The Coast is Clear (Breakaway Shores #1)

Zander

More

She was awake. Thank goodness. I’d spent the last thirty-six hours terrified of what life would look like if she didn’t.

But she was up and talking and currently resting against my chest. I held her tight to me and let out a breath before answering her question. The fear in the boys’ eyes was something I’d never forget. “They were. Very scared. But I didn’t leave them; I held them the entire time and made sure that they didn’t see you or Luke get put into the ambulance.”

Izzy sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. “Thank you. They love you.” Her words warmed my heart, and I knew that it was true. I knew that I loved them so much. They were the best little buddies I could ever dream of having in my life. “I’m sorry,” Izzy whispered into my skin.

I squeezed my arm around her back, placing my other hand on the side of her face. “You freaked out, it’s okay.”

Izzy moved away from me, pulling her head up. “I was freaking out. I felt like I could see you starting this life with us, moving in together, and then getting bored. I just knew that it would be even more heart-wrenching for the boys and for me if you left then.” Tears slid down her cheeks.

I wiped away a new tear and smiled at her. “I know. I understand the fear. But I’m not going anywhere. We will make these decisions together about everything, okay?” I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you more,” I said, and she tensed up.

Izzy’s eyes were wide. “What did you just say?”

“I love you more.” I wasn’t sure what was going on. Why she was responding that way.

She wiped at her eyes. “Jack always said that to me.” My heart stilled for a moment, and the air in the room changed. It never felt strange or uncomfortable to have her bring him up. And this, this moment, felt like the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up straight. But not because I was scared but because it almost felt like Jack was here. “He would always say that. Did you know?”

“How would I have known that?” I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

We melted into each other and stayed like that for a few moments. It felt so good to hold her, to tell her I loved her again. Knowing that she’d be okay. The door squeaked open, and the nurse who had been here all morning came in, stopping in the doorway when she saw us. “You’re awake,” she said with a pleasant tone, and then she said, “You should have told us the moment it happened.”

I smiled at her, feeling like I was being scolded, probably because I was. “Sorry.”

Izzy let out a deep breath and leaned back in her bed. “Can I see my brother now?”

The nurse tapped on the computer in the corner of the room and flashed Izzy a smile. “After the doctor looks you over.”

I laid another kiss on Izzy’s head before saying, “I’m going to call my mom, okay?”

Her eyes widened, and I knew that’s what she needed. To see her boys.

Izzy was glowing. Christian and Kingston were sitting around her, one of them on either side. Kingston had his arms around her neck, and Christian was twisting her hair in his hands. “Mommy, can we see Uncle Luke now?”

They had been ecstatic to see her. While they’d been distracted enough by my mom, they were weepy last night when I put them to bed. Everything felt better now, I mean, not everything. The doctor told us that Luke was being checked on and that they would bring Izzy to him. “I’m going to go check in with my mom, okay? She was on the phone when she brought the boys in.”

Izzy smiled and gave me a nod. I stepped out of the room and moved through the hallway, taking two quick turns before pressing the release button on the big double doors. My mom sat in the waiting room, chatting with the young woman she was sitting next to. Typical mom. She found a friend or made a new one wherever she was.

I sat down in the open seat across from her, and she smiled. “Oh dear, this is my son. , this is Claire. She is here waiting on her dad.”

“Nice to meet you,” I nodded, and the woman said her goodbyes.

My mother picked up her black purse, which she’s had for at least a decade, and came to sit next to me. “How is your girl?”

“She’s good. Happy to see the boys.” I let out a breath of relief, the stress of the last day and a half hitting me hard.

“Those are two sweet boys.” She smiled, putting her hand on my forearm. “Well, let me head back to the house and clean up. Or do you want me to just wait for them, to take them back?”

I put my hand on top of hers. “I can bring them back. I’m sure she’ll want them here for a bit.” I angled my body toward her. “Thank you so much for helping. I know you said it was just a random trip, and mostly to see Dee, but it was seriously perfectly timed.”

“Something told me to come check in on my boy. I wasn’t going to ignore that,” Mom said with a smile, and she pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Call me, okay?”

“I will.” I watched her leave the waiting room, heading down the hallway that would lead her to the parking garage. I took a moment, put my head in my hands, and let the tension roll off my shoulders.

“?” The nurse’s familiar voice broke me out of my moment of solitude, and I looked up, forcing a smile on my face.

“Yeah?”

She put her hands in the square pockets on her dark blue scrub top. “The doctor was going to take Izzy over to see her brother. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to come or not.”

I stood, “I’m coming.” I followed her back toward Izzy’s room, knowing that I was always going to be where Izzy was.