Patchworked Hearts {SAMPLE}

Chapter 27

It did, actually, and Helen nodded. "Sounds good." She tried for a smile.

"There's my girl," Pat murmured, a soft grin pulling at his mouth. "Don't worry, my family is going to want to meet you once they realize I don't talk about anything else, and I'll drag you with me next time so you can meet Tess and her baby."

Meeting his family sounded kind of terrifying, but the thought of being without him for extended periods of time was even scarier, so she bobbed her head in a nod. "Right. Did I say I love you?" she felt her hands shaking. "Drive safe. I love you. Be safe."

Pat frowned. "Ah, sweetheart," his shoulders slumped with his heavy sigh. "It's one week. I know it seems like a long time, but it's not too bad. I'll drive safe, and you'll be safe, and then I'll come home on Sunday night and everything will be fine."

"Of course," she dusted invisible lint off her leggings. "Right." What did Anderson always say? "Count to ten, Helen. Deep breaths when you feel like panicking, and really consider how likely it is that something bad is going to happen."

So, she counted to ten and considered what could happen:

This was Pat. Pat was a good driver. Pat loved her. Pat wouldn't let anything happen, and, although it would be weird without him, she would be alright. He would get home next Sunday, and everything would be fine.

Finally, she nodded stiltedly. "Okay. Alright. I can call you?"

"You'd better," he joked, though his eyes still expressed his worry for her. "You know how I ache if I don't get to hear your voice for too long."

"You miss me even more," she recalled his words from several nights ago. "Because the sound of my voice makes it feel as though we're still together, and texting—"

"Just won't do," he finished, nipping lightly at her ear before fusing his mouth with hers once more. This kiss was longer than the others, and filled with all the words they'd said once and would say again.

I love you. I'll miss you. Be safe, please.

He sucked on her lower lip, pulling a happy hum from Helen, and then inched back and set his forehead against hers. "I'll see you in a week, sweetheart." She nodded, pursing her lips to keep herself from crying or begging him to stay.

"See you in a week."

Pecking another chaste kiss against her lips, Pat stroked his knuckles down the side of her face before pulling away entirely. "Alright. Love you, sweetheart."

He was walking away now, grabbing his stuff and traipsing down the front steps, and Helen felt a whine building up in her throat. "Love you," she croaked, following after him and hovering at the base of the steps.

Hold it together, Helena, she scolded herself inwardly. Come on—don't be such a disaster.

Pat stopped at the door of his SUV, clearly torn, before waving and calling, "I love you!" Helen returned the words, though she wasn't even sure he could hear her, what with how timid she sounded.

And then, blowing her an exaggerated kiss and grinning when it won a small smile from her, Pat passed her another hearty wave before hopping inside the SUV and driving off.

It's just for a week, she reminded herself. It's a single week, and it's an emergency surgery for his sister and her baby. That is far more important than you, and you can handle one week; you'll keep busy with Addy and those files, anyway. Besides, what could happen in one week? Nothing; you'll both be fine.

But if that was true, then why did she feel so scared?

***

"Okay," Addy heaved a sigh, leaning back on the couch and propping her feet onto the coffee table, "these five have got to be mistakes." Her eyes danced across the papers in her hands, spread out like some sort of fan.