Chapter 15

Billie waited until what felt like a reasonable time before calling the hospital to check on her son, ringing straight through to his ward since she’d taken a note of the number from the nurse at the desk. After confirming her identity, the nurse’s voice lightened into a friendlier tone.

“He’s doing fine, uh, Mrs Kelsall.”

“Billie’s fine.” She replied automatically.

Dammit, she hated the automatic assumption there was a husband lurking somewhere. Okay, so maybe it was expected, maybe even made it easier to explain the existence of a child, but it wasn’t exactly the dark ages, and it wasn’t like she was the only unmarried mother out there. Though for a while, out in her tiny town, it had felt that way, with the disapproving mutterings of the town gossips. Fuck them all, Billie had told Carrie at the time. Fuck every single one of them. So she was pregnant and unmarried. Big deal. For the brief time she’d known him, the child’s father had brought joy into her life, and she wouldn’t exchange a single second of it to appease the town bitches. Her dedication on that wavered briefly, somewhere around hour nine of labor, but once she held her squalling son in her arms, all the pain was forgotten in a heartbeat. His heartbeat.

“Sorry. Billie.” Over at the hospital, Kadie blushed. Felt strange, calling her by her given name. Particularly when she and the woman’s son………she blinked at her own errant thoughts. When they were what? Talking? Flirting? Being young and never likely to see each other once he was discharged, despite what he might say now? She shook off the confusing thoughts and got her mind back on her job. “Jay’s doing good this morning, and the doctor has just seen him. Said he can probably go home tomorrow.” Please, God, make it tomorrow. Make it tomorrow because I’m not sure I can keep it professional for more than another day, Kadie prayed silently.

“That’s great!” Billie was grinning. “Could you let him know I’ll come by this afternoon. And I’ll bring him some clothes, too. I’m sure he must be sick of wearing hospital gowns.”

“I’ll tell him.” Kadie promised. Nothing wrong with the gowns as far as she was concerned, especially when they offered a tantalizing glimpse of strong muscles as he moved from the bed. Thigh muscles. And glutes. Another mental shake. “I’m sorry, Billie. I have to go do my vampire act again.”

Billie laughed at the terminology. “Vampire? I hope you’re not biting my son?”

“Ummm…….only if I have to.” She blushed furiously.

There was a moment of silence on the line as Billie smiled. Looked like her son had taken his father’s ability to destroy the professionalism of a woman with a glance. Hopefully all he’d done was glance.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you did.” Billie murmured.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing.” She relented. “Could you just let him know I’ll be along later.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Laying down the phone, Billie grinned. Damned Bongiovi genes were running stronger than she’d realised. Sure, the eyes and the smirk she’d recognised for years, but this was the first time she’d been aware of him turning on the charm. She was almost relieved, because - for God’s sake - he was nineteen years old and, as far as she knew, still a virgin. He’d thrown himself so headlong into sports, turning a passion into a career, that it had left him little time for relationships with the opposite sex. Hell, at least it was with the opposite sex!

She showered and dressed, taking her time, luxuriating in the lack of rush. Back home, with two horses and a dog to take care of, her mornings were never lazy. Even on the occasions she promised herself an easy day, wandering out to the corral in pajamas, she’d end up seeing something that needed doing, realising an hour later that she was elbow deep in something messy, but still wearing her pajamas.

When she finally got to the hospital, lugging a bag with clothes and shoes for Jay’s impending escape, she could hear voices as she approached his room. Slowing her pace, she listened more closely, reassured when she realised the other voice was female. The tone of both voices was teasing and light, the soft purr of her son’s voice new to her as he exercised those latent skills he’d inherited from his daddy, seducing the girl with soft words and, no doubt, those devastating blue eyes. Grinning happily, Billie made sure to make a little more noise than usual as she got to the room door, hearing the scuffle of feet as though someone was moving fast.

“Hi Jay!” She said brightly, then pretended to just notice the redheaded nurse blushing as she tidied her kit away. “Oh, sorry - should I come back?”

“No, I’m all done.” The girl said, and Billie recognised the voice from the phone.

“Hi. I think we spoke earlier. I’m Billie.”

The nurse’s eyes flashed from the woman standing before her, to the bed and the blue-eyed guy there, and back to the woman.

“You’re Jay’s mom?” She said, then realised how incredulous it sounded. “Sorry. You just…..”

Billie braced herself for the ‘you don’t look old enough’ thing, but she was pleasantly surprised.

“I expected you to have blue eyes, too, I guess. Sorry.”

“Mom, this is Kadie.” Jay said from the bed, relieved to see Billie actually liked the girl. “Kadie, my mom.”

“Nice to meet you.” Billie offered a hand, and after hesitating Kadie shook it quickly.

“You too.” An apologetic glance toward Jay. “Sorry. I have to go.”

Unspoken was the admission that she’d actually been in the room for almost a half hour. The bloods had been drawn in the first five minutes, but Jay’s enticing personality had held her there. His personality had held her mind while his eyes held her captivated. And his hands had held hers in a tender grip, the pressure light enough that they could easily part if - when - they were interrupted, but enough of a contact that they could feel it all the way to their souls.

Without another word, Kadie gathered her kit and left, and Jay watched the empty doorway until Billie cleared her throat in exaggerated fashion.

“Should I get the doctor back, or is the stunned look in your eyes from something else entirely?” She teased, and Jay turned those eyes to her solemnly.

“I think I could love her.” He said softly, and Billie was startled for a moment, then grinned.

“You’re just like your father.” She said, then silently cursed herself for the slip. Of course, he was just like Jon - similarities in their appearances becoming more apparent as Jay grew older, but also he had that strange mix of openness and reticence, never afraid to say just what he was thinking, but never to an outsider. So much of it was obviously inbred.

“I am?” He looked surprised, the unexpected words enough to jolt him from his preoccupation. “You’ve never said that before.”

“No?” Billie cursed herself again for a fool. Just being around Jon had been enough to destroy years of lies. “Maybe there’s a lot I’ve never said about him, Jay.”

He frowned at that, the narrowed eyes another reminder of Jon, and Billie turned to heft his bag onto the foot of the bed, changing the subject swiftly.

“I brought you some clothes. Kadie - I guess it was her I spoke with when I called - said you should be getting out of here tomorrow, so I thought it’d save time, and……”

“Sorry to interrupt.” A male voice from over by the door, Billie twisting around to see who was speaking. A male nurse was approaching, carrying a slip of paper which he offered to Billie. “Sorry. I guess you’re Jay’s mom?”

“That’s right.”

“Cool. Somebody called here earlier, looking for you. He said he didn’t know where you were staying and asked if I could pass on a message. Here you go - his number and stuff’s on there.”

“Thanks.” Billie took the slip of paper and the guy smiled and left as she looked down at the sheet.

“Billie - Jay Kelsall’s mom - please call Philly Soul office on 501-732-9725. Ask for Deke.”

She frowned at the page. Deke? And that area code didn’t look like it belonged to Philly. Looked more like New Jersey to her.

“Mom?” Jay could see the strange expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmmm?” She looked up as she thought she’d figured it out. Only one person up this way who’d know the name Deke belonged to her long-dead mutt. She folded the paper and stuffed it into her jeans pocket. “Nothing’s wrong, baby. Just somebody from the Soul I think, wanting to check how you’re doing.”

“Yeah? Who?”

“Says Deke.” She said slowly, and Jay frowned, shaking his head.

“I don’t know anybody called Deke.”

“Probably just a staffer.” She said off-handedly. “Maybe needs to check insurance details or something. Okay, so I brought you jeans……..”

Jay let it go, listening patiently as his mom told him what clothes she’d brought, then she dumped the bag on the floor and sat down, content now to just visit with her son for a while. Calling the imaginary Deke was something that could wait until she was safely in the privacy of Jay’s apartment.