“Yes, they are. Would you like to watch some television?”
Talei nodded.
Amy turned to the Disney Channel. “Here you go, cutie.”
“Wado,” she whispered when the nurse left the room.
Wado. Leon recalled a conversation he’d had with John. His friend had boasted about his daughter learning the Cherokee language and traditions. He’d also confided that his father was against it—Elroy Hayes thought it disgraceful that his daughter-in-law had dismissed her Black heritage by choosing to live as a Native.
Leon sat on the bed with Talei on his lap. Mickey and Minnie Mouse danced across the screen, but the little girl remained strangely quiet. Every now and then she would jump at the sound of a loud noise.
“I scared,” she mumbled.
“I’m not gonna let anything hurt you,” Leon assured her. “Your mom will be here soon, but until she gets here, I’m not gonna leave you, little one.”
She turned to look at him. “Eon... I want Daddy.”
“He would be here with you, but he got hurt, so the doctor has to take care of him.”
“Doctor make him better?”
“Yes. The doctor’s going to take care of him.”
Amy entered the room.
“Leon...” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
He felt the familiar stirrings of sadness. He knew John’s condition was serious, but still he’d hoped and prayed for a positive outcome.
“He didn’t make it,” Amy said softly.
Leon fought back tears. “Thanks for letting me know.” A raw and primitive grief overwhelmed him.
He glanced down at Talei, who looked to be falling asleep. When Leon tried to lay her down in the hospital bed, she began crying again.
“I’m here, sweetie. I’m not going anywhere. I just wanted to make you comfortable. You look sleepy.”
Talei clung to him, her dark curly puffs of hair tickling his neck.
“Okay, little one.” Leon held her close to his heart.
Talei’s eyelids grew heavy. She fought her exhaustion, but eventually drifted off to sleep.
Leon swallowed hard as he rocked gently back and forth.
John was dead. His friend was gone.
Anguish threatened to overwhelm him. His heart hadn’t fully healed from the deaths of Vera and his own child. It was still broken into so many fragments, he wasn’t sure it could handle another loss.
CHAPTER TWO
FEAR AND ANGER knotting inside her, Misty parked in the first available spot she could find near the emergency room. She nearly lost her footing when rushing out of the car, but she didn’t let that stop her from running.
At the main registration desk, she demanded, “Where’s my daughter? Her name is Talei Hayes.”
The woman directed her to room 230.
When she neared the nurses’ station, a doctor approached. “Are you John Hayes’s next of kin?”
“Yes.”
They found a quiet place to talk. “We did all we could, but John passed away while we were performing surgery. I’m very sorry.”
“Where’s my daughter?” Misty asked a second time, her voice rising an octave. “I want to see my little girl.”
“Mrs. Hayes...”
“My last name is Brightwater. John and I are divorced.” Misty eyed the doctor, shifting indignantly from foot to foot. “Look, I can’t deal with his death right now. I just need to be with my child. She’s probably terrified, and I need to be with her.”
At the moment, she didn’t care what anyone thought of her actions. Her focus was only on reuniting with Talei. Misty was devastated at the news of John’s death, but she couldn’t think about that now. He’d made her life miserable.
* * *
SHE WALKED BRISKLY toward the room, resisting the urge to break into a run. She burst in without knocking and was shocked to see a man holding and comforting her daughter. “Hello,” she greeted. “Who are you?”
“I’m Leon Rothchild. I witnessed the accident.”
She gave him a wry appraisal. “You’re John’s friend. You went to college together.”
“Yeah, I am,” he confirmed. “I just found out that you work with my aunt at the bakery. I called her earlier to tell her about John.”
“Miss Eleanor was kind enough to give me a job when I needed one.” Misty took her sleeping child out of his arms without preamble.
“She fell asleep about ten minutes ago.”
They stared at each other.
His face was bronzed by long hours in the sun. Dark compelling eyes framed his handsome square face—Leon held his head high with pride. Misty noted how his long, muscled legs filled out the dark jeans, and the navy T-shirt with the fire department logo emblazoned across it pulled taut over his broad torso. His profile spoke of power and strength, but she was drawn by the sadness of his face.
As the silence stretched out, Misty grew more and more uncomfortable. She chewed on her bottom lip, while Leon stood so still, she could barely make out the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.
After a moment, Misty said, “You said that you were there when the accident happened.”
“Yeah. A cow ran out into the road. All John could do was swerve to keep from hitting the animal. I didn’t know it was him at the time. I was the first person on the scene.”
“It’s fortunate that you of all people were there.” Misty gestured to his shirt. “Being a firefighter and all.”
“Yeah,” Leon responded. “I just wish I could’ve done more.”
“They told me when I got here that John died on the operating table.” Holding her daughter close, she said, “I wanted to see Talei. I needed to be sure she was okay.”
He leaned forward in his chair, and in a controlled voice, stated, “The police are saying he kidnapped her.”
Misty eyed him as if trying to read his expression. “It’s true. John took her from day care without my permission.”
His eyes flickered a little. “I don’t understand.”
“John was upset over the judge’s decision. I was given sole physical custody and he had supervised visitation.”
Leon shook his head in dismay. “I know that John never would’ve hurt that little girl,” he responded. “He loved his daughter.”
“You don’t really know the kind of man he was...”
Leon rose in one fluid motion. “I’ll leave you to spend time with your daughter.”
The tense lines on her face relaxed. “Thank you for everything.”
“I’m just sorry things didn’t turn out better for John. His parents are on the way here. I don’t know whether to call and tell them that he’s gone or just wait until they get here.”
“It won’t matter,” Misty said. “It’s not going to go well at all. They just lost their son.”
* * *
LEON HADN’T EXPECTED to be struck by Misty’s beauty or her generous mouth, which he found incredibly inviting. She had a curvy build, and her black hair flowed past her shoulders in soft waves. Her coppery-brown skin glowed from the sheen of perspiration. She wore a pair of faded jeans and a loose, floral-printed top.
That awareness of Misty; even the unfamiliar compulsion Leon had to stare at her was unlike him. It unsettled him in her presence. “I guess I’ll go make that call.”
He walked briskly out of the room just as his aunt was fast approaching.
“I came as quickly as I could,” Eleanor said. She took a moment to catch her breath before asking, “How is Talei?”
“The doctor says she’s fine physically. She fell asleep when I was holding her.” Leon glanced over his shoulder toward the room. “Her mother’s in there with Talei now.”
Eleanor looked visibly relieved by the news. “How’s John?”
“He di
dn’t make it, Auntie. I’m about to call his parents now.” Leon’s stomach clenched tight. This was not a call he ever wanted to make, but he had to be the one to do it—he owed John that much.
Tears welled in Eleanor’s eyes. “Nooo...” she moaned softly.
“Talei and her mom are in room 230. I’ll be right back after I make this call.”
Leon found a quiet area near the waiting room where he could inform John’s parents of the sad news.
After the difficult call, he walked back to the hospital room and peeked inside.
Eleanor and Misty appeared to be in deep conversation, so he decided to give them some privacy.
He wandered to the waiting room and sat down to wait for John’s parents to arrive. The muscles of his forearm hardened as he clenched his hand so fiercely that his nails dug into his palm.
Leon sat there silently for a long time. He hated hospitals. He had been in this one too many times, and all of the memories were tragic. He became a firefighter to save people. It pained him that when it came to those he loved, he wasn’t able to help any of them.
* * *
“HIS PARENTS NEVER thought I was good enough for John,” Misty told Eleanor as they sat in the room waiting for Talei to wake up. They were careful to keep their voices down. “I’m not sure why. I’ve never done anything to them.”
“From all you’ve told me, it seems like it’s more your father-in-law who has something against you. Not Clara,” Eleanor responded.
“Elroy is a mean-spirited, controlling jerk who thinks the best way to deal with people is by being abusive. I once asked John if his father was abused growing up because that would explain why he acted the way he did... Miss Eleanor, he got so angry with me.”
“I can’t believe John could do something like this.”
Misty nodded as she tried to sheath her inner feelings. “That’s why I divorced him. I grew up in an abusive home, and there’s no way I was going to allow my daughter to go through that.” She paused a moment before confessing, “I’m so angry with John right now for taking Talei, but I never wanted him to die.”
“Sugar, I’m so sorry.”
“I was so in love with John—from the moment I met him. I thought he was the perfect man for me, Miss Eleanor. But then I realized John wasn’t happy,” Misty said. “I used to tell him that he needed to get some professional help, but John would become furious with me. I really wanted our marriage to work. However, the verbal abuse was nonnegotiable for me.”
“I’d have to say I would’ve done the same thing.”
Misty gently stroked her daughter’s cheek. “I’m so grateful to your nephew for being there when the accident happened.”
“Leon is a good man and he’s always been the type of person to help others,” Eleanor said. “As a child he would recue animals, assist the elderly. His degree is in criminal justice, so I thought he’d be in law enforcement, but I wasn’t surprised when he decided to become a firefighter.”
“John told me that Leon lost his wife and a child.”
“Yeah, losing Vera and baby Selena nearly took him out of this world. Leon shut down, and even now he’s still not the man he used to be. He works hard. That’s all he does. Work. I think he does it to keep from thinking about all he’s lost.”
An image of Leon’s handsome face swam before Misty anew, along with the unexpected impact of his sad, dark eyes. Despite everything she’d gone through, she was still a woman who appreciated a gorgeous man.
He was a grieving widower, she reminded herself. Definitely not her type.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, Elroy Hayes burst through the doors of the emergency room pulling his wife, Clara, along behind him.
Leon approached, walking swiftly. He gestured for the doctor to join him.
“Where’s my son?” Elroy asked. “I want to see him now.”
The physician standing beside Leon went on to explain, “We did everything we could to save your son... “
Leon had to put some distance between him and the doctor’s words. He couldn’t bear to hear it a second time. He waited near the nurses’ station for John’s parents.
Her slender frame seemed fragile as Clara walked over to him with shoulders slumped, arms folded across her chest and tears glistening on her heart-shaped face. “Where’s my granddaughter?”
“She’s sleeping right now,” Leon stated. “Her mother is with her.”
When Elroy joined them, he led them toward Talei’s room.
“Misty is the reason John is dead,” Elroy uttered as they stood in the hallway. His angry eyes were wet with unshed tears.
“I had nothing to do with your son’s death,” Misty said, her voice thick. She strode up to them with Eleanor. “John took my daughter without permission and had an accident. Elroy, whether you believe me or not, I hate that he’s gone. I was hoping we’d find a way to co-parent Talei.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Elroy shot back, sending Misty a sharp glare. He stood in front of her, his stance intended to be intimidating. “You wanted John out of that child’s life—that’s why you took him to court and took away his rights. I warned him about marrying you in the first place. John should’ve just listened to me.”
Misty didn’t flinch. She boldly met his gaze, saying, “I’m sorry for the pain you’re going through, but I’m not going to stand here while you badmouth me. When you can control your anger, then you’re more than welcome to see your granddaughter.” Not wanting to cause a scene, she turned to walk away, but paused long enough to say to Clara, “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
Misty went back into Talei’s hospital room.
Shocked by Elroy’s behavior, Leon placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re hurting right now, but she’s not responsible for what happened to John. It was a tragic accident.” He knew grief was causing Elroy to strike out like that. Unfortunately, Misty was the closest target.
“If she’d just let John have his daughter, none of this would’ve happened. I told him to let the attorney handle everything.”
Eleanor eyed Leon but remained silent. He could tell by the expression on her face that she was struggling to keep silent. She had a low tolerance for people like Elroy. After a moment of tense silence, she uttered, “I’m gwine check on Misty.”
She walked with purpose into room 230.
Leon had known John’s parents for a long time. Elroy was always belligerent and controlling, but he was stunned by the man’s treatment of Misty.
Looking about ready to explode, Elroy stalked off to speak with someone at the nurses’ station.
“Leon, my husband’s in a lot of pain,” Clara said. She gulped hard, hot tears slipping down her cheeks. “We’re both in such agony. Our son is gone.”
“I understand that, but it doesn’t give him the right to talk to Misty that way. John was the one in the wrong here.”
Leon caught a flash of hurt in her eyes.
“She gave my son no choice. You understand? I don’t know how well you know Misty, but she’s just as stubborn as John. Sure, he made mistakes as a husband, but I know for a fact that she wouldn’t let him forget his shortcomings.”
“She’s the mother of your granddaughter,” Leon said. “You don’t want to alienate Misty.”
Clara shrugged. “I know, but Elroy can’t stand the girl. It won’t be easy to change his mind about Misty after all that’s happened.” Swiping at a lone tear, she said, “I love Talei and I’m not gonna let anyone stop me from being in my granddaughter’s life, even if it means going against my husband.”
CHAPTER THREE
LEON CHECKED ON Talei while Elroy and Clara went to say a final goodbye to John. He had to escape the heart-wrenching sobs coming from the grieving mother.
He knocked on the door of Talei’s room.
“Come in.”
Misty was sitting beside the bed where her daughter lay sleeping. Eleanor sat in the chair near the window.
“How are you holding up?” Leon inquired.
“I’m numb right now,” Misty responded. “I feel terrible for Clara, but Elroy—that hateful man makes it so hard for me to feel anything but disdain for him.”
“This is a sad situation all around...”
“One that I’d rather not talk about.” Misty picked up the teddy bear. “Tell me, Leon. What made you become a firefighter?” Although Eleanor had given her some insight, she wanted to hear directly from him.
“My dad,” Leon responded. “I’m second generation. I used to love going to the station with my father, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I realized I wanted to be a firefighter.”
“My dad was a volunteer firefighter,” Eleanor said. “I don’t know if I ever told you that, Leon. I just remember him helping when that fire nearly destroyed the house two doors down from the old church.”
“Are you talking about the Praise House?” Misty inquired. “I’ve heard a couple of people mention it.”
Eleanor nodded.
Just then Talei woke up and saw her mother. “Mommy...”
“Hey, baby...”
Talei’s gaze slid to where Leon stood. She smiled, then reached for him.
Leon felt a warm glow flow through him at her response to him and picked her up.
“I told you I’d keep you safe, little one.”
She held up the teddy bear for him to see. “Eon.”
Rising to her feet, Eleanor said, “I’m gwine to the cafeteria to get something to drink. Y’all want anything?”
“I’m fine,” Misty responded.
“Fench fries,” Talei interjected before reaching for her mother.
Leon chuckled as he put her down and pulled out his wallet. “Would you get the little one some French fries, Auntie?”
Misty opened her purse, but he stopped her. “I got it. It’s my treat.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back, sweetie.” Eleanor walked out into the hall.
“John enjoyed being a dad,” said Leon when they were alone in the room.
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 50