Ties That Bind by Marie Bostwick Page A

water.
    I’d only just met Paul, but his decision to move for the sake of his son and ex-wife said a lot about his character.
    â€œSay, I’m hosting a little New Year’s Eve party for the junior high youth group. Seven o’clock. We’ll have pizza, games, even set off a few fireworks. Do you think James would like to come? Tell him it’ll be my first time meeting the kids too.”
    â€œThat’s nice of you, but … I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk him into it. He’s been kind of a pain since the move.”
    â€œTell him about Clementine. No twelve-year-old boy is going to pass up the chance to meet a dog the size of a horse.”
    â€œYou know, that might just do the trick. I’ll give it a try.”
    He grinned, which made him almost handsome, but maybe that was just his personality. He seemed like a sweet guy. He said he’d been divorced for six years. I wondered why he was still single. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who was wondering about him. Jeannine Baskins and Andrea Rizolli were standing together in the corner, whispering and casting furtive glances in our direction.
    â€œWell,” I said, looking at my watch. “We’d better get back to it. Nice chatting with you, Paul.”
    â€œThanks. Me too,” he said as the group started moving back toward the circle of chairs. “I’ll see you Friday.”
    â€œFriday?”
    â€œWhen I drop James off for the party?”
    â€œOh, right. Drop him off at eight.” I nodded quickly, feeling stupid. “And you can pick him up just after midnight.”
    Â 
    By the time I stowed the folding chairs, wrapped up the leftover cookies, washed out the coffeepot, turned off the lights, locked up, and drove to the hospital, it was almost nine o’clock. At that hour, the hospital corridors were nearly empty, but as I hustled down the hallway, I heard the sound of familiar voices and tears, tears that turned to sobs. Fighting back a sensation of sickness tinged with panic, I quickened my pace. It couldn’t be Olivia, could it? Only four hours had passed since I’d left, and everything had seemed fine then. Olivia was a fighter, just like Trina said.
    The sound of my steps rang off the linoleum floors and in my ears, mixing with the sound of sobbing that grew louder as I approached the end of the hall, rounded the corner, and entered the waiting room.
    My heart sank, seeing exactly what I had most feared—Dr. Bledsoe, looking exhausted and at a loss as he watched the Matthews family crying and clinging to one another like shipwrecked mariners hanging on to rocky cliffs in a stormy sea, hanging on for the hope of life and the fear of death.
    â€œWhat happened?” I asked quietly, addressing the doctor.
    Margot answered for him, lifting her head from her father’s shoulder, her nose red and running, her eyes shimmering with tears. “She’s awake! She’s going to live!”

16
Margot
    T he doctor cleared his throat and said, “I’m not trying to rush things, but I’ve got an aneurysm that I need to check on.”
    Dr. Bledsoe could learn a few things about bedside manner, beginning with his tendency to refer to patients as ailments, but he saved Olivia’s life, so I was willing to overlook that.
    â€œYes, of course. We’re just so happy,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes. “Thank you so much. I just …I wish I had words—”
    He held up one hand, cutting me off. His face was grim. “Don’t thank me yet. This is a very encouraging development, but we’re still not out of the woods.”
    My mother clutched my hand so hard I could feel her nails digging into my palm. “But … you said Olivia is going to live.”
    The doctor shook his head. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to imply anything else. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Olivia will live. When I first examined her, I