discomfort in her hand.
“I’m not squeezing too hard, am I?” he asked. She shook her head. “Good.” He laid his other hand on her arm. “How’re you feeling? Queasy or anything?”
“No, Patrick, I’m fine.” She moaned. “Stop worrying so much.”
“Sorry,” he murmured as the nurse returned. Kelsey’s room was ready and Patrick helped her rise. When she started to argue, he leaned closer. “Just let me help you.”
Kelsey nodded as he put an arm around her waist and they followed the nurse to the room.
“You don’t have to do all of this, you know,” Kelsey said as Patrick helped her sit on the bed when they were alone again. She was trying to read his expression as he regarded her. “Why’d you do it anyway?”
“Do what?”
“Go to the trouble of getting this room? I could’ve waited like everyone else.”
“Two reasons,” he said. “One, I know your privacy means a lot to you, and can you imagine the talk if we’d been seen in the ER waiting room together?” He gasped and held his hand up to his mouth, feigning shock, which made her giggle. He tried to suppress a smile as he continued, “Two, the faster you’re stitched up, the sooner we can get back to work, which makes everyone else happy—especially Andy.”
She nodded regally. “Well then, I guess I owe you a big thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned closer, almost touching his nose to hers. Her cheeks warmed and he took a deep, quiet breath as he stepped back. “Now, are you calm enough to talk?” he asked. She pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly before nodding once. “Why’d you let him leave so easily?”
She shrugged and focused on the wall, gently rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. When she turned to him, their eyes met and Kelsey lost herself. She suddenly felt compelled to tell him almost anything. She hadn’t wanted to be so open with anyone since she was dating Tim, and the idea of it terrified her.
“It’s complicated,” she said as she shook her head. “And it’s personal.”
Patrick placed his hands on his hips, tipped his head back, and let out a soft growl.
“Are you angry with me?” Kelsey asked softly. The thought that he might be gripped her heart and squeezed.
He looked at her and shook his head. “No, I’m just frustrated with the whole situation.” He sat beside her on the bed. “I know how important your privacy is to you.” He waved to their surroundings. “I won’t tell anyone else anything that’s happened today, Kelsey. You must know that at least.”
She nodded her head and looked at her lap, feeling a slight twinge of guilt. He’d gone to the trouble of arranging a private room so no one else would see them. He’d not said anything to anyone on set about Richard. He certainly had earned her trust, and still she was afraid to give it to him.
“I want to help,” he said.
“You can’t help,” Kelsey said, suddenly feeling the weight of Richard’s problems on her shoulders.
“Then at least help me understand.” Patrick lightly lifted her chin so she was staring into his eyes.
What she saw there surprised her. There was a depth of concern and care that she’d only ever seen in her father’s and Janelle’s eyes. This look surpassed any she’d ever gotten from Tim. She wasn’t sure what to think of it, but knew that, without a doubt, she could trust Patrick.
What had he asked her again?
It took effort to focus. “I had to let him go. I didn’t have a choice.” Her shoulders drooped and he released her chin. “It would’ve caused more problems at home. I’m sure no one there knows he was here, so I can pretend it never happened.”
“Problems?” A scowl briefly crossed his face. “With your sister?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Janelle may’ve been unhappy with me, but she’s familiar with his drinking, his gambling, and his temper. With that combination, she’d have understood.”
“Then who? His family?”
“I’m not squeezing too hard, am I?” he asked. She shook her head. “Good.” He laid his other hand on her arm. “How’re you feeling? Queasy or anything?”
“No, Patrick, I’m fine.” She moaned. “Stop worrying so much.”
“Sorry,” he murmured as the nurse returned. Kelsey’s room was ready and Patrick helped her rise. When she started to argue, he leaned closer. “Just let me help you.”
Kelsey nodded as he put an arm around her waist and they followed the nurse to the room.
“You don’t have to do all of this, you know,” Kelsey said as Patrick helped her sit on the bed when they were alone again. She was trying to read his expression as he regarded her. “Why’d you do it anyway?”
“Do what?”
“Go to the trouble of getting this room? I could’ve waited like everyone else.”
“Two reasons,” he said. “One, I know your privacy means a lot to you, and can you imagine the talk if we’d been seen in the ER waiting room together?” He gasped and held his hand up to his mouth, feigning shock, which made her giggle. He tried to suppress a smile as he continued, “Two, the faster you’re stitched up, the sooner we can get back to work, which makes everyone else happy—especially Andy.”
She nodded regally. “Well then, I guess I owe you a big thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned closer, almost touching his nose to hers. Her cheeks warmed and he took a deep, quiet breath as he stepped back. “Now, are you calm enough to talk?” he asked. She pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly before nodding once. “Why’d you let him leave so easily?”
She shrugged and focused on the wall, gently rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. When she turned to him, their eyes met and Kelsey lost herself. She suddenly felt compelled to tell him almost anything. She hadn’t wanted to be so open with anyone since she was dating Tim, and the idea of it terrified her.
“It’s complicated,” she said as she shook her head. “And it’s personal.”
Patrick placed his hands on his hips, tipped his head back, and let out a soft growl.
“Are you angry with me?” Kelsey asked softly. The thought that he might be gripped her heart and squeezed.
He looked at her and shook his head. “No, I’m just frustrated with the whole situation.” He sat beside her on the bed. “I know how important your privacy is to you.” He waved to their surroundings. “I won’t tell anyone else anything that’s happened today, Kelsey. You must know that at least.”
She nodded her head and looked at her lap, feeling a slight twinge of guilt. He’d gone to the trouble of arranging a private room so no one else would see them. He’d not said anything to anyone on set about Richard. He certainly had earned her trust, and still she was afraid to give it to him.
“I want to help,” he said.
“You can’t help,” Kelsey said, suddenly feeling the weight of Richard’s problems on her shoulders.
“Then at least help me understand.” Patrick lightly lifted her chin so she was staring into his eyes.
What she saw there surprised her. There was a depth of concern and care that she’d only ever seen in her father’s and Janelle’s eyes. This look surpassed any she’d ever gotten from Tim. She wasn’t sure what to think of it, but knew that, without a doubt, she could trust Patrick.
What had he asked her again?
It took effort to focus. “I had to let him go. I didn’t have a choice.” Her shoulders drooped and he released her chin. “It would’ve caused more problems at home. I’m sure no one there knows he was here, so I can pretend it never happened.”
“Problems?” A scowl briefly crossed his face. “With your sister?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Janelle may’ve been unhappy with me, but she’s familiar with his drinking, his gambling, and his temper. With that combination, she’d have understood.”
“Then who? His family?”
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