Chapter Twenty-Eight

DANA HESITATED IN front of the doors leading into the ICU waiting room. She couldn't wait to get home from Chicago, couldn't wait to see Ridley and talk to her and now, after she'd rushed to the hospital, she was afraid to go inside. Her apprehension made her question whether she should have come at all. What if Ridley didn't want her here? What if she hated her because of what she'd done and what if she turned away from her? " This is ridiculous, " she muttered as she shoved the door open.

Ridley was the only one in the waiting room. She sat by the window with her eyes closed and her head propped up in the palm of her hand. When Dana came in, she slowly lifted her head to see who was there. Shock registered on her face and she blinked a few times.

" It's me, " Dana said.

" Dana." Ridley leapt to her feet, but stayed in front of her chair. " What on earth are you doing here? How did you know where I was? " She moved forward a step or two.

Dana took a couple of steps into the room. " Laurie told me. I called you as soon as I got home from the airport and I called all day and left messages. When I didn't hear from you, I got worried and called Laurie to see if she knew where you were." She took a few more steps. The tension evident in Ridley's face and the desolation in her eyes broke Dana's heart. In the blink of an eye, she ran to her and put her arms around her. Her lips pressed against Ridley's forehead and her fingers stroked her hair. She kissed Ridley's eyes and cheeks and then her lips.

Ridley pulled her mouth away and buried her face in Dana's neck as she clung to her for dear life.

" Thank God you're here."

" Please forgive me for taking so long to get here. I didn't know about your mother until I called Laurie or I would have been here for you hours ago."

" You're here now. That's all that matters." Ridley tightened her arms around Dana's waist. " Please stay with me for a while. I've never felt so alone. I won't ask you for any more than you feel you can give me, I promise."

Dana stepped back and gazed into Ridley's eyes. " You can ask me for anything. I'm here now and I have no intention of leaving you." She led Ridley to a chair and sat next to her. She put her arm around her and held her hand. " I'm sorry about your mother. How is she? "

" They tell me she's going to be all right." Ridley told Dana everything that had happened since the early morning hours when she'd first learned of the accident. " I've been out of my mind with worry. She's the only family I've got left besides my aunt and I don't know what I'd do without her." Ridley buried her face in Dana's shoulder, but this time she sobbed as if she'd run out of whatever strength had been holding her together.

Dana moved back in her chair and lifted Ridley's chin so their eyes would meet. " I want you to know something. She's not your only family. I'd like to be your family if you'll let me." Dana cupped Ridley's cheek in her hand and rubbed the last of the tears away with her thumb. " I want to be with you. I couldn't wait to see you and tell you how much I love you."

Ridley sucked in a tremulous breath. " You love me? "

" I love you more than anything in this whole world and I'm never going to run away again. I was just too stupid and stubborn to know it."

" Are you sure? Please don't say it unless you're sure."

" I'm sure. I'm totally and positively sure."

" What about Sarah? I thought..." Ridley sighed. " I mean you said you might go back to her and I thought I'd never see you or be with you again."

" Maybe I'll tell you all about Sarah some other time, or maybe it's not even worth talking about. She's history and that part of my life is over. I don't want her, I want you. I'm ready for a more mature relationship and I'm ready for you."

" I want to be with you more than anything, " Ridley whispered.

" I know that and I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean it when I said that being with you was just a superficial sexual thing and I'd give anything if I could take back the words I said to you last Tuesday--every one of them." Now Dana's eyes blurred with tears. " The only thing I should have said was that I loved you. I've loved you all along, but I was afraid to admit it."

" Are you still afraid? "

" I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

" I love you, Dana. When I turned around and saw you walk into this waiting room, it was like I'd been granted a miracle. Every day since you left I prayed you'd come back to me and today I prayed the hardest of all."

" Well, someone heard you because here I am." Dana brushed a stray piece of ornery hair away from Ridley's eyes and stroked her forehead. She wanted to touch her and hold her and make her feel all right again. When Ridley leaned down and rested her head on Dana's shoulder, Dana wrapped her arms around her and held her close.

When the nurse came in and told Ridley she could come back in to see her mother, Ridley held Dana's hand and they stood up. " Can I take my girlfriend in with me? " Ridley asked him. " It would mean a lot to my mother and to me."

He looked at both of them, his eyes taking in the fact that they were holding hands, and he smiled as if he understood. " Sure. Come with me."

At the bedside, Ridley took her mother's hand and spoke to her. " Mom, Dana's here. She came as soon as she heard about your accident."

Dana took a hold of Vicki's other hand. " Vicki, it's me. How are you doing? "

Vicki's eyes opened and she smiled as she squeezed Dana's hand. " I'm still here and it's good you're here. My Ridley needs you."

" I'll stay with her. You just rest and get better, " Dana said.

They stayed with Vicki about twenty minutes and then the nurse came in and tapped Ridley on the shoulder. " You know you're welcome to stay as long as you want to, but I think you should go home and get some rest. You've been here all day and you look like you're about to fall over. She's doing well and she should be fine overnight."

Ridley stretched and yawned. " Maybe I should."

" Give me your phone number and I promise I'll call you immediately if anything changes, " the nurse said. " I'm doing a double shift so I'll be taking care of her all night."

Ridley wrote down her cell phone number as well as her mother's home phone on a piece of paper and gave it to him. " The girl at the desk taped these numbers to the front of my mother's chart earlier in case you lose this piece of paper. I want you to call me right away if she needs me, no matter what time it is."

" I will and don't worry we'll take good care of her." He attached the piece of paper to a clipboard he had on the bedside table.

Ridley brought her mother's hand to her lips and kissed it. " Mom, we're leaving. I'm staying at your house, so I'll be back in the morning. If you need me, tell your nurse to call me and I'll be here in a flash."

Vicki peeked at Ridley. " Go home sweetheart. You look tired."

BEFORE THEY REACHED the hospital parking lot, Ridley stopped and faced Dana. She held both of her hands. " I'm staying at my mother's. Can you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you."

" Tracy doesn't expect me back and I wouldn't leave you for anything." Dana let go of one of Ridley's hands and tugged on the other as she led the way. " Come on. We'll take my car and leave yours here. You're in no shape to sit behind the wheel of a car."

When they got to Dana's car, Ridley crawled into the passenger seat and collapsed. Her head fell back on the headrest and she rested a hand on Dana's thigh. She kept her eyes closed all the way to her mother's house except when she had to open them to give Dana directions. At last, the knife that had lodged in her heart had been removed and she could take a deep breath without pain. Her world made sense for the first time in days and now that her mother was going to be all right and Dana was beside her, she was struck with exhaustion.

Once they were inside Vicki's house, Dana said, " I promised Tracy I'd call her and if you'd like me to, I can call Laurie and Karen and let them know what's going on. I'm sure they're very worried by now."

" Why don't you do that? I'm too tired to talk to anyone. Tell Laurie I'll call her tomorrow." Ridley pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. " I do have to call Aunt Jean, though, before we go upstairs and get some rest."

" Are you hungry? " Dana asked. " I could fix you something to eat."

Ridley shook her head. " My stomach's all churned up. It's been one hell of a day and I'm way too tired to eat. What I need is a shower and then I want to get into bed with you and I want you to hold me all night. I can't think of anything I want more."

Dana stood in front of Ridley and cupped her cheek. " You don't look like you could even stand up long enough to take a shower. I'll take one with you. A hot shower would feel good and I don't mind going straight to bed when we're done. I've had a long, emotional day myself."

" That sounds good. Let's make those calls."

IN THE SHOWER, Dana washed Ridley's hair and soaped her body taking great care not to touch her in a way that was meant to stimulate. It didn't help, though, because at this stage in their relationship, just being close and naked soon left them panting with desire. Dana wanted Ridley with every fiber of her being and it took all of her resolve to keep from touching her. As soon as Ridley was washed, Dana finished washing herself and turned the water off. " Stay here, I'll get you a towel, " she said.

" Just a minute." Ridley pulled Dana's wet, naked body to her and kissed her. " I love kissing you. I can't be in the same room with you and not want to kiss you, let alone make love to you, especially when we're both standing here naked and wet. I'm sorry I'm so tired."

" Don't be." Dana pressed a finger against Ridley's wet lips. " And as for the wanting, it's mutual. I want you so much, I can hardly keep my hands off you, but we'll get to that. We have plenty of time."

They stepped out of the shower and Dana pulled a towel from the rack. She spread it out on a bench in the bathroom and told Ridley to sit. After she wrapped another towel around herself, she got a third towel and dried Ridley's hair. " I love the color of your hair. It reminds me of autumn and I love your eyes. They're beautiful and they hold my world in them." The tension lines around Ridley's eyes had relaxed and it felt good to comfort her.

Ridley kissed Dana's cheek and stroked her hair. " I love everything about the way you look. I love your body and I really love your mouth. Those dimples and those luscious lips make me want to kiss you all the time." She pressed her lips to Dana's as if she just wanted to feel them. " So soft, " she murmured when the kiss ended.

" Do you have any idea how sexy you are? It's a wonder I can think or talk when I'm near you." The air in the bathroom seemed heavy and too hot to breathe and Dana felt as though her entire body was on fire. " Finish drying yourself and let's go to bed, " she told Ridley while she dried herself. When they were done they hung all the towels up and went into the bedroom hand in hand. " What do you usually wear to bed? "

" A tee shirt and panties, " Ridley answered.

" Can I borrow something of yours? "

" Sure. Hold on a sec." Ridley rooted around in the dresser drawers and came up with a couple of soft, worn tee shirts and two pairs of panties. " I keep some extra clothes here in case I stay over. You should be able to fit in my stuff. We're about the same size."

" Do you have an extra toothbrush I could use? "

" My mother keeps some new ones on hand. I'll get you one."

" Just tell me where they are and I'll get it myself. You get in bed."

When Dana returned, Ridley was snuggled beneath the covers. Dana slid in between the sheets and gathered Ridley in her arms. " I'm so happy to be here with you and to hold you in my arms again. I love you so much."

Ridley lifted her head and moved up so she could brush her lips across Dana's. " I love you. I felt as if my world ended when you left."

" That's all over now. Let's try to forget about it and put it behind us." Dana pressed her lips to Ridley's and their kiss deepened. Ridley's mouth was like a cocoon of sun-warmed satin and Dana wanted to crawl inside it and never come out into the cold world again. She slipped her hand under Ridley's shirt, ran it up her smooth skin and tucked it between the soft pillows of her breasts. She felt Ridley's heart beating, her chest rising and falling and she allowed herself to fall into the same soothing rhythm. This was where she belonged. This was worth having.

" I want more. I can't..." Ridley had trouble speaking. " So tired."

" It's okay. Just go to sleep." Dana pulled Ridley closer. " Forgive me."

" Mmm...already have." Those were Ridley's last words.