After that, I tried to call Jackson, but got his voicemail and the same for the vet clinic. In a pinch, I left a message with Shay, letting her know I had to leave for a personal emergency and would call with an update as soon as I had one.
I hopped in my truck and hightailed it up to the hospital where Dave was. I suppose I was in shock. Because I had to, I kept my focus with my eyes trained on the road. I was disappointed Jade hadn’t called yet when I got there, but I figured she was at work. The moment I walked into the hospital and encountered Dave’s mother crying silently in the waiting area outside his room, I forgot everything else.
It was dark outside, and Dave’s hospital room was cast in shadow. The doctor had told us he was brain dead. I’d demanded they show us the scans. Without the machine breathing for him, he would already be gone from us. Dave’s parents had fallen asleep outside in the waiting room and Steve had gone home for the night, reporting he would be back in the morning.
I stared down at Dave, wishing the rhythmic sound of the machine keeping him alive wasn’t so loud. It was an ever-present reminder that he was already slipping away. I reached for his hand, curling mine over it. In a way, I was seeking his comfort rather than the other way around.
“What the hell, dude?” I asked. I tried to inject humor in my voice because that was the kind of friendship we had. When things were hard, we gave each other hell.
My chest was tight and sadness rolled through me. I couldn’t believe a heart attack had felled this man who’d been strong and healthy, or so it seemed. And now, a stroke came along. Apparently, strokes weren’t that uncommon after cardiac surgery.
“I’m gonna fucking miss you.”
I released his hand and balled mine in fists. Resting them on the edge of the bed, I bowed my head. Dave and I hadn’t seen each other much in the last few years just because of life. Mine took me in one direction, while his took him in another.
Yet, he’d remained one of those friends for me. You know? The ones you can call no matter what. No matter how long it’s been since you’ve talked, it still feels as if you’re just picking up from the last conversation. There was never any guilt trip about how come you hadn’t called. Our friendship was that solid.
I’d meant to call him anyway to check on how he was doing. I’d also wanted more advice. He and I had spoken regularly since his wedding.
His words from a conversation only days ago echoed through my thoughts. “It doesn’t make sense until it happens. Love, that is. But when it does, you’ll know it. Seems to me that might be what’s happened with Jade. I bet on it with Jenny.”
He’d offered that last part up with a chuckle.
“How much did you bet?” I’d asked, trying to keep my tone light.
“A hundred bucks and dinner at her favorite restaurant.”
“What did Jenny think?”
I could still hear Dave’s laugh through the phone line now.
“Well, that was the catch. She agreed with me. She wasn’t as convinced as I was that Jade was already falling for you. But she was all on board that you were falling for Jade. In fact, she said, leave it to Walker to fall for a woman who makes him work for it. Don’t waste time.”
Those were the last three words Dave said to me before he said goodbye.
At the sound of the door to his hospital room opening, I lifted my head to see Jenny. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks splotchy.
I stepped away from the bed, turning to face her as she came around the end. “I’d ask how you’re doing, but…”
She nodded, sniffling a little and dabbing at her nose with a tissue that had seen better days. “It’s okay. Actually, it’s not. Not even a little. But, I’ll take what little time I’ve had with him and count it as the blessing it will always be. I know so many people who tell me they never fell in love. I got the real deal. Just not for very long.”
She cocked her head to the side, her eyes holding mine, her gaze steady and clear. With every beat of my heart, I ached for her and Dave.
“Dave mentioned you called for some advice about Jade the other day.”
I nodded. “Why do you mention that?”
“Because you’re a good man, Walker. I hope you follow his advice.”
“I will,” I replied, my throat tight.
The door opened again, and Dave’s parents entered, followed by his brother and the medical team. When I saw the priest filing in behind the others, my heart seized for a minute.
Dave had never been the most devout guy, but he’d been raised Catholic. The hours ticked by, and I could hardly focus on anything except one moment at a time. Dave’s mother had second thoughts about taking him off life support, so that was a thing to process.
I was surprised Jenny was so steadfast. However, she was a nurse and told me she knew what those brain scans meant. He was brain dead. Dave had a living will, something he’d set up years back. Although I hated, absolutely hated, that he was dying, I knew him. He would not want to live out an indefinite existence hooked up to a machine.
Meanwhile, I didn’t even think about anything else, much less where my phone was.
Chapter Thirty-One
Jade
“Oops!”
I looked over to see Rylie had taken about four steps after coming through the front door. She was frozen in place and was presently looking down at the muddy footprints she’d left behind her.
Her wide eyes whipped to mine. “What do I do?”
“Stay right there,” I said as I wiped my hands on my apron and hurried from the kitchen into the living room.
I grabbed the rubber shoe tray by the door and set it beside Riley. She put her muddy boots in there and scampered down the hallway to change. I glanced over at the clock above the sink in the kitchen. Lucas and Valentina wouldn’t be home from work for several hours.
After returning the shoe tray to its place by the door, I walked back into the kitchen just as Rylie came out from the hallway. “Should we clean it up?” she called as she looked down at her muddy boot prints.
“We’ll wait until it dries and then vacuum it up.”
“But I want it to be clean before Valentine and Dad get home.”
I looked into my niece’s earnest face and smiled. “I know. We’ve got plenty of time.”
Rylie gave a last look at the mud and skipped into the kitchen. “What are we making?” she asked when she stepped onto the small stool Lucas had gotten just for her in the kitchen.
She liked to cook with Valentina, and they often did projects together, just like she did with me when I was babysitting.
I pointed to the two eggs on the counter beside a bowl of flour. “You can crack those eggs into the bowl. We’re making peanut butter cookies.”
I was relieved Valentina had called me in a pinch. She often worked from home, but Shay needed her on short notice for help with an ordering problem. I’d needed something to do. After the other night with Walker and those sleepy sensual moments the following morning, my heart felt full to bursting. Feathering along the edges of my thoughts had been the idea that maybe, just maybe, I could relax and have faith in Walker.
Then, I’d gotten that cryptic text from him. I’d tried calling and texting. And got nothing. We were on day two now, and I still hadn’t heard anything from him.