Finding Forever

by Linda Oaks

  “Thanks,” I said, hurrying away and following her directions. My heels clicked annoyingly with each step I took across the tiled floor. It would be easy to get lost in this place since everything was painted and decorated in the same bland color scheme. When I saw Devon and Blair, my steps flattered. They were standing in the middle of the hallway. Devon’s arm lay across Blair’s slim shoulders. She, in return, had her arm wrapped around his waist and leaned against his side.

  The sight of the two of them together made me want to throw up. She wore a slim black T-shirt and silver accessories and a pair of black skinny jeans and gray heels. She looked beautiful. Her make-up was flawless, and her long dark hair hung in big loose curls pushed to the side to reveal her slim neck. She stood so close to Devon; she appeared molded to his side. Devon was busy speaking with the gentleman in scrubs who stood beside them. I assumed he was probably the doctor.

  A hand closed around my elbow startling me. My startled gaze met icy blue eyes. It was Clyde. “Emergency appendectomy, appendix ruptured.” He informed me, and my eyes welled with tears and spilled down my cheeks. “Now, don’t start that caterwauling. He’s going to be fine. That boy is as tough as a pine knot,” Clyde said, pulling me into his big burly arms. He smelled like Old Spice. Momentarily stunned, I couldn’t help but cry and; therefore, cried that much harder.

  “Women,” I heard him mutter as he shoved a handkerchief underneath my nose. I released my death grip on him and his suspenders and grabbed the handkerchief from his hand.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, wiping my eyes.

  “Your mom went to the restroom. She’ll be back any second,” he told me, looking extremely uncomfortable. “The boy is going to be fine,” he reassured me once more. When my eyes darted past Clyde, I noticed Blair and Devon had disappeared. “He’s in recovery. Doc said the surgery went good.”

  “I’m glad,” I said, feeling relieved and glanced over my shoulder finding my momma walking toward us up the hall. I handed Devon’s cane to Clyde and went to meet her. Arms immediately wrapped around me. I sniffled. Even though I knew Jagger would be fine, the events of the night had me fighting against tears. Sometimes, it was just good to get a hug from your momma. It kind of set everything right.

  “Shush, Kara. He’s alright,” she told me, patting my back. “They just let Devon and Blair go into recovery with him. The doctor said the procedure went great. They’re going to keep him a few days before he can go home since his appendix ruptured.” She stared at me wearing a tender smile. “It’s okay,” she repeated, and I nodded my head in reply. Thank God, Jagger was going to be okay! Now, if I could only figure out where I stood with Devon.

  We had been sitting in the waiting room for a while when the door to recovery opened. The click of high heels announced her presence. It was Blair. She was alone, and even though it was a little after one in the morning, she still somehow managed to look fresh and beautiful. Life wasn’t fair! Blair moved fluidly toward us with a model’s grace as if she were strolling along a catwalk. Her blue eyes briefly flickered over me as she paused standing before us.

  She began speaking to Clyde, informing him that Jagger was awake but groggy. She said she needed to stretch her legs and was going for coffee. She told Clyde that he could go on in and visit with Jagger. She’d said Jagger had asked for him. Then she smiled sweetly at my mother and told her she was welcomed to go in with Clyde, too.

  Visits were short due to the fact that Jagger was still in recovery, but she explained he would be moved to a room shortly. She ignored me, and walked down the hallway heading for the elevator. Clyde stood and glanced at me then at my mom. Her anxious eyes met mine.

  “You two go on in. I’ll be fine. Tell Jagger I’m here and can’t wait to give him a big hug,” I said with smile, trying to hide the fact that I wanted to cry. It hurt to be left out. Devon had not acknowledged my presence since we’d arrived. Neither had Blair, except for the snotty look she’d shot down her skinny nose at me. I’d expected nothing the less from her, but I’d expected more from Devon.

  “Are you sure, dear?” my mom asked, her expression filled with concern. She was as tenderhearted as I was. It was the Thompson’s women’s curse.

  “Yes, Momma. It’s fine. Go on. Clyde’s getting antsy,” I said, glancing at him as my momma stood. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, and together they walked over to the double doors of the recovery room. Clyde carried Devon’s cane, and I watched as they disappeared inside.

  Even though it was late, I was going to text Addie… just to let her know about Jagger. Devon probably wouldn’t be opening the garage in the morning. I wasn’t sure if anyone had managed to call them or not. If I were a betting person, I’d say the later since knowing Addie and Jake, both would have been here by now. I dug in my clutch, pulled out my cell, and began typing. After explaining the situation, I hit send and decided to check out social media to pass the time. Scrolling through the post, I checked my notifications and saw that my co-worker Susan Horton had tagged me in a picture. She was at a bar with two random guys doing shots. The caption stated, “Wished you were here.” She was as bad as Brandon.

  Susan had tried to set me up with her brother. She’d even shown me every picture she’d had of him stored on her phone trying to sell me on what a good catch he would be for some lucky woman. She’d claimed his last relationship had failed because his girlfriend couldn’t handle the pressure of dating a cop and had broken it off. He’d been hot, but I’d told her I wasn’t interested in dating anyone. I wasn’t ready and doubted that I ever would since there was only one man who held my heart.

  Next, I decided to text Brandon. He and Cal would be returning from their honeymoon in a couple of days. With a few short sentences, I let him know the situation here. When I didn’t receive a reply from either him or Addie, I slid my phone back into my clutch and picked up a magazine lying on the table beside me, flipping through the pages trying to distract myself from obsessing over the fact that Devon couldn’t spare a minute to come out of recovery and speak to me. Maybe it was selfish, but I wished he would. He could take me in to see Jagger. It hurt, but I wouldn’t barge in even though I wanted nothing more than to do just that.

  The click of heels announced Blair’s return, but I didn’t look up. Instead I pretended to focus on the article before me and waited to hear her walk past. Ten minutes later, mom and Clyde returned. “How is he?” I asked, standing as they walked toward me.

  “He’s doing good, girl,” Clyde said, motioning for us all to have a seat. “When they move him to a room, we’re going to run by Devon’s and grab a few things for him and the boy. He wants his fire truck.”

  Mom sat beside me. Her hand covered mine. I looked over at her curiously. “I told Jagger you were here and couldn’t wait to give him a big hug.” I shot her a grateful smile.

  “That boy grinned from ear to ear. He is just like his daddy, eating up all that attention from the ladies.” Mom frowned at Clyde for that remark.

  “And Devon, how is he holding up?” I asked, looking between her and Clyde waiting for an answer.

  “He’s good. He was worried about the boy. I made sure he took his cane and told him he better use it,” Clyde said, letting us know from the tone of his voice that he’d meant business.

  Mom patted my hand drawing my attention. “I’m going to run to the little girl’s room,” she said, standing. Clyde stood, too, his eyes following her every move. He was worse than a lost puppy and so obvious about the way he felt for my mother. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. “Do you have to go, Kara?” she asked, making me feel like I was seven again. It didn’t matter how old I was, sometimes she still made me feel like a child.

  “No, Mom. You go on. I’ll wait with Clyde. I don’t need to tinkle,” I told her, watching her cheeks turn pink.

  “Kara,” she warned with a smile, use to my smart-ass mouth, and turned, walking down the hall in the direction of the restrooms.

/>   Clyde seemed as antsy as a cat on a hot tin roof. The toe of his polished shoe tapped repeatedly against the tile beneath his feet. It was getting on my last nerve. “Will you stop that?” I snapped, and he glared at me. His fingers fiddled with the strap of one of his red suspenders. “What’s up with you, Clyde? You’re so anxious. You can’t be still. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  His icy blue eyes met mine, and then he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. I caught a glimpse of gray chest hair and a white wife beater beneath his shirt. “Don’t you dare strip!” I ordered, and averted my gaze while silently wondering if he’d finally lost his mind.

  “Shut your fool mouth, girl,” he said, and I glanced over at him watching as he fiddled with a safety pin latched between his suspenders and the two layers of his shirt. The fluorescent light overhead glinted over the huge diamond mounted onto the gold band that was held securely in place against shirt and suspenders by a single safety pin.

  No freaking way! “Is that what I think it is?” I asked, as he finally managed to release the pin and slip the ring free. He held out the ring to me, and I took it as he did up his buttons and slipped the safety pin into his pocket. The man had not been packing around a two-carat wedding ring latched to a safety pin. It boggled my mind. He was unbelievable. He would have shit if he’d lost the thing. The ring was absolutely gorgeous. He plucked it from my fingers slipping it into his pocket.

  “Don’t say a word,” he warned, and I glanced down the hall following his eyes to see my mother approaching.

  “When are you going to propose?” I whispered, and knew the answer just by taking in his anxious expression.

  “Soon,” he muttered, smiling. His eyes locked on my mom.

  “Do not do it here, Clyde. Do you hear me?” He needed to pick some place romantic. I guaranteed he’d probably planned to propose at Bingo tonight into between the numbers being called and the yell of Bingo. The man didn’t have a clue. He was so much like Devon that I began to worry. Was I prepared to deal with another Clyde in the making?

  “Shut up, girl,” I heard Clyde mutter. “I’ll propose any damn where and time I please.”

  “Not here,” I snapped, glaring back at him. Mom walked over to sit down beside of Clyde and stared at us curiously.

  “What were you too talking about?” she asked, studying the both of us.

  “Nothing,” I muttered, leaning back against the chair and crossing my arms over my chest while I glared discretely at Clyde. He was such an idiot. Who proposed to someone in the waiting room of a hospital? Sure it was okay, if you were a patient, but he could do this at a later time. He needed a romantic spot to pop the question.

  “Are you two arguing again, Kara?” she asked, always placing the blame on me. Why not ask, Clyde? I thought. It was always me whenever Clyde started his shit. Just thinking about the breakfast bill he’d stiffed me with only added fuel to the fire.

  “We’re not arguing,” Clyde denied, looking guilty as hell. The man was a horrible liar.

  When he stood from his chair and dropped to one knee, I wanted to scream. But, I kept my mouth shut. We would probably have to help him up from the floor. Mom appeared surprised. Tears welled in her eyes. She was such a softie.

  Clyde took her hand in his and reached into his pocket pulling out the ring. She gasped when she saw it. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she smiled. Her face glowed with excitement. “Summer Thompson, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He asked, looking nervous and hopeful.

  In that moment, I actually felt sorry for Clyde. Of course mom would say yes. It was a no brainer. And sure enough, she did. Clyde was all smiles as he proudly slid the ring onto her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Clyde gripped the chair with one hand and returned her hug with the other.

  There was clapping, and I noticed a few people had stopped to watch. They were smiling. I heard someone exclaim, “How romantic!” I guess in a way, it was. Clyde had a style all of his own, and it was obvious Momma loved his crazy, old, stubborn ass. When they parted, Momma turned to me smiling, holding up her hand and showing off the ring.

  “It’s gorgeous, Momma,” I told her, and she stood bypassing Clyde. I met her and gave her a hug. “Congratulations, Momma. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I am.” She whispered in my ear pulling away. We both stood there looking down at Clyde who remained kneeling on the floor. I started to giggle, and mom laughed right along with me. Clyde’s craggy face broke into a grin. “You need help, old man?” I asked, trying hard not to snicker.

  “What do you think?” he replied in his notorious grouchy tone.

  “Oh, I think Momma and I are going to walk outside and stretch our legs. We’ll see you in a little while,” I said, winking at Mom, and we both turned as if intending to do just that.

  “Girl, don’t sass me. Get back here and help your step-daddy.”

  Mom and I both looked at one another and smiled, turning back around and walking over to Clyde. She took him by the arm, and I held out my hand as I smiled down at him. He placed his hand in mine rising from the floor as mom fussed all over him. Geez, the man had only knelt on the floor. He hadn’t run a marathon.

  “It’s all right, woman,” I heard him say, and he pecked a kiss on her cheek and then pulled me closer, wrapping his big arms around me. My eyes brimmed with tears. I wasn’t used to having a father figure. Maybe Clyde wasn’t that bad after all.

  “Welcome to the family,” I heard myself whisper, and his lips lightly brushed against my forehead.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CLYDE AND MOM HAD DECIDED to go ahead and make the drive to Devon’s house instead of waiting for Jagger to be transferred to a room. It seemed to be taking forever. They’d been gone less than ten minutes when a nurse wheeled Jagger’s hospital bed from out of recovery. Devon walked alongside the bed assisting the nurse. He appeared tired, and I was sure he was since I was running on empty myself. He gave me a grin and then glanced down at Jagger who seemed so small in comparison to the vastness of the hospital bed.

  When he saw me, he smiled. “Hey, little man,” I said, trying to stay out of the way and keep up with the rolling movement of the bed at the same time. Blair followed behind us. Her eyes shooting daggers. A tingling awareness settled in between my shoulders reminding me she was there. If looks could kill, I’d already be dead. It was all I could do not to turn around and stick out my tongue at her.

  “Kara,” Jagger mumbled, his tiny hand with an IV reached for mine.

  “Can you please stop for just a moment?” I asked the nurse walking in front of me, and she slowed the bed, glancing over at Devon as if asking for permission. He nodded his head in agreement, and they came to a stop. “I owe you something.”

  Jagger’s tiny dimples appeared alongside his grin. He yawned, fighting to keep his blue eyes open. “A hug?” he mumbled, and I leaned in the open space beside the rails keeping my weight balanced on my elbows and hugged him the best that I could. For a second, his little fingers played with my hair. “Love you,” he whispered, and something inside of my chest squeezed tight¸ stealing my breath away. I loved him, too.

  “Kara,” Devon said wearing a soft smile, and I glanced up suddenly realizing everyone was looking at me and still waiting. Jagger had already fallen back asleep.

  “He’ll be groggy for the most part tonight due to the anesthesia. The pain medication will make him sleep. Now tomorrow, watch out,” the nurse said to me with a smile. She glanced over at Devon. “We ready?” she asked.

  ‘Yeah,” I heard him say as he smiled back at the nurse causing a pink blush to appear on her cheeks. She wasn’t immune to the McGraw charm either. Devon McGraw had that effect on women. “Did Clyde and Summer head to the house?” Devon asked, his expression curious.

  “Yeah, been gone about ten minutes,” I informed him, and dropped back so they could maneuver the hospital bed around a turn which ended
up with me having to walk alongside of Blair.

  “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” she asked in a haughty tone, reminding me that I wasn’t welcomed here.

  I glanced over at her, smiled sweetly, and noticed her full red lips flatten into a thin line. “Not really,” I said, noticing the bathroom ahead and deciding that would be the best place to discretely part company. I didn’t think I could stand another second of walking beside her. It was all I could do not to try and trip her snotty ass. I’d catch up with them after Jagger was settled in his room.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” I said, noticing her eyes narrow at my words. She disliked me as much as I did her. The feeling was mutual. Slowing my steps, I fell back and walked toward the bathroom.

  While I was in the stall, I heard the click of heels and mentally chided myself while glancing down at my own. Other women wore heels. It didn’t mean that it was Blair. How ridiculous! What was she going to do, try and beat me up in the bathroom like we were little kids? I snorted, hoping the flushing of the toilet drowned out the sound of that snort. Whoever was out there would probably think I was crazy. With a smile curling my lips, I straightened my dress, mentally chiding myself for my thoughts, and opened the stall door.

  Blair’s eyes met mine in the mirror. She stood in front of the vanity and began applying a fresh coat of blood red lipstick to her lips. Apprehensively, I walked to the row of sinks that lined half of the mirrored wall, choosing to forgo the one right beside of her. I turned on the facet and began to wash my hands.

  Her full lips curved into an evil smile before she dropped the tube of lipstick into her designer bag that sat open on the counter beside her. She reached into the bag, took out a tissue, and blotted her lips. I looked away wondering what in the hell she was up to. I turned off the facet and shook my hands over the sink before walking to the nearby hand dryer. Before I could turn it on, I heard her say. “You know, you’re not wanted here.”