I scooped Alex from the grass, careful not to touch his ankle. “No need. I got it.”
My truck had more legroom than Presley’s little car, so we drove to the emergency room in it and left hers at the field. She bit her nail as we got on the highway.
“I forgot how nerve-wracking having someone you love play football could be.”
“He’s going to be fine.”
She blew out a deep breath and nodded.
Once we arrived at the hospital, they took Alex into triage with Presley, and I paced in the waiting room. She came out five minutes later.
“They aren’t too busy, so they took him right in the back to have him examined,” she said. “Only one person is allowed in at a time, so I wanted to let you know. I’ll come out when I know something.”
I nodded and kissed her forehead. “Okay. Good luck.”
An hour or so later, I was fiddling with my phone, trying to keep myself occupied, when I heard a familiar voice.
“I’m looking for Alex Miller.”
“And you are?”
“His father.”
“He’s in the back with his mother. Give me a minute, and I’ll go see if I can get you an update. There’s only one person allowed with each patient.”
“Okay, thank you.”
My brother walked to the waiting area where I was seated. He stopped short when he saw me. His forehead wrinkled. “What are you doing here?”
“I was passing by the school on my way home from the eye doctor and saw the boys practicing, so I stopped to check it out.”
“You were there when it happened?”
“Yeah. It sounded like it could be a break.”
My brother ran a hand through his hair. “Shit.”
“How did you know he was here?”
“Presley called me.”
“Oh.”
I must’ve frowned, because my brother’s eyes roamed my face, and he squinted. “Is that a problem? Should I not be here when my kid is hurt?”
I shook my head. “No…I just meant, I wasn’t even thinking. I should have called you. That’s all.”
My brother nodded, but I wasn’t sure he bought the line of crap I was feeding him.
A few minutes later, a nurse opened the door that led back to the exam area. She yelled, “Miller?”
Without thinking I stood, as did my brother. He looked at me funny.
“Oh, sorry. I’m sure they meant you.”
I sat down as the nurse walked over. “You’re Alex’s father?”
“I am. Tanner Miller.”
“Your son is doing fine. He just got back from X-ray, and we’re waiting for an orthopedic specialist to come down and read the results. But the ER doc on call doesn’t think it’s broken, just a really bad sprain.”
Tanner took a deep breath. “Okay. Great. Can I see him?”
“We usually only let one person in the back with each patient. But it’s a pretty slow day, so I guess I can bend the rules.” She nodded toward the door. “Come on. Follow me.”
My brother didn’t look back as he followed the nurse. Once I was alone again, I started to feel like I was intruding on a family matter. As much as I wanted to be there for Alex, it was his father’s job—not mine—to be by his side. And that really sucked. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave. About fifteen minutes passed, and then Presley emerged from the back.
I stood and wiped the sweat from my palms on my pants. “How’s he doing?”
“The orthopedist just came in. Luckily it’s just a bad sprain. They’re going to give him an air cast and some crutches. The doctor said it should heal on its own within a few weeks.”
I nodded and blew out a breath. “Good. How’s his pain?”
“They gave him some Motrin, and it seems to have helped. But he hasn’t tried to put weight on it or anything yet.”
“Okay. Well, he’s going to be sore. That’s normal.”
Presley looked down. “I’m sorry if it was awkward when Tanner came in. I called to let him know what happened, but I didn’t get a chance to mention you were here because they came to take Alex to X-ray while I was on the phone.”
“It’s fine. As long as Alex is okay.”
A few awkward seconds passed. I cleared my throat. “I should get going. I have to…do some things anyway.”
“Oh, okay.”
I hated to leave them, but it wasn’t my place to be here any longer. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I forced a smile. “I’ll see you later.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Every step I took as I left that emergency room felt heavier and heavier. I’d made it almost all the way to my truck when Presley yelled my name from the door. I turned, and she ran over.
“I’m sorry. I know you must be feeling really weird right now. I just wanted to say I would rather have you in there by my side than Tanner.”
She had enough shit to worry about. I didn’t want to make matters worse by pouring on guilt. Besides, I might want to be by her side, but it wasn’t my place. It was Tanner’s. To reassure her I was fine, I pulled her in for a hug.
“It’s fine. Don’t think about it for a second. We’re good.”
She looked up at me for reassurance, and I smiled and brushed a wayward hair from her cheek. “Really.”
Relief washed over her worried face. “Okay. Thank you.”
I leaned down and kissed her forehead, then tapped her nose with my pointer finger and smiled. “Take a few deep breaths. I’ll see you in a little while at home. Everything is going to be fine.”
But no sooner than I’d said the words, I began wondering if they were true. Because when I looked up, I saw a man watching us from the door.
Tanner.
CHAPTER 25
* * *
Levi
Tanner hadn’t reacted after he spotted me comforting Presley, and neither had I. Presley didn’t need another thing to worry about, so I kept what I’d seen to myself, and after a moment, Tanner had simply turned back around.
I had no clue what he’d actually seen. Was he clueless or just turning a blind eye?
I took a deep breath as Presley went back inside the hospital, and I’d just gotten into my truck when I realized I’d left my hat on the chair in the waiting room.
I went back in to get it and spotted Presley, Tanner, and Alex as they spoke to a nurse just outside the door that led to the examination area. Thankfully their backs were to me, so they couldn’t see me spying from this angle.
Tanner rubbed Alex’s back while Presley spoke to the nurse. They looked every bit like the family they essentially still were, despite me trying to deny it—the family whose chance at any kind of a future I was slowly destroying behind my brother’s back.
My mother’s voice from behind me interrupted my thoughts.
“How’s my boy?”
I turned around. “He’s fine. It’s just a sprain.”
“Yeah. I know. Poor Alex. Tanner called when I was already on my way here to let me know it wasn’t broken.” She placed her hand on my arm. “I was referring to my big boy, though. How are you holding up?”