His Holiday Family Read Online Free Page A

eight. If they hadn’t come into his burning house, he and Zach wouldn’t be alive today. “No more guilt over yesterday. I’m glad your sons are safe.”
    With her gaze still averted, she nodded.
    He wasn’t totally convinced she wasn’t blaming herself anymore, not if the furrowed forehead and the darkening of the blue in her eyes were any indication. “I’ve been hurt before. I won’t let a few cracked ribs and a broken arm get me down.”
    She swiveled her attention back to him, her expression evening out, but the dark circles under her eyes were still there. “Tell that to my son. He broke a bone in his wrist yesterday after I took him to his grandmother’s while I came to the hospital. That’s where I had to go. He told me at the doctor’s office that he wanted to see the hurricane coming in the Gulf. He thought the view would be better from the roof.”
    â€œI heard it turned toward Florida. We might get some high tides and rain, but hopefully that will be all.” He shifted in the bed and caused another shaft of pain to constrict his breath, but he tried to keep from flinching. He didn’t succeed.
    â€œAre you all right?” The wrinkled forehead returned with a slight tensing.
    â€œJust a twinge. Nothing that won’t go away with time. So how did he get to the roof? Ladder?”
    â€œThat would have been safer. But he climbed the side of the house on a dare from his older brother. He didn’t make it. He fell while trying to hoist himself onto the roof.”
    Gideon whistled. “You’ve got a daredevil on your hands. What did your husband say about it?” The second he asked the question he wanted to snatch it back. He didn’t see a wedding ring on her left hand, but there was paler skin where one would have been. He couldn’t remember Ruth saying anything to him about her son-in-law, but then he and Ruth were only passing acquaintances on Oceanview Drive.
    â€œDerek died last year.”
    â€œI’m so sorry. I…” He didn’t know what else to say.
    â€œIs there anything I can do for you before I leave?” A professional facade fell into place as she checked his IV drip.
    He could respect that she wanted to shut down the subject of her husband. Losing a loved one was difficult. Although he had never been married, he’d lost too many people in his life not to feel a kinship with her.
    He grinned, wanting to see the light back in her eyes. “Other than get me out of here, no.”
    â€œSorry, but Dr. Adams might take exception to that. Just as soon as he signs your discharge papers, you can escape.”
    â€œA hospital isn’t my favorite place.” Again he was reminded of his parents’ deaths. His father had died in the fire, but his mother with third degree burns had lingered for a day in the hospital. He had only been able to say goodbye to her at the end when she was unconscious. He would never forget that last time he saw her.
    â€œIt usually isn’t for most people.” Her smile reappeared on her face, a sparkle shining in her eyes—making him forget where he was for a moment. “If you need anything, use your call button.”
    He watched her saunter out of his room. Occasionally he and Ruth would talk when they saw each other on the street, but with his crazy schedule, it wasn’t often. She had mentioned she had only one child, and then this August she had talked about her daughter returning home in September to live in Hope. Other than Ruth being excited her two grandsons would be close, she hadn’t gone into details about the move.
    From his and Kathleen’s few exchanges, he had sensed a deep hurt and now that he knew about her husband dying, he figured that must be why. One more reason he didn’t get too involved in people’s lives. He found after being shuffled between one foster family and another that it was safer to stay