A Family Under the Christmas Tree (24 page)

He'd vowed he'd never risk his heart or be this vulnerable to anyone. But he'd never been this raw, this exposed in his life. He needed to lock his emotions down and refocus his energy on keeping Troy safe and his business thriving. He couldn't make room for anything else. Anyone else.

S
ophie sat on a hardback chair in the ER waiting area and stared at David in confusion and hurt. When she'd finally reached his side with his shoes in hand, she was sure she'd seen relief in his eyes at her arrival. But then the next second he'd withdrawn, shut down, locked her out.

Now he had his hands jammed into the pockets of his coat, his head bowed. He paced the length of the emergency room lobby as they waited for the doctors to give them an update on Troy.

Her heart beat too fast in her chest and she struggled to regulate her breathing. The frantic drive to the hospital had stretched her already overburdened nerves. She'd wanted to run red lights to keep up with the ambulance but had forced herself to remain in possession of her judgment.

It wouldn't have helped if she'd caused an accident. It was bad enough that Troy had fallen on the ice, hitting his head.
From the looks of it, he'd split open his scalp. She'd seen her brothers' head wounds growing up and knew that the scalp bled easily. There was no way to tell by the amount of blood on the ice how bad the cut was. But that wasn't what worried her. The fact that he'd lost consciousness was what had her stomach in knots.

At the very least, he'd have a concussion, but it could be worse. She'd prayed the whole way to the hospital for Troy to wake up and that there'd be no lasting damage.

“Sophie? David?”

Grandma and Simon approached. Simon had a steadying arm around Grandma's waist as she hobbled in on her booted foot.

Sophie jumped up to rush into her grandma's waiting arms. She'd called Grandma the second she'd parked in the hospital parking garage. Thankfully, Grandma and Simon had been headed home from the craft fair.

“How is Troy?” Grandma hugged her tightly.

Simon patted her back. The tender gesture brought tears to Sophie's eyes.

“We don't know yet.” Sophie stepped back, trying to gather her control. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” Grandma eased herself onto a chair. “Tell me what happened.”

Sophie sank down beside Grandma and told her and Simon about their day at the skating rink. “I should have anticipated he wouldn't cooperate.”

“He's not your responsibility,” David said in a low tone as he halted in front of them. “
I
should have known.
I
should have handled the situation differently. This is
my
fault.”

Sophie's heart thudded with a dull ache. David blamed himself. “Oh, David.”

“No one is to blame,” Grandma cut in crisply. “It was an accident.
Troy will learn to control himself as he matures. But life happens. We all act impulsively at times, and nothing is guaranteed.”

David's hooded gaze hid his thoughts. His jaw tightened and he resumed pacing. Sophie itched to wrap her arms around him and comfort him. That's what families did for each other in crisis. But from the stiffness in his shoulders and the harsh lines on his face, she doubted comforting was what he wanted.

The waiting seemed interminable.

“Would anyone like some coffee?” Simon asked.

Sophie shook her head.

David didn't respond.

Grandma put her hand on Simon's arm. “Thank you, but no. I don't think I could stomach it.”

Simon nodded. Sophie felt bad for him. He hadn't asked to be stuck in the ER lobby with them. “If you need to leave, Simon, I can take Grandma home.”

Simon arched an eyebrow. “I'm right where I need to be.”

If Sophie weren't so concerned about Troy, she'd have sighed with delight at Simon's obvious devotion to her grandmother.

David stopped. “What's taking so long?”

Though Sophie knew the question was directed at no one in particular, she rose and went to his side. “I'm sure the doctor will come out soon.”

David's steel gray gaze raked over her and then away. He walked to the window overlooking the parking lot. “I hope so. This waiting is driving me crazy.”

“David.” Simon drew their attention. “Louise mentioned you're working on an app that will change the world. How is that coming along?”

Slowly David turned from the window. “You told your grandmother?”

Sophie drew her chin back. An anxious tremor rumbled in her gut. “Not the details. Just that you were working from home.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “I asked you to keep that to yourself.”

She put a hand on his arm. “I didn't reveal anything crucial.”

David turned away, but not before she glimpsed the disappointment in his eyes. “It's fine. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter.”

But it did matter. He mattered to her. Didn't he know that? Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned the app, but she honestly hadn't thought he'd be upset about Grandma knowing why he was working from home.

“Mr. Murphy?” A dark-haired man wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck approached.

David practically pounced on the doctor. “Troy?”

“I'm Dr. Kakar,” the man stated. “Troy is your son?”

“Nephew. I'm his guardian,” came David's tense reply. “How is he?”

The doctor's calm smile included them all. “He's awake and in good spirits. Quite talkative. His scalp required two sutures but the wound won't leave a scar.”

Sophie sagged in relief to hear Troy was okay.

“Thank you, God,” Grandma murmured and hugged Simon.

David's tension visibly drained. Suddenly he looked haggard and worn. “Can I go to him?”

“A nurse is with him,” Dr. Kakar said. “I have at-home instructions for you. Mostly he'll need to rest for the next few days. If he complains of a headache, or double vision, please call ASAP. I'd like you to follow up with his pediatrician.”

“I will,” David promised. “Now may I see him?”

“Right this way,” the doctor said and turned.

Sophie rose, wondering if she should follow David, but he took off without a backward glance, leaving her feeling as if she stood on shifting sand. Watching his retreating back, she had the same choking sensation she'd experienced as a kid when her brothers would leave her behind, as if she didn't matter.

“Go with him,” Grandma urged. “He's hurting and scared and confused. He needs you. Even if he doesn't realize it.”

And I need him
, Sophie thought. Talk about scared. But right now wasn't about her. She had to put her own fears and old hurts aside to do what she could to support David and Troy.

She hurried to catch up with David. When he glanced at her, his eyes widened. For a moment there was a softening, then the steel gray flattened and he turned away to follow the doctor into a room. If he needed her, as Grams said, he was doing a good job of fighting it. She lowered her chin and matched his stride. She'd show him
fight
.

Troy's happy chatter greeted them. He was regaling the nurse with a story about Riggs. Sophie's heart squeezed tightly. Love spread through her. She had to check herself to keep from rushing to Troy's bedside and scooping him into her arms. Instead, she hung back as David did exactly what she wanted to do.

David gathered Troy close. “Kid, you are going to shorten my life span.”

“Look, Uncle David!” Troy wormed his arm free and pointed to his head. “I've got stitches.”

“That's what I heard,” David murmured. He closed his eyes.

Sophie couldn't stop herself from inching closer, desperate to be included in their reunion.

“Initially you'll keep them dry and then you'll need to keep the wound site clean,” Dr. Kakar said. “We'll give you supplies along with written instructions.”

“I don't
have to take a bath!”

Sophie couldn't help a laugh from escaping. “Maybe still take a bath, just not wash your hair.”

Troy spied her and beamed. “Sophie!”

David's spine straightened. He slowly released Troy. “Sophie was worried, too. She came to make sure you were okay.”

Taking David's words as an invitation, she closed the distance and laid a hand on Troy's leg. “I'm happy to see you.”

David edged away from her and spoke to the doctor. “Can I take him home now?”

Dr. Kakar nodded. “Yes. I'll get the discharge papers ready.” He looked to Troy. “Troy, stay on your feet from now on, okay?”

Troy gave the doctor the thumbs-up sign. “Yes, sir.”

“Let's get Troy into a wheelchair,” the nurse said. “Hospital policy.”

David stepped back to the bed. “Excuse me,” he said to Sophie.

His politeness grated on her nerves. She moved out of his way so he could lift Troy and place him in the wheelchair the nurse brought in. As they waited for the discharge papers, David said, “Do you mind catching a ride home with your grandma and Simon?”

Sophie's heart stalled as hurt and rejection tumbled through her. “Okay. I can do that.”

He gave a decisive nod, then turned his attention to the doctor returning with the papers for him to sign.

She didn't understand what was happening. Why was he pushing her away?

David wheeled Troy to the lobby, where Grandma and Simon gushed over Troy. When David held out his hand for the keys to his truck, her shoulders drooped. He was serious about not riding home together.

She fished his keys out of her purse and handed them over. “It's on the top level in the second row near the elevator.”

“Thank you.” He briefly met her gaze. The flinty expression there left her cold.

“Louise, Simon, thank you for coming. Sophie will be riding home with you.” With that, he pushed Troy out of the hospital. Why did it feel like he was pushing his way out of her life, too?

“Uncle David, I'm bored,” Troy whined from the couch where he lay with a blanket and pillow. The doctor had advised no television as well as rest. So David had set his music player up in the living room and had downloaded a mix of children's songs for Troy to enjoy. “Can't I go next door and see Sophie and play with Riggs?”

David gritted his teeth against the request, as he had every time Troy had made the same plea over the past two days. David had hedged over and over again, saying the doctor's orders had been to lay low, which meant no playing and no roughhousing, as Troy and Riggs would no doubt do.

It hadn't helped that Sophie texted repeatedly, asking about Troy, and Louise had called. They'd asked to visit but he'd put them off with the same excuse.

There was no way for David to explain to his five-year-old nephew the complicated reasons why it was best to steer clear of the Griffith women, particularly Sophie. He couldn't tell Troy that he'd fallen in love with Sophie and somewhere along the way had allowed her to become so deeply ingrained in his heart that he felt like he couldn't function without her. Troy was too young to understand why David had to excise her from their lives. Their hearts.

He was so mad at himself for going down this road. He knew
better than to let anyone in. Knew the danger of opening up his heart and life. And now not only was he paying the price, but so was Troy.

There was no rational reason why David had fallen for Sophie. No rational reason why he'd let her slip under his defenses. It didn't make sense. Life hadn't made sense for a while now. Would it ever again?

David hoped so once the ache of loss eased. He rose from his makeshift desk and came to sit beside Troy on the couch. “I know you want to see Louise and Riggs. You will see them again when you're better. You have to be patient. You took a hard knock on the noggin.”

“But I
am
better,” Troy said, sitting up. “I want to play with Riggs.”

“You will see him tomorrow. Christmas Eve, remember?” David's stomach knotted. They'd also see Sophie. Her pretty blue eyes and sweet smile flashed through his mind. He pushed the image away. “You can hang on until then, can't you?”

Troy sighed. “I'll try.”

David swallowed, not at all confident that trying would translate into waiting, but for now he'd take it. “Thanks, buddy.”

They just needed to get through the holiday. Then he was going to take Troy away for the rest of Sophie's visit. That way, when she left, they'd already be far away.