Stolen Moments (And Then Came Love Book 2) (13 page)

“Pops is in the hospital. They’re not sure he’s going to make it. He’s like another grandfather to all of us. Trevor will know who we’re talking about. We’ve been trying to get a hold of Trevor, but he’s not answering.” Marissa’s voice shook a bit.

“What’s going on?” Trevor propped up on his elbows.

“Pops is in the hospital.” Arianna wiped a tear from her eye. “They’re not sure he’s going to make it.

“Shit.” Trevor lunged to his feet and started grabbing things.

Arianna nodded.

“I’ll be there shortly.” He said loud enough for Marissa to hear him over the phone.

“We’ll see you in a bit.” Arianna hung up the phone.

Trevor froze. His hands shook as he took Arianna’s. “I’m scared to go.”

She cupped his face in her hands. “We’ll get through this.”

Trevor stared off into space. “Gramps is from Italy and Pops is Irish. They spent most of their time yelling insults at each other from across the bar.”

“Well that sounds like fun. Let’s insult each other. They didn’t do it the other night.” Arianna ran her fingers through his hair, trying to keep him calm and focused.

“It was all in good fun, neither one of them meant it.” Trevor’s expression never changed. “My Aunt Laura married Pops’ oldest son. The story goes at the wedding Gramps looked over at Aunt Laura and said, ‘when I told you to fuck the Irish, I didn’t think you’d take me literally.’”

Arianna slapped her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. “Oh my God that’s an awful thing to say.”

“Pops heard it and laughed and the fight was on from there, but again they were laughing the entire time.” Trevor shook his head and grabbed

Arianna stopped him from climbing in the driver’s seat. “Why don’t you let me drive?”

Trevor dropped the keys in her hand and headed over to the other side of the truck.

“Pops was always at my events, even when my Dad wasn’t.”

“Did your Dad go to your sibling’s events?”

“Most of the time, I’m sure there were times he missed out on them as well.”

“What events didn’t he attend of yours? Besides your graduation, which even you admit, wasn’t his fault.”

“It was little things. Science fairs where I won or academic competitions. A lot of them happened during the day when he was at work, so he tended to miss those. After school activities he was there for and he did take off a couple times to see school day activities, but it always seemed he did that if there was more than one of us participating.” He buttoned his shirt, including the top button.

“If it was you, he didn’t though?”

“I don’t think it was all the time, but all he did miss kind of resounded with me, they were important events to me even if they didn’t seem like much to anyone else. I love my Dad, but I think he could have been around more to help my Mom.”

“You have resentment toward your Dad, that’s why you don’t spend a lot of time with your family.”

“I don’t spend a lot of time with my family, because they don’t get me. Blake comes the closest, but that’s because we’re the closest in age, but he was the baby and had asthma as a child, so he never lacked for attention.”

“Did you? Lack for attention?”

Trevor shrugged. “I felt ignored sometimes. Nothing I couldn’t handle though. I’m the capable one. I’m self-sufficient, or so they say.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That’s how my mom, family, anyone who knows me, refers to me. If you listen to them talk it will come out.”

“I think it affected you a lot more then you let on. I think that’s why you’re so standoffish.”

“I am not?”

“Everything you do is so formal, Trevor. Your top button is always buttoned.” She pointed to the button on his shirt. “We were on a date, we were getting hot and heavy and now you’re back to not a stitch out of place. It’s almost like everything has to be perfect or else your whole world is off kilter.”

“Because dating and dealing with the emotional hormones of two teenage girls, one of whom is pregnant is a perfect situation.”

Arianna laughed. “But it’s not ideal and I can see you stiffen up every time you have to deal with it.”

Trevor shifted in his seat and smoothed his pants.

“I’ll drop it.” Arianna turned onto the highway.

They fell into silence as they drove. She didn’t know what to say.

He stared out the window.

She could only assume he was lost in thought.

He turned to her as they drove into the parking lot of the hospital. “Pops is the only one who knows this, but I always wished I was part of his family as opposed to my own.”

“But you have a wonderful family who loves you.”

Trevor let a sad smile cross his face. “That’s what they want you to think. I’m sure my family loves me in some way, but not the same way they feel about the rest of the kids.”

“I think that’s bullshit.” Arianna shook her head. “You can’t love one of your children less than you do the others.”

He scoffed. “Whatever you say, I think you’ll realize it someday.”

Arianna opened the truck door and hopped down, coming around to meet Trevor on the other side. She took his hand as they walked into the hospital.

*****

Trevor stormed through the doors and pushed past his family.

Julian yanked Trevor into a side hug. “False alarm. Minor heart attack and he’s developing angina.”

“That’s not a false alarm.” Trevor thrust Julian’s arm away. “The man is ninety-five years old, any heart attack, even a minor one is serious.”

Julian held up his hands. “I meant, there’s a good chance he’s going to make it out of the hospital.”

Trevor glared at Julian before turning and marching into the back.

Everett stepped out of the curtained area and smiled at him. “Looks like he’s going to be okay.”

Trevor nodded and stepped into the room. Gramps, Jackie, Aunt Laura and Uncle Tim stood around the bed.

“Aye, Trevor, a friendly face at last.” Pops called from the bed. “Come here and sit down.”

“You need to rest, Dad.” Uncle Tim rested his hand on Pops’ shoulder.

Pops waved him off. “Talking to him will cause me less stress then the four of you standing vigil waiting for me to die.”

Gramps chuckled. “Always the same.” He patted Pops’ hand and headed out of the room.

A nurse opened back the curtain. She stood, her hands planted on her hips, shaking her head. “Absolutely not, there cannot be this many people in this room.”

Pops motioned for the door. “Everyone’s leaving except the boy.”

“Dad.” Tim quirked an eyebrow.

Pops waved him off. “Out. All of you.”

The nurse walked over to the bed and checked his vitals. “They’re getting the paperwork ready to send you upstairs. The doctor’s want to observe you for a couple days.”

Pops shook his head and looked over at Trevor. “They want to make sure I don’t go home and have a drink. Good Irish Whiskey would do my body good.”

Trevor smiled. “That’s a good thing.”

Pops jerked his hand away when the nurse bumped it. “They’re shipping me upstairs, leave me be. I want to talk to my grandson.”

The nurse rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She turned on her heels and headed out of the room, closing the curtain behind her.

“My dear boy, I have a task for you.”

“What’s that?” Trevor cocked his head to the side.

“They tell me I’m not dead yet, but the only way they’re going to let me on a plane is with someone I trust.”

“What are you talking about?”

Pops tugged a pendent out from his shirt, slipped it over his head and handed it to Trevor. “Remember the story of the Red-Headed Goddess?”

He inspected the pendent. Arrows pointed in the cardinal directions. Around the edge was a ring of knot work. “Of course.”

“That is a true story, my boy. Her name was Asri and she gave me that pendent as a way of saying thanks for helping her husband.”

Trevor looked up at Pops. “I never doubted it wasn’t true. It’s nice to know her name though.”

“Kurt Muller. He still lives in Roselv, Minnesota with his wife Asri. They are great people, Trevor, and I want you to know them.” Pops patted Trevor’s hand where it sat on the bed. “I’ve been promising that woman I’d get up there for the last three years. This is my last chance.”

“What do you mean?” Trevor raised his eyebrow.

Pops held out his hand.

Trevor handed the pendent to him.

“I want to return that pendent to her and I want you to be the one who takes me.”

“Me?” Trevor

“Are you being intentionally dense today?” Pops shook his head. “I want you to take me to Minnesota to see Kurt and Asri Muller.”

“Kurt Muller. The name of the S.S. man. The one from the photo?”

“Much the one in the same.” Pops nodded. “One of the best men I’ve ever known.”

“How soon do you want to go? How long were you planning on staying?”

“As soon as possible and I was hoping longer then a weekend.” Brennan responded. “You’ll have some planning to do. I won’t rush you too much.”

“I’d like to take Ari and it will be good to have a doctor along. She’s wanted to go since she first heard the story.” Trevor steepled his fingers and rested them against his chin. “I’ll have to think about the kids.”

“Bring them with. Perfect time to expose them to new experiences.” Pops patted Trevor on the shoulder. “Think about it.”

Trevor nodded. “If you want to go we’ll go. It will take some thought on my part though.”

“You’ll figure it out. Come see me when I get out of the hospital we’ll talk about it.”

A nurse came into the room. “We’re ready to move you upstairs.”

“I get the VIP treatment.” Pops winked at Trevor.

Trevor laughed. “I’ll come see you tomorrow.” He hugged Pops before heading out of the room.

His breath caught in his throat as he walked out of the room. Flashbacks to the war, all the people he’d lost during his time. It was bad enough to lose friends and team members, but the thought of losing Pops …

He faltered in his step. The man was ninety-five years old, he wasn’t long for this world as it was. Instead of playing soldier halfway around the world, he should have been there. He should have taken the opportunity to get out after five years.

Trevor slammed his fist into his hand.
What the hell was he thinking?
He was the only one who understood Pops. The one who needed to be there for him. And he wasn’t. The man had been there for him countless times.

If Arianna hadn’t answered the phone ... he paused. What if it had been serious and she hadn’t answered the phone? He may have missed saying good-bye to the person who meant the most to him. He pinched the bridge of his nose. His family was out there in the waiting room. All of them, waiting to pounce on him the moment he got out there.

They didn’t care about Pops. Not the way he did. He puffed his cheeks and clenched his fists as he headed into the waiting area.

*****

Arianna stood when Trevor came into the room.

His brother’s surrounded him and threw questions at him as fast as they could.

Trevor’s brow furrowed and he glared at them. “What do you care?” His hands clenched at his sides. “Leave me the fuck alone.”

The crowd parted around him.

His gaze met hers, but he walked past her and out the door.

“Go to him. He’s the closest to Pops, their bond is tight. He needs you.” Marissa squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

Arianna stood and turned toward the group. “He’s—”

“He’s a Vitalli.” Julian smiled. “Anyone of us would act the same way, but with him and Pops, it’s different.”

Drew nodded. “We don’t hold any ill will toward him. He’s our brother and whether he believes it or not, we’ll support him.”

Arianna bit her lower lip to keep from crying. How could he not see how much his family loved him? “Thank you.”

Julian winked. “I’d say tell him we love him, but he won’t believe it.”

Arianna ran out the door.

Trevor stood next to the truck. “Let me guess, long spiel about how they love and care about me?” He folded his arms over his chest. “The one man in this world who cares about me is in the hospital and all my family can do is lie about how much they care about me.”

She cuffed him on the back of the head, punched him on the arm, then hugged him with a death grip and sobbed. “Are you blind?” Arianna sniffled. “Were you not in the same room I was?”

“It’s an act, Ari. An act. That’s all it is, you don’t see them rushing out here do you.” He turned around and pounded his fists into the hood of the truck. “I’m nothing like them. Sometimes I wonder if my Mom was fucking around on my Dad, because I certainly didn’t come from that family.”

Arianna laughed. Her stomach hurt, but she couldn’t stop. They were more fucked up than she was.