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Yet the idea of seeing Gracie’s belly growing with his child filled him with longing. She would be beautiful, glowing with vitality and happiness. And he would be so damn proud his chest would hurt.
Yeah, maybe it wasn’t so stupid and reckless, him getting Gracie pregnant. Maybe the baby could be the catalyst to bring them truly together. For good.
That possibility didn’t frighten him at all.
Biding his time, he waited. Leaned his shoulder against the wall, watching covertly down the hall for the nurse to come back in the direction she’d left. The double doors that led to the ICU were just down the way on the opposite side. Surely she could sneak him in somehow.
That is, if he could convince her to do so.
Within minutes she appeared, her steps brisk, her expression determined. She looked like a woman with a purpose, and hell if he didn’t feel almost scared to stop her. He didn’t want to screw this up.
But then he remembered the way she stared at him when she realized who he was. He’d seen that look before. She’d been star-struck. And he was going to use that to his advantage.
“Hey,” he called softly just as she was about to pass him up.
She stopped in her tracks, the soles of her shoes making a loud squeak on the polished floor. Squinting, she stepped closer to him. “Oh hi, Mr. Worth. Can I help you?”
“Actually you can. First, you can call me Hunter.” She smiled, and he returned it. “What’s your name again?”
“Naomi.”
“Well, Naomi, it’s really important, what I’m about to ask you.”
“Whatever you need, Mr.—Hunter. I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
He had her right where he needed her. Maybe he shouldn’t regret that TV appearance after all. “Great. I need you to get me into the ICU so I can see someone.”
Her face fell, and she glanced first to her left, then her right. “I can’t do that,” she protested weakly.
&
nbsp; “You do it for Mrs. Hayes.”
“Well, that’s her granddaughter I’m taking her to see. She’s a patient as well and she’s been worried sick. Swore she could be the one who woke her up, and she did it.” Naomi shook her head in wonder. “That woman can do anything she sets her mind to.”
A scary thought. “Well, I need to see her granddaughter too. She’s my…” He lowered his voice to the barest whisper. “…girlfriend.”
Naomi’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”
He nodded. “I haven’t been able to find her for days. I didn’t know where she went, and I couldn’t get hold of her because her cell phone must’ve died.”
“That’s terrible. But why didn’t you know she came here to Ithaca?” Skepticism reared its ugly head, and Hunter needed to diffuse it quick.
“She left in such a hurry in the middle of the night she wasn’t able to give me all the details. Then she got in the car accident, and you know the rest.” He paused. He needed to make an unspoken point. How he’d been in Gracie’s life longer than her crazy grandmother had. “You do know she’s only just reunited with her grandmother.”
“I know. Mrs. Hayes told me the entire story.”
He bet she did. “I need to be with her, Naomi. I need to see Gracie and make sure she’s all right.”
“She’s doing well sir, I promise.”
“I need to see it before I fully believe it.” He smiled gently, going for the heartsick love fool—which he pretty much was, if he was being honest. “I want to hold her in my arms and make sure she’s all right.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” She glanced around again. The hall was pretty much abandoned. Visiting hours was almost over and the entire hospital seemed to be quieting down. “Sneaking you in will put my job totally at risk.”
“If we get caught, I’ll put all the blame on myself and make such a large donation to the hospital, they’ll forgive any of your sins.”
She giggled and rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, I’m a sucker for romance. Follow me.”
