The coach tapped him on the shoulder, interrupting his troubled thoughts. “Kevin’s glasses. I found them in the dirt by home plate. They’re a little scratched, but not broken.”
“Thanks,” Jason said, slipping them into the breast pocket of his shirt.
“Finished,” Maggie announced, a weary note to her voice. “Kevin and I...we walked to the park. I didn’t bring my car. I don’t...” Her voice broke and she closed her eyes. When she’d regained her composure, she said, “I don’t know how I’ll get him to the hospital.”
“I’ll drive you,” Jason said quietly, unable to keep the concern from his gaze. “Are you ready to go?”
Maggie nodded.
Turning to Kevin, he looked into the boy’s pain-filled face and felt his stomach clench. Memories of his own son’s last days of suffering flooded his mind. Brushing the terrible images away, he said, “I’m going to carry you to the patrol car, Kevin. Moving around is probably going to hurt a little. Think you can handle it?”
Kevin nodded, blinking back the fear in his eyes.
Carefully, after directing Kevin to hold his injured arm against his chest, he lifted the boy. His weight was easy to bear. With Maggie close at their side, they headed for the patrol car.
Concerned parents and anxious players cleared a path for them. Unexpectedly a cheer arose from the crowd. Fans from both teams clapped as they left the field.
Kevin’s eyes widened, looking confused by all the attention.
Maggie frowned and placed an anxious hand on her son.
“Don’t worry, Maggie,” Jason whispered. “They aren’t glad Kevin got hurt. They’re just showing their support. After all, he did win the game for them.”
“I did?” Kevin said, speaking for the first time. He grinned with pleasure, despite his injury.
Jason chuckled, catching the bemused expression on Maggie’s face. Their mood lighter, they headed for the car. After depositing Kevin in the back seat under his mother’s care, Jason slung himself into the front seat. He gunned the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, then sped to the hospital. Once there, they were overwhelmed by the frenetic activity of the emergency room.
Belatedly Jason remembered the accident on Main Street. Due to the number of teenagers in the crowded van, there’d been numerous minor injuries. No doubt the hospital staff was still dealing with the overflew of patients.
Kevin was placed in a wheelchair and whisked down the hall to an examining room.
Maggie started to follow.
A heavyset nurse stepped in front of her, stopping her. She gestured Maggie toward the reception desk. “You’re going to have to fill out some forms first.”
Maggie released an exasperated breath. “Now? Can’t it wait?”
The nurse raised a brow. “You do want your son to be treated, don’t you?”
Maggie’s eyes narrowed. Her chin jutted out. She looked like a mother lion ready to pounce to protect her cub.
Jason placed a calming hand on her arm, pulling her back. “It’ll only take a minute, Maggie. The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can be with Kevin.”
For a moment Jason thought she might argue. But finally she sucked in a deep breath and nodded. The soles of her tennis shoes squeaked impatiently against the tiled floor as she headed for the reception desk. Grabbing a pen and clipboard, she hurriedly filled out the forms. A few minutes later, she slammed the pen onto the desktop and handed the clipboard to the waiting nurse.
“Your son’s in examining room three,” the nurse said as she shuffled through the forms.
Without a backward glance, Maggie turned on her heel and rushed down the hall, leaving Jason standing awkwardly at the reception desk. He stared after her, not sure what to do next. More than anything else, he wanted to follow her, to be with her and Kevin. His concern for the pair throbbed in his chest like an untended wound.
But he didn’t know if his presence would be welcome.
His decision was made for him.
The nurse at the desk blew out an irritated breath. “For goodness’ sake, she forgot to sign the release form.” Grumbling, she leaned heavily on the desk and began heaving her ample girth from the chair.
“Keep sitting,” Jason suggested, taking advantage of the opportunity. “Why don’t you let me collect her signature?”
The nurse eyed him suspiciously, scanning him from head to toe. Whether it was the uniform or the eager look in his eye, he passed muster. She handed him the clipboard. “The form’s on top. She needs to sign both sides.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He took the form, careful not to appear too anxious, then strode toward the examining rooms.
His step faltered midway down the hall as he glanced at the forms and realized he held a gold mine of personal information about Maggie in his hands. There was no denying that his curiosity was piqued. Since meeting Maggie, the one thing that frustrated him most was that he’d been unable to get her to share her past. Now, staring him in the eye, was an opportunity to slake his curiosity.
None of your business, Gallagher, he told himself sternly, slapping the clipboard against his thigh. When the lady wanted to share her past, she’d tell him herself.
But would she?
The unsettling thought needled him, burrowing into his conscience and not letting go. He had known Maggie for over a month. In that time, they’d become close friends very quickly. They’d seen each other through some pretty tough situations. And had even taken a step toward intimacy.
Yet she still held a part of herself aloof, stubbornly guarding her past. Something about her just didn’t gel. Uneasily he recalled the self-assuredness with which she handled her son’s injury. She knew exactly how to treat a broken bone, taking charge without relying on anyone else’s advice. It was as though she’d done it many times before.
Jason paused a few feet from the examining room, glancing uneasily down the busy hall. Gripping the clipboard in his hand, he flipped through the pages, seeking anything that might shed a clue about Maggie’s past. On the third page, he froze as he scanned the sheet. The papers rattled as he held them too tightly in his hands.
On the form, she’d listed her birth place as a small town in California. Her social-security number was from California, as well. But a week ago she’d told him she’d been born and bred in Florida.
Why would she lie?
Jason closed his eyes and muttered an oath beneath his breath. If he hadn’t been so damned curious, none of this would be happening.
Now what the hell was he supposed to do?
Releasing a ragged breath, he opened his eyes and stared at the entrance to room three. Through the open doorway, Maggie’s reassuring voice drifted out to greet him. He heard Kevin’s anxious tone...and felt as though he were being ripped apart with indecision.
Maggie had deliberately deceived him. But he couldn’t believe there was anything illicit behind her reason for doing so. He’d seen the fear in her eyes, her protectiveness toward her son. These were primal instincts, not the traits of a woman comfortable with the art of deception.
Maggie was an innocent; he’d stake his reputation on that. Someday soon she would tell him the truth, and he’d look back on this moment and laugh at his own fears.
But until she did, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do a little checking on his own. He had a friend on the police force in California. A simple phone call would clear up any questions he might have about Maggie and her past.
Carefully sorting the papers back in place, Jason drew in a steadying breath and stepped forward to join Maggie and Kevin.
Chapter 10
“Six weeks!” Stretching out on the lumpy old couch in their living room, Kevin lifted his broken arm and squinted at the cast, his gaze myopic. Somewhere in the excitement at the ball park, he’d lost his glasses. “I have to wear this thing for six weeks?”
“Kevin, you’re lucky it wasn’t worse.” Maggie dropped a kiss on the top of his head and breathed in the scent
of baby shampoo and soap. Fresh from a bath, he’d washed away the grime of the baseball field and looked less disreputable. Yet he still appeared tired, in pain, and terribly vulnerable. Unwanted tears stung her eyes. She pulled away. “It was a clean break. You’ll heal fast. Don’t be so upset.”
“But the baseball season will be over before I can play again.”
Maggie’s heart ached at the forlorn expression on her son’s face. It did seem a shame that Kevin’s first victorious game of the season would also be his last, especially since he’d worked so hard on his skills. She offered a wan attempt at consolation. “There’s always next year.”
“Yeah, but only if we’re still living in Wyndchester,” he said, heaving a miserable sigh.
She stared at him, unable to think of a response. She couldn’t promise him anything, for she wasn’t sure where they’d be living twelve days from now, much less twelve months.
The doorbell rang, saving her from having to answer. Peeking out the living-room window, Maggie’s pulse quickened at the sight of Jason standing on her front porch. Earlier, at the hospital, he’d proved invaluable. He’d sat by her side and kept her company while Kevin had been getting X-rayed. Quietly he’d held her hand while the doctor had set the fractured bone. And he’d entertained Kevin with knock-knock jokes as they’d plastered his arm in a cast.
When he’d dropped her and Kevin off less than an hour ago, she hadn’t wanted him to leave.
Now her heart was thumping with relief that he’d returned. Her hands felt clumsy as she unlatched the chain and opened the door. Overwhelmed by a flood of confusing emotions, she simply stared at him through the open doorway.
He wore faded jeans and a light blue T-shirt that matched his eyes. His dark hair was wet, as though from a recent shower. She detected the telltale scent of soap, shampoo and spicy aftershave. In his hand, he held out a pair of child’s glasses. “I found these in my pocket when I was changing out of my clothes. Kevin’s coach gave them to me before we left the park. Sorry—I forgot all about them until now.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid we’d have to get a new pair.” She reached for the glasses. Her fingers brushed against his palm, igniting sparks of awareness. Her fingertips tingled at the point of contact. Flustered, she snatched her hand away. At his searching gaze, she knew he’d been aware of her reaction. A blush warmed her cheeks as she mumbled a quick thank-you.
Jason shifted uneasily, the soles of his tennis shoes making a soft scraping sound on the porch floor. He nodded toward the light in the living room behind her. “How’s Kevin doing?”
“Still awake and still hurting. But not for long. He just took one of the painkillers the doctor sent home with him. In another few minutes, he won’t be feeling a thing.”
“Good.” She heard the inhalation of his breath, felt his gaze as it lingered on her and sensed the hesitation in his stance. He looked as though he’d like to say something more. Finally, sighing, he said, “Well, I guess I’d better be heading on back.”
“So soon? Would you like to come in?” she blurted, panicking at the thought of his leaving. Embarrassed, she added, “You could tell Kevin good-night”
“I’d like that.”
Despite the pain and weariness clouding his young eyes, Kevin managed a smile when he saw Jason enter the room.
“How are you doing, Kevin?” Jason asked, his voice laced with concern. He stepped toward the couch.
“Okay,” Kevin said with a shrug. “It still hurts a little.”
“That’s to be expected. It won’t be long, though, before the worst is over.” He took a seat at the far end of the couch, careful not to jar Kevin’s arm. “Pretty soon you’ll be bugging your mom to get that cast off your arm so you can play again.”
Maggie smiled. “He’s already been complaining about missing the baseball season.”
“I don’t blame you a bit,” Jason said. “The team’s going to be missing their star player.”
Kevin grinned. But not for long. His smile faded as his mouth widened into a yawn.
Maggie and Jason both laughed.
“That’s my cue to put you in bed, young man,” she said.
Kevin didn’t argue. Instead, he swung his legs off the couch and rose wearily to his feet. When he swayed, she stooped to pick him up. “How about a ride, squirt?”
“Do you need some help?” Jason asked, frowning as he pushed himself to his feet.
“No, I can manage.” With Kevin safe in her arms, she glanced at Jason, noting for the first time the agitated look in his eyes. He seemed overly concerned by her son’s injury. Granted, he’d been coaching Kevin in the evenings, helping him with his baseball skills. Surely he didn’t blame himself for Kevin’s accident. “This won’t take long. There’s lemonade in the refrigerator. Help yourself. I’ll be back in a little while.”
Jason nodded, but he didn’t move. She felt the weight of his troubled gaze as she carried her son from the living room. He was still on the couch when she returned, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. So lost in thought, he didn’t hear her until she was almost at his side.
He glanced up, his eyes wide and startled. Then, with an embarrassed grin, he stood. He towered over her, making her feel petite. “Is Kevin asleep?”
“Yes,” she said, ignoring the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “It only took about three seconds after his head hit the pillow. I don’t think he’ll have any problems sleeping through the night. The hospital prescribed some strong painkillers.”
With a nod, Jason shoved his hands in his back pockets and released a ragged breath. A commiserative pain glittered in his own eyes. “I hate to see anyone hurting, especially Kevin.”
Maggie felt a rush of concern. Kevin’s injury didn’t warrant such distress. Once again, she wondered if Jason felt responsible in some way for Kevin’s accident. “Jason, I...I wanted to thank you.”
He raised a questioning brow.
“For helping me at the ball field and the hospital. Usually I’m pretty good in a crisis. But if you hadn’t been there...I would have fallen apart.” She gave a self-deprecating grimace. “I guess it’s hard to be rational when it comes to your own child.”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stood very still and stared down at the faded rose pattern of the rug beneath his feet. Finally, drawing in a deep breath of air, he said, “Believe me, Maggie. I know exactly how you feel.”
Instinctively she knew he was speaking of his own son, the child who wouldn’t need his baseball glove anymore. This wasn’t the first time Jason had alluded to the boy. She remembered how upset he’d been the morning the two boys had played hooky from school. When they’d turned up unharmed, what was it he’d said? So often things turn out differently.
“Your son,” she said softly, unable to stop herself, “was he hurt?”
He flinched as though he’d been struck. Raising his head, he looked at her in surprise. “H-how’d you know about Scott?”
“The glove—Kevin told me it belonged to your son. I was just curious about him.”
Jason stared at her numbly. Her heart clutched at the hollow emptiness of his eyes. Bluntly he said, “Scotty died.”
“Oh, Jason, I’m sony.” She felt tension thrumming through his body when she placed a hand on his arm. Hesitandy, a part of her still afraid to get too close, she pulled him down on the couch beside her. “Tell me, how did it happen?”
For a long moment he remained silent. Maggie was afraid she’d overstepped her bounds. Perhaps she’d misjudged the situation. She thought he needed someone to confide in. Now she wondered if she was invading his privacy.
Jason stared at his hands, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he said, “It happened almost two years ago. Scott wasn’t much older than Kevin at the time. His mother and I had divorced when he was a baby, but we lived a few miles apart so we could share custody. He was staying with me at the time. Scott’s schoo
l was only four blocks from my house, but he had to cross an intersection to get there. He was so proud the first time I let him walk the distance by himself.” The memory brought a bittersweet smile to his lips.
Maggie didn’t say a word, afraid to interrupt, knowing the worst was yet to come.
“That morning, when I sent him off to school, he was in a hurry. He’d forgotten to bring his math book home the night before. He wanted to get to school and finish the assignment before classes started. I barely got a hug goodbye before he ran out the door.” Jason swallowed hard, giving himself a moment before continuing. “The next thing I know, there are two uniformed policemen on my doorstep telling me Scott was hit by a drunk driver. The bastard didn’t stop, not even after he sent my son’s body flying through the intersection.”
Maggie closed her eyes, trying to blot out the horrible images, images that Jason lived with every day. Unable to find the words to comfort him, she reached for his hand. His fingers felt cold as they covered hers. He held on tight, as though she’d thrown a lifeline to a drowning man.
“He lived for three days,” Jason said. His voice sounded thick, hoarse with emotion. “He never regained consciousness, but I could see the pain written on his face. He suffered more than any child should have to, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.”
Maggie didn’t think twice. With unguarded tears in her eyes, she lifted her arms, wrapped them around his neck and held him close. She rocked him slowly, comforting him without words, letting the warmth of her body still the cold tremors shaking his.
Sighing, he lowered his head and buried his face in her hair. She shivered as his breath fanned her neck when he whispered, “I’m sorry, Maggie. You’ve got enough on your mind with Kevin. I shouldn’t have bothered you. Not tonight.”
“Shh.” She pulled away, far enough to see the pain in his eyes, and pressed a finger to his lips. They felt soft to the touch. And she remembered how gently he’d kissed her.
Jason trusted her enough to share the demons of his past. She wished she could reciprocate, to tell him the truth about her situation with Kevin. But something held her back. Even now, when she’d never felt closer to a man, her protective instincts were too strong. She couldn’t open herself up completely. She couldn’t allow herself to be vulnerable, not even with Jason.
Her Second Chance Family Page 14