Chapter 51
He watched her blue eyes fill with confusion. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it just as quickly. The words wouldn't come. He knew how she felt. Because at that moment, words couldn't describe the feelings rushing through him. And he knew she could tell something was bothering him. He clenched his jaw when she shifted her gaze from him to the man behind him. Nick Taylor.
She cast one more questioning look his way before she walked past him. To greet their guest. "Nick! It's great to see you. I thought you said you couldn't come," she said. Leaning up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He looked away. Locking eyes with Eve. "Nick?" she said. Extending her hand in greeting. "I'm Eve Russell. A friend of Sheridan and Luis. Nice to meet you."
Nick took her hand. Shook it politely. "Nick Taylor. Nice to meet you as well." "So," Eve began. Hoping to dispel some of the tension. "What field are you in? Sheridan told me you were a doctor," she asked. Walking down the hall. Toward the kitchen. Leaving Sheridan and Luis in their wake. Luis started to follow them. But Sheridan stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Luis? What's got in to you? You're upset. I can tell." "What gives you that idea?" he asked. Staring into her eyes. She really didn't get it. He'd thought they'd seen the last of Dr. Taylor. He would be forever indebted to him for saving her life. But a blind man could see the man was in love with her. Why couldn't she? "Luis, answer me. You were fine earlier. What happened?"
"You really can't see it, can you?" he asked incredulously. "Forget I asked, Mr. Jekyll and Hyde," she said in a hurt voice. "By the way," she threw back over her shoulder as she walked away, her arms folded protectively over her chest. "You really need to watch what you say in front of our daughter from now on. She may be too little to understand the words, but that doesn't mean she won't repeat them."
He watched her later. With Ali. And Nick. They were so easy around each other. Comfortable. Laughing and having a good time with all the other guests. Nick was a hit. Theresa got along with him so well, he thought Ethan was going to turn green. No one could tell him any different after that little display. Ethan still felt something for his sister. His feelings were just as plain as the ones that shone in Nick's gray eyes.
"Hey, Buddy," Hank said. Giving him a brotherly slap on the back. "How you doing?" He turned to Hank silently. And just stared into his friend's eyes. "Ouch, Man. That bad? Listen. You have nothing to worry about. So the good doctor has feelings for your wife." "Feelings Hank? He's in love with her. And she's completely blind to the fact. Look at him. It's obvious. Everyone here can tell. Even Eve knew."
"So what," Hank said. "It doesn't matter. Because if there's one thing I know, Luis, it's that Sheridan loves you. No one else. The reason she's so blind to his feelings is because she doesn't think about him that way. You're the only man for her, Buddy. Stop worrying." What Hank said made sense. But he couldn't squash down the uneasiness he felt.
"Hey, Luis," Gwen said in passing. "Hank," she said. With a pointed glare. "You take this one." Dragging Jake by the hand. "Jake, what did you do this time?" Hank said. Jake looked down at the ground. Shuffling his feet. "Well...Dad, it's kind of a long story." "I got all the time in the world, Jake. Spit it out." A genuine chuckle escaped Luis's lips as he watched his friend interact with his son. God must have a really good sense of humor, he thought. Hank was dealing with his five-year-old self.
He wandered across the yard. Coming to a stop just feet away from his family. His eyes connecting with Sheridan's. As she held MJ in her arms. All his anger, all his jealously faded to the back of his mind as he watched her with his nephew. She looked at him. And he could tell what she was thinking. Remembering Ali at that age. There was such longing in her blue eyes. Such love. But then her face changed. He couldn't help the small smile that came over his lips. She was trying so hard to stay mad at him.
It was a fight she continued to fight the remainder of the day. She just wouldn't let him in. There were a few times she nearly cracked, but she managed to keep her guard up. It was going to be a long night, he thought as he watched her say goodbye to Nick. With a hug. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to meet the eyes of his father. "She owes him her life, Luis. She can't just forget that."
He digested what his father said before speaking. "Thanks Papa," he said. As he hugged his father in parting. "I think I needed to hear that. Especially from someone like you." "Mijo," his mother spoke up. "We're going to take Ali home with us. You and Sheridan have a lot to talk about. A lot to sort out." "Thanks," he said as he kissed her cheek. Tenderly brushed the hair back from his sleeping daughter's forehead and kissed her, too. "I know you'll take good care of our AliCat. See you in the morning," he waved.
He watched her blue eyes fill with confusion. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it just as quickly. The words wouldn't come. He knew how she felt. Because at that moment, words couldn't describe the feelings rushing through him. And he knew she could tell something was bothering him. He clenched his jaw when she shifted her gaze from him to the man behind him. Nick Taylor.
She cast one more questioning look his way before she walked past him. To greet their guest. "Nick! It's great to see you. I thought you said you couldn't come," she said. Leaning up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He looked away. Locking eyes with Eve. "Nick?" she said. Extending her hand in greeting. "I'm Eve Russell. A friend of Sheridan and Luis. Nice to meet you."
Nick took her hand. Shook it politely. "Nick Taylor. Nice to meet you as well." "So," Eve began. Hoping to dispel some of the tension. "What field are you in? Sheridan told me you were a doctor," she asked. Walking down the hall. Toward the kitchen. Leaving Sheridan and Luis in their wake. Luis started to follow them. But Sheridan stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Luis? What's got in to you? You're upset. I can tell." "What gives you that idea?" he asked. Staring into her eyes. She really didn't get it. He'd thought they'd seen the last of Dr. Taylor. He would be forever indebted to him for saving her life. But a blind man could see the man was in love with her. Why couldn't she? "Luis, answer me. You were fine earlier. What happened?"
"You really can't see it, can you?" he asked incredulously. "Forget I asked, Mr. Jekyll and Hyde," she said in a hurt voice. "By the way," she threw back over her shoulder as she walked away, her arms folded protectively over her chest. "You really need to watch what you say in front of our daughter from now on. She may be too little to understand the words, but that doesn't mean she won't repeat them."
He watched her later. With Ali. And Nick. They were so easy around each other. Comfortable. Laughing and having a good time with all the other guests. Nick was a hit. Theresa got along with him so well, he thought Ethan was going to turn green. No one could tell him any different after that little display. Ethan still felt something for his sister. His feelings were just as plain as the ones that shone in Nick's gray eyes.
"Hey, Buddy," Hank said. Giving him a brotherly slap on the back. "How you doing?" He turned to Hank silently. And just stared into his friend's eyes. "Ouch, Man. That bad? Listen. You have nothing to worry about. So the good doctor has feelings for your wife." "Feelings Hank? He's in love with her. And she's completely blind to the fact. Look at him. It's obvious. Everyone here can tell. Even Eve knew."
"So what," Hank said. "It doesn't matter. Because if there's one thing I know, Luis, it's that Sheridan loves you. No one else. The reason she's so blind to his feelings is because she doesn't think about him that way. You're the only man for her, Buddy. Stop worrying." What Hank said made sense. But he couldn't squash down the uneasiness he felt.
"Hey, Luis," Gwen said in passing. "Hank," she said. With a pointed glare. "You take this one." Dragging Jake by the hand. "Jake, what did you do this time?" Hank said. Jake looked down at the ground. Shuffling his feet. "Well...Dad, it's kind of a long story." "I got all the time in the world, Jake. Spit it out." A genuine chuckle escaped Luis's lips as he watched his friend interact with his son. God must have a really good sense of humor, he thought. Hank was dealing with his five-year-old self.
He wandered across the yard. Coming to a stop just feet away from his family. His eyes connecting with Sheridan's. As she held MJ in her arms. All his anger, all his jealously faded to the back of his mind as he watched her with his nephew. She looked at him. And he could tell what she was thinking. Remembering Ali at that age. There was such longing in her blue eyes. Such love. But then her face changed. He couldn't help the small smile that came over his lips. She was trying so hard to stay mad at him.
It was a fight she continued to fight the remainder of the day. She just wouldn't let him in. There were a few times she nearly cracked, but she managed to keep her guard up. It was going to be a long night, he thought as he watched her say goodbye to Nick. With a hug. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to meet the eyes of his father. "She owes him her life, Luis. She can't just forget that."
He digested what his father said before speaking. "Thanks Papa," he said. As he hugged his father in parting. "I think I needed to hear that. Especially from someone like you." "Mijo," his mother spoke up. "We're going to take Ali home with us. You and Sheridan have a lot to talk about. A lot to sort out." "Thanks," he said as he kissed her cheek. Tenderly brushed the hair back from his sleeping daughter's forehead and kissed her, too. "I know you'll take good care of our AliCat. See you in the morning," he waved.