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"I’ll be in touch," he promised before he ended the call

The hospital was out of his way, and it took him thirty minutes in traffic in ould usually take about twenty All during the drive he berated hiale Normally he avoided hospitals, and other than this situation with Beth, he couldn’t remember the last tiet involved or lead her into thinking he cared Bottom line, he decided, he felt responsible for her That was hard to explain, because there was no logical reason he should feel that way He wasn’t the one who’d hit her Just because he happened to be at the scene of the accident, he felt obliged to look after her Didn’t makeand made his way into the hospital When he arrived on her floor, her door was closed He stood outside, wondering what to do, and then decided to knock

"Coer than it had the day before, which was a good sign

He opened the door and took a couple steps into the roo abruptly A woman stood on the other side of Beth’s bed She looked like a poster child for Haight-Ashbury in the late 1960s with her tie-dyed skirt and her long, straight, salt-and-pepper hair

When she saw hie smile

"Sam," Beth breathed, clearly surprised

"This is Sam?" the other woe either woman, the older one hurried around the bed and enveloped hi "I ah this was one of the greatest honors of her life She gave hih to where he could breathe again She leaned back, keeping hold of his upper arms "I don’t knohat Beth would have done without you," she said, sounding close to tears "She’s toldwhat she could have possibly said to warrant this over-the-top greeting

"How precious of you to co toward the other woman, "this is my aunt, Sunshine"

"Sa hold of his hand, she kissed the back of it "Thank you A thousand times thank you"

"Ah … sure" He fully intended to drill Beth and learn what all the gratitude was about

"So you’ve co" She turned back to her niece, kissed her forehead, and then swept out of the roo them both kisses on her way out

"That," Beth said, "was my crazy, wonderful aunt Sunshine"

"Wow, she fills up an entire room, doesn’t she?"

"She does"

"Exactly what did you tell her about me?"

"Only that you helped et your nose out of joint"

He widened his eyes "My nose out of joint"

She atte my dad says"

He felt he should explain why he’d stopped by a second day in a row He tucked his hands in his back pockets and rereetings She wasn’t able to get away Matthew’s got an ear infection and she spent the day at the doctor’s office"

"Poor Matthew I had those as a kid, too"

He felt aard, the way he had when he’d first arrived the day before, bringing her the rose That had been a last-minute decision When he ca itBeth probably didn’t have anyone to bring her flowers A ift shop and bought the rose on impulse

"I told Nichole I’d check in and see how your day went and report back," he said, as a riht was the worst"

"How so?"

"It’s so dark and quiet The pain see then I slept in fits and starts ht I don’t think I slept more than an hour at a time"

"Hasn’t the doctor prescribed pain meds?"

"Oh yes, but I’m only allowed to take therimaced for the second time