Keeping You (Destined Love #3)

28. Hannah

CHAPTER 28

Hannah

W hen we walk in the front door, I’m still vibrating with energy after the confrontation with my mother. Seeing Grayson come for me, knowing the type of relationship I have with her and his subtle nod as he leaned against the doorway, gave me a strength I didn’t know I had. I knew in that moment that no matter what happened, Grayson was there and he’d stand by me.

I follow Grayson into the bedroom, where he perches on the edge of the bed and pulls at his tie. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw him for the first time tonight. He’s wearing a suit that fits him perfectly. It’s practically sculpted to his ass the way it clings to it, leaving nothing to the imagination. The way his pants fit his legs, it’s obvious he plays hockey. His white shirt pulled just enough over his chest and stomach for you to know he’s fit without being able to count his abs under it. Six, by the way. He has a very defined six-pack, which I’m currently thinking about licking ice cream off of.

He takes the tie off and tosses it to the chair in the corner before he begins working on the buttons of his shirt. I step between his legs and stop his hands. He looks up at me, a tired look on his face. This man worked a twelve-hour overnight shift and then came home and napped before getting up and going to a party at my mother’s so I didn’t have to go alone. He convinced me to really make the party for us and invite our friends and my dad. A lump forms in my throat.

I take over, slowly making my way down the buttons. I help him slip out of the suit jacket and then his shirt. I kneel on the ground before him and undo his shoes before slipping them off, followed by his socks. I reach for his belt, undoing it before dragging his pants down his legs and leaving them with the rest of his clothes on the chair.

I stand and run my fingers through his hair, and he leans into my touch. I continue scratching at his scalp, and his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me in close as his head rests on my stomach. His content sigh dusts over my stomach.

He looks up at me, resting his chin on my stomach. “I’m proud of you,” he says, and it hits me like a bullet. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear those words. My dad’s said them to me, and I know he means them, but I needed someone else to say them and mean them. The sincerity in Grayson’s eyes tells me just how much he means it.

I tip my head back, trying not to cry and losing the battle. Now Grayson helps me out of my dress. His hands find the zipper at the back and slowly pulls it down. The cool air hitting my newly exposed skin causes goosebumps to erupt. The thin straps on my shoulders slip down my arms, and the dress pools at my feet. I step out of it, and he slips to the floor and deftly undoes the straps of my heels before I step out of them.

He stands and pulls the blankets back and nods at me. I climb in, scooting to the middle, and he follows behind me, pulling me into his chest. His lips brush the top of my head before his fingers run through my hair. We don’t speak. We’re content in the silence and each other’s company, and it hits me like a ton of bricks. This right here, comfortable silence with someone, being able to pull strength from the presence of someone, that’s what I’ve always wanted. That soul-consuming, life-altering love I promised myself I’d search for; I have it.

I’m head over heels, madly in love with my husband. I love Grayson Maxwell.

The stress of the day and the realization have my dams breaking. Tears stream down my face as Grayson holds me tighter, kissing the top of my head. He knows me well enough that he doesn’t push or ask questions, he just lets me feel.

I fall asleep wrapped in the arms of my husband, the one man I never thought I’d fall in love with.

I’m distant with Grayson for the next few days. I don’t know what to do with this new realization. How the hell am I supposed to act? Am I supposed to just blurt the words out and hope he says them back? Do I want him to say them back? My mind is a complete jumble. Luckily, we have our group camping trip this weekend, so I use packing to distract me.

It’s almost a five-hour drive to Osoyoos. We leave mid-morning, so we’re there for the 4 p.m. check-in time. I stare out the window the entire drive. At one point, Grayson’s hand finds my upper thigh and stays there for the rest of the drive. I try hard to hide my grin. I love when he touches me. I think I must be weird, because I think I might prefer his nonsexual touches, the ones that feel like he just can’t survive another second without touching me.

At the campsite, we all set up. Baby Cate is passed around as Liv helps Josh get their tent set up despite his protest that he can do it himself. I walk up to Zoey and take Cate from her, instinctively bouncing as soon as I have her.

I boop her nose and she starts giggling, and I can’t hold back my grin. I watch Grayson walk past me and sit as far as away from me as he can get. It’s like his mood has done a complete one eighty. I continue playing with Cate before handing her back to Liv for her feeding. I make my way over to Grayson, taking a seat next to him.

“You okay?” I ask.

He nods, but I can feel the tension radiating off him.

I rub a hand up his arm. “You can talk to me.”

He looks at me, and his hand covers mine. He stares at our hands, his thumb rubbing gently over mine. “Thanks.” His word come out so low I almost don’t hear it.

We spend the rest of the day between the water and lounging on towels, enjoying the sun. The guys talk sports, and the girls read. We all fit in nicely. Being here with everyone relaxing and taking time away from our jobs to be with each other makes my words to my mom really sink in. I was right. These people here are my chosen family. These are the people I want in my life.

At dinner, we convince the guys to listen to an audiobook like we did during our last trip. I’m surprised Grayson doesn’t make a fuss like he did last year, though. He sits and listens intently to the story. It’s only when everyone around the fire starts yawning do we turn in for the night.

We’re relaxing by the water after lunch when my phone rings, and a number I don’t recognize flashes across my screen. I grab it and step away from the group and answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hannah,” Melanie’s voice comes through. “Please don’t let Grayson know it’s me.” She takes a deep breath, and worry fills me. My head swings around, making sure no one followed me or is nearby.

“Is everything okay?”

“No.” Her voice cracks. “I need your help. I’m going to call Grayson as soon as I get off the phone with you, but I need someone to be with him when I call him. He’s going to need you.” She releases a long breath that holds so much pain and worry. “Randy’s in the hospital. He had a heart attack, they think. Grayson’s going to want to come here as soon as we get off the phone, and I know there’s no stopping him. He’s stubborn, I know. But can you please come with him?”

I hold back a sob. I barely know Melanie and Randy, but in the week we spent with them, they completely embraced me and pulled me into the family. Him being in the hospital is terrifying.

“Yeah, of course. There’s nowhere else I’d be.” I tip my head back and think. “Is the hospital in Willow Creek?”

“No, it’s about twenty minutes west in West Bridgejaw.”

“Okay, we’re about an hour and a half away. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Thanks, Honey. We’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

I hang up and give myself thirty seconds to gather myself. I make a beeline to Caleb. I watch Grayson as his phone rings, and I know I don’t have much time. I crouch beside Caleb.

“Can you guys take our stuff home with you? We’ll grab our bags and as much as we can quickly, but we’ve got to go right away.”

Caleb is immediately on alert but nods. “Yeah, of course. What’s wrong?”

It takes everything in me to hold back my sob. “It’s Grayson’s dad.”

That’s all Caleb needs before he’s up and out of his chair. He makes his way to our tent and is helping pack what he can get his hands on and throwing stuff in the car.

I make my way over to Grayson and see the pain written all over his face as he talks to his mom. I stop in front of him and watch as tears gather in his eyes.

“Yeah, we’re on our way,” he says and hangs up.

“Han.” He doesn’t even get my full name out before he’s wrapping his arms around me, and I’m holding him back just as tight. We hold each other for a minute before I pull back and grab his face.

“He’s going to be okay. We’re gonna get in the car, and we’re gonna drive to the hospital, and we’re gonna see him, and it’s all going to be okay.”

We both turn towards the tent and everyone is up and helping grab everything that we have laid around the campsite. They’ve taken our bags out of the tent and loaded them in the car, and Bailey is packing snacks in the front seat for us. We make our way to the car and hug our friends, thanking them for the help. Caleb confirms he’ll take the tent with him, and we load up. I offer to drive, but Grayson shakes his head, saying it will help keep him calm. He holds my hand tight the entire drive. Neither of us are able to eat the food they left us, our stomachs both in knots as we worry about Randy.

A highway sign comes into view.

West Bridgejaw 5 km

Grayson’s grip on my hand tightens as he takes the exit and navigates the streets towards the hospital. He parks, and we quickly make our way inside, following the directions Melanie gave Grayson over the phone. When we exit the elevator on the third floor, we hang a right and see Chloe and Melanie sitting side-by-side in the waiting room. Chloe is the first to spot us, and she rushes out of her chair towards Grayson. He catches her, and she cries into his shoulder.

Melanie hugs me and thanks me for coming. When Grayson lets go of Chloe, he hugs his mom and Chloe comes to me, wrapping her arms around me.

“Thank you for coming. I don’t know how Grayson is going to do with being a visitor in a hospital again. Having you here is what he needs.” Her words have me confused, but I know now is not the time to be asking questions.

“I wouldn’t let him make the drive alone,” I say.

“The doctors were in with him and said they’d come get us soon,” Melanie says as we settle in chairs in the waiting room. Being in a hospital for anything other than work is weird. I’m not running around and checking on patients or worried about pages.

“Do you guys need anything? Coffee? Tea? A snack?” I ask.

They shake their heads, and I make my way to the nurses’ desk. There’s someone sitting at a computer inputting information, and when she’s done, she looks up and smiles at me.

“Hi, I’m here to see my father-in-law, Randall Maxwell. I understand the doctors are in with him now, but I’m a nurse out in Vancouver and I was wondering if you could give me any information regarding his status to be prepared.”

She looks back at the computer and types something in before smiling back at me.

“He’s currently in stable condition. We’ve administered morphine for his pain. His EKG and ECG were good, and his cardiac panel is clear. His BNP and D-dimer were fine, so we don’t suspect a new heart condition, likely some lifestyle changes should be the only thing that needs to change. We’re going to continue monitoring him for twenty-four hours.”

I nod. “His blood pressure is good? Was he conscious?”

“One fifteen over seventy-nine, and he was awake when the doctor went in.”

I nod again, feeling better now that I have more information. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

I leave the nurse’s station and head back to the waiting room. Grayson looks up as I join them, and the pain written all over his face has me nearly buckling at the knees. I sit beside him and immediately take his hand and give it a squeeze.

“He’s conscious, and his EKG and ECG were clear, and his cardiac panel came back good, too. They don’t suspect a heart condition.”

Grayson relaxes back in his chair and runs his free hand over his face. I watch some of the worry fade.

“They told you all that?” he asks.

“I just told them that I’m a nurse in Vancouver and here to see my father-in-law. She looked up his file. Nurses stick together. I knew that we’d both feel better with any information they’d give us, so I needed to try.”

He leans forward and whispers, “Thank you,” across my forehead before pressing his lips there. He holds them there as he wraps his arms around me, and I lean into him, lending him whatever extra strength I can. He pulls his lips away and leans his head on top of mine.

“Randall Maxwell,” the doctor calls, and we all stand at once.

“Yes,” Grayson says.

The doctor holds his hand out for Grayson and they shake. “My name is Dr. Ritter. I’ve been looking after your father since his admittance to the ER. We’ve run all the tests, and he seems to be doing okay for now. I’d like to keep him for twenty-four hours for observation, and then we’ll release him. He’ll need to make some lifestyle changes, fewer fats, leaner meats, and more exercise. He’s in room 3315. You guys can go visit for a bit before visiting hours end.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Melanie says and leads us all down the same hallway the doctor walked out of.

When we get to Randy’s room, Melanie pushes open the door and gasps lightly before she rushes to his bedside. He’s in a hospital bed and gown attached to all the normal monitors. He has an IV in his left hand dispensing saline to help keep him hydrated.

Randy looks confused when Grayson and I walk in behind Melanie and Chloe. “Mel, you didn’t have to call them.”

“Yeah, she did, Dad. You had a heart attack,” Grayson says.

Randy waves his free hand in front of him. “I’m fine.”

Grayson grips the rail at the foot of the bed and ducks his head between his shoulders, taking a few deep breaths before he looks back at his dad. “No, Dad, you’re not fine. A heart attack is serious. I’m just glad that I was only an hour and a half away. I’m not sure I could have taken it if we were back in Vancouver. You need to take care of yourself. You’re going to need to change your diet and start exercising. We can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”

Grayson is using all of his strength to keep it together. I see the way his muscles shake as he grips the rail. His eyes are full of torment. There’s a knock at the door, and a nurse enters with a tray.

“Good evening, Mr. Maxwell. I have your dinner here.” She places the tray on the rolling table and moves it closer to him, removing the cover for him. It’s a stereotypical cardiac care unit meal. Chicken breast, brown rice, and cooked bell peppers and green beans.

“Thank you,” I say before the nurse leaves us.

Grayson’s stomach growls, and I realize it’s been a while since we’ve eaten. I reach into my purse and grab a protein bar and hand it to him. He shakes his head.

I position myself so he has to make eye contact with me. “Please. For me.”

He takes the bar from me and unwraps it and takes a bite. I smile at him and settle at his side, running my fingers through his hair.

“Randy, you’ve got to eat,” I say.

He grumbles but starts to cut his chicken breast.

“We’ll stay with you guys for bit to get Randy settled and work to get a good diet going for him,” I say.

Grayson stares at me.

“Oh, we can’t ask you guys to do that. What about work?” Melanie asks.

“I’ll call the hospital. We’re staying. It’s not up for discussion,” I say.

Melanie wipes at a few tears and gives me a warm smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” I turn to Grayson. “I’m just going to step out and call the hospital and get us the next week off. We can decide later if we need more time.” I kiss his cheek and leave the room before heading outside and calling the hospital. I’m able to get both of us the week off with little fuss for a family emergency and then call Liz. I settle on a bench as the phone rings.

“Hey,” she answers.

“Hey,” I say before breaking down in tears. My chest heaves as all the stress and worry from the last few hours pours out of me. Not only from hearing about Randy but watching the pain Grayson was going through. Watching him in that pain was pure torture, because I could do absolutely nothing for him. I felt so useless when I’m so used to having some control. Not being able to do anything for him was probably the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.

When my sobs subside and I gather myself enough to talk, I say, “He’s okay. They’re gonna keep him for twenty-four hours, and we’re gonna stay for at least a week to make sure that he gets settled at home. We’ll be back before Caleb and Bailey’s wedding for sure.”

“Okay. How are you?” she asks, concern filling her voice.

“I’m okay. I felt so useless watching the pain that Grayson experienced. I couldn’t do anything for him.”

“Oh, babe. You’re doing everything for him. Being there right now is what he needs. He needs you.”

I release a breath slowly as my brain slowly catches up to my feelings. “I love him,” I whisper.

“I know.” That’s all she says, but Liz has always been observant. I guess I’m not surprised she knew before I did.

“I don’t know what to do. This is the worst possible timing, and I know he’s keeping something from me.”

“Han, you know exactly what to do, but for now, just go be with your family. The rest of it will fall into place.”

I nod even though she can’t see me. “Thanks,” I say.

“Any time. I’ll update everyone else that his dad is okay, so don’t worry about that. Call if you need anything at all.”

“I will. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I hang up and sit on the bench for a few more minutes before I head back inside and join my family.