this room over the years. After making sure the computer was hooked to the Internet, she pulled up her email to get to work. Several had urgent in the inbox, while others were small requests for updates on their advertising. She started with those first, since they were easier to answer.
By the time those were done, Debra’s back was aching from sitting at the desk. She stood and walked around the room, looking at the pictures, awards, and trinkets her dad had collected over the years. Things she’d studied over and over, but never got tired of seeing.
She sat back at the desk and stretched her arms and hands before opening the first urgent email. The owner of the company had decided to redo what they’d planned for the Super Bowl commercial and needed an answer as soon as possible. Debra groaned. It should have already been sent to production by that time. She typed a quick message saying they’d check to see what could be done, but as the ads were okayed already, they would probably have to stick with what they had.
There were two other emails that were similar to the first, and by the fifth email, asking to have the actors switched out, Debra was ready to scream. She politely answered the email and sent it.
A knock at the door brought Debra back to the present. “Come in.”
Her mom came in with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. “Hey, I thought you could use a snack.”
“Oh, thank you. That’s exactly what I needed.” Debra took a cookie off the plate. “Chocolate chip. My favorite.”
“I know. Your dad tried to eat them all, but I managed to sneak a few in here.” Her mom set the plate down. “Did you get everything done?”
“Not yet, but I think I’ll be done in the next hour or so.”
“Don’t forget your nephew’s game. We’ll have to leave soon if we’re going to get there.” Her mom walked to the door.
Debra looked at her watch, and gasped in surprise. It had been several hours since she’d started working. “I’ll just finish this last project and then I’ll be ready to go. Thanks again for the cookies.”
Her mom left the room, and Debra nibbled on the cookies as she went through the Smithson Jewelers ad, jotting down notes here and there to send back. It was a cute commercial, but there was something missing to it. She stood and stretched before leaving the room to find her parents. It would be good to forget work and just enjoy some hockey again.
The game went smoothly until halftime when Sophia’s water broke, and it was time to run to the hospital. Aaron helped Sophia out to the car, and Debra stayed behind to wait for Aiden. Her mom went with Aaron, while her dad stayed back so they’d have a way to drive to the hospital.
As soon as it was over, Debra went down to the hallway to wait for Aiden to come out of the locker room. He had a huge grin on his face.
“Did you see that goal? I got it right past the goalie.” He gave Debra a high five.
“It was perfect. You did a great job. Now, are you ready to go meet your new baby sister or brother?”
His face lit up. “Right now?”
“Yep, let’s go.” Debra tried to keep up with Aiden, but it was no use. Even though he had all of his equipment, he was still faster than she was. She made it out to the car and climbed into the driver side.
They drove to the hospital to find Debra’s mom pacing back and forth in the waiting room. When she saw them come in, she rushed over. “There you are. They had to rush her into surgery because the baby wasn’t doing well with the contractions. We should hear from them soon.”
Debra’s heart beat rapidly at the thought of something happening to her sister-in-law
or the baby. There had been too many medical emergencies in the last few weeks for her to handle and she had to sit down. Her mom sat next to her and pulled her close.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. C-sections happen all the time, and this one will be just fine.”
Debra wiped a tear. “I know. I’m just … worn out.”
Her mom kissed her on the forehead. “So, what did happen between you and Lance? Things were so good between you. We could all see it.”
“It was silly. But that doesn’t make it hurt less.” She explained everything that happened and stared at her mom when she started laughing. “What?”
“Oh, sweetie. Haven’t you ever been in pain? It makes you cranky and think irrationally. All he wants to do is get back on his feet and he had to take a big step back. Of course he’s going to lash out. Your dad and I had a rough patch after he went through everything, but it’s also made us stronger.”
Debra stared at her hands. It was easy to say that, and she knew that it was true. She remembered the strain between her parents as her dad got used to the wheelchair, but it didn’t stop the hurt. “So what made you get past it?”
“Time. Sacrifice. And we had to fight harder to stay together. But it was worth it.” She squeezed Debra’s shoulders and stood. “Don’t give up.”
“I know. Thanks, Mom.” Debra pulled out her laptop, but quickly put it away when Aaron came through the door with a huge grin on his face.
“She’s here. Anna Elizabeth. Everything looks good, but they’re going to run some more tests just to make sure.” He pulled out his phone to show them pictures.
Debra waited her turn to throw her arms around his neck. “Congratulations. She’s beautiful. And how’s Sophia?”
“She’s good. They stitched her up so now she’s resting. Anyway, I’m going to go back and watch them bathe Anna, but you’re welcome to come and look through the window.” He took Aiden by the hand and left the room.
The relief Debra felt as she walked toward the nursery with her mom was overwhelming. Everything was okay. Now, if only everything would be okay with Lance. She ached to have him there with her. They stayed for a while watching her niece as they cleaned her up and put a pretty purple bow in her thick black hair.
Fashioned for Love (A Silver Script Novel Book 3) Page 11