Songbird (A Sinclair Story #1)

by Jaymin Eve

  “I love you, little Jewel,” Nathan whispered close to her cheek, before kissing her gently. “Now let’s go make sure your momma lives, because we both need her.”

  Back at the hospital, all four Sinclairs – Nathan holding Jewel – marched through the emergency doors. Women everywhere stopped for an extended glance. The men were impressive by themselves, but all together they were almost too much. Tall, well-built and handsome wasn’t their only draw, it was the magnetism that each Sinclair innately possessed. When they reached the waiting room, Nathan stopped at the sight of his father stretched out in one of the uncomfortable, hard-backed chairs. Candice was next to him, her face drawn, and it looked as if she’d been crying. Standing, she took two steps and threw her arms around Nathan and Jewel.

  “I’m so sorry, Nate, I came as soon as I heard.”

  “Dad,” he asked over her shoulder. “Any news?” Candice had him panicking that something bad had happened since Chris’s text.

  Lincoln shook his head. “Nothing yet, but they said the surgery has only just started.” He patted the seat next to him. “Nothing we can do but sit and let me meet my granddaughter.”

  Nathan detached the crying woman, handing her off to Matthew. Lincoln held his hands out for Jewel. The little girl regarded him for a few moments before deciding he was okay and reaching for him.

  “Keep in mind, she’s not ours yet,” Nathan warned as he handed her across. “I haven’t heard from Denise.”

  His father smiled. “I spoke with her, she’s doing okay and has been discharged from hospital. She said that the sister lead was a dead end and they’re going to be declaring Jewel an orphan very soon. I’ve already started the process for you.” He tickled Jewel. “I still think it’s a big responsibility, especially just starting out your career, but if this is what you want…”

  Nathan didn’t even hesitate. “I would sooner give up my life than Jewel or Melodee.”

  The next eight hours were the longest of Nathan’s life. The doctors came with updates, but she was still in surgery. The time had been pushed out due to a few unexpected bleeds. Finally Dr. Olmstead walked through the double doors.

  “Old friend.” He greeted Lincoln with a hug. He looked tired behind his wire-rim glasses. His short brown hair was starting to thin, although he seemed fit and healthy for a man in his fifties.

  “How is Melodee?” Nathan interrupted. He attempted to keep his voice low, Jewel was asleep in a borrowed crib.

  The doctor faced Nathan. “Her injuries were quite severe, but she made it through in splendid fashion. She’s in recovery now, you can visit her if you’d like.”

  Nathan nodded. He looked back at his brothers. “We’ll watch Jewel for you,” Matthew assured him. Candice was asleep next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. “She won’t leave our sight.”

  “Thank you,” Nathan said, before following the doctor through the doors.

  Chapter 14

  The doctors had explained that Melodee was in an induced coma for the first twelve hours, to help her injuries heal. But for three days Nathan sat at her bedside and she did not open her eyes.

  “It could take a while, Nate,” Dr. Olmstead said during his last check of her. “She sustained a lot of injuries.”

  Nathan could see that, there was barely a part of her that wasn’t covered in bandages and tubes, except for her beautiful face. With just the slightest graze on her temple, it was untouched. And, if Nathan hadn’t already had it memorized, he certainly did now. His phone beeped and he pulled it from his pocket. It was a text from Charles, he was on his way in with Jewel.

  Nathan reached forward, and as he had done a hundred times he grasped Melodee’s uninjured hand. He kissed it gently, before his voice rasped out at her.

  “Don’t die, Melodee Lee, please don’t leave me. I love you, I want to marry you. I bought a fucking ring and it wasn’t even the largest stone I could find, because I know you’d hate a giant rock like that.” He grasped her hand tighter. “It’s diamond and sapphire, to match your stunning eyes.” He choked on his tears, laying his head down next to her. “I need you to live, baby, because if you don’t I’m a dead man. I’ll still be walking and talking but everything else about me will be gone. We need to be here for Jewel. Don’t leave her alone. Don’t leave us alone. You make our home, you make our family,” he sighed. “Just open those eyes.”

  “Seriously…”

  His head shot up at the barely audible, croaked words.

  “That’s your idea of a marriage proposal?”

  Melodee was blinking at him, disorientated in the harsh hospital lights. His hand shot out and hit the button for the doctors and nurses to come running.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he was whispering, as they stared at each other.

  He could see she was trying to moisten her mouth.

  “Jewel?” she croaked again.

  “She’s fine, Dee, we found her the night you were attacked. It’s been almost four days.” He answered the unspoken question in her eyes. “I paid for a proper burial for her mother, she’s been laid to rest. Jewel has no other family, so she’s ours. My father’s been pushing through the paperwork, so if you’re willing to take this journey with me, we’ll have our baby girl.”

  Tears filled Melodee’s eyes, overflowing down her cheeks. Nathan reached out and brushed them away, his own eyes getting a little damp again.

  “I love you too,” she whispered, words that had never crossed her lips. But she had no doubts. She’d been half in love with Nathan from the first moment he’d burst through the snow. And almost dying would bring clarity to even the most stubborn of humans.

  He pressed his lips against hers gently, afraid of hurting her. “And you will marry me.”

  Before she could reply, two nurses and Chris the doctor burst into the room. Seeing Melodee awake, smiles crossed their faces.

  “Welcome back, Miss Lee,” the older nurse said, bustling around and checking her drips and machines. The younger one grabbed a cup and straw to let her have a small sip.

  Nathan stood and Melodee’s eyes locked on him. “I’m just going to get our daughter,” he said. “Don’t you move an inch until I get back.”

  She rolled her eyes at his bossy command. He blew her a kiss as he turned and walked out.

  Melodee let herself relax against the crunchy material of the hospital pillows. She felt uneasy without Nathan.

  “Are you in any pain?” a man in green scrubs asked.

  Melodee shook her head. She could barely feel her body right now, but the uncomfortable numbness told her it had been bad. The doctor continued to harp on about pain management as he listed her numerous injuries. Melodee winced. Damn, she’d been hurt before, but this was the worst. Two bullet wounds, cracked ribs, both new and old, a collapsed lung, fractured wrist, concussion, and the list went on and on.

  “So, in conclusion,” Nathan said from the doorway, “you’re lucky to be alive and will be taking it easy for a while.”

  The sight of Nathan and Jewel in the doorway just about took her breath away. They were so beautiful. She raised her free, unbroken arm. She needed a baby cuddle. Nathan gently laid Jewel onto Melodee’s side. She curled her arm around her daughter and hugged her close. Jewel smiled her big gummy smile and placed a hand on either side of Melodee’s face. She lowered her face and gave a few sloppy kisses. She must have done something right in her life to receive the gifts of Nathan and Jewel. Finally she’d found her home.

  Melodee laughed and cried. “Did you hear I’m going to be your mommy?” she whispered in Jewel’s ear. The little girl pressed her face closer; she loved to hear Melodee’s voice. “I hope that’s okay with you. I apologize already for my stuff-ups, but no one will ever love you as much as me.”

  “And me,” Nathan added.

  Melodee kissed Jewel one last time and then, exhausted, she had to lie back again.

  “That might be enough excitement for one day,” the older nurse
said. “The best thing for your recovery is rest.”

  Nathan stood, gathering Jewel in his arms. “I’ll just drop this little cutie off to Charlie and I’ll be right back.”

  He was out the door before she could respond.

  “He hasn’t left your side, you know,” the green-scrubs-doctor said. “I never thought I’d see the day Nathan Sinclair was in love, but even a blind man could see he’s gone.”

  Melodee realized that Nathan had looked tired, handsome as always, but exhaustion had overshadowed his features. A few more tears escaped at the thought of him not leaving her side, and he’d bought her a ring. She was going to be married – that was beyond her wildest dreams. But she was done running, she’d fight the devil himself to keep Nathan now.

  He was back within minutes.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Nathan said, his aqua eyes locked on her. “I thought I lost you.”

  “I’ll never intentionally leave you, Nate.” She rested her hand against his cheek. “I’m in this for the long haul, no more running.”

  He grinned. “And you need to plan a wedding.”

  Melodee raised her eyebrows. “I don’t remember being proposed to. I certainly don’t see a ring on this finger.”

  “Oh, I’ll be putting a ring on your finger, Melodee Lee, and then you really will belong to me.”

  Reaching up she kissed him on the lips. “You’re a god damned caveman, Nathan. And I love it.”

  Settling herself back into a more comfortable position, Melodee twisted the crunchy sheet between her fingers.

  “So what happened to Leanna?” Melodee knew she was missing bits and pieces of the events at the warehouse area, but she remembered most of it.

  Nathan let out a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as his eyes narrowed. “She’s in lockup right now, undergoing psych evaluations. Jack assures me she should go away for a long time, but I don’t have much faith in the legal system. We’ll have to see what happens.”

  “If she comes near Jewel again, I will kill her.” Melodee gritted her teeth at the mere thought.

  “And I’ll help you hide the body,” Nathan said, his features serious but his eyes bright.

  Melodee didn’t want to laugh, it was too painful, but the chuckles escaped anyway. Nathan was definitely the man for her.

  The three weeks stuck in hospital were the longest of Melodee’s life, but between all of the Sinclairs – which surprisingly included Lincoln – and Candice, she hadn’t been alone. Nathan had tried to explain his father’s change of heart when it came to Jewel and Melodee. It seemed to be that the Sinclair parents lived very separate lives. While his mother was off in Europe on some plastic surgery caper, his father had decided that it was time to relax on the political campaign and be a family man. Nathan seemed grateful for his help, but Melodee got the feeling it was too little, too late.

  She bounced on the side of the bed, ignoring the jabbing pains from her body. It was finally the day of her release and she couldn’t wait to get out. Charles was picking her up because Nathan was out of town for basketball. He wasn’t going to go, but he’d missed so many games that Melodee had to lay down a few threats to get him to leave. He hadn’t been happy about it. She was still sore, but thankfully didn’t require any regular drugs. Her left wrist was in a light cast, but it hardly affected her movements.

  Charles appeared in her hospital doorway. Jewel was in his arms. “Ready to go?”

  Melodee gingerly got to her feet, before holding out her arms. Charles hovered close by as Melodee absorbed the slight weight of her baby, before raining kisses over Jewel’s face. She was so glad she would not have to spend any more time away from her baby.

  “I was ready three weeks ago.”

  “Well, stop getting hurt and you won’t ever have to come back,” Charles said as he took Jewel from her and picked up her hospital bag. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in a wheelchair or some shit?”

  Melodee laughed. “The doctors know if any of them tried to wheel me out of this room there’d be hell to pay. I’m alive and I’m walking my ass out of this hospital.”

  The moment Melodee stepped into the apartment she was engulfed in a hug.

  Rose pulled back, but lifted both hands to rest on either side of Melodee’s face. “Nathan wants me to come and help you. Good to see you healthy. You hold my boy’s heart, you must look after yourself.”

  Melodee smiled. For once this type of behavior didn’t make her feel smothered, it made her feel loved.

  “I’m just so happy to be home,” she said, feeling as if she could run screaming in joy around the living room. Of course that was until the dull pain in her ribs reminded her that she was still injured.

  “So Nathan’s game tonight is a big one?” she asked Charles. Rose helped her settle onto the couch. Jewel was on the floor and already crawling her way across to her shelf of toys.

  “Yeah, they have a real shot at making the playoffs.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ve gotta run, Dee, my next class starts in twenty.”

  “Thanks for picking me up.”

  Charles was right in the middle of his finals and had been studying his ass off. Melodee had asked Nathan why he was never in class or did any schoolwork, and he said he already had so many advanced credits he was basically done, just waiting on the end of the basketball season. Her cell phone started to ring. She knew who it was before she even had to glance at the screen. Mostly because he’d already phoned her ten times today.

  “You’re getting a bit obsessive, don’t you think?” she laughed into the phone.

  “I’m obsessive and possessive, get used to it,” he shot back. “Because you’re stuck with me forever.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Melodee couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face.

  “Are you home? Is everything okay? Rose is there to help with Jewel, so make sure you rest.”

  “Yes sir,” Melodee said, mentally saluting him.

  “I should be there.” His sigh was audible. “Not a hundred miles away.”

  “Nate, you’ve barely left my side since the accident.”

  “Yes, because the last time I left you alone you almost died,” he growled.

  “Touché. Okay, how about if I promise to stay on this couch until you get home,” she teased. “All safe and sound and unbroken.”

  “I accept this promise. I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. We have a date.”

  “Wait ... What?” Melodee didn’t remember any plans.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Candy, where are you? I have no idea what I’m doing and Nathan will be here in an hour.” Melodee held the cell to her ear with her broken hand; the other was feeding Jewel.

  “I’m on my way, I have everything. And you’re already gorgeous, I’ll need like ten minutes, tops.”

  Melodee heard the engine on Candice’s car rev as she hung up the phone. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was right now. She’d never been on a date before, and not only that, but she was going to see Nathan soon. Forty-eight hours was way too long to be apart.

  “Nathan will not care what you wear,” Rose said from where she was stirring something over the stove. The woman never stopped cooking, cleaning or moving around the house. Melodee never thought of herself as lazy, but Rose made her feel like a sloth. “I always worry about Nathan. He was too handsome and talented, more so than the others.” Rose focused on Melodee. “He could have been petty and mean like his mother, but he has strength of character. You the same. Wills of steel forged through life of survival.”

  “You don’t think Nathan and my worlds are too far away to be able to co-exist?” Melodee was curious of what Rose thought on their social class gap.

  She threw her hands in the air. “Phew, the only difference between you is money. Nothing important.” She dismissed Melodee’s worries with a few more hand flaps. “As long as one of you has enough money for food, shelter and baby, the rest is not important.” />
  Melodee got awkwardly to her feet, and moving around the bench she had to hug Rose.

  “Thank you for raising such amazing boys. You have made me the luckiest girl in the world, and three other ladies will be giving you this same hug one day.”

  Rose patted her shoulder. The doorbell sounded then and Rose took over with Jewel while Melodee went to let Candice in.

  Forty minutes later Candice helped Melodee slide on her flat, leather boots. She wasn’t in condition for heels yet, so tonight she was going to be short. The final touch was her gold cuff bracelet.

  “You look stunning,” Candice gasped, stepping back for a better look. “Nathan is going to lose his shit.”

  A few tears speckled her eyes, and while Melodee knew Candice was a crier, this was still unexpected. She raised her brows at her.

  “Sorry, it’s just hard loving a Sinclair, I should know, but looking at you and the joy shining from your eyes, it must be worth it. And Nate’s a changed man.”

  “Matthew?” Melodee guessed.

  Candice snorted. “I’ve loved the stubborn bastard from the moment he saved me from drowning when I was six.” She sighed, swallowing loudly. “And he’s hated me from the moment he fell apart when he was fifteen over his bitch of a step-mom. I was the only witness. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me for seeing his weakness.” Candice gasped. “Shit, don’t tell him I told you that.”

  Melodee shook her head. “Your secret is safe with me, but I wouldn’t give up on Matthew.”

  Melodee wasn’t the best judge of real relationships. She’d been in just one her entire life, but the tension between Matthew and Candice had to mean something.

  “I’ve tried to give him up,” Candice confessed. “But Matty is under my skin so far I can’t get him out.”

  She jumped to her feet. “Anyways, enough about me and my problems. You should have a look before Nathan sees you and musses my hard work.”

  Melodee moved slowly into her bathroom. She stopped as her reflection came into view.