He swayed. She helped brace him.
“The hospital said you can go as soon as you feel alert enough, but no driving for today. All your scans were cleared. We’re still trying to figure out what caused that nose bleed, but they’re not concerned about it.” She swallowed. “But . . . I saw something I didn’t like.”
“What was it?” He leaned into the bed. “And where is my wife?”
“Here, honey.” She was sitting in the chair behind his bed.
“Mari.” He reached for her. “Come here. I need you, sweetheart.”
In an instant, she was at his side, her arm around him, supporting him.
“You are too good to me,” he told her, kissing her cheek.
“I can say the same about you.” She winked and smiled, but her eyes were sad and kind of swimmy.
“Don’t look that way. Please.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.
“Okay. I won’t.” She sniffed, and her smile brightened while she leaned into his touch.
“What I saw was some scarring that we hadn’t noticed before in your previous scans. I’m not sure how we missed them. The doctors here said they were fine—they wouldn’t impair you or cause you any more problems than you’ve already had. You’re functioning well, so they said not to worry about it.” Harkham breathed out like she had terrible news. “But if that’s the case, then why these recent flare ups?”
“I have no idea,” he said, stretching his neck a little. He felt stiff and sore all over.
“And I’m thinking what happened to you was a brain bleed, although that doesn’t show up on a CAT scan for the first twenty-four hours, so I’ll be monitoring you as your doctor very carefully today since the test we just had you take didn’t show any internal bleeding either. It could’ve closed up already, though.” Dr. Harkham spoke softly.
“Can’t these issues all simply be due to stress? He’s about to graduate. He just took finals. He’s working in a strenuous emotional environment by helping sick people. Maybe that’s why?” Mari stiffened at his side.
“Maybe . . . It could be that. I want to do some more research. I’ll get back to you if I find anything out, but I thought I should mention it to you, Adam, since I’ll be sharing my ideas with your father.” She nodded.
He nodded back. “Thank you, Amelia. Tell him I’m good, and I’ll be ready to go back to work on Monday.”
Amelia went even more rigid than his wife. “I’m not sure he’ll want that, but I’ll tell him you said so.”
She left the room. Mari and Adam stayed where they were, locked in place.
The only thing that moved was their breaths stirring the air.
“It’s the music. I hummed that song.”
“Which one?” She turned to face him.
“The one I thought I’d written for you. I didn’t write it for you. I mean, I did, but I didn’t.” He groaned. How could he explain this. “I saw an old buried memory. I wrote that song forever ago when I was a very little child. I made it up and later sang it with my dad, Thomas. It had lyrics. I created a piano melody when I was barely able to be potty trained. That’s not normal.” He shook his head. “And I don’t know what to think about that.”
“Well, I . . .” She licked her lips, then pulled them in.
“Exactly. No one knows what to say or think about it. I’m a freak.” His heart and lungs felt all bunchy, like his innards had turned into a Venetian blind, and someone had yanked on the cord to smoosh them together so they’d be compact.
Instead of words, she pulled him into a tight hug and cried on his shoulder.
When she was done, she whispered, “You’re not a freak. Never! You’re my man, and the best man ever. There’s no one as wonderful as you. I know. I know . . .” She kissed his cheek softly, then over his eyelid and slid her way down to his jaw. “It’s not fun having you in here. I need my Adam back.”
“I know—I’m your man, and I keep you safe and happy.” He beamed at her, squeezing her tight.
“I want to help you, but I don’t know how.” Her bottom lip quivered.
“Don’t cry, honey. I’m already better. I’ll be home in just a little bit, and then we can snuggle and forget this ever happened.”
She hummed and crawled into the bed with him. “I’ll get in trouble for this.”
“Probably.” He chuckled. “You’re still gonna do it, though, ‘cause I say you should.”
She giggled and tucked her head into his chest. “Reminds me of when Samara sliced me open like a Thanksgiving turkey, and when I went to get stitches, you got in bed with me. The hospital staff was less than pleased about that.”
“I wanted to get in bed with you after you had Meg, too. I would’ve but there wasn’t enough room for all three of us.” He kissed the top of her head.
“I would’ve made room. I remember I wanted you next to me, at my side, holding me close enough I could hear your heart beat.” She tipped her head up and stared in his eyes. “You’re everything to me, Adam. I hope you know that.”
“I do, because when I go to sleep at night and hear you breathing, I know that we both keep our happy hearts beating for each other and our kids. That’s a fabulous feeling.” His toes curled at the thought.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, and if you ever think I don’t, just kick me, ‘kay? No one by the name of Mari Latham should ever feel unloved.”
She chuckled and squeezed him tight, then placed a hand on his chest. “God, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Even better than music.”
“Wha . . . ?” He pretended to be beyond shocked.
“It’s true.” She shook him a little and kissed the underside of his chin. “Music changes. It fades, or I grow bored of certain songs. But you?” She kissed the edge of his mouth, then wiped it away like she always used to do. “You never fade, and I never grow bored of you—ever. You’re my one constant bright spot in my life. No matter how stressed I get, or how hard things are, I always know there’s you, and that means more than every rock concert combined.”
“Well, now I feel a dance coming on.” He pretended to do a little jig in the bed.
They both laughed, until they heard someone entering his door.
Mari moved like she was going to slip out of the bed, but Adam held her at his side. “No. Stay.”
“Okay,” she squeaked.
Dr. Harkham smiled at them. “It wouldn’t be right if you obeyed all the rules,” she told them.
“You wouldn’t know who I was if I did that,” he replied.
Mari bursted into a loud laugh, followed by Dr. Harkham.
“Sometimes I’m funny, but this isn’t supposed to be funny. It’s just true.” He gave a goofy grin.
“And the funniest moments are the ones where they just happen, and no one is trying.” Dr. Harkham winked, and tried to stifle her laugh unsuccessfully.
Being in the hospital had its plus side—it made Dr. Harkham giddy when Adam did silly things.
* * *
Going home was crazy.
His kids were all hopped up on soda, thanks to Zach.
“Next Thursday is graduation,” Mari reminded him.
“I know. I’ll be ready.” He plopped down on the couch.
Button was sleeping in his car seat.
Mari set the baby next to him. Adam lay down and stared at the little dude.
What would it be like to have a brilliant son with crazy talents?
Would Button be that to him?
His eyes stung as he thought about how far he’d go to protect his little one and keep Byron with him.
There might not be a limit. And what about Mari?
What if she tried to help his boy? Would he ditch her? Could he?
His heart was a thousand pounds heavier as he reached out and stroked the baby’s skin.
So fresh and new. He was barely learning to sit up, but there was so much untold of potential.
What was in this bab
y’s head now, even as he dreamed?
Adam sighed, turned away and slung his arm over his eyes.
Everything ached—his heart, his head, his eyes. Even his tongue felt oddly achy.
Nothing was right anymore.
“Daddy, you look like a green bean,” Meg said, approaching him.
He groaned. “I feel like a green bean.”
“You’re all lumpy looking, and your skin’s kind of yellowy-green.” Meg poked above his wrist.
The more she talked about him looking vegetablish, the more awful he felt. Did she know something he didn’t? Did she know he was going to be nauseous?
What if his daughter wound up being the genius?
What then?
“Mommy said to leave you alone, but you like me, and I don’t believe her.” Meg smiled and swished back and forth, her jammies clinging to her legs.
“You don’t believe what?”
“That you’re sick. You just look kinda sick like when you eat green beans, but you’re not really sick. You just missed-ded me.” Her grin grew bigger.
“Get a yellow or green marker,” he told her.
“Okay.” She bounced away and came back with a yellow one.
“Perfect.” He grabbed her hand and colored the back of it. “Now we match.”
“I’m not gonna be the green lady from Star Trek,” Mari said, joining them. “So don’t even think about it.” She chuckled at her silly joke.
He chuckled in response. If he felt better, he’d throw some innuendos her way. That’s how he knew he truly was feeling off—no energy for flirting with her and having their favorite kind of naughty fun.
She felt Adam’s forehead a moment later.
“I’m fine. I just look like I ate green beans, and nobody likes those. Bleck!” He made a face, sticking out his tongue like he ate one, and it was disgusting.
Meg laughed. “I hate them. Why is there a bean in something green? Why would anyone do that?”
“I don’t know. It’s a bad idea.” Adam made the face again, only this time he made a vomiting noise, too.
Meg laughed much louder and covered her mouth.
Zach gave them all a look like they were insane.
“Too much soda,” Mari said, pointing at the empty cans on the table.
“Hey, how else am I gonna tempt my brother so he’ll lose the challenge? I’m in need of a hundred bucks right about now.” Zach placed his hands behind his head, elbows out and leaned back, propping his heels up on the coffee table.
“Where’s Jill?” Mari glanced around the room.
“In Meg’s bed. She was tired.”
Adam chuckled to himself. Jill was exactly like her dad. She was always ready to fall asleep at a second’s notice, snored and slept through everything.
Unlike Meg, who was a light sleeper, took a while to unwind and relax and could rarely sleep anywhere other than her own bed.
“I’m staying the night. I had a few beers,” Zach confessed. “So I lost the bet. I’ll pay ya tomorrow.”
“What did you just say? You were watching our kids!” Adam sat up, and his head spun.
He immediately lay back down.
“I was responsible—Dad came over. He watched them for a while. He barely left ten minutes ago because all the kids were going to bed.” Zach wore an expression of ease. “It’s cool. Dad was happy to help, and I got to chat with him a little bit.”
“Okay, well, I’m gonna go put Meg to bed,” Mari said, ushering the little girl out of the room toward the hallway.
Adam took a second to study Zach. “All right—you’re hiding something. You did not have beers. What did Dad say? I can tell you only said that because you wanted to stay and talk to me.”
Zach sighed. “I did too drink. I’m buzzing right now.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Adam rolled his eyes.
“Tell me what you wanna know.” Zach slung his legs up on the La-Z-Boy-type chair, tucking them to the side.
He looked like a big dude in a clown car with his knees all sticking out at awkward angles.
“I want to know everything.”
“You might not like it,” Zach said, his voice going quiet.
Was he afraid of Mari hearing him?
“What’s going on?” Adam pushed a throw pillow under his head to prop himself up a little more so he could see him a little better.
“More drama with your biological ball-sack of a dad. He’s harassing our real dad, telling him to talk to you about signing on with an agent. He says it’s Dad’s duty to make sure you’re taken care of, and if Dad won’t help, then Thomas’s threatening to take legal action again for your own best interests.”
Adam groaned and made this awful growling sound. “What the fuck is his problem?”
“Wow . . . Really? Grown up words like fuck? Good for you.” Zach chuckled.
“Shut up. You know I’ve got a foul mouth. Always have.”
Zach snorted. “Yeah, right. You’re a regular potty mouth. It offends me anytime I’m around you.”
“I am. You should see how Mari shushes me around the kids. I’m always talking dirty to her.”
Zach grimaced. “Ewww . . . Some things don’t need to be shared between bros.”
“You tell me all sorts of inappropriate things. I never ask to know them. You just throw them at me like your dirty socks you used to launch across the room. It’s gross.” Adam could almost smell those old socks, and it made him sick to his stomach.
“What else did you find out, Zach? Please tell me—I’m dying to know,” Zach mimicked Adam, talking in a higher pitched tone.
“Fine. You’re dying to tell me, so guess what? I don’t care to know.” Adam closed his eyes, stretched out and yawned. His stomach didn’t really like that.
“This is all serious. I’m not messin’ around here . . . He said Amelia’s really freaking him out.” Zach gave him a very sober look.
“About what?” Adam’s ears were ringing a little bit.
“About you and your brain scans. She said that either those are new scars or you’ve been through more trauma recently and simply can’t remember it.”
“Well, she’s probably wrong on both counts.”
Zach went silent. “Maybe . . .”
“Ugh! C’mon! Stop worrying. I’m fine.” Adam’s stomach lurched, and he went flying off the couch, running for the bathroom.
He barely made it in time before losing all his dinner in the toilet.
“Shit. You shoulda stayed at the hospital,” Zach said behind him.
“I’m. Fine.” Adam gripped the toilet seat and said those words through gritted teeth.
He flushed the contents down, cleaned up and turned around to face his brother, only he wasn’t there. Mari was.
“You need to get to bed, honey. You’re not feeling well.”
“Damn hospital food made me sick to my stomach,” he explained.
She smiled in a humoring way, put an arm around him and led him back to the bedroom.
Zach was out on the couch, munching on chips and watching TV.
Adam’s legs dragged, and he almost tripped a few times.
“Mari . . .”
“We’re almost there,” she told him.
“Stop.” He leaned away from her and up against the wall.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Her eyes were roaming over him as if checking for injuries or some sign he was going to pass out—or worse—have another episode.
“My dad’s causing trouble with my music again. Zach told me. Giving my music to my brother wasn’t enough. I need to give it to someone unrelated to me.” He tried to catch his breath. That was difficult since his head was kind of swimming.
She swallowed and remained silent.
“I think I know who . . .” He searched her eyes for some form of disagreement but found none.
“Okay. If you know someone trustworthy enough, then go for it.” She stroked his back and his shoulder closest to her.
; “I don’t know if they’re trustworthy, and right now, I don’t care.” He pushed off the wall, stumbled to the bed and crashed onto it.
* * *
“Are we done? I’m meeting her in five minutes?” Adam asked his brother over the phone.
“I agree with you—I just want to make sure you’re completely certain this is what you want to do. I mean, you barely know her, man,” Zach said.
“I checked on her background. I trust her.” Adam stood outside her office door and leaned against the wall. “Consider my contract with you canceled. You didn’t really want it anyway.”
“I know, and you’re right. This is probably best for all of us involved.” Zach sounded relieved.
“It is. We were at the tail end of our window to break our agreement, so I had to act now,” Adam said.
“Well, good luck. I hope this is everything you want.” Zach sighed.
“It will be. I know it will. Bye.”
Zach told him to be careful and then ended the call.
Adam knocked and heard a faint, “Come in.”
He opened the door and stepped inside her office.
The lady with the black hair that owned the club he’d performed at sat stock still.
“You know why I’m here, right?” he asked her.
She nodded. He set the contract in front of her and grinned.
“We’re going to be partners of a sort. I’m giving you my music. You’ll sign this, and it’ll all be for the best.” He made a soft whistling noise, feeling very satisfied.
“Say again? You want me to what?” She blinked hard.
“I want to make a deal with you, and it involves my music.”
She stared at the paperwork on her desk. “Why on earth would you choose to do this?” She set her palm on top of it, and it appeared as if her eyes were glassy.
“Because you’re not related to me. You have good taste in music, and I like your club.” He stood proud in front of her.
“You think I’m going to give you half ownership of my club if you give me your music?” She blew out with a whistling noise.
“Well, yeah. Don’t say it like that. It’s a good idea. I’ll keep creating music, giving it to you to play at the club. We can market it together, and you make the money off the music. I make some money off half ownership of the club. It works.” He smiled.
Harkham's Corner (Harkham's Series Book 3) Page 15