Happy Monday, My Lovelies! Although I won't be sharing a lot of reviews with you in the coming weeks, I'm happy that I can share another wonderful excerpt with you. Today's excerpt is from
When We Found Home by Susan Mallery. And since the book's release date isn't for another week, you can read more from the book by linking to other blogs at the bottom of this post! There's also a tour-wide giveaway:
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Seattle Chocolates gift set (3 truffle jars)
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Maury Island Farms jam (2 jars)
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Since it's rather long, I'm not posting the book's synopsis. Let me know in comments what you think about it: Would you read the book?
A nurse stuck her head in the room. “Delaney, hon, just wanted to let you know, she’s doing great. She’ll be back in a second.” She lowered her voice. “Nothing’s broken that we can see. She’s banged up pretty bad, but so far so good. There’s still her head to worry about, but we’ll get those tests done in a little bit.” She offered a sympathetic smile. “I thought you’d want to know.”
The woman left without acknowledging Malcolm. He turned to Delaney, who was petting the
kitten and easing it back into her tote.
“Why is she telling you that? How come she knows you?”
Delaney sucked in a breath. “My dad was a cop. A couple of years ago he was shot and brought here. He was in the hospital over a month. I pretty much know everyone who works here.”
“Is your father all right?”
“Yeah. He’s in a wheelchair, but he’s doing fine. He got engaged a few months ago.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble concentrating. Everything happened so fast and there was no way to stop her. She just ran into the street.”
“Why?”
Delaney stared at him. “The kitten. She saw the kitten and didn’t want it to be run over.”
Instead she’d been hit by a car.
Before he could ask any more questions, Keira was wheeled back into the room. She looked impossibly small in the bed. Her skin was a pale contrast to angry scrapes and bruises. She wasn’t moving—he couldn’t even tell if she was breathing.
Guilt merged with panic. Shouldn’t someone do something?
Delaney took one of Keira’s hands. “Hey, you,” she whispered. “Your brother is here. You should have told me his name was Malcolm. Not knowing that made for a very awkward call.”
Keira’s eyes fluttered, then stayed closed.
“You’re going to be okay, Keira,” Delaney continued. “You’re going to be okay.”
They couldn’t know that for sure, he thought grimly. Why wasn’t she awake? Wasn’t a brain injury more significant than any broken bones?
A doctor walked in. She was about five-four, with gray hair and a kind expression. “You two are the siblings?” she asked.
Delaney smiled. “Hi, Dr. Newport. This is Malcolm. He’s Keira’s brother. I’m a friend.”
Dr. Newport smiled. “You’re assuming I’ll make an exception and allow you to stay.”
“I kind of am.”
“Then I will.” The doctor turned to Malcolm and offered her hand. “Mr.…”
“Carlesso. Call me Malcolm. How is she?”
“Bruised and sore, but otherwise intact.” She went on to detail the injuries Keira had sustained when she’d been hit by the car. “She’s incredibly lucky. All her vitals are normal and her concussion is very mild. Still, we’ll want to keep her overnight for observation. Just to be safe. She’ll need to stay quiet for a few days, until the worst of the pain passes. She’s going to be stiff and sore for a while.”
He glanced at Keira who still had her eyes closed. “Why is she unconscious?”
“She’s asleep. We gave her something for the pain. Even without serious injuries, her body suffered major trauma. She’ll wake up in a bit and you’ll be able to talk to her.”
Dr. Newport promised to look in on Keira before she was taken up to the pediatric floor. Malcolm excused himself to phone Carmen with an update. When he returned to the room, there was yet another nurse there, chatting with Delaney. When the nurse saw Malcolm, she hugged Delaney, then walked over to him.
“Hi. I need to get Keira’s medical history. She was pretty out of it when she came in and Delaney didn’t have any info.” She opened her tablet and looked at him. “We’ll start with the big stuff and work back. Any allergies or sensitivities?”
“Not that I know of.”
“What about major surgeries?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at the bed, then back at the nurse. “I don’t know. She’s my half sister. She moved here from Los Angeles a couple of months ago. My grandfather arranged it. Let me call home and find out if he knows anything or if she came with medical records.”
“Any medical information would be helpful. As an FYI, you’re going to need her vaccination information for school and sports. Oh, wait.” The nurse smiled reassuringly. “She’s in school, right?”
“Yes. Puget Sound Preparatory Academy.”
The nurse and Delaney exchanged a look. “Someone would have had to fill out a medical history to get her enrolled,” the nurse told him. “So there is some information.”
“I’ll call Carmen,” he muttered, feeling more and more out of his element.
“Great. Just buzz when you have the information and I’ll come back.” She smiled and left.
Malcolm stared after her. “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” he said, knowing his tone was defensive. “My grandfather enrolled her in the school. It’s only been two months.” How could he be expected to know very much about her?
Except she was his sister, a small voice in his head whispered.
“So it’s all true,” Delaney said. “I thought she was making it up.”
“Making what up?”
“All of it. Moving from Los Angeles, that she’s only been here a couple of months. Carl and Angelina.”
“Who are Carl and Angelina?”
“It’s really not important.” She touched his arm. “She’s going to be okay. That’s what’s important, Malcolm. Focus on that and let the rest take care of itself over time.”
He nodded at her tote. “That’s the kitten?”
“Uh-huh. I’ll take care of it until Keira’s better.”
He got the implied message. That of course his sister would be keeping the damned kitten that nearly got her killed, although at this point, the kitten was the least of it.
“I need to call Carmen and get her medical records,” he said.
“The housekeeper?”
“Yes. Thank you for staying with her.” He felt like he should say more, but couldn’t think what.
“It’s fine. She’s sweet and I was glad to do it. She shouldn’t be alone.”
Malcolm thought of Keira’s large suite of rooms at the far end of the hall. If she wasn’t at school, she was alone most of the time. Sometimes she even ate dinner by herself. He should do better, he told himself. She was only a kid. It was just…
“Why did you call me the asshole brother?” he asked, suddenly remembering what she’d said when he’d first arrived. She couldn’t possibly know enough to judge him.
Delaney flushed. “Sorry about that. I was surprised to see you.” She looked away then back at him before digging in her tote and handing him a phone.
“It’s Keira’s,” she said. “She never refers to you by name.” She pointed to the phone. “It’s, uh, in the contacts.”
He pressed a couple of buttons, then scrolled through the info. Sure enough, under the As—Asshole Brother. So much for having to guess how she felt about him.
“I need to call Carmen,” he repeated.
“Go ahead. I’ll stay here in case she wakes up.”
He nodded and walked out of the room. Delaney would stay for now, but then what? At some point he was going to have to deal with Keira himself. He glanced at the phone. Apparently that day of reckoning had just arrived.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of the tour!
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