Chapter 30

When she arrived, it was late. The hospital was noticeably quieter. She was grateful the doctor had given her permission to stay as long as she liked.

She turned off the sports channel and turned on some of her favorite music, setting the device on the table close to Pierce. “I don’t know how you feel about Coldplay, but if we’re going to get along, you have to at least be willing to tolerate them.”

Silence, except for Chris Martin’s vocals.

She sat and stared.

Nothing.

Dang it, she had to stop hoping for the miracle.

“It feels strange not to have been at the church’s market tonight. It’s one of my favorite things to organize every year. I usually find a lot of Christmas presents there, you know. Well, you don’t know, but I do.” When she tried to imagine big, bad Pierce wandering around all the little handcrafted items that interested and fascinated her, she smiled. “It might not be your thing. But if we’re going to get along, you might have to to