Eyewitness by Carol Ericson

Author:Carol Ericson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-06-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Kieran held his breath. If Michael went ballistic or shut down even further, it would stretch Kieran’s nonexistent parenting skills to the snapping point. Had Devon chosen this moment, hoping the news would launch Michael back into the world of the living?

Or had she done it to launch him back into the world of the living?

Michael’s small hand clutched his red crayon, and then he glanced up quickly. “I know.”

Kieran almost slid off the bed as relief poured through his body. Devon had made the right move. If she hadn’t told him, Michael would be wondering why they were keeping it a secret.

Devon blew out a noisy breath—must’ve been holding hers, too—and plopped down next to Kieran on the hospital bed. Her hands trembled as she pleated Michael’s covers with agitated fingers.

“Is that okay with you, buddy?” Kieran chucked Michael under the chin with his knuckle, wondering if buddy was an okay term. Too corny? Too 1950s? Hell, what did he know?

Michael smiled and nodded. Seemed an understated response to potentially life-changing news, but then the kid, his son, had pretty much been acting like a robot since the moment Kieran had met him. But he’d take the smile.

Devon smoothed a lock of dark hair from Michael’s brow, her fingers still shaky. “Okay, then. Let’s get you all checked out and you and your father can get to know each other better.”

The doctor chose that moment to come in for one last check of Michael’s vitals. Raising his brows, his gaze bounced among the three of them. “Everything okay?”

Kieran tweaked Michael’s nose to break the tension, and Michael rewarded him with another smile. “Everything’s great, Doc. Do your thing so we can get this young man out of here.”

As the doctor whipped out his little flashlight and tongue depressor, Kieran pulled Devon into the corridor. “Your instincts were right on with that one. He probably would’ve been even more confused had we continued to keep it a secret.”

“I agree. I’m glad he didn’t freak out and withdraw even further into his shell, but I went with my instincts on that one.”

“How’d you know he wouldn’t?”

She shrugged. “He smiled at you when we came into the room—at you, not me. His smiles are few and far between these days.”

“I’m glad you trusted your parental instincts. I’m going to have to work on those.”

“It comes…with time. I’m just sorry that everything’s so messed up right now. The way Michael has been questioning me lately about his father, I expected more of a reaction. I’m sorry. It’s not the homecoming I had dreamed about.”

“At least you’d dreamed about one.”

They collected Michael and secured him in his car seat. Kieran had to start somewhere, so he insisted on fiddling with the car seat’s straps and buckles himself. Michael helped him by handing him one of the latches.

“You’re pretty handy, huh? That’s why you’re going to go to the hardware store with me.” He turned to Devon. “Driver?”

“Luckily there’s an outdoor shopping center with

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.