Demanded by Him (Wanted Series #3) by Hazel Kelly Read Free Book Online

gets away
with being so bossy in music class.”
    “Bossy?”
    “Yeah. She can always tell when someone hasn’t tuned their guitar
properly.”
    My chest swelled with pride.
    “And she’s even worse when it comes to the piano.”
    I smiled. “That is her area of expertise.”
    “I know, and she’s made it very clear that she doesn’t approve
of the fact that we let the kids play around without testing them on what the
pedals do.”
    “Sorry.”
    “No, it’s good. At first the other kids thought she was a bit of
a know-it-all, but when they found out her dad was a famous musician, everybody
started listening to what she had to say.”
    “I’m sure she loved that.”
    “Yeah,” Ashley said, her eyes tearing up. “I hope she’s okay.
She’s one of my favorite kids and if-”
    “She’ll be fine,” I said, laying my hand on her shoulder. “She’s
lucky you were on the ball to get her here so fast.”
    She dragged the back of one of her fingers against the corner of
her eye. “I hope so.”
    I handed Ashley my autograph and her pen.
    “Thanks, Mr. Jones.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    She shoved the paper back in her bag. “Maybe we could take a
quick selfie?”
    “Maybe another time,” I said, feeling the usefulness of the
momentary distraction had expired.
    “Like when you bring Sophie back to Tanner?”
    “Sure,” I said. “That sounds good.”
    She zipped up the pocket on the outside of her bag. “Okay.”
    “Bye Ashley.”
    “Bye.”
    Her ponytail swung behind her as she walked out, and I knew I
did the right thing by sending her home- or back wherever she wanted to go. She
was just a kid, probably working at Tanner because her friends did and because
it was a chill summer job, not because she was looking to take trips to the
hospital. But I was grateful she’d come, grateful that Sophie hadn’t been in
the ambulance by herself with strangers poking and prodding her.
    A moment later, I was back to wondering who was by her side. I
hoped it was the best they could get. I hoped it wasn’t like one of those TV
episodes where suddenly only the interns are available and my daughter’s life was
in the hands of horny orderlies with hangovers. Dear god let her be surrounded
by the best experts money could buy.
    Then again, talk about a situation where money was useless.
Ashley might’ve thought I was someone special after Sophie made an embarrassing
fuss, but to the nurses and the doctors here I was just another stressed out dad
who didn’t understand the monitors his own kid was hooked up to. And no money
in the world was going to get me back in that room before the doctors were
ready to see me.
    I just hoped it was soon because it was freezing in here and all
I could think about was her little t-shirt and her jelly sandals and how they
were probably frozen against her feet right now. Or if someone had taken them
off, what did they do with them?
    Because they were the clear ones she liked best and they were so
hard to find when they were lost. I’d misplaced them more times than I could
count, and Sophie and I would laugh for ages when we found them cause they were
always right in front of us the whole time.
    I shook my head and swallowed. My mouth felt dry but the
glugging water cooler was too far away. What if the nurse came looking for me
and she didn’t see me cause I was getting a drink? I should stay put.
    But I needed to do something, something to take my mind off what
was going on inside me and around me and down the hall.
    If only I’d come up with something more constructive than Googling
“Diabetic Coma.”
     
     

Chapter 10: Addison
     
     
     
    When I finally got to the warm glass cases, my fingers were sticky
against the tray.
    And I wished I could say the stuff on offer was worth the wait,
but I’d never seen a less appetizing display in all my life.
    First, I shuffled past the food under the warming lights: dry
looking chicken pieces, broccoli hunks floating in standing