Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
I nod then, squeeze her hand back, and follow the nurse to the ICU recovery room.
Chapter Forty-Five
Ronan
A warm hand grasps my own.
I recognize the feel of her soft flesh.
Mary. My Mary.
I turn my head. It’s a struggle. But she’s there. Beautiful Mary.
I widen my eyes as much as I can. I don’t feel a lot of pain. They’ve probably got me dosed up with drugs.
But I remember.
Remember seeing Mary in the window of the coffee house. Opening the door, the little boy running, and then the gunshot.
Another shot.
Then suspension of time, of pain, and Mémé’s face.
That’s all I remember until a few moments ago.
“Mary,” I say softly.
“Yes, Ronan. I’m here.”
“The little boy?”
“Who?”
“The little boy from the coffee house, who ran toward me. Is he all right?”
Mary bursts into tears then. Seriously starts sobbing. “Ronan, yes, he’s fine. Thank God. What a wonderful man you are. Everything you’ve been through and the first thing you ask about is that innocent little boy.”
I saw myself in the little boy. He didn’t look anything like me as a kid, but his demeanor reminded me. After the shot was fired, he ran back. Back toward his mother. Back to the woman who was his safety net.
How many times did I go running toward my mother when she came home from one of her many trips with my father? She always grabbed me, hugged me, peppered my face with kisses. Told me how much she missed me.
Only to leave again, too soon.
My true safety net was Mémé. It still is, but I have another now. Another in this lovely young woman before me—if she’ll have me.
I have to leave New York. But somehow I’ll convince her to go with me. Or if she won’t, I’ll find a way to make it work.
“Don’t try to talk, Ronan,” Mary says. “You need your rest.”
“Seems I’m a lucky man.”
“Did the doctors talk to you? Tell you what they found?”
“They tried to. My mind was still kind of a mush. But something about a tumor?”
“Yes. A small tumor in your pancreas. Most likely cancer, and caught very early, Ronan. You’re going to be okay. Pancreatic cancer is almost never caught this early. It’s almost always a death sentence, but not for you.”
“Because I went looking for you, Mary.”
“Is that why you were there?”
“Yes. I’ll always come for you, Mary.”
My eyes close then.
Sleep overtakes me.
Chapter Forty-Six
Mary
In the waiting area, after Yvette has gone in to see Ronan and come back, she takes my hand.
“Do you see what I mean, Mary? The two of you were meant to be.”
“I’ve fallen in love with him.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, chérie. The look on your face tells all.”
I nod, suddenly exhausted. “Do you have a place to stay here in town?”
“Yes. I booked a room at the hotel where Ronan is staying. I also booked a room for my daughter and son-in-law. I just got a text. Their flight from Glasgow leaves in an hour.”
“Good. Okay. That’s good.”
“I want to stay here for another hour or so,” Yvette says. “But Mary, love, you need to go. Go home and get some sleep.”
“I can’t leave him.”
“He’s in the best hands here. And if anything goes wrong, there’s nothing you can do anyway.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” I say adamantly.
“I agree.” Yvette places a hand over her heart. “I feel very strongly that everything’s going to be fine. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be praying. Sending our energy into the universe, wishing for the best outcome for Ronan.”
“Believe me. I’ve been doing only that since this happened.”
“I know you have, my dear. Now go. Rest that weary body.”
I nod, and then I stare into Yvette’s dark eyes. This woman is an icon. She’s young yet, but she won’t live forever. Her knowledge and wisdom can’t be lost.
“Yvette?”
“Yes, chérie?”
“You said your daughter wasn’t interested in learning Voodoo.”
“No, she wasn’t.”
“Teach me,” I say. “I may not be your daughter, but I felt such a connection to the culture when I visited New Orleans. Please. Teach me what you know.”
Yvette closes her eyes a moment, a smile spreading across her pretty face. “I had a feeling about you from the moment I saw you,” she says, opening her eyes. “You’re the real thing, Mary. So genuine. You’ve been searching for something, haven’t you?”
This time I close my eyes. “Yes. Though I’m not sure I knew it at first.”
“Open your eyes, love.”
I obey.
She takes my hands. “Have you found what you’re searching for?”
Something surges through me as her small fingers entwine with my own. “I think I have.”
She raises her eyebrows.
“I know I have,” I say. “I know it as sure as I know the sun will rise tomorrow.”
…
At home, I talk to Trish again and tell her about Ronan. Then I get a call from the NYPD on my landline. After answering their questions, I get off the phone and realize I haven’t eaten anything all day.