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“A small gift to go with the flowers. But the nurse told me the doctor thinks you can go home tomorrow, so maybe I should take it back?”
“No way, mister.” Hannah took the gift bag. “I love the flowers, too. Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
Tristan smiled. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal. It’s the least I can do.”
But he’d already done so much for Hannah—for her—just by being there, although he didn’t know it. Lillian’s skin prickled, and she raised her gaze until she met his. He looked at her as if he knew the truth. A shiver chased across her skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. She crossed her arms.
“This is fantastic.” Hannah held up a roll of soft, gray yarn. “I’ll make some more socks. I was just telling Zoey a girl can never have too many.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a hardback book and gushed. “And the newest Tom Grady mystery. I’m so excited to read this. How did you know? Oh, I told the nurse…she must have told you.”
Tristan nodded and brushed aside Hannah’s thanks with a shrug. He hadn’t taken his gaze off Lillian. Now he crossed to her side. “You look exhausted. Why don’t we head out so you can rest before the event tonight.”
Her muscles tensed—this was it, her final moments with her family. “I need just a little longer to say goodbye.”
Tristan nodded. “I’ll wait outside.”
Her dad’s concerned gaze met hers after Tristan departed, and he lowered his voice so they wouldn’t be overheard. “You’re going back to his house? Is that wise?”
“Probably not. But my car and suitcase are there, and I made a deal with him.”
“What deal?”
“In exchange for him going to the hospital with me last night, I promised to attend a fundraiser with him tonight. That was the only way he’d agree to help Hannah. I won’t stay long, though. I’ll be on a flight first thing tomorrow morning.”
Hannah offered a mischievous smile. “He obviously likes you if he’s bargaining for a date with you.”
“That’s not why he did it. He needed a partner and asked me because he felt I wouldn’t get attached. I think there is…a woman he’s trying to avoid.”
“And you believed that? Heck, if I realized getting sick was the way to get you to come visitandyou’d meet the love of your life, I’d have done it ages ago,” Hannah teased.
“He’s just an acquaintance.” Lillian’s eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall. There’d be plenty of time for crying when she was back in her apartment in Boston. “Don’t you dare get sick again. My heart can’t take it. And I might not be able to cure you next time.”
She reached for their hands, and the three of them stayed unmoving for a moment.
“I love you both,” she said. “I promise I’ll come home again when it’s safe.”
“It’s okay, Lillian. Really. I’ll miss you, but I understand why you have to go.”
“Hannah will be fine now,” her dad said. “You only need to worry about yourself.”
“Stay well, sweetheart,” Lillian whispered.
The sisters hugged and cried and eventually parted.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” her dad said and followed her there. He placed a wad of cash in her hand. “This should last you for a little while until I can send more.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“What about a ride to the airport?”
“I have the car you rented for me, remember? You stay here and make sure Hannah gets home okay tomorrow.”
“I wish to God your mother never participated in that damn study. I still wonder if we should have gone to the police after we discovered the truth.”
She gripped his arm. “You read Mom’s letter. She warned us not to do that unless we had concrete proof—that it would only alert Kinetica to my existence.”
Her dad sighed and wrapped her in his arms, squeezing the oxygen from her lungs. “I love you, Lou-Lou. I won’t rest a minute until you’re safe in your apartment. Make sure to let me know as soon as you’re home. And keep a low profile at that party. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise. I’ll call you just as soon as I can.”
