“I don’t know.”
Could she have been the cause of this? Her mother would have had to tell him she knew. And having his daughter threaten him with exposure and probable jail would certainly cause him stress enough to have a heart attack.
Yet how could she not do something about what she knew, she wondered, feeling like she was shriveling up with stress herself as they headed to the hospital.
Nick squeezed her hand. “You know, my dad’s heart attack looked bad at first but it ended up only being a mild one.”
She’d forgotten about Cesare’s heart attack. Suddenly she felt guilty. “Nick, you shouldn’t have come with me. I appreciate it, but I don’t want you to go through it all again with my father.”
“Don’t be silly, Sash,” he said gruffly. “I’m your husband.”
Warmth rose up inside her and she had to blink back tears. He’d called her “Sash”—the name he’d called her years ago. It was something she’d forgotten until this moment.
“He’ll be fine.” He pulled her close and she leaned into him, grateful for his presence, comforted by his arms around her, and the now familiar scent of him.
It was only as they were walking toward her mother in the waiting room that Sasha had a tense moment of apprehension. Would her mother inadvertently say something in front of Nick about how Porter had taken the news? Would she blame Sasha’s ultimatum for all this? Nick would have to ask why.
“Mum?”
“Oh, Sasha,” Sally cried and hugged her.
Sasha returned the hug, relief easing through her. It didn’t look like her mother was about to barrage her with blame. “How is he?”
Sally moved back. “I don’t know. They told me to wait here.” She sniffed. “But it’s been ages now and no one will tell me what’s happening.”
“I’ll find out,” Nick said ominously, spinning on his heels. “Stay here.” He strode out the door toward the nurses’ station.
Sasha led her mother back over to her seat. “Mum, what happened?”
Sally gave a shuddering sigh. “When your father got up this morning he said he had indigestion so he took some antacid and went off to work. The next thing I know …” her voice shook “… they called me to stay he’d been brought here in an ambulance.”
“So you haven’t seen him yet?”
“No.”
“Mum, did you—”
Nick strode back through the sliding glass doors. “The doctor’s coming out shortly to talk to us.”
“Oh God,” Sally said and started to sob.
They didn’t have to wait long for the doctor, and Sasha put her arm around her mother’s shoulders as he told them the news that it didn’t look like it been a heart attack at all.
“We’re running more tests, but it appears it wasn’t.”
“Thank God,” Sally said.
“What could it have been, Doctor?” Sasha asked.
“I’m not sure. We’ll be keeping him here overnight. He’s in a private room and Mrs. Blake can stay with him, if you like?”
“Oh, yes,” her mother said. “Can I see him, Doctor?”
“He’s resting, but I don’t see why not.” He paused. “But only Mrs. Blake for now.”
Sasha watched her mother and the doctor leave the room. It was wonderful that her father was going to be okay, but he still had to face tomorrow.
And so did she.
“Nick, why don’t you go back to work? I’ll stay here with Mum until we know more.”
His jaw set stubbornly. “No. You need me. I’ll stay.”
“Seriously, I’ll be okay. Besides, it’ll probably be hours.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, but it’s no use just sitting around here doing nothing. I’m fine.”
His gaze rested on her. “If you’re sure?”
“Yes. Now go.” It would give her the chance to talk to her mother in private. Sasha couldn’t imagine she wouldn’t have told her husband about yesterday, but she needed to know for sure.
Hours later her father had been given a cautious all clear and Sasha was allowed in to see him, but in the end she didn’t get to ask her mother anything. Sally wouldn’t leave her husband’s side.
And as Sasha looked at her father sleeping peacefully on the bed, she wished so much that it could have been different. If only her father was a different man … a different person.
If only he was a better husband and father.
If only she could love him more.
Sasha finally arrived home around nine and found Nick asleep on the sofa in front of the television. She’d expected to be home much sooner, so that when he’d phoned her she had even insisted he go straight home and not come to the hospital.
Now, standing in the doorway her heart softened as she looked at Nick. He was such a part of her. He’d always been a part of her. It would be like losing a limb to do without him.
For a moment her vision blurred. She blinked back the tears and turned away to hurry to the kitchen. She wasn’t hungry but Iris had put a portion of lasagna in the oven for her, so she’d have to make the effort to eat it.
But first she showered and changed into her silk nightgown and robe, then put the lasagna on a tray and took it into the living room.
Hungrier now than she’d realized, she turned the television down low while she ate her food and watched Nick sleep. She thought the smell of the food might wake him, but it didn’t, and she was sipping at her decaffeinated coffee and deciding to cover him with a blanket when his eyelids lifted.
For a moment he looked disorientated. Then he sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn, I fell asleep, didn’t I?”
She gave an understanding smile. “You were tired.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost ten.”
His eyes grew alert. “You must be exhausted yourself.”
“I’m better now that I’m home.” And she was.
He scrutinized her more. “How’s Porter?”
“They’ll keep an eye on him overnight, but they’re confident it wasn’t a heart attack.”
His face relaxed. “See, I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
“I know.”