With This Kiss (Windswept Bay Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyes. As she studied him he shifted his gaze and met hers. She looked away, wondering how she should tell him. Or if she should tell him at all.
    Cali came to sit beside her. “We’re all worried about you but don’t want to overwhelm you. There are a lot of us.” She smiled and patted her knee. “I’m going to go get you something to drink. How would a cup of warm tea be? Or a cup of coffee? Or a water?”
    “I don’t need anything.” Shar shook her head.
    “But you do.” Jillian sat on the other side of her. “How about warm tea with some honey for energy? You’ll need your energy.”
    “Okay, then tea would be nice.” It did sound good. And she understood her sisters need to do something for her. She would be doing the same thing if it was one of them in this spot.
    Cali hugged her. “He’s going to be okay, Shar. We are going to believe that.”
    “Yes,” Jillian reinforced Cali’s words.
    Everyone needed to reassure her and she got that too. “Thank you both."
    As her sisters left in search of warm tea the seat beside her was taken by one brother after the other. She loved her brothers. There hadn’t always been unity growing up but there had always been love. Teenage years for nine kids couldn’t help but have some strain and yet they’d all made it and had a strong bond.
    Gage had none of that. And now, he’d found his brother and he had to survive so that he could form a bond with Brandon.
    Levi was talking to Brandon now and she rubbed her temple as again she wondered what to say to him. She’d asked him to come to the waiting room because she hoped that somehow, Gage would know his brother was near. And also so she could figure out what her next step should be. She stood and forced her weak knees to carry her across the room to Brandon and Levi. They stopped talking and she saw questions in Brandon’s eyes.
    “Can I have a few words with you?” she asked and her heart fluttered as she stared into eyes so much like Gage’s eyes. Eyes that reminded her of what she would lose if Gage didn’t make it through surgery. She pushed that thought away. She would pray and believe and that was that.
    “Shar, maybe you should wai—” Levi started to say, but she cut him off.
    “It’s okay, Levi, I won’t keep him long. He was just the last person who was with Gage. I want to know about those moments before the shooting. I need to move around a little bit. Would you walk with me?”
    He stared at her with kindness despite the fact that he must be overwhelmingly curious about what was going on.
    “Sure,” he said. “I’d be happy to walk with you.”
    Shar began walking and he fell into step beside her. This was Gage’s brother…and that meant, though Brandon or BJ didn’t realize it, he was part of Gage. And that comforted Shar.
     
     
    Cali stopped beside Grant and he smiled gently at her and pulled her into his arms. “Is she doing okay? Anything we can do?”
    “She’s holding her own.” She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in the scent of him and the blessing of being in his arms. “I love you, Grant.”
    He kissed the top of her head. “And I love you. I needed to hold you for a minute.”
    She hugged him then kissed his jaw. “I needed it too. We’re going to go to the cafeteria and grab her a cup of hot tea and honey. And one for ourselves too. Waiting is horrible. Can we get any of you fellas anything?” She looked from her husband to her brothers who had conveniently ignored her and Grant’s show of affection. Normally they might have teased them about it but not today.
    Trent who was standing closest to Grant and who had given Jillian a hug, smiled. “We can take care of ourselves. You two girls take care of Shar.”
    Jake, Max, and Cam agreed.
    “So there you have it,” Grant said. “Do y’all need help?”
    “We’ve got it.” She smiled. “We’ll be right back. If that doctor comes out before we get back call me immediately.”
    “Sure