The Drake Unwound Complete Collection Book 9 by S. E. Lund
Authors: S. E. Lund
Tags: The Drake 9
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my arms, needing at that moment to feel her warmth and her sympathy and love. I pressed my face into her neck and squeezed her. She ran her hands up my back, rubbing my shoulders to comfort me. I fought to regain control over myself.
"I'm so sorry," Kate whispered, and that made me even more emotional. I breathed in deeply, swallowing back my emotions. I pulled back and kissed her briefly.
"Thank you for being here." I ended the embrace and slid my hand down her arm, clasping her hand in mine, our fingers entwining. I wiped my eyes briefly and turned to Maureen.
"Call me when the arrangements are made," I said to her. "I'll come whenever his doctors need me."
Maureen nodded and I was so glad to leave the two of them, not wanting to break down in front of anyone. We went to the elevator and I pushed the button, waiting in silence because I was afraid my voice would falter if I spoke.
Once the elevator doors closed, I leaned against the wall and pulled Kate into my arms for the short ride down to the lobby.
"Christ, what a day…" I said and ran my hand over her hair as she leaned against me. "I'm so glad you were here with me. I don't know what I'd do if I were alone through this."
"What a shock for you," Kate said, squeezing me back. "To find out you have a son and that he's sick."
"At least he has a good father."
She glanced up at me. "I hope so. He was rather rude to me."
I frowned, anger welling up in me. "What do you mean?"
"He made comments that were suggestive. About you and about me."
I shook my head in disgust, wanting to go back up to the ward and give Chris a piece of my mind, but I knew that would be a waste of time. "I can't imagine what Maureen told him about me. Probably thinks I'm Hannibal Lecter."
"He only knows Maureen's side of the story, Drake."
I sighed and released Kate when the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened. "I was a dick, Kate," I said, taking her hand as we left the elevator and walked through the lobby to the street. "I freely admit that. She had every right to divorce me. I was an absent husband."
"You did as well as you knew how at the time," she said softly, always sensitive and forgiving.
"I promise I won't be absent with you," I said and squeezed her hand. "I've learned about myself and about relationships since then. I don't want to be that man anymore."
"You aren't."
I smiled at her, touched by her generosity. "Sweet sweet Ms. Bennet," I said and brushed my fingers over her lips. "How lucky I am to have found you."
We embraced once more and went out into a cold Manhattan winter's night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We drove down the snowy streets in silence. Kate took my hand and said nothing, as if she was waiting until I felt like talking. At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to go back to my apartment in Chelsea. Instead, I wanted to go to 8 th Avenue. My apartment in Chelsea was pre-Kate. It was sterile. It was nothing like the man I wanted to be.
"You want to go to 8 th Avenue?" Kate said beside me when she noticed our route.
I nodded but didn't say anything for a moment, trying to sort through my emotions.
"I think of 8 th Avenue as our place," I said finally. "My apartment is me as I was before you. I'm different now. Frankly, I'd like to sell it and for us to move into 8 th Avenue or get our own place when we come back from Africa."
"Will you still be able to go? I mean, with the transplant…"
I shook my head. "I'll contact the head of the Neurosurgery program and let him know what's up. I may not be a match, but if I am, the procedures will take about four weeks. I'll have to cancel my slate, have someone else do my surgeries, but we can still go once I know Liam's OK, if I am a match. I wouldn’t start teaching until March anyway." I pulled into a park and lock parking garage and found a spot. When I got out, I opened the door for Kate and took her arm and we walked down the stairs to the ground level.
"I hope to hell that
"I'm so sorry," Kate whispered, and that made me even more emotional. I breathed in deeply, swallowing back my emotions. I pulled back and kissed her briefly.
"Thank you for being here." I ended the embrace and slid my hand down her arm, clasping her hand in mine, our fingers entwining. I wiped my eyes briefly and turned to Maureen.
"Call me when the arrangements are made," I said to her. "I'll come whenever his doctors need me."
Maureen nodded and I was so glad to leave the two of them, not wanting to break down in front of anyone. We went to the elevator and I pushed the button, waiting in silence because I was afraid my voice would falter if I spoke.
Once the elevator doors closed, I leaned against the wall and pulled Kate into my arms for the short ride down to the lobby.
"Christ, what a day…" I said and ran my hand over her hair as she leaned against me. "I'm so glad you were here with me. I don't know what I'd do if I were alone through this."
"What a shock for you," Kate said, squeezing me back. "To find out you have a son and that he's sick."
"At least he has a good father."
She glanced up at me. "I hope so. He was rather rude to me."
I frowned, anger welling up in me. "What do you mean?"
"He made comments that were suggestive. About you and about me."
I shook my head in disgust, wanting to go back up to the ward and give Chris a piece of my mind, but I knew that would be a waste of time. "I can't imagine what Maureen told him about me. Probably thinks I'm Hannibal Lecter."
"He only knows Maureen's side of the story, Drake."
I sighed and released Kate when the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened. "I was a dick, Kate," I said, taking her hand as we left the elevator and walked through the lobby to the street. "I freely admit that. She had every right to divorce me. I was an absent husband."
"You did as well as you knew how at the time," she said softly, always sensitive and forgiving.
"I promise I won't be absent with you," I said and squeezed her hand. "I've learned about myself and about relationships since then. I don't want to be that man anymore."
"You aren't."
I smiled at her, touched by her generosity. "Sweet sweet Ms. Bennet," I said and brushed my fingers over her lips. "How lucky I am to have found you."
We embraced once more and went out into a cold Manhattan winter's night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We drove down the snowy streets in silence. Kate took my hand and said nothing, as if she was waiting until I felt like talking. At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to go back to my apartment in Chelsea. Instead, I wanted to go to 8 th Avenue. My apartment in Chelsea was pre-Kate. It was sterile. It was nothing like the man I wanted to be.
"You want to go to 8 th Avenue?" Kate said beside me when she noticed our route.
I nodded but didn't say anything for a moment, trying to sort through my emotions.
"I think of 8 th Avenue as our place," I said finally. "My apartment is me as I was before you. I'm different now. Frankly, I'd like to sell it and for us to move into 8 th Avenue or get our own place when we come back from Africa."
"Will you still be able to go? I mean, with the transplant…"
I shook my head. "I'll contact the head of the Neurosurgery program and let him know what's up. I may not be a match, but if I am, the procedures will take about four weeks. I'll have to cancel my slate, have someone else do my surgeries, but we can still go once I know Liam's OK, if I am a match. I wouldn’t start teaching until March anyway." I pulled into a park and lock parking garage and found a spot. When I got out, I opened the door for Kate and took her arm and we walked down the stairs to the ground level.
"I hope to hell that
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