“I can’t help it,” he said with a sad smile. “I don’t want to let you down, not again.”
“Daddy, you never let me down,” Lucy said, sad her dad would even feel this way. She knew he had always felt guilty, that as the Chief of Police, he couldn’t bring Trent McAlister to justice for what he had done to her, but Lucy never blamed him for that. “Please don’t say things like that.”
“I can’t help how I feel, Peanut,” Tom said. “I’m your dad; it was my job to keep you safe.”
“Stop,” Lucy said as the tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t want this. I don’t want you blaming yourself for what…what he did.”
She stood up, walking to the window of her father’s room and looked out over the town as the sun slowly rose in the sky. She remembered when she loved everything about this town. Now, it just filled her with sadness.
“Lucy, Sweetheart,” Tom said, as he watched his daughter closely. “The last thing I want to do is upset you. I’m grateful that you have come, but I don’t want you hurt again.”
“Dad,” she said as she turned to him and walked back to him slowly. “I’m done with letting him ruin my life. It’s time I came home. You need me, and I want to do this. Please don’t fight me on this.”
“Okay,” he smiled. “I won’t lie; it’s good to have you here. I miss having you around.”
“Good,” Lucy replied as she took her seat next to her father’s bed. “I’ll be here as long as you need me.”
“Thanks, Peanut,” Tom said, just as a nurse walked into his room.
“Good morning,” she said as she walked up to the far side of Tom’s bed. “How are you feeling this morning, Chief?”
“A bit sore,” he said with a smiled that made Lucy smile too. No matter how bad things were, she knew her dad would always try to put on a brave front. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Well, maybe we will give you something to make sure the pain doesn’t get worse,” she said with a knowing grin, winking at Lucy. “I just want to check your dressings first.”
“I think I’ll grab a coffee,” Lucy said as she stood up and grabbed her handbag. “And give you some privacy.”
“Okay, Sweetheart,” Tom said, but his expression instantly changed to one of concern.
“I won’t be long, Dad,” Lucy said as she bent down and kissed her father’s cheek. “Please don’t worry.”
She smiled once more before she turned and headed towards the door. Stepping outside, her smile instantly fell. She wished she felt as confident and unfazed as she tried to appear to her father.
She needed to find a vending machine as soon as possible then return to the safety of her father’s room.
“Good morning,” she said to a nurse that was sitting behind the desk at the nurse’s station. “Can you point me to a vending machine, please?”
“Sure,” the nurse replied as she stood up, pointing down the corridor. “Down the hallway, and turn left. There is a machine across from the elevators.”
“Thanks,” Lucy said, smiling gratefully before she turned and headed down the hallway, following the nurse’s directions while keeping her head down.
When she reached the machine, she dug into her pocket for some change and slotted it into the machine before she made her selection.
Just as she reached down to pick up her coffee, a familiar voice spoke from behind her.
“Lucy,” the voice said. “Is that you?”
Lucy stood up and took a deep breath before she turned to come face to face with her past.
“Tucker!” She exclaimed.
Chapter 3
“I can’t believe it’s you,” Tucker said as a broad smile filtered across his face. “How have you been?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Lucy said as she slowly let her eyes meet the eyes that had looked at her with such kindness that night, nine years earlier. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been good,” he smiled, his eyes never leaving Lucy’s. “I was just stopping by to see your dad actually. We are already missing him at the station already.”
“At the station?” Lucy asked, surprised by what Tucker said. “You work with my dad?”
“Yeah,” Tucker replied giving her a strange look. “I’m a deputy. I have been working with the chief for almost four years now. I thought he might have said.”
“No,” Lucy shook her head. “But then he doesn’t really talk about anything to do with this place.”
“I see,” Tucker nodded. “Well, he talks about you all the time. I heard you were doing very well for yourself in New York. You have your own photography studio, and it’s very successful.”
“I don’t know about that,” Lucy shrugged, smiling nervously. “I guess it pays the bills.”
Lucy turned and walked slowly back towards her father’s hospital room, followed closely by Tucker. Neither of them said anything for a moment as Lucy tried to get her head around the fact she was actually there in the hospital, talking to Tucker.
“So, how is the Chief?” He asked as they walked slowly back to Lucy’s dad’s room. “Really.”
“He is awake,” Lucy replied. “The nurse was just in checking his dressings.”
She hesitated before she continued. She wasn’t sure if she should mention what the nurse had said about her father’s hip. She knew her dad was a private man, and she didn’t really know how close he was to Tucker. Would he want him to know the truth?
She glanced up at him, and he was watching her closely, but quickly turned away when her eyes met his. Lucy could feel her face instantly burn with embarrassment.
“It’s not good news, is it?” He finally asked as he stole another glance at her. “About the Chief, I mean.”
“They don’t know if he will make a full recovery,” Lucy replied honestly. “The damage to his hip is quite extensive. They don’t know if he will get back the full power or use of his leg.”
“But this is the Chief they are talking about,” Tucker laughed like the doctors clearly didn’t know who they were dealing with. “It will take more than a bullet to slow him down. You wait and see. He will be right as rain in no time.”
They reached Lucy’s father’s room, as she took a deep breath before she opened the door.
“Look who I found,” Lucy said, as she tried to sound as natural as she could when she stepped through the door into the room.
“Hey Chief,” Tucker said as he stepped into the room behind Lucy. He walked to the bed and shook Tom’s hand. “How are you feeling?”
“It’s just a scratch,” Tom said dismissively, trying to push himself up in the bed, but he winced and slumped back on his pillows. Lucy felt her heart ache. She knew her father hated this. He was a proud man, looking weak or vulnerable was not something he would ever want.
“Hey,” Tucker said as he hurried forward, instantly helping Tom. “We all know you are as tough as old boots Chief, but popping a stitch just to prove it to these nurses, is not a good idea. You need to take it easy; we want you back at the station.”