He moved to her side and took her hand. “I’ll be here.”

“Thank you, Carlos. Thank you for everything.”

“My pleasure, honey. Hey, I also found something in the hallway. I thought you might like it.” He moved to the door.

She sat up straighter. He still called her by the pet names he’d called her when they were married. Oh, how she wished it didn’t make her heart rate kick up when he slipped them into conversation. “Really? What?”

The moment he opened the door, Madeline gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. One by one his family walked through the door.

“You weren’t going to sneak in this time.” Curtis crossed to her took her hand.

Alan and Emily walked to her side next. Emily kissed her on the cheek and whispered to her in German. Madeline didn’t know what it was she said, but she knew it was a prayer.

“I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you wear your hair.” Arianna moved to her side. “I hear you’re a knockout in the red one.”

“It’s my favorite,” she said, smiling up at her.

Regan pushed through the rest of them and hugged her tight. “I hate that they wouldn’t let me bring Tyler in for you to see him. Zach said he’d e-mail a picture when he got him up and dressed. So you’ll be able to virtually see him when you wake up.”

“You’re going to be here when I wake up?” Her voice cracked from the tears that stung her throat.

“We all are,” Regan promised, and all heads nodded.

They all stayed in her room until it was time for her to head to surgery. That kept her calm, but when the nurse told them they’d have to leave, Madeline’s heartbeat kicked up and her palms grew damp.

Only Carlos stayed behind and walked next to her as they pushed her down the hall on her bed.

He held her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “You’re going to do great.” He leaned in close to her.

“I can’t believe your whole family is here.” She’d always belonged more to the Kellers than she did to her own family. Her mother had called the day before to say good luck, but her sisters hadn’t said a word.

“You’re family. You will always be a part of our family.”

There was no reason to hold back the tears that were induced by his sentiment. “Thank you.”

When they reached the door to the operating room, Carlos lifted her hand to his lips and brushed them with a kiss. “I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers and laid a warm, soft kiss on her mouth.

Madeline took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Love and compassion for the man at her side swirled inside her. She had to say what was in her heart. “Hey,” she said looking up into his dark eyes. “I love you,” she said, figuring she had nothing to lose.

As they pushed her through the door, she closed her eyes so she couldn’t see his reaction.

Carlos felt like he’d swallowed a box of old-fashioned chalkboard erasers. He couldn’t get her words out of his mind. During the first hour of her surgery, his family kept giving him sorrowful looks. He mustn’t be containing his emotions very well.

She’d meant them as a term of endearment. Of course she loved him. They were friends and he was taking care of her. They’d loved each other since they were fifteen. They just hadn’t been able to function as a married couple.

That had to be the part he kept in his head. They couldn’t be married. It hadn’t worked out. Things were just too hard for them to be married. But they could always love each other as friends.

He pressed his hands to his face. What had been the breaking point? Who had said it was over? He didn’t know. But for years he’d lived with the fact that Madeline was Matt’s wife. He’d searched for a woman he could love with all his heart, other than Madeline. He’d finally found that woman in Kathy.

What had Madeline really meant when she said she loved him?

Without a word, he walked out of the waiting room, but Arianna was hot on his heels. By the time he sat down in the small chapel, she sat right next to him.

They were silent for a long time. He’d expected some kind of lecture, but she didn’t say anything.

He stared at the cross that hung from the ceiling in front of the stained-glass window. “She told me she loves me.”

Arianna nodded. “Did you ever doubt that?”

“I must have doubted it five years ago.”

She took her brother’s hand. “You are so supportive of her. She’s always going to love you for that.”

“I should have been more supportive when she was my wife. I was so focused on finishing school and going on in my career, I think I forgot what was important. God, she worked two jobs, took care of the kids, and supported everything I did. What did I do? I kept going to school and was mostly unemployed.”

“But you can’t blame yourself. That was what you both agreed on.”

“Yeah, and somewhere I lost that, and Matt picked it up. He took care of her. I didn’t do that. I didn’t give her the chance to enjoy her children or participate in school events. I didn’t take care of her.”

“You’re doing it now.”

“Now, when it’s too late.”

Arianna shook her head. “Why is it too late?”

He turned his head toward her and rolled his eyes. “I’m getting married in four weeks. All she ever wanted me to do was move on. I finally did.”

“The dress is gorgeous, by the way,” she added, nudging him and smiling. “But there are still four weeks for you to really process what you’re feeling.”

“I’m just having wedding jitters.” He patted his sister’s hand and breathed in her calm to settle his nervous stomach. “I’m also just worried about someone I care deeply about.”

“I’ll always be around if you need someone to talk to.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Even when I’m in New York, I’m always around.”

“Thanks.”

“By the way, I’m staying with Maddie for the next few days, and while Zach is out of town, Regan and Tyler will be staying with her.”

He smiled. “You guys have this all figured out?”

“She’s part of our family. We all care for her. We always have and we always will.” She settled her eyes on his. “Kathy is even making dinners for her for the next week and freezing them. No one is leaving her behind.”