* * *
“Where’s Slade?” Judy asked, handing Tory another cup of coffee.
Tory watched Slade and Brad walk across the parking lot and climb into her brother-in-law’s white SUV. “He went to your house with Brad. I thought it best he stay there tonight with Mindy. I don’t want her any more upset than she already is, and hospitals remind her too much of what she went through.” The lights of Dallas shone in the dark hours of night. She turned from the large window in the waiting room, suddenly needing to sit down.
“You’re a good mother, Tory. I hope you can have children before it’s too late.”
Tory rolled her aching shoulders. It might already be too late. Coming back here brought forth all those feelings she had run from four years ago. She wouldn’t be able to give her husband what she had dreamed of all her life. While her girlfriends in high school and college had had sex, she’d saved herself. And for what? For Brandon to take it by force—all those years obliterated in a single moment.
“I saw Mrs. Clayton today at the house.”
Judy came to sit next to her. She took her hand. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. I should have gone to get Mom’s things. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Ashley and Jamie needed you. Besides, I should be able to go home and not worry about it.”
“Did she say anything to you?”
“No, but Mrs. Johnston came over to see how Mom was doing. I think she really wanted to see how I was doing and to put in her barbs—again.”
“Does Slade know?”
Tory hunched her shoulders, staring down at their clasped hands. “Yes. I told him when you took Mindy camping.”
“Good. He had a right to know.”
Tory jerked her head up and stabbed her sister with a look. “Why? It happened to me four years ago. Before I knew him.”
“Frankly, Tory, because it has such power over you.”
As close as she was to her sister, Judy didn’t know the half of it. Tory withdrew her hand and bolted to her feet, restless, wanting just to forget everything. Why couldn’t it be that simple? She didn’t like what was happening to her all over again. The doubts. The fears.
“Tory, you’ve married a good man. Let him help you.”
She wanted to shout, “He deserves better than me,” but she kept the words deep inside, where they festered. “I don’t want to talk about me. It’s Mom I’m worried about.”
“We’ll know more in the morning. Hopefully the doctor will be able to operate on her and she can begin recovering.”
“Let’s pray.” Tory bowed her head and folded her hands.
* * *
Tory stopped pacing and scanned the waiting room. She never wanted to see this place again. She’d lived here for the past few days, sleeping when she could on the hard blue sofa in the corner. She had never thought of herself as an impatient person until now. She felt like screaming in frustration.
Plowing her hand through her hair, she resumed her pacing. “When do you think we’ll hear anything?”
Judy glanced at her watch. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.” She turned to her father. “Dad, do you want some coffee?”
He nodded, his face pale and deeply lined with exhaustion.
“Come on, Tory. You can help me bring some drinks back.” Judy tugged on her arm to get her moving toward the door.
“But what if the doctor comes back soon?” Tory asked as she stepped out into the hospital corridor.
“A few minutes won’t make any difference, and I think you need to get out of that room. You’re driving everyone crazy with your pacing.”
“Sorry, I’m restless.”
“Personally, I don’t know how you have any energy to put one foot in front of the other. We’ve all been up most of the past forty-eight hours.”
“Can’t sleep until I know Mom will make it through the surgery.”
“Hence the reason I’m making you go with me. Did you see the looks that other family sent us?”
“I usually ride to get rid of this nervous energy, but I’m fresh out of any horses at the moment.” Tory attempted a grin that immediately faded.
“Is Gus taking care of the ranch?”
“Yes, thank goodness for him. He’s staying at the house and, from talking with him earlier today, loving every minute of it. He feels like he’s on vacation from his daughter.”
Judy entered the coffee shop and ordered hot coffee for herself, their father and Tory. Taking the tray, she started for the door.
“At least let me carry my own coffee,” Tory said, plucking her cup from the tray, “since you wanted my help in getting the drinks.”
“Slade and Brad should be back in a little while with the kids.”
“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for Mindy to be at the hospital. She has been upset ever since she heard about Mom.”
“The kids will need to see for themselves Mom’s okay.”
“I know. But she has bad memories about the hospital.”
“Honey, I know you want to protect her, but I think Slade’s doing the right thing.”
In the waiting room the surgeon who had operated on their mother stood with their father, speaking in low murmurs. The tension in her father’s face had relaxed, sparking hope in Tory.
She hurried to the pair. “Dad? Is everything okay?”
Her father smiled, his blue eyes lighting. “She’s going to be all right. The operation went well. Thank you, Dr. Richards.” He shook the man’s hand.
After the doctor left, her father collapsed into a chair, his shoulders sagging. “Thank you, Lord, for bringing my Eleanor through safely.”
“Amen,” both Tory and Judy said.
Tory sat on one side of
