“I am sure,” Benjamin said coolly as he looked at her.
“I want a chance to tell her that I am sorry.”
“Let’s hope you get the chance.”
She nodded. “Gray is so mad at me.”
“My nephew is mad at the world. The woman he loves is lying in a hospital bed with her eyes closed and it is not that she is sleeping.”
She turned to look at him in surprise. “He is in love with her?”
Benjamin looked at her sardonically. “Is that so hard to believe Mrs. Fraser?”
“He is a playboy- “
“Not since he has been with your daughter. She changed his life and his way of thinking. He cannot think or concentrate on anything else except her recovering.”
“I made so many mistakes.”
Benjamin could not hold onto the resentment, not when the woman looked as if she had been beaten with spikes. “Hopefully you get a chance to say how sorry you are.”
“I hope so. I have been praying for that chance.” She looked at the twins and shook her head. “They are so beautiful,” she whispered again.
*****
“As you know the downtown project is getting along very well.” He had been talking for the past hour and could swear that she was hearing what he was saying. “The original structure was very strong, and the contractors did not have to alter anything much. It’s being called the superstore and you should see the amount of interest it has been generating! The first thing I want to do is to take you and our sons to have a look at it. I know you will have something to say about it. I have pics on my phone, and I want to show them to you. I want to show everything to you and apologize for not being here when you really needed me. I keep beating myself up about it, Shelby and I cannot stop. The bottom line was that I broke my promise to you, and I want the chance to get your forgiveness and tell you that it will never happen again.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. His eyes felt gritty and his body was feeling the pain of the lack of sleep, but he did not want to close his eyes and missed her waking up. He leaned back in the chair and folded his hands beneath his head as he continued to stare at her. “Please wake up, Shelby. I would do anything if you would just wake up and call my name. Tell me what a bastard I have been because I left you in your time of need.” He unfolded his hands and moved forward on the chair; his hazel eyes intense as he stared at her. “Just open your eyes, baby and look at me and my entire world will feel right again.”
He stiffened when her eyelashes fluttered, his breath got caught inside his throat as she opened her eyes slowly.
“Gray?”
Chapter 12
“Shelby?” he lurched to his feet and had to fight the tears that were threatening. “Hey,” he sat gingerly on the side of the bed facing her. “You are awake,” he cleared his throat to clear the blockage as he took her hand in his. “How do you feel?”
“Like I have been asleep for years.” She frowned as she looked at him. “The twins?”
“Are doing well.” He lifted her hand and pressed it against his jaw. “I thought I lost you.”
“You need a shave,” she whispered.
“The absolute last thing on my mind. Shelby- “
He looked up as the doors slid open and the doctors came in. “She is awake, I see,” Dr. Manning said with a beaming smile. “Would you mind giving us some room to examine her?”
“Of course,” Gray squeezed her hand and got up. His eyes met and held hers for a moment before he stepped out of the way. “I will come back as soon as they are finished.”
He went out and closed the doors behind him, walking swiftly to the waiting room. He closed the door behind him and slid down, his knees up against his chest. He could not stop shaking! She was awake! Jesus! She was awake! She had come back to him! He buried his face in his hands and gave into tears, his shoulders shaking! He sat curled by the door for several minutes before he stumbled to his feet. As soon as he was able to compose himself, he opened the door and made his way rapidly towards the nursery where his uncle was slumped over on the sofa, fast asleep. Her mother had apparently left but he did not much care about that. He supposed he was going to have to call her with the good news but not right now.
Benjamin jumped up as he heard the footsteps, his heart picking up the pace as he saw the reddened eyes and the spiky lashes, giving indication that his nephew had been crying.
“Is she- “
“She is awake!” Gray whispered shakily as he sat down next to him, his eyes going to the sleeping babies. “She is awake.” He repeated, turning to look at his uncle. “I was sitting there talking to her and she just woke up.”
“So why are you in here talking to me?” Benjamin demanded.
“I wanted to come and tell you.” He looked around the room. “Where is she?”
“She left to get some rest on my advice. She will be coming back tomorrow.”
“I guess I will have to call her.”
“I think she is genuinely repentant, Gray.”
He shrugged and got to his feet, moving forward to stare at his sleeping sons. “She is going to want to see them as soon as possible.”
“Of course she is.” He got to his feet and came to join his nephew. “Go to her and tell her I say hi and I will see her in a few minutes.”
He nodded and turned to clasp his uncle on the shoulder. “Thanks.”
“Yeah. Now go.”
*****
“She is still a little weak but will make a full recovery and will be able to breastfeed her sons in a matter of hours after she has gotten some more rest.”
Gray nodded. “Thank you Doctor.”
“You are welcome. She is asking for you.” Dr. Manning said with a smile. “Don’t keep her up for too long. She needs her rest.”
He slid the doors open and saw her propped up against the pillows. “Hey. I thought you had run out of here now that I am no longer hovering at death’s door.”
“Not a chance,” he said lightly as he approached the bed. Now that she was awake, he had no idea what to say to her.
“How do you feel?”
“Fine and cannot wait to see the boys. They are sleeping?”
“Yes. Benjamin is playing bodyguard.”
Shelby laughed, and it was like music to his ears. “Tell me about them.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his, the fingers tight on hers.
“Gray, what is it?”
“I left you.”
“I told you to go.”
“I left you after I promised that I will be here for everything and- “he took a deep breath before continuing. “I left and I almost lost you.”
“I am here now. You don’t have to- “
“I apologize,” he told her hoarsely, going on as if she had not said anything. “I also promise you that it will not happen again. I was thousands of miles away while you were fighting for your life.”
“And that is not on you.” She held up her free hand as he opened his mouth to speak. “Let me finish, please. You could never have anticipated what was going to happen. I thought I was fine because I was doing what the doctor said and it still happened. Even if you were here, I would still have gone through what I did. I am just thankful that I am still here, and I want you to accept that too. I don’t blame you, Gray and you should not blame yourself.”