“My patient is exhausted and clearly having a difficult time keeping awake,” Dr. Carson said, “but I can see she’s far too polite to say anything, so I’ll say it. You head out and let her get some rest, and then you can pick her up first thing in the morning.” The doctor’s words earned him disappointed looks from both Joseph and Damien. But as they turned to look back at Misty, it was more than clear that the doctor was right.
“It’s okay,” Misty said weakly.
“We’ll go and let her rest,” Sierra interjected firmly. “Then we’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.” She leaned down and hugged her new sister-in-law.
“Fine,” Damien conceded. Then he surprised Misty by also leaning down and pulling her into his arms for his own hug.
It took all she had not to cry again. She refused to, just refused to, until they left the room. After all, they’d seen enough of her crazy emotions for one day.
“Fine, I suppose,” Joseph grumbled, then embraced her briefly but with surprising gentleness. “We’ll bring you to the place tomorrow and take good care of you while you recover.”
Then, just as quickly as they’d blown into the room, the three were gone, taking the doctor with them. Bryson also leaned down as if to leave, but she clutched his hand in hers like a vise to prevent him from going away, too.
He probably wanted to visit with the others, she thought, but she couldn’t seem to command her hand to let his go.
She held herself together for longer than she thought she could, but when Bryson looked into her face and then rubbed his hand along her cheek, she began to unravel, her body shaking with the emotion she’d been trying to suppress.
“It’s all right, hon. This meeting has been a long time coming. No one will think you’re weak if you shed a few tears,” he said, and that was all it took.
Her dry eyes prickled, and then she watched as Bryson’s face blurred, and then the tears welled over and rushed down her cheeks.
“It’s okay. Everything will be okay,” he vowed. He slid into the bed next to her, careful of her I.V. as he pulled her gently into his arms.
Bryson held her close as she sobbed out her relief, as she let go of all the anxiety she’d been carrying. And as she let go of the last walls around her heart and let him in.
When sleep finally took her into its sweet embrace, she had nothing left to give — she’d let it all go and now the fate of her love was in Bryson’s strong, capable hands. Meeting her family, knowing she belonged had opened her emotions up in ways nothing else could have.
Now, she was willing to hope, to dream, to want! She loved Bryson; now she just needed to be brave enough to tell him. She tried to without the words, by holding him tight.
It was up to him if he wanted her love for more than a night or a week. She wanted him forever.
Chapter Eighteen
“You’re not going to have another anxiety attack on me, are you?” Bryson asked as they rode in the back of the Jaguar that Joseph had sent to pick them up.
“I can’t promise anything. Look at what we’re being driven in,” she said with a nervous smile.
“I just want to give some warnings before you see the…um…house.” He was unsure whether the Anderson mansion, with its high towers and stunning stone walls, could be called a house
“I’m fine. They’re just people, right? It’s not like they weren’t born the same way I was. They are people. Okay, really wealthy people, but people all the same. I can do this.” Who was it she was trying to convince — herself or Bryson?
“Yes, we are all born the same way,” Bryson said with a chuckle.
“It’s ridiculous to be this nervous. I’ve already met them,” she said, frustrated with herself.
“Just because they are affluent doesn’t mean they’re snobs. Just remember that they want to know you. They’re excited about spending time with you, and they have a lot of love to give. I’ve known the family for a really long time, and I haven’t seen a bad side to any of them,” he assured her.
“So, why is this house so intimidating?”
“It’s pretty much a castle. No, there’s no pretty much about it. The place is a castle, but somehow Katherine has managed to make it warm and inviting, so don’t think of your everyday dungeon kind of castle,” he said with a smile.
“A castle — like a mote and all?”
“No, no mote. But there are high towers,” he said.
“I guess seeing will be believing,” she told him, and sat back as they covered the final mile of their journey.
When they pulled up the private driveway, and she got her first glimpse of the Anderson residence, her mouth dropped open. Bryson’s description hadn’t done the place justice, to put it mildly.
It towered above them all, looking far more suited to a hillside in England than a gentle slope in the state of Washington.
Wow! Just…wow!
The car stopped. When the driver got out, came around and opened Misty’s door, she was so awed that she didn’t even notice Bryson leaving the car. He magically appeared standing next to the driver, waiting for her to accept his hand and step out.
Her legs trembled when she finally managed to stand, and she was grateful that Bryson didn’t let go of her. They’re just people, she continued telling herself.
The huge front door opened and Damien walked outside.
“I would have come for you myself,” he said as he stopped in front of her, “but I wanted to give you a little time on your own. I thought the drive would be relaxing.”
He was far more perceptive than most men she’d known. But all she could manage to say was a rather shy thank-you.
“The entire family wanted to be here, but Katherine threatened them all if they showed up, because we have a lot of family and we didn’t want to overwhelm you. It will just be a small event today. Well, not even an ‘event.’ Just know that you have many family members eager to meet you. If you’re up to it, we can have them all gather tomorrow.”
Misty didn’t want to be rude, but she doubted she was ready for that. It was just too soon. Maybe if she and Damien got to know each other and it looked as if she’d be a part of his life, maybe then she could meet the rest of the clan.
“Can we…maybe…wait a little while?” She prayed he wasn’t going to hate her now for her reluctance to get to know people he obviously loved.