“I don’t think it matters right now. Right now I’m focused on seeing you through this.”

“Well, I don’t want you to. Mom and Dad will take care of me.”

“So you’re just dismissing me?”

Her eyes shifted away from him. “Yes.”

“It’s not important to you to have me here?”

“I appreciate it. I’ve thanked you. Now I think you should go. They’re sending me home soon. Trust me. You’ll just be in the way when my mom gets here.”

He stood and raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe you. I can’t believe you’d just push me to the side. I want to take care of you.”

“Carlos, I’m not yours to take care of.”

He could feel his heart being squeezed by her words, and his body temperature began to rise as his anger surfaced. “And whose fault is that?”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” he said throwing his hands in the air. “Nothing.”

“Listen, we ended this five years ago. Move on.”

“That’s what you want?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Tell your parents I’ll bring the kids anytime. I’m gone.” He turned and walked out of the room with his hands balled into fists by his sides. If he were anywhere but the damn hospital, he’d put his fist through the wall. How dare she dismiss him like that? When you loved someone you wanted to take care of her.

He stopped in the middle of the hall and let the thought wash over him.

Of course he loved her. They shared a family. But she was right. She wasn’t his to worry about anymore. The thought made him sick, but he walked out of the hospital knowing this was what she wanted, no matter how wrong he thought she was.

As soon as the door closed, Madeline let lose the flood of tears that she’d been holding back. That had been the hardest thing she’d done since the day they both decided separating was best for them. She sank down in her bed and sobbed.

Her heart was breaking, and that hurt worse than the throbbing in her chest from her stitches and bandages. She loved him. She loved him so much. How could she hurt him by tearing him from the woman he now loved? He’d hate her for it if Kathy ever left. She’d done the right thing. No matter how much it hurt her, she had to make sure he moved on.

“Madeline?”

She turned as the door opened and Matt walked through. The pain that rolled in her stomach from telling Carlos to leave had balled into a solid mass of anger when she saw Matt’s face. She didn’t want him there, and someone had told him what had happened.

Carlos drove around the block four times, trying to control his anger before he pulled into the driveway.

Damn her! He’d always wanted the best for her, and damnit, now he wanted to help her. Well, fine! He’d done what he could and that was all he could do.

He threw the car into park. Damnit! He hit the steering wheel and threw his head back against the seat. Why did it have to continue to be so hard?

Turning his head toward the house, he saw Kathy standing on the back step, watching him. She gave him a smile, but he assumed it was as forced as it looked. He blew out another breath. To hell with it. He was going to move on.

“Hey,” was all he could think to say as he climbed out of the car.

She walked down the steps and into his arms. “Hey.”

He held her there, taking in the comfort of her love. She tipped her head back and looked at him. “Is she doing better today?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Matt should be there now.” He realized he hadn’t told her Matt’d said he’d stop by. That would have Madeline even more pissed at him. It wasn’t his concern, he had to remember that. She was very clear about it. “Her parents will be there in the morning. They’ll take care of her.”

“You did right calling Matt and taking the kids.”

“I suppose.” He gazed into her deep blue eyes. Her hair was pulled back, and it gave him the perfect view of her beautiful face. “Thank you for being so understanding. I don’t think everyone in your position would have been.”

“She’s the mother of your children. I’d expect you to care.”

Well, at least Kathy understood it even if Madeline didn’t. “I love you,” he said and swallowed hard past the lump in his throat.

“I love you too.”

“I’ve been thinking.” He pulled her in tighter. “Marry me.”

She laughed a nervous laugh. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.”

“I don’t see any reason I should wait to ask. Will you marry me?”

She didn’t answer right away. Maybe his luck with the women in his life was in a bad way today. “You can think about it.”

“I’ve done that a lot lately.” Kathy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a warm, accepting kiss to his lips. “I would be honored to be your wife.”

Madeline had drifted off to sleep while she was talking to Matt. When she opened her eyes, he was still there. “I’m sorry. These pain medications make me so tired.”

“No, it’s okay.” His voice cracked, and she knew he was nervous being in her presence. He never had dealt with crisis or illness well. It was why he’d decided to move to Kentucky. It was easier for him to run away from all of his problems than to stay and face them. “I talked to your nurse. I was trying to see how things were going for you, but she said I wasn’t on the list so she couldn’t tell me anything.”

“I’m sorry, again.” She shook her head. She was the one in the hospital, so why was the one saying sorry all the time? “I didn’t intend to tell you about the cancer. I didn’t intend to tell anyone.”

“Carlos called me.”

Madeline nodded. She should have known he would. Wasn’t it funny, as mad as she was at Matt for even standing there in front of her, she couldn’t be mad at Carlos. He always did what he thought was right. “I should have figured he’d find you somehow.”

“He told me Curtis caught you.”

“Yeah, I hadn’t even thought there’d be a chance he’d see me here.”

He darted his eyes around the room, something he did when he couldn’t bear to be around someone.

“How long will you be staying?” she asked, noting that the uneasy feeling between them was mutual.