Silence ensued.
Maggie’s heart raced.
“Actually, honey, Evan already told me.”
Maggie gasped at Jane’s words.
“Please, don’t be angry at him. He only told me when I started questioning him about the two of you. I told him I was worried that he was going to fall for you while you were still mourning the loss of your husband. He set me straight.”
Glancing at Jane, Maggie met her wide eyes. “Jane, TJ and Jack cannot find out about this. It would kill them. Please, promise me—”
“Sweetheart, I promise, I …” Jane shook her head, clearly unable to find the words. But then her cell phone rang, interrupting the moment and, startled, she fumbled in her handbag to find the device.
“Hello!” she answered desperately. “Yes, speaking.”
Listening to the one-sided conversation, Maggie stared at the road, praying that whoever it was on the other end was calling with good news.
“Yes … Okay …” Jane spoke tentatively. “I’m on my way … We’re about fifteen minutes out … Okay …”
Maggie chewed nervously on her bottom lip.
“Thank you. Goodbye.” Jane ended the call and stared down at her cell phone.
“Was that the hospital?”
“He’s being prepped for surgery.” Jane’s voice was small and vulnerable.
Reaching across the center console, Maggie grabbed Jane’s hand, holding it tight as they continued through the night with nothing more being said between them.
***
Maggie followed Jane through the emergency entrance of Sacred Heart Hospital. At this time of night, in the waiting room, there was the occasional child dressed in pajamas being comforted by a concerned parent, and the odd drunk with a suspected broken nose.
The women continued to the desk, to the nurse sitting behind the glass screen.
“Hello,” Jane said huffing breathlessly. “I’m here for Evan Boyd. I’m his sister, Jane Hannigan.”
Studying her computer a moment, the woman looked up, removing her glasses and offering a sad smile. “He’s just gone into surgery, ma’am. I can’t give you any more information. But if you’d like to take a seat I can call through to the surgical ward and let them know you’re here. They’ll come and collect you when he’s out.”
“Why don’t we go find the cafeteria?” Maggie suggested, snaking her arm around Jane’s slight shoulders. “Get some coffee while we wait.”
After a few beats, Jane nodded, allowing Maggie to lead her away from the desk and the two continued through to the corridor that was signed with directions to the cafeteria.
***
“I always mothered him. Even when we were kids.” Jane’s face broke into a wistful smile as she clutched her to-go cup of coffee between both hands. “He used to love it. Then, as he got older he acted like he hated it, but he secretly loved it. Even when he was a whole foot taller than me he’d let me boss him around when our momma was at the café and I was in charge because I was older.”
Maggie smiled, sipping her coffee. She knew despite Jane’s smile, the tears in her eyes were a clear reflection of how much she was hurting. Sure, she had Brad and the three children who she adored more than life itself, but Evan was also her world, her baby brother. Seeing her so despondent, not knowing whether her brother was okay or not broke Maggie’s heart, and she tried so hard to keep Jane’s mind off the surgery.
“I was an only child so I don’t know what that’s like, but I can tell you and Evan are close,” she said. “And Sam and Ben obviously love him.”
“Ugh!” Jane guffawed. “They idolize him. Katie does too. She used to follow him around when she was little like a lost puppy dog. Evan’s the cool uncle.” She smiled, but then her smile fell. “When he came back from Oklahoma, he was a ghost for a long time and that really hurt the kids. But I knew being around them hurt him. He never talked about it, but the kids reminded him of Hannah and what he’d lost.”
Maggie frowned. “And what happened with Hailey? She just left?”
Jane shook her head, anger flaring in her blue eyes. “God, I’m so angry at her.”
Jane speaking so candidly about another person, with such obvious disdain was quite surprising and so out of character—the look in her eyes alone was chilling. Maggie nodded, silently encouraging her to continue.
“Evan fell for her hard and fast, and when he told me about her I was a little skeptical to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in love at first sight and falling head over heels for someone you just met. I did with Brad. But there was just something about Hailey. She was a bit of a hang-about, and she’d been with a few of Evan’s teammates before getting with him. I mean, I’m not one to shame anyone for living their life, but it was a bit of a red flag. When Evan called me to tell me she was pregnant, I …” She shook her head, unable to continue. After a few moments silence she began again. “But when baby Hannah was born, I managed to put my feelings aside. Hailey was a great mother. And Evan … he just adored his baby girl. When Hannah started showing signs that something wasn’t quite right, I begged him to get her checked out, and he wanted to but Hailey refused to believe there was anything wrong. She refused to take her to the doctor.”
Maggie’s eyes widened at that.
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t doubt that she loved that little girl with everything she had, but if she’d just agreed to see a doctor then maybe … just maybe … that baby girl would have had a fighting chance.” Jane stared down into her near-empty coffee cup with a faraway look, sadness clouding her. She shook her head again. “When Hannah … passed, Evan shut me out. He shut everyone out. I wanted to stay a little longer after the funeral to help him, to make sure he was okay, but he pushed me away. So, I came back here. I knew he was losing it. Especially after Hailey packed up and left him without even so much as an explanation. I know it must have been hard, God, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. No mother deserves to go through that. But it was as if she didn’t think it was hard for Evan.” Jane sniffled, and it was then Maggie noticed the tears shining on her cheeks. “I had to sit here, on the other side of the country, and listen to all the stories and reports of Evan losing his damn mind, acting reckless and dangerous, and there was nothing I could do about it. He wouldn’t answer my calls or texts. He ended up blocking my number. It broke my heart. I hated that he was going through something like that all by himself.”
“I can’t imagine dealing with the death of a child,” Maggie said with a heavy sigh. “Just the thought of losing Jack or TJ …” She shook her head, unable to continue.
“It destroyed Evan,” Jane said with a nod. “He’s never been the same.”
Maggie looked down at her hands, her heart breaking more and more with every one of Jane’s words.
“I got a phone call one day, from one of Evan’s coaches. He’d quit the team, but the team hadn’t quit him. Thankfully they were still looking out for him, even though he’d tried pushing everyone away. When Phillip called me, I remember seeing his name pop up on my screen and my stomach dropped. I couldn’t breathe. It was as if everything around me came to a sudden stop. I thought … I thought the worst.”
Maggie nodded, imagining exactly what Jane had thought.
“When I answered and he told me Evan was in jail, I was so shocked and angry but so relieved. I’d expected so much worse.”
“Why was he in jail?” Maggie gasped. “He didn’t tell me this.”
Jane gave a somewhat wry smile. “He got picked up for trying to start a drunken brawl in a bar downtown. The cops knew him, knew what had happened, and that he was looking for trouble anywhere he went. They threw his ass in jail for his own safety. And thank God they did. Otherwise, who knows? Evan probably wouldn’t be here right now.”
Maggie released a shaky breath, so overwhelmed with everything Jane was telling her.
“It’s been a long time, and while Evan’s my brother whom I love dearly, he’s so different to the
guy he was when he left for Oklahoma. It’s heartbreaking. I lost my brother for a long time. And while he’s a lot better now, he still loses himself every now and again. He thinks I don’t know, but I’m not an idiot. Jewel Harbor’s a small town. I know he goes around drinking the night away, going home with questionable women. But I also know he does it only so he can forget. Because he’s been living with the ghost of his little girl for the last five years, and sometimes, he just needs to forget.”
Hearing Jane talk about Evan’s playboy ways caused a pang of painful jealousy to knot Maggie’s stomach, but she ignored it as best as she could. She fully understood why Evan was the way he was, and why he did what he did, but it still hurt, because no one else knew. Locals like Barb, and the women like Cindy who hung out at Field Four every Saturday, might have assumed he was a playboy, but there was so much more to him.
“I need to tell you something.”
Jane’s words pulled Maggie from her thoughts, and she looked up from her hands to find her friend’s blue eyes smiling at her, despite the sadness in them. “What is it?”
“I’ve been seeing more of the old Evan ever since you’ve been in town,” she said, the unshed tears in her eyes dancing beneath the overhead lights. “The way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching. The way he smiles at the mere mention of your name. Glimpses of the old Evan shine through when he’s with you.”
Maggie felt her heart jump, her mouth curling into a smile she couldn’t stop.
“At first it scared me because I knew you were mourning a loss. I didn’t want him to fall hard and fast like he has in the past …” Jane pressed her lips together, meeting Maggie’s eyes. “But now I know about what happened between you and your late husband … well, it makes sense.” She stopped then, spearing Maggie with a serious look. “Maggie, do you have feelings for Evan?”
Maggie contemplated Jane’s question, and considered her response. Then without any further hesitation she nodded, glancing up to the ceiling as tears pricked her eyes. “Yes. I do. And it’s exciting and terrifying and confusing. But yes. I like him a lot. More than I thought I could ever like another man after Tom.” When a hot tear hit her cheek, she quickly wiped it away, smiling when Jane reached across the table to take both Maggie’s hands in hers.
“Look, I’m not one for all that fate mumbo jumbo, but maybe … just maybe … the two of you were meant to find each other.”
More tears hit Maggie’s cheeks despite her smile. “God, I hope he’s okay. I need him to be okay, Jane.”
Jane nodded. “He will be. He has something to fight for now.” She smiled, squeezing Maggie’s hands.
“Mrs. Boyd?”
Jane and Maggie startled, turning to find a man dressed in scrubs standing in the doorway to the cafeteria. They both stood so fast their chairs almost toppled backward.
“Oh, I’m Jane Hannigan.” Jane stepped forward quickly. “Evan’s sister.”
“Oh, my apologies.” The man smiled, shaking Jane’s proffered hand.
Maggie lingered closely behind, waiting anxiously with bated breath.
“I’m Doctor Brannon. Head trauma surgeon on duty tonight.” He looked from Jane to Maggie questioningly.
“Oh, this is Maggie.” Jane reached for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer without even glancing at Maggie as she continued, “Evan’s girlfriend.”
Maggie flinched at Jane’s choice of label before quickly composing herself as best as she could.
The doctor smiled at Maggie. “Evan’s out of surgery and he’s stable. He’s going to be transferred to Boston General tomorrow, but for now, he’s—”
“Boston?” Jane interrupted. “Why?”
The doctor’s brows knitted together in confusion, and it was then he seemed to realize Maggie and Jane hadn’t been given any details of Evan’s state. With a gentle smile, he pointed to the table the women had just vacated. “Shall we sit?”
Jane and Maggie followed, taking a seat opposite him, watching as he took his time to find the right words.
“Mrs. Hannigan … your brother suffered serious injuries tonight. Three broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, a shattered femur. There were multiple internal bleeds we were able to stop. Frankly, he’s … lucky to be alive. It will be up to the discretion of the head surgeon in Boston, but he’ll likely need reconstructive surgery on his femur, maybe a metal pin, followed by potentially months of intensive physiotherapy. He almost lost his right leg.”
“Oh my goodness,” Jane whispered, clutching a hand to her chest.
Maggie snaked her arm around Jane’s shoulders, pulling her close. She steadied the doctor with an imploring look. “But … he’s okay, right? He’s going to be okay?”
Doctor Brannon managed a tight-lipped smile. “Yes. He’s going to be okay. He’s in recovery at the moment but when he wakes you’ll be able to see him.”
Sniffling, Jane wiped her tears. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“From what I heard it was a hell of a crash.” He looked between the two women with a small smile as he added, “My guess is he had someone watching out for him.”
Maggie glanced at Jane and the two women shared a knowing smile through their tears.
Chapter 33
Maggie had been sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chair out in the hallway for three hours. She was exhausted, but there was no way she would have been able to lie down and sleep; the adrenaline coursing through her, as well as the two coffees she’d consumed in quick succession had her wired.
When the door to Evan’s room opened, she looked up from the year-old gossip magazine she’d been flicking through, and saw Jane walk out with a sad smile, tear tracks staining her cheeks.
“Is everything okay?” Maggie asked, suddenly worried.
Jane smiled, stopping to take a seat in the chair beside her. “He’s okay. Brad’s on his way down. He collected a bag of things from Ev’s loft and he’ll drive down to Boston with me.”
Maggie nodded. “Do you need anything? Want me to stay with the kids? Go check on the café?”
She shook her head. “I’ve told Joe to keep the café closed. Katie will watch the boys today. Brad and I should be back to Jewel Harbor by tonight. I just want to go down to Boston and make sure Evan is settled and comfortable, and everything’s okay.”
Maggie nodded again.
Jane smiled, squeezing Maggie’s hand. “He wants to see you.”
Feeling her heart race, Maggie looked at the door left slightly ajar. Evan was in there. She was suddenly terrified. She didn’t know what state to expect to see him in. She knew she looked hideous but she wanted to see him, she wanted to see that he was okay with her own eyes. She just didn’t want to upset him in any way.
“Go on.” Jane encouraged her with a nudge of her shoulder. “He asked about you, asked if you knew what had happened, and when I told him you were out here in the corridor his eyes positively lit up!”
Inhaling a tremulous breath, Maggie stood, wiping the backs of her hands on her jeans before smoothing down the front of her blouse. She was still dressed in her clothes from last night. She was a mess. But Evan wanted to see her, and she desperately wanted to see him. Continuing across the way, she stopped at the door, knocking once before slowly entering inside.
When she saw him there on the bed, bruised and battered and bandaged, his right leg in a cast from hip to toe, suspended in the air, she came to a sudden stop, unable to move as she froze with shock. It wasn’t until she saw Evan’s blue eyes smiling at her that she was able to breathe again.
“You just gonna stand there and stare at me like I’m a goddamn piece of meat?” Evan’s gruff voice teased. “Come on over here.”
Managing a smile despite the emotion overwhelming her, Maggie continued toward the bed, her gaze slowly assessing every wire, every tube coming out of him and the machines they were attached to. She stopped, too scared to go any closer in fear of touching him and hurting him.
“It’s okay,” E
van assured with a knowing grin. “I’m okay.”
Maggie shook her head in disbelief. “I’m so sorry this happened, I … I shouldn’t have let you drive.”
“What?” Evan asked, his brows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”
“You’d been drinking. You shouldn’t have driven—”
“It wasn’t that, Mags. Sure, I’d had a couple beers, but I was fine, nowhere near the limit.” Evan interjected. “I was coming up to the bend in the road and a damn elk the size of a Jetta ran out of the thicket. I swerved. Lost control. Maybe I’d been going a little faster than I should’ve, but I know those roads like the back of my hand. Tonight was nothing more than an unfortunate accident.” He shrugged, and the look in his eyes told her that he was being completely honest.
Suddenly, a wave of emotion Maggie couldn’t control hit her hard, and a sob bubbled out from the back of her throat. Covering her face with her hands, she stood there blubbering like a damn baby. She hated herself for it. He didn’t need her tears. But she couldn’t help herself.
“Hey, hey.”
She felt his hand touch her arm, soothing her skin with a gentle sweep of his calloused fingertips. Looking through her fingers, Maggie sniffled, swallowing back her sobs.
“C’mere.” He pulled her closer.
“No, I can’t.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Babe, I’m so hopped on pain meds right now, you’re not gonna hurt me,” he said through a chuckle. “Now, come here and sit with me.” He patted the space on the mattress beside him.
He’d called her babe. No one had ever called her babe before. She tried so hard not to think too much of the term of endearment. He was, after all, hopped up on painkillers. But it still made her skin tingle.
Biting back her smile, she studied the spot next to him, checking for any potential danger or wayward wires. “Are you sure?”
“Please.” Evan nodded. “I want you close.”
He wanted her close? His words did something to her that she hadn’t been prepared to feel. Her heart tugged hard in her chest and, holding her breath, she pulled herself up to sit on the bed beside him, so tentative, so cautious so as not to hurt him.
The Long Way Home Page 25