Whisper of Love

by Melanie Shawn

  “The twins.” There was panic in her eyes as she rushed to the phone and picked it up.

  “What’s wron—” She didn’t get the entire question out before she slapped her hand over her mouth and tears filled her eyes.

  Kade’s heart shot into his throat.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  She hung up the phone, zipped up her shorts, and grabbed the keys on her desk.

  “Ali?” Kade questioned as he zipped his own pants up.

  “There was an accident. Ethan’s taking Ricky to the hospital.” She rushed past him. Her hands were shaking and she dropped her keys.

  She tried to pick them up but they fell again. “Shit.”

  Kade steadied her as she stood. “I’m driving.”

  He picked the keys up and as they rushed out to the truck he told himself that everything was going to be okay. It had to be. He didn’t care who he had to make a deal with, he’d do anything to protect what was his. And Ali, Ricky, and KJ were his. They were his family. His life. His everything.

  CHAPTER 22

  Mercy General, the nearest hospital, was twenty miles from Whisper Lake in Rosewood Grove. A year and a half ago, Jess had driven like a maniac to get Ali there. Today, Kade was driving even faster.

  Ali sat in the passenger seat, lost in a feeling of déjà vu as she stared out the window at trees that passed by in a blur of green. They were the same trees she’d seen when Jess had driven her. Just like she’d known something was wrong before she picked up the phone and heard KJ telling her that there was an accident, Ricky was bleeding, and they were rushing him to the emergency room, she’d known something was wrong before she even picked up the phone when she got the call that Patrick had collapsed while filling up at the gas station and was unresponsive.

  Her body was numb except for her lips, which were tingling. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the adrenaline that was racing through her or if it was due to her shallow breathing. Since hanging up the phone she hadn’t been able to take in a full breath. She had no idea how bad Ricky was hurt, or if he was even conscious. KJ hadn’t been able to give her any details because his phone was about to die.

  Die.

  It was such a small word for something that caused such a huge impact. Not when it was a device, of course, but when it was a person. It was final. It was devastating. It was catastrophic.

  She closed her eyes and was transported back to the waiting area of the emergency room on that cold October day. When they arrived, the nurse told them that Patrick was in a critical state and someone would be out to update her “soon.” Ali had not been allowed to go back and see her brother because he was being treated. Ali kept trying to get answers, any information at all on his condition, but they kept being told “soon.”

  Ali would sit for a few minutes then get up and pace unable to be still. Then she’d try to calm down and sit again and the cycle would start all over. Jess never left her side. The panic, fear, and anxiety she’d felt would be branded into her memory.

  Everything had felt like it was going in slow motion. There was a round clock on the wall in the waiting room and Ali remembered watching as the red second hand clicked around the circle. Sixty seconds felt like an hour.

  Then came the moment her entire world shifted and everything she knew changed forever. Beneath the clock, a doctor walked through the door that was labeled Hospital Personnel Only. His head hung down and he stopped and spoke to a nurse who pointed in Ali’s direction.

  As soon as she’d seen the look in that doctor’s eyes, she’d known that Patrick was gone. When he spoke, his words came to her in bits and pieces like they had a bad telephone connection.

  “Everything we could.”

  “Trauma team.”

  “CPR.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “Unable to resuscitate.”

  “Passed away.”

  Once she’d heard those words, she’d crumbled. Jess had been there to catch her. She only had sporadic memories of the hours and days that followed. Telling the twins. People showing up with food. Feeling like she was being swallowed in a black hole of grief. And the whole time, she kept expecting Patrick to walk through the door. He never did, of course.

  It was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

  But she had woken up. Kade had helped her wake up.

  As she sat beside him the world around her was still a hazy blur but mentally everything snapped into sharp focus. She felt a jarring moment of clarity. Life. It was a gift that she’d been taking for granted. Everything that she’d been stressing about didn’t matter. The only thing that did was the people she loved. That’s it.

  For the past eighteen months she’d been surviving, not living. Patrick was gone and she’d barely been holding on. She’d tied herself in knots worrying and stressing over the boys. And for what? Where had that worry and stress gotten her? It hadn’t kept Ricky safe today.

  She made a promise to herself that if Ricky was okay, that all ended today.

  From here on out, she was going to live life to the fullest and love to the fullest. No holding back. No more letting the past rule her life because life was too short to spend it looking back.

  Life was fleeting, precious, and in the blink of an eye it could be gone.

  She looked beside her and saw Kade. Really saw him, maybe for the first time. There was tension in his shoulders and his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. His chest was rising and falling in shallow breaths. The veins in his neck were visible from his jaw clenching.

  In that moment a realization struck her: he was just a man. In her eyes, he’d always been so capable. So strong. So invincible. And he definitely had those qualities in spades, especially compared to other men. But he was also broken, weak, and vulnerable, just like everyone else.

  And she loved him. She loved Kade with all of her heart. She didn’t know what that meant for their future, or if they even had one together, but that wasn’t the point. All she could do, all she had any control over, was to make sure that the people she loved knew that she loved them.

  “Kade, I—”

  “They’re here. That’s Ethan’s Jeep.” He pointed to the black Cherokee that was parked next to the emergency room entrance.

  He pulled to a stop behind it and they both jumped out of the truck.

  A burst of cool air hit her face as the automatic doors opened with a swoosh. Her eyes scanned the room and she saw KJ sitting in the far corner. They rushed over to him and he stood. When he did, Ali noticed blood on his hands and arms.

  Doing her best not to show the panic that flooded her system she asked as calmly as she could. “Is he okay? Where is he?”

  “I don’t know, they took him back.” KJ pointed to the door beneath the clock. “Ethan went with him.”

  Tears were already filling Ali’s eyes and she could barely breathe as hysteria threatened to consume her. She hurried toward the same desk that she had stood at so many times the night Patrick died. Each time pleading for information that they couldn’t give. The linoleum tile was slick, and the next thing she knew her feet were flying out from beneath her. Instinctively, her entire body tensed and she squeezed her eyes and prepared to land flat on her rear. But instead, she found herself in Kade’s arms.

  The entire thing only lasted a few seconds, but feeling Kade’s arms around her, having him cocoon her in his strength and solidness, was exactly what she’d needed. A calm settled over her and she found her footing again and she felt her brother smiling. She didn’t see Patrick’s face, but rather, she felt him. She closed her eyes, and without willing it to be she heard his voice say, “You got this” clear as day.

  He was letting her know that everything was going to be okay. He was there, with them. And she wondered if maybe it wasn’t the tile being slippery that had caused her fall, but instead her older brother from beyond. A memory of her brother teasing her about believing in ghosts when she was around ten years old came
back to her. He’d joked that if he was a ghost he’d go around and sweep people’s legs Karate Kid style. She smiled to herself picturing his ghost doing that exact move on her.

  Real funny, Patrick.

  He was there with them. Maybe not physically, but he was there.

  “Are you okay?” Kade asked as he steadied her. “Your ankle?”

  “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She nodded, answering that question honestly for the first time in a long time.

  A peace settled over her as she stepped up to the counter and waited for the nurse to get off a call. Suddenly, Ethan walked through the doors.

  “Where is he? Is he okay?” This time when she asked that question she felt stronger.

  “He’s fine. He’s got a cut a on his head that was bleeding pretty bad, he’s gonna need stitches but it’s not serious, and he broke his arm. They’re fixing him up now.”

  “Can I see him?” Tears pooled in her bottom lids, but for the first time in a long time they were from sheer relief.

  “Yeah.”

  As Ali followed Ethan down the hall, she reminded herself of the promise that she’d made to herself. Live life to the fullest. Love to the fullest.

  CHAPTER 23

  Kade waited with Ricky as Ali spoke to the nurse about his discharge instructions. KJ was still in the waiting room. Ali had tried to persuade him to let Ethan take him home, but KJ refused to leave. Ethan also stayed. He kept apologizing and felt responsible for Ricky’s accident, but Ali assured him he wasn’t.

  Ali had been a rock star. He’d worried about her being back here after Patrick. He’d been concerned that this would all be too much for her. But, if anything, she’d seemed calmer, more in control, and more herself in the past eight hours than he’d seen her since he’d returned to Whisper Lake.

  She was cracking jokes, teasing Kade about his driving like he was in the Indy 500 to get here, and teasing Ricky that he’d crashed his bike on purpose to get out of working at the shop during spring break, and that now he knew when you play chicken with a tree, the tree always wins.

  She was Ali again.

  Ricky seemed to be showing signs of his old self again as well. There was a particularly attractive nurse assigned to him and it was clear he had a bit of a crush. Ali told him that the best part of breaking a bone was getting pretty girls to sign your cast and Ricky saw that as his opening.

  The next time the nurse came to check on Ricky, Ali and Kade stepped out of the curtained off area. They’d stayed close enough that they could hear what was going on. Instead of just coming out and asking her to sign it, he mentioned her Harry Potter necklace. Then he asked her what house she was in and told her he was Gryffindor. They debated the merits of each house and then he said he’d be honored to have someone from House Hufflepuff be the first to sign his cast.

  Ali looked up at Kade, her face beaming with pride as she mouthed, “Smooth.”

  Kade had to agree. The kid had serious game for thirteen. Patrick would be proud, he knew he sure as hell was.

  “Do you think it’s going to leave a scar?” Ricky asked as he ran his fingers over the bandage covering the injury.

  “Probably.”

  Kade was about to point out one of his dozen or so scars to Ricky to show him that they weren’t so bad, but before he got a chance the kid’s face lit up.

  “Cool.”

  “Okay, we’re ready.” Ali joined them with a stack of papers.

  “Let’s go,” Kade said as he turned and walked down the hallway toward the waiting room.

  On the way out both he and Ali thanked the doctor that had treated Ricky. Then pushed the silver touch bar and held the door open.

  Ethan and KJ crossed the waiting room to them as soon as they stepped out.

  “First broken bone?” Ethan asked.

  Ricky nodded. “Yep.”

  “It’s a rite of passage.” He ruffled Ricky’s hair.

  “Someone signed it already?” KJ pointed at the lone signature on his brother’s cast. “I thought I was gonna sign it first.”

  “She was House Hufflepuff,” Ricky stated plainly.

  “What?”

  “And she was hot,” Ali added quietly.

  “Oh, okay.” KJ’s face relaxed.

  “Alright, let’s get out of here.” They’d been in the ER for close to eight hours and Kade was ready to take his family home.

  “Kade?”

  All five of them looked over and saw Nancy Peterson approaching them.

  “Hi, Nancy.” Ali smiled.

  “Hi.” Nancy lifted her hand awkwardly before turning to Kade, her brows furrowed in confusion. “How did you beat me here?”

  “Beat you here?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t you get my message?”

  “No.” Kade pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that he didn’t have any bars. “I don’t have service.”

  “What’s wrong?” Ali stepped beside Kade.

  “It’s George.” Nancy told Ali before looking back to Kade. “I went out to check on your dad and found him unconscious. I called an ambulance, they said they were bringing him here because it’s closer than the VA.”

  “He’s here?” Kade repeated as he felt Ali’s hand rest on his arm.

  “Yes. I don’t know more than that. But you can probably find out more—”

  “No.” Kade shook his head. “I need to get them home.”

  “Ricky got in a dirt bike accident.” Ali told Nancy before turning to Kade. “But we’re fine. You should stay.”

  “I can take them home,” Ethan offered.

  “No.” Kade wanted to take his family home. His dad could wait. “I can come back after I—”

  “Kade.” Ali stepped in front of him. “Stay. Ethan can take us home.”

  “No. It’s fine. I’ll come ba—”

  “Kade.” Ali put her hand on his chest as she tilted her head to the side and with a warning tone said, “Don’t make me rock-paper-scissors you.”

  He covered her hand with his, loving the feel of her touch.

  “Stay,” she said softly.

  He nodded his head, wanting so badly to lean down and seal this agreement with a kiss.

  She reached up and hugged him, whispering quietly, “I wish I could stay with you, but I need to get—”

  “I know.” He breathed as he wrapped his arms around her, absorbing the strength that holding her gave him. He was like one of the guys on the twins’ video games—she recharged his life force.

  “We’ll see you soon,” she spoke against his neck. It wasn’t a kiss but it was intimate, and it gave him hope.

  Ali, Ethan, and the boys left and Kade and Nancy walked the short distance to the front desk check-in.

  “Hi, again.” Kade waved at the same woman from earlier. “I’m Kade McKnight. My father George McKnight was just brought here.”

  The woman cocked her head to the side. “I thought you were here with Patrick Walsh.”

  Hearing her call Ricky “Patrick” was odd, but it didn’t feel like the punch in his gut that it used to be when he’d hear his best friend’s name. “I was. I just found out about my father.”

  “Wow. Busy night,” she commented before turning to the computer and typing. “It looks like they’re working on him now. You can take a seat. I’ve made a note that next of kin is here, someone will be out to update you soon.”

  “Okay.”

  Kade and Nancy both took a seat in the waiting room, and after a few minutes of small talk, she pulled out her Kindle and Kade was left to his own thoughts.

  He’d never thought he’d be sitting here waiting to hear news about his father, and he still wasn’t exactly sure why he was. His father had been a mean drunk, and not so great sober, either. Before he’d stopped by his trailer last week, Kade wouldn’t have spit on him if he were on fire.

  But seeing him so frail, broken, and alone had shifted something in Kade. He wasn’t going to be sending him Father’s Day cards or anything, but the a
nger that he’d been carrying around had dissipated. It was replaced with pity. His old man had been faced with knowing he was in the last chapter of his life and had no one. It was sad and Kade felt sorry for him.

  After an hour or so, he walked outside to call Ali and check in.

  “Any news?” Ali asked when she answered.

  “No. Not yet. How’s Ricky? Are you guys home?”

  “Yeah. He scarfed down some pizza and is already asleep. Dumbass is snoring beside him and KJ is camped out in a sleeping bag on his floor. It’s pretty sweet. I took a picture. I’m going to look at it when they’re driving me crazy.”

  Kade smiled. “Good plan.”

  “Do you need me to come back there? I can call Jess to come stay with the—”

  “No, I’m fine,” he cut her off.

  “Are you sure? I can bring you food and…” She wasn’t able to finish her thought because she yawned.

  “Ali. Get some sleep. I’m fine. I’ll be home soon.” He loved the sound of that. Home. He’d looked at some places when he’d met up with Kennedy the other day but none of them felt like the Walsh house had always felt to him.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay…and Kade…” she paused.

  After a few moments he prompted, “What?”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, trying to contain the emotions that hearing those three little words inspired in him. He reminded himself that there were a lot of different kinds of love. She wasn’t necessarily saying that she was in love with him, but his heart still translated it as amazing.

  “I know. I love you, too.”

  They disconnected the call and he walked back in feeling like he was walking on cloud nine. Today had been such a roller coaster, but right now he was loving the ride. He’d just lowered down into the seat beside Nancy when he noticed a doctor walk out and talk briefly to the nurse who pointed their direction.

  Kade nudged Nancy, and they stood to meet her.

  “Mr. McNight?” she asked.

  “Yes.”