Second Chance (Crystal Lake Series Book 6) Read online

  Chapter Seven

  Janelle’s shift flew past, one minute she was worried about how Devon was doing with Sebastian, the next she was focused on a steady stream of patients coming in through the ER.

  A glance at her watch confirmed that it was well past lunch time, and since there seemed to be a break in the action, she decided to take advantage of the moment to get a bite to eat.

  And to call Devon.

  She grabbed a sandwich from the cafeteria and took it back upstairs to the ER break room. She took a bite while scrolling through her contact list. Then she switched over to her recent calls.

  Dev had called her the night before to finalize things and to check in on her. She found his number and added him to her contact list before she pushed the button.

  The phone rang several times before his voice mail message came on. She frowned and asked that he call her back.

  Weird, she thought, as she took another bite. Maybe he was at the park, playing with Sebastian and hadn’t heard his phone. Although surely he would have expected her to call?

  Then again, maybe not. She’d told him she trusted him. Which she did. And she might have caught them in the middle of a game.

  She finished her lunch, and then sighed when she was notified of a new arrival. Ten minutes to eat was better than nothing, so she tossed the wrapper in the garbage and headed back out to the arena.

  “Janelle, your patient is in room three,” Eve informed her.

  She nodded and crossed over. When she pushed back the privacy curtain, her heart leapt into her throat when she saw Dev standing beside Sebastian who was lying on a gurney.

  “What happened?” she asked, crossing over to put a hand on Sebastian’s forehead. “Is he sick?”

  Devon’s face was full of anguish. “I spun him on the merry-go-round and he fell off. I’m so sorry, it’s totally my fault.”

  For a moment the urge to lash out at him was strong, and she swallowed the harsh words with an effort. “It’s okay,” she said with a strained smile. “Sebastian? Can you tell me what hurts?”

  “My tummy,” he whimpered.

  She tried to control her shaking fingers as she lifted his shirt and examined his abdomen. The catheter site looked fine, clean, dry and intact. He didn’t have any obvious bruises or contusions that she could see, although it was possible they would show up later. She glanced up at Devon. “Did he land on his stomach?”

  “No, he landed on his backside.”

  She was relieved by the news. “Okay, I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’ll ask Dr. Katy to take a look.”

  As she moved around to the foot of the gurney, Dev’s hand shot out and lightly grasped her arm. “Janelle, I’m truly sorry about this.”

  He looked so distraught that her initial annoyance faded and she covered his hand with hers. “I don’t blame you, Devon. Sebastian is a child, he’s going to fall down or get hurt sometimes.”

  “I pushed them too fast,” he insisted. “You warned me to be careful and look what happened.”

  “Nothing has happened that we know of,” she reminded him. “We’ll see what Dr. Katy says, but I’m sure he’s going to be just fine.”

  Dev’s dark gaze clung to hers, as if seeking reassurance. Finally he released her and nodded. “Okay, send the doc in.”

  She strode into the arena and swept her gaze over the nurse’s station, searching for Dr. Katy’s auburn hair. The ER doctor was seated in front of a computer, scowling at the screen. Janelle approached her, wondering what was wrong. “Dr. Katy? Do you have a minute to examine my patient in room three?”

  “What?” Dr. Katy glanced up and her expression cleared. “Sure, I’ll be right in.”

  “Anything I can help you with?” Janelle asked, glancing at the computer screen over Katy’s shoulder.

  “No, just don’t like the look of this CT scan on the patient in room eight but I have consulted the neurologist; just waiting for him to get here.” Dr. Katy pushed away from the computer desk. “Let’s take a look at your patient. What’s going on?”

  Janelle filled her in on Sebastian’s medical history and was glad when Dr. Katy didn’t seem too concerned.

  When they walked into the room, Devon was sitting next to Sebastian’s gurney, smoothing a hand over her son’s head.

  “Hi Devon,” Dr. Katy greeted him. “Is Sebastian your son?”

  Dev looked stunned by the question and Janelle quickly spoke up. “No, he’s actually my son. I’m his legal guardian, Dev was just helping me out by watching Sebastian today while I was here at work.”

  “Oh, of course, I should have known. Now that you mention it, I did hear something about you adopting your sister’s son.” Katy bent over Sebastian. “Hi, my name is Dr. Katy, can I take a peek at your tummy?”

  Sebastian nodded and pulled up his t-shirt. Dr. Katy gently palpated his abdomen and glanced over at Janelle. “He’s dwelling, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes, that’s right. He’s not scheduled for another exchange until later tonight.”

  “I think we need to make sure the fluid in his abdomen is clear,” Dr. Katy said, stepping back and stripping off her gloves. “So let’s get him drained, then we’ll get a CT scan. If it looks good, I’ll discharge him home.”

  “Do we need to infuse another bag?” Janelle asked with a frown. She didn’t like the idea of skipping an exchange.

  “I don’t think so, he should really be fine for a couple of hours. Just start his nighttime exchange an hour early.”

  Janelle nodded and quickly connected the tubing to Sebastian’s catheter. She held her breath and released the clamp, hoping, praying there was no blood in the fluid as a sign of trauma.

  She could feel Devon’s intense gaze, both of them waiting to see what would happen. When the fluid appeared clear, she smiled. “Looks good.”

  “Yeah.” Dev glanced up at her. “I’ve been praying the whole time that he’d be okay.”

  She was touched by the fact that he’d prayed for Sebastian, especially considering how he’d kept his distance from church and faith. Maybe yesterday had helped mend that fence. “Me, too. But as you can see, he’s fine.”

  “Can I go home, now?” Sebastian asked. “I wanna play the race car game.”

  “Not yet, but soon.” Janelle glanced up at Devon. “I have a couple of other patients to check on, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She kept busy with her other patients, while Dev accompanied Sebastian to the CT scanner. She wanted to be there for him, but she couldn’t just walk away from her patient care responsibilities, either.

  When Dr. Katy gave them the all clear, she glanced at her watch, realizing she only had thirty minutes left in her shift. “I can’t leave just yet,” she told Dev. “But I’ll meet you soon, okay?”

  “Sure, no problem.” Dev looked exhausted, as if the events at the park had taken a toll on him. “We’ll play video games while we wait, right Sebastian?”

  “Right. And I’ll beat you, too.”

  She smiled at Sebastian’s determination, glad to see he was back to his old self. She kept the discharge paperwork for herself, watching as Sebastian skipped beside Dev as they left the ER.

  As fast as the beginning part of her shift passed, the last thirty minutes dragged painfully slow. When she finished giving the oncoming nurse a brief report about the patients who were still waiting for their disposition, she hurried to grab her purse out of her locker.

  Thankfully, the ride home didn’t take long, and for once there was no sign of any silver sedan hanging around. She found Dev and Sebastian playing a game, but was equally shocked to see that there was a large crockpot of beef stew on the counter.

  “You made dinner?” She glanced at Dev in surprise.

  “I used a low salt recipe so it should be fine for Sebastian,” he responded from his spot on the sofa.

  She didn’t know what to say, certainly she hadn’t expected hi
m to cook for her.

  For them.

  This was how she’d once envisioned her life.

  Before Lane had walked out on her.

  She told herself not to read anything into Devon’s kind gesture. After all, he was probably just returning the favor since she’d cooked breakfast.

  Yet she had no idea what to do with the extra time on her hands. Time she’d slotted to prepare dinner.

  She ducked into her bedroom to change out of her scrubs into a comfy pair of soft denim jeans and a pull-over T-shirt.

  When she returned to the kitchen, Devon was standing at the counter, stirring the stew. He turned when she approached.

  “What do you want to do about tomorrow?” he asked in a low voice.

  Her stomach sank to the soles of her feet. The way he avoided her gaze made her realize he’d changed his mind about watching Sebastian. She could barely force the words past her constricted throat. “What do you mean?”

  “Can you still trust me, after everything that’s happened?”

  She licked her dry lips. “I’ll be honest, Devon, I was angry at first. But then I realized that this could have happened to anyone.”

  “But not to you.” He finally lifted his gaze to hers.

  “I’ve probably been a little over-protective of him,” she admitted. “But what I said to you in the ER was the truth. He’s going to run and play with other kids. He’s going to fall down and get hurt. You were right to take him to the park to play. He shouldn’t spend his days playing video games.”

  “Do you really mean that?” he asked, his dark brown eyes searching hers.

  She couldn’t stop herself from stepping closer and putting her hand on his forearm. “Yes, I do. Please don’t let what happened today bother you.”

  “How can I not?” Dev’s tone was husky with pent up emotion. “Sebastian could have been seriously injured.”

  “Yes, but he wasn’t.”

  He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She linked her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. They stood there for several long moments, drawing strength from each other.

  When Dev finally loosened his grip, she stepped away, feeling a bit self-conscious. They were friends, but in the past few days, she was beginning to think of him as something more.

  “Thanks for making dinner,” she said, desperate to change the subject. “I hope you’re planning on staying to eat with us.”

  He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Sure, I’d like that.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what they were doing, but just then Sebastian called out for Dev, asking if he was going to return to the game.

  “Go ahead,” she urged, distracted by the ringing of her cell phone. “I have to get this anyway.”

  Dev headed back into the living room and challenged Sebastian to another game. She picked up her phone, frowning when she didn’t recognize the number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi this is Alice Beckstrom, returning your call.”

  Janelle was thrilled to hear from the retired nurse. She explained her situation with Sebastian and asked if there was any possibility she’d be willing to babysit for him, which included performing his peritoneal dialysis exchanges three times a day.

  There was a long pause and Janelle’s hope deflated like a balloon.

  “I know it sounds like a lot,” she hastened to fill the silence. “But he goes to preschool in the morning, so it’s really not as bad as it sounds.”

  “How many days a week would you need me?” Alice asked.

  She caught her breath, trying to rein in her excitement. “I’m working just part-time hours for now, usually two to three days per week, and every third weekend.”

  Another long silence. “I don’t do weekends.”

  At this point, she would be willing to take what she could get. “That’s okay, I’m hoping a young high-school student who’s already a certified nursing assistant will be willing to do them.” She took a deep breath and pressed on. “I would really appreciate your considering the position. I have to be able to pay my rent and I’m running out of options.”

  “All right, then I’ll watch your boy two or three days per week. But it’s been a long time so I’ll need a refresher on how to do his exchanges.”

  Janelle closed her eyes on a wave of relief, resisting the urge to dance a little jig. “I’m off work on Wednesday, but work again on Thursday. I can show you how to take care of his exchanges on Wednesday if you’re willing. I only need you Thursday of this week, and then not again until Monday the following week.”

  “Wednesday is fine. I’ll need directions to your house.”

  Janelle rattled them off and then disconnected from the call, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. She sank into a kitchen chair, trying to absorb what had just happened.

  God had answered her prayers! She had a babysitter for Sebastian. For during the week at least.

  She’d have plenty of time to worry about the weekends later.

  Suddenly full of energy, she jumped up from the table and began pulling glasses, bowls and silverware out of her cupboards, setting the table. Devon’s beef stew smelled delicious and she was acutely aware of how hungry she was.

  “Dinner’s ready,” she called.

  “Not yet,” Sebastian protested, leaning into a curve as if he were actually riding the race car.

  Devon hit the pause button. “Yes, now,” he said, firmly. “We can finish the game after dinner.”

  As much as she was glad to have his support, she couldn’t help wondering just how long Dev planned on staying. He had a right to eat the meal he’d cooked, but surely he had other things to do.

  Other ways to spend his evening off work.

  Her stomach knotted at the thought of Devon dating someone else, even though she knew he didn’t belong to her. And after tomorrow, she wouldn’t even need his help any more with watching Sebastian.

  So why was she feeling depressed by that fact?

  She filled their bowls with the steamy stew, and once everyone was seated she clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

  “Dear Lord, we thank You so much for this wonderful food and for keeping Sebastian safe today when he fell. Also thank You for answering my prayers for a babysitter. We ask that You continue to show us Your path, Amen.”

  “Amen,” Sebastian said.

  She glanced at Devon, surprised at the somber expression on his face.

  “You found someone?”

  She forced a smile. “Yes, Alice Beckstrom, the retired nurse that Pastor John referred to me. She doesn’t want to do weekends, but at least I have part of my problem solved.”

  “That’s great news,” he said with an odd lack of enthusiasm.

  She nodded and picked up her spoon, wondering what was going on in his mind.

  Was it possible Devon would miss spending time with Sebastian?

  With her?

  Chapter Eight

  Devon knew he should be happy for Janelle’s having a solution for her babysitting problem. However, he couldn’t deny a twinge of regret that she wouldn’t need him anymore.

  Ridiculous to think that way, this wasn’t about him. Both Janelle and Sebastian deserved a break.

  “Delicious,” Janelle murmured after tasting his stew. “Thank you so much for making dinner. I wasn’t expecting you to do that.”

  “It was really not that big a deal,” he said, wishing she wouldn’t be so nice to him. The image of Sebastian lying on the ground beside the merry-go-round and the shrillness of his scream were firmly implanted in his memory.

  He hadn’t prayed that hard since Debra’s death.

  Cooking dinner had been his feeble attempt to repay her. It was the least he could do.

  “Actually, it is a big deal,” Janelle countered. She reached across the table and lightly put her hand on his forearm. “You’ve been so supportive over these past few days, Devon. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay
you.”

  He stared at her slender hand for a moment, aching for something he didn’t dare name, then dragged his gaze to her face. “You supported me the night I was shot, Janelle,” he managed. “So how about we just consider ourselves even?”

  The smile that bloomed across her features made his breath catch in his throat. “Okay, then. It’s a deal.”

  He nodded and began to eat. The stew wasn’t half bad, and he was glad to see Sebastian and Janelle both seemed to like it too.

  “Have you heard any news from Zack about the break in?” he asked.

  Janelle scowled and shook her head. “No, but I’m sure these things take time.”

  They did, but he thought Zack would have tried to put a rush on the fingerprints at least. Although the robbery had been discovered on Saturday, the evidence was probably only first being processed today.

  “Everything can be replaced,” Janelle said with a shrug. Then her expression clouded over. “Except for Lisa’s ring.”

  “I can check out some of the pawn shops and jewelry shops in the area,” he volunteered.

  She looked up at him in surprise. “Won’t Zack do that?”

  “Maybe,” he acknowledged. “But it won’t hurt to have both of us making phone calls.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” she said softly.

  Dev couldn’t help thinking he’d do anything to make her happy, but then pulled himself up short. Wait a minute, what was he thinking? They were friends.

  Good friends. Helping each other out in a jam.

  So why did he have the insane urge to kiss her?

  Devon tried to push the troublesome thoughts out of his mind, but it wasn’t easy. When they finished dinner, Janelle insisted on cleaning up. He decided he should head home, after all, he’d be back in the morning.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Janelle. Same time, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Noooo,” Sebastian wailed. “Don’t go, Dev. Don’t go!”

  He was surprised when the little boy wrapped his arms around his legs, in a meager attempt to keep him from leaving.

  “Hey, champ, I need to get going, but I’ll be back in the morning, okay?”