A Slice Of Heaven

“I’m sorry,” the nurse said. “If I knew anything, I’d tell you.”

“How long will it be before the doctor comes out?”

“That depends on how your daughter is responding to treatment. She’s his first priority right now.”

“Of course,” Ronnie said, backing down, but wanting to scream in frustration.

Maddie appeared beside him. “Why don’t we go get coffee for everyone?” she suggested. “It’s going to be a long night.”

He started to snap that he didn’t want coffee, he wanted answers, but stopped himself before he could utter the words. They all wanted answers.

“Sure,” he said at last, then cast one last look at his ex-wife. “Maybe I should stay with Dana Sue.”

“Give her a little time,” Maddie said. “She’s dealing with a lot of conflicting emotions right now.”

“And I’m not?” he retorted sharply, then winced. “Sorry.”

She smiled. “You don’t need to apologize to me,” she told him. “But you might want to work on a really, really good one for Dana Sue. Despite what happened a few minutes ago when she threw herself into your arms, she’s still not in a forgiving mood.”

Despite the tension and the serious nature of the situation, his lips quirked. “You think?”

Maddie tucked her arm through his and led him toward the cafeteria. “Can I ask you something?”

“Have I ever been able to stop you?”

“I know you came because of Annie, but what about Dana Sue?”

He paused in midstride and faced her. “What are you asking me, Maddie?”

“I suppose I’m asking if you still love her,” she said bluntly. “Do you?”

“Do you really think this is the time for that discussion?” he asked.

Her expression was grave as she met his eyes. “Yes.”

“Okay, then.” He met her gaze evenly. “I never stopped loving her, not for a minute.”

Maddie seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Thought so.”

They started to walk again, but before they’d taken half a dozen steps, she stopped and punched him in the arm. “Then why the heck did you walk away without a fight?”

“Stupidity?” he suggested.

“Was that a question or a statement? Because if you ask me, only an idiot would walk away from the woman he loves just because she tells him to go. And you, Ronnie Sullivan, were never an idiot. I couldn’t believe it when I found out you’d left. If I’d known where to find you, I would have hunted you down and tried to talk some sense into you.”

“Helen knew where I was,” he pointed out.

Maddie gave him a wry look. “Helen wasn’t in a forthcoming mood at the time. She’d have been happier if you’d disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“She made that clear,” Ronnie said. “As for me being an idiot, I surely was for one night. I guess that mistake was such a whopper that it convinced me I didn’t deserve another chance. It was like I said a minute ago—I thought if I went, Dana Sue would start to miss me. Took me by surprise that she didn’t.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m going to fight for another chance with both my girls.”

Maddie nodded in satisfaction. “About damn time.”

Ronnie grinned. Wasn’t that the truth?

6

It seemed to Dana Sue they’d been waiting a lifetime. She’d prayed, she’d paced the hallways and she’d fought off tears more times than she could count. She’d lost it only once, when she’d been wrapped in Ronnie’s comforting arms, but then she’d remembered how furious she was with him, and had pulled away. She would not allow that man to think he had the right or the ability to ease her pain.

They’d finally settled on opposite sides of the waiting room. She had Maddie and Helen on either side of her, and they were surrounded by Annie’s friends, who’d refused to leave despite the hours that had passed. The sun was already up. Dana Sue glanced guiltily across the room, saw Ronnie sitting all alone and felt a moment’s sympathy for him. Then she reminded herself that he’d chosen to be an outsider.

“Don’t you think you should talk to Ronnie?” Maddie asked gently. “He was right earlier. You do know more than you’ve told him. It might be best to prepare him for whatever the doctor has to say.”

Dana Sue shook her head. “I can’t just walk over there and say that Annie is anorexic and has probably messed up her whole body. I tried before, but I couldn’t get the words out.”

“It won’t get any easier,” Maddie said.

“Leave her alone!” Helen snapped. “If it had been up to me, she wouldn’t have called him at all.”

“Then it’s a good thing you weren’t the one who was with her earlier,” Maddie chided. “Ronnie has a right to know that Annie’s in the hospital. He’s her father.”

“I don’t remember you being all that anxious to involve Bill when Ty was in trouble a few months ago,” Helen retorted.

“Ty made some mistakes. His life wasn’t at stake,” Maddie said pointedly.

“Stop it!” Dana Sue commanded. “Why are you two arguing about this now? For better or worse, Ronnie’s here.”

“Which is it?” Maddie asked, studying her curiously. “Better or worse?”

She sighed. “For a minute, seeing him felt really good,” she admitted. “He was always so calm in a crisis, so supportive. When my mom died, he took care of everything, even though he’d loved her, too. When I saw him tonight, all I wanted was to draw on all that strength.” She shrugged. “Then I remembered how mad I am at him.”

“So rather than lean on him, even under these circumstances, you pushed him away.” Maddie shook her head. “Sometimes I’m not sure which of you is the bigger idiot.”

“Way to be supportive, Maddie,” Helen said sarcastically.

“That’s enough,” Dana Sue exclaimed.

“Of course it is,” Helen said, sounding surprisingly meek. “I’m sorry. You don’t need the two of us bickering with each other.”

“That’s right,” Maddie agreed. “I’m sorry, too.”

Just then a weary-looking doctor finally emerged from the treatment area, paused at the nurses’ station to speak to the receptionist, glanced their way and nodded, then came toward them. His grim expression had Dana Sue reaching for Maddie’s hand.

“I’m Dr. Lane. You’re here with Annie Sullivan?” he asked.