is going to be all right. She is a little hurt, but not much. She will come home soon.”
“Where will Matt go?” the boy asked gently.
Diego sighed heavily. He hadn’t realized how much Melissa’s incapacity would affect his life. She was his responsibility until she was well again, and so was this child. It was a matter of honor, and although his had taken some hard blows in years past, it was still as much a part of him as his pride. He lifted his chin. “You and your mama will stay with me,” he said stiffly, and the lack of welcome in his voice made the little boy cling even closer to Mrs. Grady. “But in the meantime, I think it would be as well if you stay here.” He turned to Mrs. Grady. “This can be arranged? I will need to spend a great deal of time at the hospital until I can bring Melissa home, and it seems less than sensible to uproot him any more than necessary.”
“Of course it can be arranged,” Mrs. Grady said without argument. “If there’s anything else I can do to help, please let me know.”
“I will give you the number of the phone in my hotel room and at the hospital, should you need to contact me.” He pulled a checkbook from the immaculate gray suit jacket. “No arguments, please,” he said when she looked hesitant about accepting money. “If you had not been available, Melissa would certainly have had to hire a sitter for him. I must insist that you let me pay you.”
Mrs. Grady gave in gracefully, grateful for his thoughtfulness. “I would have done it for nothing,” she said.
He smiled and wrote out a check. “Yes. I sensed that.”
“Is Matt going to live with you and Mama?” Matthew asked in a quiet, subdued tone, sadness in his huge dark eyes.
Diego lifted his chin. “Yes,” Diego said formally. “For the time being.”
“My mommy will miss me if she’s hurt. I can kiss her better. Can’t I go see her?”
It was oddly touching to see those great dark eyes filled with tears. Diego had schooled himself over the years to never betray emotion. But he still felt it, even at such an unwelcome time.
Mrs. Grady had put the boy down to pour more coffee, and Diego studied him gravely. “There is a doctor who is taking very good care of your mother. Soon you may see her. I promise.”
The small face lifted warily toward him. “I love Mama,” he said. “She takes me places and buys me ice cream. And she lets me sleep with her when I get scared.”
Diego’s face became, if anything, more reserved than before, Mrs. Grady noticed. A flash of darkness in his eyes made her more nervous than before. How could Melissa have been married to such a cold man, a man who seemed unaffected even by his own son’s tears? “How about a cartoon movie before bedtime?” Mrs. Grady asked Matthew, and quickly put on a Winnie the Pooh video for him to watch. The boy sprawled in an armchair, clapping his hands as the credits began to roll.
“Gracias,”
Diego said as he got gracefully to his feet. “I will tell Melissa of your kindness to her son.”
Mrs. Grady tried not to choke. “Excuse me,
señor,
but Matthew is surely your son, too?”
The look in his eyes made her regret ever asking the question. She moved quickly past him to the door, making a flurry of small talk while her cheeks burned with her own forwardness.
“I hope everything goes well with Melissa,” she said, flustered.
“Yes. So do I.” Diego glanced back at Matthew, who was watching television. His dark eyes were quiet and faintly bitter. He didn’t want Melissa’s child. He wasn’t sure he even wanted Melissa. He’d come out of duty and honor, but those were the only things keeping him from taking the first flight home to Guatemala. He felt betrayed all over again, and he didn’t know how he was going to bear having to look at that child every day until Melissa was well enough to leave him.
He went back to the hospital, pausing outside Melissa’s room while he convinced himself that upsetting
“Where will Matt go?” the boy asked gently.
Diego sighed heavily. He hadn’t realized how much Melissa’s incapacity would affect his life. She was his responsibility until she was well again, and so was this child. It was a matter of honor, and although his had taken some hard blows in years past, it was still as much a part of him as his pride. He lifted his chin. “You and your mama will stay with me,” he said stiffly, and the lack of welcome in his voice made the little boy cling even closer to Mrs. Grady. “But in the meantime, I think it would be as well if you stay here.” He turned to Mrs. Grady. “This can be arranged? I will need to spend a great deal of time at the hospital until I can bring Melissa home, and it seems less than sensible to uproot him any more than necessary.”
“Of course it can be arranged,” Mrs. Grady said without argument. “If there’s anything else I can do to help, please let me know.”
“I will give you the number of the phone in my hotel room and at the hospital, should you need to contact me.” He pulled a checkbook from the immaculate gray suit jacket. “No arguments, please,” he said when she looked hesitant about accepting money. “If you had not been available, Melissa would certainly have had to hire a sitter for him. I must insist that you let me pay you.”
Mrs. Grady gave in gracefully, grateful for his thoughtfulness. “I would have done it for nothing,” she said.
He smiled and wrote out a check. “Yes. I sensed that.”
“Is Matt going to live with you and Mama?” Matthew asked in a quiet, subdued tone, sadness in his huge dark eyes.
Diego lifted his chin. “Yes,” Diego said formally. “For the time being.”
“My mommy will miss me if she’s hurt. I can kiss her better. Can’t I go see her?”
It was oddly touching to see those great dark eyes filled with tears. Diego had schooled himself over the years to never betray emotion. But he still felt it, even at such an unwelcome time.
Mrs. Grady had put the boy down to pour more coffee, and Diego studied him gravely. “There is a doctor who is taking very good care of your mother. Soon you may see her. I promise.”
The small face lifted warily toward him. “I love Mama,” he said. “She takes me places and buys me ice cream. And she lets me sleep with her when I get scared.”
Diego’s face became, if anything, more reserved than before, Mrs. Grady noticed. A flash of darkness in his eyes made her more nervous than before. How could Melissa have been married to such a cold man, a man who seemed unaffected even by his own son’s tears? “How about a cartoon movie before bedtime?” Mrs. Grady asked Matthew, and quickly put on a Winnie the Pooh video for him to watch. The boy sprawled in an armchair, clapping his hands as the credits began to roll.
“Gracias,”
Diego said as he got gracefully to his feet. “I will tell Melissa of your kindness to her son.”
Mrs. Grady tried not to choke. “Excuse me,
señor,
but Matthew is surely your son, too?”
The look in his eyes made her regret ever asking the question. She moved quickly past him to the door, making a flurry of small talk while her cheeks burned with her own forwardness.
“I hope everything goes well with Melissa,” she said, flustered.
“Yes. So do I.” Diego glanced back at Matthew, who was watching television. His dark eyes were quiet and faintly bitter. He didn’t want Melissa’s child. He wasn’t sure he even wanted Melissa. He’d come out of duty and honor, but those were the only things keeping him from taking the first flight home to Guatemala. He felt betrayed all over again, and he didn’t know how he was going to bear having to look at that child every day until Melissa was well enough to leave him.
He went back to the hospital, pausing outside Melissa’s room while he convinced himself that upsetting
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