Jill didn’t stop, just kept going. “What are you doing cutting firewood?” Jill frowned as she marched toward him, her arms whipping around at all the cut wood laying on the ground. “Are you crazy?”
Her father, looking pale, sat back down heavily. “Jill?” he said again, his eyes glancing toward Slade, then back to Jill. “What are you doing here?”
Stopping in front of him, she placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve come to see you.” Her voice had calmed, somewhat. “I heard you had a heart attack and wanted to see if you were okay.”
He looked away, shaking his head slowly. “Why?”
Jill dropped her hands from her hips, her arms falling to her sides. His frailness scared her. Her father, who could do anything in her eyes, her hero still, even after everything, looked older than his forty-so years.
“Because you’re my dad,” she whispered past the lump in her throat, praying he would reach for her and hug her like he used to do when she felt lost. She was a daddy’s girl and losing him had devastated her; seeing him like this, knowing she could lose him forever would destroy her. “And I love you.”
His eyes shot to hers in shock. “How can you love me after what I’ve done?” He stood as he spoke, his pale face flushing red with anger. “I never gave you a chance. I kicked my baby girl out when she needed me most, but your mother…”
“I know.” Jill took a step closer, still hoping for that hug, praying for it with everything she had. Any kind of affection, she didn’t care; she’d take it. Yeah, she was that desperate. Like an abandoned dog begging for scraps, she was begging deep down inside for a scrap from the man who had been her life. “She was afraid of me, still is. But I would never hurt my family. Well, I might bite Janie, but other than that everyone else is safe.”
Her father’s head snapped back, but a small smile tipped his quivering lip and then the moment she prayed for happened. He reached for her and she flew into his arms, careful not to crush him with her strength. “I’m so sorry, Jelly Bean.” He pulled her away to get a good look at her and gave her arms a squeeze. “I should have come looking for you. It’s been eating me alive knowing what I did to you.”
“I’m fine now, Dad.” Jill pulled him back into the hug, not ready to let go just yet. She felt him wobble. “Dad?”
Slade was there in a flash helping her ease her father down to the tree. “Mr. Nichols, are you having any pain?”
“No.” Her father looked up at Slade surprised. “Who are you?”
“This is Dr. Slade Buchanan,” Jill introduced them, her worried eyes never leaving her father. “Slade, this is my dad, Chuck Nichols.”
“You’re a doctor?” Chuck looked at his golden eyes in surprise.
“Yes, sir.” Slade glanced at Jill, then back at her father. “Do you mind if I take your pulse?”
“No, not at all.” He held out his hand, still looking shocked as Slade took his wrist. “They let vampires be doctors?”
“How long ago was your heart attack?” Slade frowned, ignoring his question.
“Over a month ago. Triple bypass. They said I was lucky.” Her father wiped sweat off his brow.
Slade nodded. “Very lucky, but your luck is going to run out if you don’t follow your doctor’s orders.”
“Which are?” Jill demanded of her father, but didn’t let him answer. “I’m sure those orders didn’t include cutting firewood.”
“No, they didn’t.” Her father frowned, then stood with the help of Slade. “But somebody has to do it. Winter’s coming and I need to get it done.”
“Then let Trevor do it.” Jill grabbed the chainsaw before her dad could. “Where is he anyway? Why isn’t he doing this?”
“He moved out,” he answered with a long sigh. “After you came home that night and then left, Trevor came home and found out. He was angry and stormed out. He has been coming home more since my heart attack.”
“He left because of me?” She stared at her father. Trevor was a year younger than her, with Janie being a year older. She had always been the middle child until little Seth, who had been a surprise blessing. Their mother, Julianne, had been told her childbearing days were over. Seth proved them wrong when he came screaming into the world. “She pulled her phone out. “What’s his number?”
“Jill, I’m the man here and I will take care of my…” He frowned, using his ‘father’ tone with her, but Jill wasn’t having it.
“Health?” Jill finished for him with a snort. “If you don’t, then you won’t be here for long to take care of anything. Now, what’s his number?”
Waiting for the number, she looked at her phone in surprise, not expecting there to be a signal deep in the woods. She gave a light scoff, constantly amazed by the VC Warriors’ ability to have the best technology of everything. She beat the number into the phone, then put it to her ear, waiting, her eyes going back and forth between the watchful eyes of her dad and Slade.
“Has she always been like this?” Slade nodded toward Jill.