Lakeside Reunion Read Online Free Page B

the hospital bedsheets. Not even thirty when she died, but she appeared closer to sixty.
    Stephen brushed the curls off Tyler’s forehead. The kid needed a haircut. Bethany had been so good with all that. Even when she felt like crud from the chemo, she made sure Ty was well cared for. He could barely remember to check Ty’s homework, let alone make hair appointments. But he’d do better. He had to. Ty depended on him. He wasn’t going to let his son down.
    He counted the ceiling tiles for the second time and made it to twenty-eight when someone knocked on the door before pushing it open. Dr. Warren entered the room. Over her shoulder, Stephen caught sight of a woman with honey-blond hair and wearing the same yellow sweater as Lindsey.
    Oh, right. Grace Porter’s fall.
    Ty’s injury had pushed aside this morning’s events, but seeing that hair brought everything back in a rush.
    Should he go after her? Check and see how her mom was doing?
    No, he couldn’t leave Ty. Plus, it could have been someone else. And then, he’d look like an idiot.
    â€œOfficer Chase.”
    Stephen looked at Dr. Warren and realized the middle-aged physician had been talking to him. And he hadn’t heard a word she said.
    â€œI’m sorry. My brain was in left field. Mind repeating that?”
    She gave him that pitying “I know you’re a single dad now, so I’ll treat you with kid gloves” look he’d seen so often in the past year. “Good news. Tyler’s wrist is not broken. He does have a grade two sprain, though. Because he’s such an active kid, I’d like to splint it and keep it in a sling for about a week. It will help with the pain and minimize further damage.”
    She explained to Tyler what was going to happen and gave him time to ask questions. Stephen appreciated the way she included his son in the conversation.
    Thirty minutes later, Stephen hugged a now-smiling Tyler goodbye, being careful not to jostle his splinted arm. “You’re going to hang out with Papa until I get home. Take it easy with that arm.”
    â€œI will. Love you.”
    â€œI love you, too, buddy.”
    Giving his dad a one-armed hug, Stephen said, “Thanks for keeping him. I’ll grab him after work.”
    â€œNo rush. You should have called sooner. We’re here for you, son. This rain kept me in the house instead of at the construction site, so I’m glad I could help. I’ll keep the little guy entertained.”
    They headed out the door. If he paid a nickel every timehis parents bailed him out, he’d be a poor man. Thank God for them. Otherwise neither he nor Ty would have made it this far.
    He returned to the nurses’ station and scrawled his signature at the bottom of the discharge form his cousin, the E.R. nurse on duty, put in front of him. He slid it across the counter to her. “There you go, Roxanne. Thanks.”
    She scanned the form and then smiled. “Looks like you’re good to go, Stephen. I hope Ty feels better soon.”
    â€œThanks. Me, too.”
    Fishing the keys to the cruiser out of his pocket, he headed for the emergency-entrance parking lot. He rounded the corner and about knocked over a woman coming from the opposite direction. His chin grazed the top of her head. He gripped her upper arms, dropping his keys in the process. “Whoa, easy there.”
    The woman’s purse sailed out of her hands and landed upside down on the floor. Loose change clattered against the tile. A metallic tube rolled under the water fountain.
    â€œSorry.” The woman looked up and stared at him with stormy green eyes.
    Lindsey.
    Judging by the thinness of her lips and clenched jaw, she wasn’t happy to see him. She glanced at him, then down at his hands. Her focus seemed to be centered on his left hand. On his wedding band. His heart took a nosedive.
    Stephen released his hold, wanting to hide his hands in his uniform