by Gina Wilkins
He must be even more exhausted than he’d thought.
“Your friend is in Recovery,” he said. “It will be a while yet before you can see her.”
“Is she...?”
“She’s resting,” he said, when it was obvious that Brynn couldn’t complete the question. “She has a concussion that causes us some concern, but we’ll monitor her very closely for the next forty-eight hours or so. Her right arm was torn by a jagged piece of metal from her car door. It’s been stitched and bandaged. She’ll have a scar but should have full use of the arm back as soon as the cut heals. She has a clean break in her left femur, which I’ll set as soon as the swelling goes down. Her most serious injury was to her right leg. I’m afraid that leg was basically crushed below the knee, to put it in layman’s terms. She’s got an uncomfortable recuperation ahead of her, with at least one more surgical procedure, and it’s possible that she’ll be left with a slight limp, but she will recover, Brynn. She’s a very strong young woman.”
“Yes, she is,” Brynn said with a faint sigh that might have expressed agreement, relief, weariness, distress or a combination of them all. “When can I see her?”
“As soon as she’s moved into a bed. You, er, said there’s no one you want to call about the accident?”
“Not tonight. As I said, Kelly has no family. Her mother’s dead and she hasn’t seen or heard from her father since she was a little girl. She and I have considered ourselves sisters since we ended up in the same foster home when we were young girls. We like to say we’re sisters by choice, rather than by blood.”
Few observers would have mistaken Brynn Larkin and Kelly Morrison for biological sisters, Joe thought. In contrast to Brynn’ thick, dark brown mop of hair, fair, creamy skin and light-blue eyes, Kelly had fine, strawberry-blond hair, a gold-dusted complexion and emerald green eyes.
There were deep-purple hollows beneath Brynn’s eyes now, he noted. Her face was pale, making her skin look even more like fine porcelain than he’d thought earlier. She needed rest, but he suspected she would refuse to leave the hospital until she’d seen Kelly.
“Where are you staying tonight?” he asked, aware that she had no transportation, and none of her things with her.
“With your mother and me,” Vinnie said firmly, joining them in time to hear Joe’s question. “You’ll do us that honor, won’t you, Brynn? My wife would love to meet you.”
Joe watched Brynn’s eyes widen, and he sensed that she was going to politely decline the invitation. He interceded quickly. “That’s a good idea, Dad. Mom would strangle us if we let Brynn go off to a hotel by herself.”
“Oh, but I—”
Winking at Joe, Vinnie nodded gravely. “My wife’s a lovely woman, Ms. Larkin, but she’d take a broom to my sons and me if we didn’t offer hospitality to someone in your situation. You can get some rest at our house tonight and tomorrow we’ll see about finding you a place to stay.”
“You’ll like Carla D’Alessandro, Brynn,” Jared seconded, joining them. “She’s very nice, and her house is always open to guests. We’ll all feel better knowing you have a comfortable place to stay for tonight.”
Joe watched as Brynn looked around, finding herself surrounded by Vinnie, Jared, Shane, Tony and Michael, all smiling at her and urging her to accept Vinnie’s invitation. He sensed the moment she surrendered to the benign pressure.
She made a little gesture of capitulation. “How can I refuse such a kind offer? If you’re sure Mrs. D’Alessandro won’t mind, I’ll gratefully accept your hospitality.”
Vinnie patted her shoulder, obviously quite pleased with her—and with himself. “I’ll call Carla.”
Brynn turned back to Joe. “I’d like to see Kelly before I go.”
“Of course. I’ll take you to her, though I can’t promise she’ll be entirely coherent.”
“I just want to tell her good night.”
He nodded.
Jared touched Brynn’s arm. “You’re in good hands now. I’d better head home.”
Joe noticed a sudden brightness in Brynn’s eyes when she looked up at Jared. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me tonight.”
Jared shrugged, looking typically uncomfortable with the expression of gratitude. “All I did was keep you company. And that was my pleasure.”
Seeming to act on impulse, Brynn kissed Jared’s cheek. “It meant a great deal to me.”
To Joe’s amusement, Jared blushed like a schoolboy.
Shane, never one to be left out of the spotlight for long, promptly stepped forward. “I brought you a cola,” he reminded Brynn, presenting his cheek with an impudent grin that showcased his notorious dimples.
She smiled and brushed a quick kiss against his jaw. “Thank you.”
Shane’s expression turned smug. For some reason, Joe didn’t find that little interplay nearly as amusing as the exchange between Brynn and Jared.
“I’ll take you to Kelly,” he said, taking a step closer to her side.
He was somewhat gratified to see that he immediately had her full attention.
He really was going to have to get some food and some rest. He wasn’t behaving at all like himself, he thought with a sudden frown.
Brynn found herself suddenly almost reluctant to enter the room where Kelly lay. She was afraid of what she might see.
She looked nervously up at Joe, and saw he was watching her with a sympathetic expression. Funny. She’d always been a bit intimidated by doctors, had always found them difficult to talk to. Though something about him made her a little self-conscious at times, Joe didn’t intimidate her. Instead, she was comforted by his presence, much as she had been by his friends and family earlier.
He reached around her and pushed open the door to Kelly’s room. Brynn drew a deep breath and stepped inside.
Her first sight of Kelly forced the air from Brynn’s lungs as effectively as a blow to the chest.
Kelly looked so young and vulnerable lying in the hospital bed, her bruised face still and pale, her arms at her sides, the left one pierced by an IV needle, the right swathed in bandages. Her legs were immobilized, the right one suspended in a daunting-looking contraption.
A hard sob ripped from Brynn’s throat.
She wasn’t aware that she had swayed until she felt Joe catch her shoulders. His hands were firm and warm through her sadly crumpled blouse. It was as if all the stress of the past hours finally caught up with her when she looked at Kelly lying in that bed. Brynn turned blindly and buried her face in Joe’s shoulder, hardly aware of what she was doing. She was aware, however, . that his arms immediately went around her, and that his warmth and his support were exactly the balm she needed at that moment.
“Kelly will be fine,” he said, both compassion and understanding in his voice.
“She looks so... helpless.”
“She looks much worse than she is at the moment. Concentrate on the good side, Brynn. When I first saw your car, I couldn’t imagine that anyone sitting in the passenger seat would have survived. She’s extremely fortunate that she’s still alive. Considering the circumstances, you and Kelly were both lucky.”
Brynn shuddered, thinking of how another few inches could have meant the difference in whether Kelly survived the crash or not. Joe’s words had helped put everything back in perspective.
Joe.
Suddenly aware that she was standing in his arms, she wondered why she wasn’t more embarrassed. She didn’t even know this man, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t like her to fall apart, to lean on strangers—particularly men. She could only attribute her behavior to the trauma of the accident.
She drew slowly out of his arms, wiping her face with the back of one hand and lifting her chin to show him she wasn’t going to fall apart. “Thank you, Dr. D’Alessandro,” she said, quietly and with whatever dignity she could summon, “for everything you’ve done for us.”
His smile made her remember that he was an extremely attractive man, as well as a
reputedly gifted surgeon—not that that made any difference, she assured herself hastily. “You’re welcome.”
A nurse carrying a medical chart entered the room. While Joe and the nurse conferred quietly about Kelly’s care for the next few hours, Brynn stepped to the bed. Kelly was sleeping, the faintest crease between her brow indicating the pain she must be suffering, even subconsciously.
Brynn touched her friend’s hand. It was so cold. So still, in heartbreaking contrast to Kelly’s usual almost frenetic energy.
“Kelly?” Brynn didn’t know if Kelly could hear her. “I just wanted you to know I’ll be the leaving the hospital for a while. I’m going to spend the night with Dr. D’Alessandro’s parents. They’ve all been very kind to me. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? They’re going to take very good care of you here.”
She brushed a lock of damp blond hair off Kelly’s pale forehead. “If you need anything... anything... you ask for it, you hear? If you need me, they’ll know how to reach me, okay?”
Joe stepped to Brynn’s side but didn’t touch her this time. “Are you ready?”
Brynn swallowed and nodded. “Good night, Kelly. Don’t forget...T.W.R.”
She drew a deep breath and turned to Joe. “I’m ready.”
He studied her face a moment, then touched her arm, so fleetingly she hardly felt it. “Let’s go.”
Carla D’Alessandro was waiting to greet them when her husband and two sons ushered Brynn into the D’Alessandro home. A slender, olive-skinned woman with perfectly coiffed salt-and-pepper hair, she hardly looked old enough to have three grown sons, much less at least four grandchildren.
Brynn had been rather quiet during the ride from the hospital, letting Michael, Vinnie and Joe carry the conversation. As if sensing that she needed to be left to her thoughts for that brief interlude, the men hadn’t tried to push her into contributing. Brynn had appreciated their thoughtfulness, just as she appreciated the welcome in Carla D’Alessandro’s warm brown eyes.
Vinnie introduced Brynn to his wife.
“I’m so pleased you’ve agreed to be our guest tonight, Brynn,” Carla said, her voice a rich, pleasing contralto. “I’m sorry about what happened to you and your friend. How are you feeling?”
“A little sore,” Brynn admitted, responding instantly to the kindness in the older woman’s face.
“And exhausted, no doubt. Michael, take Brynn to her things and let her point out the bags she’ll need for tonight. Then carry them to the guest room for her. Joe, I know you’re hungry, so go wash up while I get food on the table. You and Michael should eat before you head back to your place. Brynn, dear, I want you to make yourself at home. If you’re hungry, the meal will be ready in a few minutes. Or feel free to take a hot bath and rest for a while, if you’d rather.”
Amused at the evidence of who ruled the D’Alessandro household, Brynn replied, “Actually, I am rather hungry. Kelly and I...” She swallowed. “We were going to find a restaurant after we’d checked into a motel.”
Her expression soft with compassion, Carla patted Brynn’s arm. “Your friend will be all right, Brynn. My Joe is taking good care of her. Now, you let Michael show you to your things, and I’ll get the food ready.”
Twenty minutes later, they gathered around the table in Carla’s beautifully decorated dining room. Carla had assembled a delicious cold meal of prosciutto, an assortment of cheeses, sliced fruit and crusty wheat bread that tasted homemade. Vinnie and Carla, who’d dined earlier, sipped cappuccinos and watched indulgently as the younger three devoured the food. Almost surprised that she still had an appetite after the events of the day, Brynn cleaned her plate but politely refused the cheesecake Carla offered for dessert.
Carla poured cappuccinos all around while Joe and Michael helped themselves to generous slices of cheesecake. “It’s decaf,” Carla said as she set a foamy mug in front of Brynn. “It shouldn’t keep you awake.”
Brynn smiled faintly. “I’m not sure anything could do that tonight.”
She could feel the weariness pressing down on her, making her limbs feel heavy and her mind sluggish.
“I told my wife you and your friend are just moving to Dallas,” Vinnie said, leaning back in his chair at the head of the table and studying Brynn with open curiosity.
She nodded. “Kelly’s supposed to enter graduate school full-time at UT-Dallas in the fall, and I plan to take some evening classes toward my bachelor’s degree. We moved here from Longview, where she received her undergraduate degree three weeks ago. I wasn’t particularly happy in my job in Longview, and it wasn’t hard for Kelly to talk me into moving here with her, so we could share an apartment while she earns her master’s degree in communication disorders. She has a scholarship.”
Suddenly deciding that she’d told them more than they’d probably wanted to know, she lifted her coffee mug to her mouth to shut herself up. Exhaustion and stress were making her babble.
But no one looked bored. They were all watching her as if waiting for her to expand further.
“What kind of work were you in?” Vinnie asked, apparently the official busybody in the family.
“I’m a licensed child-care worker. I love the work, but I didn’t care for the owner of the day-care center where I worked. I thought she was more focused on her profits than the children.”
“A child-care worker?” Vinnie looked suddenly intrigued. “Have you ever worked as a private nanny?”
Brynn noticed that the others seemed to follow Vinnie’s question, as if they knew where he was leading. “No, I haven’t. My experience has been in day-care centers. I’m working toward a degree in elementary education, but I’m still a few years away from that, since I can only take evening classes while I support myself.”
“The reason I asked,” Vinnie explained, “is because my son and daughter—the ones who just had the new baby today—are looking for a nanny for their four children. Theirs just left them, at such an inconvenient time, with school just out and the new baby just arrived.”
“If you’re interested, I’m sure Tony would like to talk to you about the job,” Carla said to Brynn. “But don’t feel pressured, dear. There are many excellent day-care centers in Dallas, so you’ll have no problem finding employment.”
Brynn had never actually considered being a nanny—she wasn’t at all sure such a position could pay the salary she wanted, and many such positions were “live-in,” which didn’t appeal to her. “I’ll give it some thought.”
“Not tonight,” Joe said firmly. “You’ve had enough to deal with today. Tonight, you need to rest and recuperate from the accident.”
He reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a small white paper envelope, which he slid across the table to Brynn. “I want you to take this pill before you go to bed.”
“What is it?”
Michael chuckled in response to Brynn’s wary question. “Finally. Someone who doesn’t just follow your orders blindly, dottore.”
Ignoring his brother, Joe answered Brynn’s question. “It’s a mild muscle relaxer. It will help you sleep and relieve some of the soreness you’re going to feel tomorrow.”
Brynn nodded and slipped the pill into her pocket. She wouldn’t promise to take it, but she would keep it close by in case she changed her mind.
She was so tired. It was all she could do to sit up straight in her seat, when all she wanted to do was to crawl into a warm bed and pretend the past six hours had never happened. If only she could wake to start the day over. She would drive more carefully next time, she vowed. She’d watch for vehicles going the wrong way. She’d sense that accidents were going to happen before they did. She...
Joe pushed his chair back from the table. “Let me walk you to the guest room.”
Brynn didn’t realize her eyelids had begun to droop until Joe’s voice brought them wide-open again. “Oh. I...”
“You’re falling asleep in your coffee,” he said, his smile so kind it melted her resistance. “I’ll
walk you to your room, tell you a few things to watch for in the aftermath of your accident, then leave you to get some sleep. You can worry about all the other details tomorrow.”
“Yes, Brynn, get some rest,” Carla seconded warmly. “If there’s anything you need during the night—anything at all—don’t hesitate to ask, all right?”
Vinnie and Michael bade Brynn good-night, assuring her that they would be available to help her in any way they were needed. The kindness of this family toward a stranger in their midst was almost overwhelming to Brynn. She’d encountered true generosity all too rarely during her lifetime.
As if sensing that she was near collapse, Joe kept a hand beneath Brynn’s elbow as he walked her to the guest room. It was a measure of her exhaustion that she found his touch so comfortable and almost familiar.
They paused together in front of the closed bedroom door.
“My mother was serious, you know. Anything you need, all you have to do is ask.”
“Your family is very kind.”
His smile was vaguely rueful. “Mom and Dad just love to get involved in other people’s lives. Watch out for Dad especially. There’s nothing he likes better than taking a new chick under his wing. He’ll be giving you advice and suggestions until you ask him to butt out.”
“I’ll gladly listen to his advice,” Brynn responded with a weak smile in return. “I’m taking all the suggestions I can get right now.”
“Yeah, well, you’ve never encountered anyone like my pop. Ever since he took early retirement from his career as a private investigator—and that was more than ten years ago—his favorite hobby has been running the lives of his family members. And he defines family very loosely. You’re spending a night in his house. That makes you family, in his opinion.”
Brynn was appalled to feel her eyes suddenly fill with tears. She had never belonged to a large, supportive family like this one. Even Joe’s mild teasing about his was enough to renew an old, empty ache in her heart. She averted her face quickly, before he could see.