Page 50 of Remember Me
Recovering, I return the compliment. “And you’re thebesteststudent a teacher could have.”
And the bestest daughter a mother could have.Unaware of my pain, pride washes over Finn’s face. “So, Nurse, what’s the great news?” he asks as she waddles our way.
“Your daughter had an excellent night. All her vitals are normal. Her doctor greenlit her discharge.”
Maddie cocks her head. “What does that mean, Daddy?”
I answer for him. “It means, sweetie, that you can go home.”
“Yay!”
Our eyes stay on the nurse as she gently removes the hook ups, one by one. Maddie watches too. Before removing the IV, the jovial woman reaches into a pocket and pulls out a Band-Aid. She peels it open and once the IV is out, covers the spot before it bleeds.
Maddie’s face again lights up. “Coolio!AMadelineBand-Aid!” She sports it proudly. “Can Kangy have one too?”
“Of course, honey,” replies Nurse Andrews, proceeding to give my daughter’s beloved kangaroo the same medical attention.
Finn completes some paperwork as well as reviews Maddie’s new action plan should she have another asthma attack. A few minutes later, Maddie is back in her own pajamas and in a wheelchair, with Kangy on her lap. While she’s squealing withexcitement as if it’s a fun amusement park ride, the sight of my little girl in this big chair sends a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. She looks so tiny and vulnerable, and it brings back horrific memories. How many months did I spend in a wheelchair while my battered body mended? Months that added up to years. Years away from my child and husband.
“Scarlet, are you okay?” asks Finn as he wheels Maddie full speed ahead to the entrance of the hospital.
“Yeah,” I murmur, struggling to keep up, cold beads of sweat clustering beneath my tee. My heart palpitating, my breathing strained. A lie. I’m having an anxiety attack.
The truth, the sooner I get out of this hospital the better.
CHAPTER 33
Skye
An unexpected car awaits us in the driveway of Finn’s house. A shiny white Mercedes convertible with the top down. As Maddie jumps out of the Uber, Finn curses under his breath. I silently echo him, having a strong hunch whose car it is.
Maddie skips up to the front door, with Finn and me close behind her. The door jerks open before Finn can unlock it with his keys. A tall willowy blonde, dressed in head to toe ivory, stands before us. Kayla. Without acknowledging her, Maddie, clutching Kangy, scurries inside.
Scrunching her face, Kayla plants her hands on her jutting hipbones. “Phineas, where the hell have you been?”
My blood bubbles. Thank goodness, Maddie didn’t have to witness this snake-tongued woman’s crass welcome. Her eyes narrowing with fury, Finn’s fiancée continues her rant, her voice growing more incensed. Her language harsher.
“You’re late. We have brunch in twenty minutes with Sheldon on his new yacht.”
Sheldon?Could it be?ThatSheldon? The one she conversed with that night so long ago at Christie’s? That slimeball Hollywood producer who assaulted me? That encounter, as terrifying and vilifying as it was, is long in the past, so why does that name rattle me so much? It’s like a memory is banging away at the edges of my mind, trying to make its way inside. My head spins with uncertainty while Finn’s jaw ticks.
“Kayla. I’m sorry. We had an emergency.”
We.The little two-letter word calms me down, but the name Sheldon still swirls around my head. Forming a question mark. In search of an answer as Finn explains.
“Maddie had a major asthma attack last night. She had to go the emergency room.”
“There’s always drama with that child.” With a huff, Kayla rolls her eyes. “Seriously, darling, except for me, who’s more important than Sheldon Greenberg?”
My breath hitches. It isthatSheldon! Finn has no idea he’s the sleazebag who put his grubby hands all over me as he never got a glimpse of his face. And eager to put the encounter behind me, I never told him his name or brought it up again. Now is not the time with Kayla ranting.
“He’s your biggest supporter and is about to plunk down a million dollars on three of your paintings.” She sneers. “That child of yours takes up way too much of your time.”
Anger is rising inside me like bile. I want to punch this woman out. How dare she care so little about my daughter? This darling little girl who will soon be her stepchild. My blood runs cold at the thought.
Finn looks at her, his gaze fierce. I can actually see daggers shooting out of his eyes. “Kayla, let’s get this straight right now. There isnoone more important in my life than my daughter. Do you understand that?”
Kayla gives him a dismissive look. “Whatever. Get ready and let’s go.”