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Chapter 67

Nick normally liked The Killers’ song he had set as the ringtone on his cell phone, but when it woke him up that morning, it only aggravated his already pounding headache. It literally was a killer, he thought – so much, in fact, that his own semi-clever pun did not even make him smile. Instead, he groaned in discomfort, as he struggled to roll over in bed and groped around for his phone.

His fingers curled around the tiny, silver flip-phone and dragged it off of the bedside table. Blinking rapidly, both to get rid of the crusty gunk that clogged his eyes and to avoid the intrusive sunlight, he flipped open the phone and squinted at the caller ID. Claire? he wondered, surprised that she would call him so early. According to the clock on his phone, it was only seven in the morning. Hell, he’d only been asleep for a few hours. And damn was he hungover.

Still, he couldn’t ignore her call, so he cleared his throat and tapped the button to answer. “’Lo?” he rasped as he hoisted the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Nick.” Her voice was grim. Instantly, he sat up, despite the fact that it made his head pound with twice the intensity. “I’m so sorry to wake you up; I just couldn’t wait any longer to hear your voice.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Nick pressed worriedly. “Somethin’ happen? Are you okay?” His thoughts went first to his house, remembering the burglar alarm incident, then to her leukemia and the rejection scare she’d had not quite two months ago. Oh my god, no… please, nothing like that…

“My dad had a heart attack this morning.”

As horrible as it was, a part of him was instantly relieved to hear that nothing bad had happened to her. But the reality of the situation hit him less than a second later. Something bad had happened to her father, whom she was very close to. Physically, she may have been fine, but emotionally, she had to be a wreck.

“Oh shit, baby, I’m so sorry,” he responded quickly, his own heart aching for her. “Is… is he…-?” He was afraid to ask.

“He’s doing all right,” she answered. “He’s in the CCU, recovering from angioplasty.”

“What’s that?” asked Nick immediately, feeling ignorant. The term sounded vaguely familiar, but the only medical shit he really knew anything about was the medical shit he had been put through.

“It’s a procedure to clear clogged arteries, basically,” Claire answered concisely. “Minor surgery. The doctors are hopeful, but we’re all still pretty worried.”

“No kidding; I would be too!” Nick sympathized, shuddering as he wondered what he would do if something like that happened to his own father. Maybe they weren’t very close anymore, but he still loved his dad…

“What can I do, baby?” he asked. “Do you want me to come back and be with you? I’m sure I could move up my flight a few days…” He was scheduled to fly home Wednesday morning, since Thanksgiving was on Thursday, but what was a few extra days? The guys would understand – hell, this would give them all a chance to fly home early and be with their families.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” she said. “I don’t want to mess up your work schedule. I just… I’m going crazy here, and I needed to hear your voice.”

“It doesn’t sound very nice at the moment,” he croaked with a hoarse chuckle, his voice cracking appropriately.

“Yeah, I can hear that,” she replied, and he could tell she was smiling, at least a little bit. Despite his worry for her and the all around ugh-ness that accompanied his hangover, the thought made him smile too. “You a little hungover, are ya, baby?” she teased him lightly.

His smile turned sheepish. “How could you tell?” he groaned.

“I know you too well. Not to mention, you called me last night, drunk off your ass, and left me a voicemail,” she replied, sounding almost amused. Before he could respond, she added maternally, “Now drink some water, take some aspirin, and go back to bed. We can talk later, okay?”

“No, no, you don’t gotta hang up,” Nick insisted, pressing the phone closer to his throbbing temple. (Did I really call her last night? he wondered. Somehow he didn’t remember doing that.) “I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you right now.” (A voicemail? What the hell did I say??)

“Don’t worry about me… worry about my dad. As long he’s going to be okay, I’ll be okay too.”

“I’m sendin’ good vibes his way,” Nick assured her, casting the alleged voicemail aside. That didn’t matter now anyway. “You sure you don’t want me to fly out today? I don’t want you to have to go through this alone.”

“I’m not alone; my mom and brother are here.”

She was putting up a brave front, as she often did, but he sensed that she secretly did want him there with her… she wouldn’t have called him so early if she didn’t. So as soon as he got off the phone with her a short while later, he forgot all about the water, the aspirin, and his bed, and moved to his laptop to buy an airplane ticket.

***

It had been a very long day for Claire. Her lack of sleep the night before, coupled with the emotional turmoil of the day, had left her drained, and by eight o’clock that evening, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep. Well, that wasn’t true… the only thing she wanted more than to sleep was to be with her father, and so she remained with her mother, Kyle, and Amber (who had arrived later that morning, around the time she’d finally called Nick) at the hospital.

At least things were looking up. Her dad was still in the intensive care, where they would monitor him closely overnight, but aside from being sapped of strength and energy, he both looked and felt better (or so he said). Dr. Corwin had hinted that if his condition continued to improve, she would release him Tuesday or Wednesday. He would have a period of recuperation and rehabilitation ahead of him after that, of course… but at least he would be home for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving… She sighed as she thought about the looming holiday. It was normally one of her favorite holidays – family and food, what could be better? – and she had been looking forward to it. Nick would be home, and they had planned on going to her parents’ house, as she always did. Her grandparents, whom she rarely saw, were even flying down from Baltimore. But now, with her dad sick, she wasn’t sure what the plan was. Her mom was great at multitasking, but she’d never be able to take care of him and still get everything ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

Maybe it’s my turn to take over, she thought, absently drumming her fingers against the armrest of the stiff-backed chair she’d been sitting in for a large part of the day.

Kyle and Amber’s baby was due in a matter of weeks; there was no way Amber could handle the Thanksgiving preparations. And besides, she was the only daughter… if anyone had to take over for her mother, the duty would rest on her shoulders. She made a mental note to ask her mom for all her traditional Thanksgiving recipes when she came back from sitting with her father in the cardiac care unit. Surely it couldn’t be that hard, as long as she had recipes to follow…

As she sat gazing blankly down at the thin, patterned carpet on the waiting room floor, Claire was lost in thought. So lost, in fact, that she did not hear the familiar set of slightly uneven footsteps coming down the hallway. Nor did she hear them stop.

***

The day had been a long one for Nick as well. Going on only a few hours of sleep and hungover after a night of clubbing with Howie, AJ, and Mary, he had nevertheless packed his bags and had Howie drive him to the airport to catch his flight back to Florida.

The guys had been very understanding when he’d explained what had happened. “She’s lucky to have you, Nick,” Kevin had even told him over the phone when he’d called to let him know he was leaving.

“She’d do the same for me,” Nick had replied with a shrug, remembering how she’d flown to Iowa to be with Jamie after his own father’s heart attack a year ago… and then flown right back to Florida when she found out he was sick. Still, Kevin’s comment secretly pleased him – respect from his oldest brother had always meant a lot to him.

The direct flight into Tampa had been hell. He hadn’t been able to get a first class seat because he had booked the flight on such short notice, so he’d been forced to travel coach, which he hadn’t done in many years, not since the early days of the Backstreet Boys, when he was still small enough to actually fit in coach. You’ve gotta be kidding me! he’d thought in horror when he’d squeezed his way down the narrow aisle of the plane to find his seat, which looked to be about two inches behind the seat in front of it. And on top of that, it was a window seat. He hated window seats; they always made him feel claustrophobic and nauseous.

A middle-aged businessman type had been sitting in the aisle seat, reading a magazine. He didn’t even look up when Nick stopped beside him, and Nick had to clear his throat quite loudly to get his attention. “Excuse me, sir?” Nick had asked, trying to be polite. “Sorry, but is there any way we could trade seats?” The man had just blinked up at him, and when he did not get the response he’d hoped for, Nick sighed and added, “It’s just that I usually get airsick when I’m by the window. This one time, I went through like five barf bags…”

That had done it. Without a word, the man had risen from his seat and moved over one, allowing Nick to take the aisle seat. It had still been quite cramped, but at least he could stretch his long leg out into the aisle. Still, the changing altitudes and the constant roar of the plane’s engine had made his headache worse, and he’d found it impossible to sleep. He envied the businessman, who had shut his magazine and closed his eyes before the plane had even taken off, somehow managing to doze the entire flight.

Stiff and lethargic, Nick had stumbled off of the plane in Tampa and taken a cab back to his house. After sitting on a plane for nearly five hours, the last thing he felt like doing was driving another two hours to Gainesville, but he’d dutifully dropped off his bags, splashed some cold water on his face, and climbed into his Jaguar.

His cruise control set on eighty for most of the way, Nick made it to Gainesville in less than two hours and found the hospital Claire had mentioned on the phone – he’d called her while waiting for his boarding call at LAX and had managed to casually get it out of her without letting her know that he was coming. Surprising her would be a good way to cheer her up.

He just hoped she would still be there. It was almost eight o’clock, Florida time, and already dark by the time he was making his way into the brightly-lit hospital. The woman at the front desk told him how to get to the cardiology wing, and he followed the signs in the curving hallways until he found the correct ward. “Excuse me,” he said, stopping to address an older woman at the nurses station. “I’m looking for the family of a patient… Kris Ryan? Well, really just his daughter, Claire. Do you know-?”

“Are you family, sir?” the nurse interrupted him.

“Yeah, I’m Claire’s husband,” he answered with ease. Noticing the woman’s sharp eyes drift down to his left hand, he realized he’d been caught in a white lie and added quickly, “-to-be. She’s my fiancée. Her dad – my father-in-law… to-be – had a heart attack this morning.”

Finally, the nurse nodded. “Walk down this hall and hang a right. There will be a family waiting room on your left, about halfway down the hall. The last time I saw the family, they were there.”

“Thank you,” Nick replied with a grateful smile and set off quickly, anxious to get to Claire. He turned the corner and started down the hallway, looking for the waiting room. His eyes traveled upwards to read the sign overhead, pointing the directions of different areas of the hospital, and when he glanced back down, his gaze locked onto a familiar figure striding up the hall in the opposite direction.

Instantly, he came to a halt, as recognition dawned. No… he thought warily, frowning at the approaching person. No way… I did not spend all day flying back to find him here.

But sure enough…

“You have got to be kidding me,” thought Nick, as Jamie Turner stopped a few feet in front of him. Only too late did he realize he’d actually muttered that out loud.

“Surprise, surprise,” Jamie said slowly, looking Nick up and down. “I thought you were still in Los Angeles.”

“And I thought you lived in Iowa,” Nick returned, gazing levelly at Jamie.

“Claire came to Iowa when my dad was sick last year,” Jamie replied with a shrug. “So I came to Florida for her. She sounded like she needed a friend when she called me this morning.”

Well, she’s got me now, Nick wanted to say. I’m her friend. I’m more than her friend! Go back home; she doesn’t need you!

But of course, he didn’t say that. Even if he’d had the nerve, he wouldn’t have had the chance, for at that moment, Claire stepped out into the hall.

Nick held his breath, watching her closely, waiting for her reaction. How long had Jamie been here? Did she know he was here?

It quickly became apparent that she didn’t, for her mouth dropped open in surprise, her head shooting back and forth between the two of them. “You guys!” she finally exclaimed. “What are you both doing here?!”

“What do you think?” Nick replied quickly, stepping forward and pulling her in for a tight hug before Jamie could make a move. As he held Claire against his chest, rubbing her back with one hand, he peered at Jamie over her shoulder and couldn’t help but feel a pleasant rush of satisfaction at the frown on his face. “I’ve been thinking about you all day, baby,” he murmured into her ear. “How are things?”

“Better,” she replied with a smile as she slowly pulled away. She turned to smile at Jamie too and added, “Much better now that you’re both here.”

Jamie flashed her a smile in return and asked, before Nick had the chance, “But how’s your dad?”

“He’s doing okay,” said Claire, nodding. “They’re going to keep him overnight and probably tomorrow night too… but then if everything looks good, he might be released on Tuesday.”

“That’s awesome news,” Nick jumped in. “Thank God, huh?”

Claire nodded emphatically, glancing between the two of them. “Wow,” she said, “I can’t believe you’re both really here! What, did you guys plan this or something?” She winked at Nick; she knew full well they had done no such thing.

“Well, you know what they say,” Jamie shrugged. “Great minds think alike.” He smiled at Nick, a smile that did not quite reach his ice blue eyes, and Nick forced one back, though it probably ended up looking more like a smirk.

Claire laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. How were your flights?” She kept looking between them whenever she said anything, as if she were afraid to give one more attention than the other. The whole situation reminded Nick of a basketball game, of which she was refereeing.

“Honestly? Awful,” he answered her question first. “I got stuck in coach,” he added before he could stop himself, sticking his tongue out.

“Coach, huh? That must have been terrible,” Jamie interjected dryly, rolling his eyes. When Claire laughed, Nick immediately regretted saying it. “Well, my flight was fine,” Jamie continued before Nick could recover. “Coach is coach, you know; what can I say? I’m here, and that’s all that matters.”

Slam dunk for Jamie. Nick scowled.

Claire, on the other hand, smiled. Again. “Thank you for coming,” she said sincerely, reaching out to touch Jamie’s shoulder. “It means a lot to me.”

“That’s what friends are for, aren’t they?” Nick put in before Jamie could, slipping an arm around Claire’s waist as he stressed the word ‘friends.’ Leaning closer to her, he added in a low voice, “And fiancées too.” And then he gently took her chin and placed a tender kiss on her mouth. Ha, he thought, noticing the way her lips curved up as he drew his away from them. Carter’s back in the game.

Jamie smiled in a very forced-looking way and nodded wordlessly, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked uncomfortable, and Nick was glad. He wanted him to get the point, stop living in the past, and move on.

Claire looked from Nick to Jamie and back again; she appeared a little uncomfortable too. Nevertheless, she said, “Come on, let’s go sit down,” and ushered them both into the waiting room from which she had emerged.

Nick alternated between listening to Claire as she described the day’s events and casting furtive looks in Jamie’s direction. Jamie kept nodding as if he were listening intently, his eyes oozing with sympathy, eyebrows cocked perfectly. Nick wondered if he really cared as much as he appeared to, or if it was all an act to get closer to Claire. That was a mean thing to think, he knew, but he didn’t trust Jamie farther than he could throw him and was not above questioning his motives.

He realized he had momentarily spaced out when he heard Jamie saying, “I prayed for him in Mass this morning. I couldn’t stop thinking about you and your family and what you all must be going through, and I was so worried. You know your dad’s always been like a second father to me.”

Are you serious?? Nick thought, staring at Jamie incredulously. What a chump! The guy was feeding Claire such bullshit…

“I know,” Claire said softly and patted his hand. “Thanks, Jamie; that means a lot to me.”

… And she was eating it up!

Nick thought desperately for something to say, but he was drawing a blank. Claire’s dad was a nice guy, and Nick had been worried too, but it wasn’t as if they were close yet. He’d only met the man a few times; future father-in-law or not, there was no way he could get away with saying Kris was like his second dad. (Besides, Kevin had that one covered.)

His silence allowed Jamie the opportunity to keep talking, and Nick nearly choked when he heard him continue, “I know it’s kind of after the fact, but… do you want pray together now?”

Nick’s eyes immediately shot over to Claire, who did not look as surprised as he thought she would. Instead, she nodded and replied, “Sure, that would be nice.”

Jamie offered her a smile and his hand, and she took it, lacing her fingers through his. “Nick?” asked Jamie, extending his other hand towards Nick.

Swallowing hard, Nick reluctantly dragged his chair in front of Claire and Jamie so that they were sitting in a small circle. He took Claire’s free hand, gripping it tightly, and then let Jamie grab his other, the whole time thinking, You hypocrite. Don’t even tell me you’re some Jesus freak. You can’t be. Not after all the shit you’ve said and done.

But if Jamie was putting up an act, it was a very convincing one. “Heavenly Father,” he began, his eyes closed – Nick immediately followed suit, dropping his head – “Thank You for being with Mr. Ryan today. We pray that You will watch over him and walk with him on his road to recovery. Please give him the strength he needs to get better, and bless the doctors and nurses who are taking care of him. In Your name, we pray… Amen.”

“Amen,” Nick muttered and looked up. Claire and Jamie both looked very serene, and he realized they had a connection he was not a part of. Claire was not incredibly religious, but he knew she had been raised Catholic, as had Jamie, from what he had gathered. He, on the other hand, had probably learned more about Christianity from Brian than anyone else; his family had not gone to church since he was a young child, and though he believed there was a God who looked out for him, religion had never been a huge part of his life.

As he dropped Jamie’s hand, he felt Claire squeeze his. He glanced over to see her smiling at him, as if to say, ‘I know that made you uncomfortable… but thank you.’

He returned the smile and the hand squeeze, wishing he knew what else to do to comfort her, as Jamie had.

***

Claire thought for sure she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow that night, but instead she lay awake in the guest room of her parents’ house, watching shadows dance in the warm golden light of the streetlamp outside, listening to Nick’s steady breathing (exhausted, he really had fallen asleep almost as soon as he’d crawled into bed next to her), and thinking about the events of the day.

The day. One day. She could not believe that’s all it had been. It had been such a long one, and so many things had happened. She shuddered as she thought of the terrifying phone call she’d awoken to. Had that really been less than twenty-four hours ago? At the time, she’d had no idea what was going to happen, whether or not her father was going to be all right. But he was. He would need time to recuperate, as well as some lifestyle changes, according to his doctor… but it looked like he was going to be all right. She couldn’t have been more relieved, or grateful.

And then Nick… and Jamie… both of them. She hadn’t excepted either of them to drop everything and fly to Florida to be with her, and she’d certainly never fathomed that both of them would, arriving virtually at the same time. What at awkward situation that had been, but still, she couldn’t have been happier to see them. Besides her father and her brother, they were her two favorite guys in the world, and she knew now that she could depend on them anytime. Nick had almost always been there for her anyway, and as for Jamie…

Jamie had grown up. Listening to him pray aloud for her dad that evening had made her realize that like never before. He was no longer the immature kid who balked in the face of a crisis; this time, he had really come through for her. It was the second time in recent years that he had helped her in a big way, and she wouldn’t forget it.

Yawning as a wave of fatigue washed over her again, she rolled over so that she was facing Nick. He was curled up on his side, his back to her, and she gently slipped her arm around him, spooning him from behind. “Thank you for being here,” she whispered through the darkness. Her only answer was his deep, even breathing.

She smiled, closing her eyes as she snuggled closer to him. That night, she needed something to hold on to.

***