“We were so scared,” Whitney said.

“Yeah, we’ve never prayed so hard in our entire lives.” Simone smiled, holding Eve’s hand to her cheek.

“I’m sorry to put you through this. I promise from now on I’ll be more careful.” Eve smiled tenderly at her daughters and the flowers that they had brought her. “Thank you so much, they’re beautiful.” She inhaled their intoxicating scent. “Where is your daddy?”

“He’ll be here in a minute; he is parking the car,” Whitney explained.

Eve and her girls were chatting when TC came into the room. He smiled and approached the bed. “Hi, honey, how are you feeling?” he asked a little sheepishly, still feeling guilty about his earlier behavior.

“My head hurts, and my body is quite sore. Other than that, I think I’ll survive.” She smiled as he kissed her forehead.

“Well, you were very lucky. The broken glass from your car gave you some pretty nasty cuts. It’s a good thing that there were no permanent injuries. I mean, the nurse told me earlier that your tests showed no signs of any internal damage. I guess you’ll probably have headaches for awhile, from that nasty concussion, but the wounds from the glass should heal quickly,” TC explained.

“Yes, they informed me how fortunate I was, though they don’t know why I was in a coma for so long. I guess maybe my body just needed the time off.” She chuckled.

“Yeah, well, just as long as you didn’t have any nightmares - I mean, you did mention that you dreamed about Julian and Alistair Crane.”

“You dreamed about Julian Crane?” Whitney asked in surprise. “What was that all about?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember much,” Eve lied. There was no way that she was ever going to tell her daughters, or especially TC, that she had dreamed of Julian Crane and the son she had conceived with him. Her heart ached for the child she never had a chance to know.

“Eve?”

“Yes?” Eve asked, startled from her thoughts.

“Where were you? You seemed like a thousand miles away,” TC asked in concern. “Are you in pain, honey? Shall I get a nurse?”

“No, no, TC…I’m just tired, I guess,” Eve said wearily.

“We should let Mom get her rest. I am sure she has had a really tiring day with all the visitors and everything,” Simone pointed out.

“I guess you’re right. We’ll let you get some rest, honey.” TC kissed her cheek tenderly.

“Bye, Mom.” Whitney hugged Eve gently. “Get better soon. We miss you.”

“I miss you guys too.” Eve smiled and blew kisses at her family as they left.

With the lights off, and only the soft glow of the bed lamp shining, Eve closed her eyes and tried to get some rest. Try as she may, she couldn’t stop thinking of the dream she had had. Julian and their son, was that what life would have been like for her? ‘Questions, all kinds of unanswered questions,’ Eve thought as she dozed off.

Stepping out of the boardroom, Julian Crane strode down the hall, heading for the nurses’ desk. He had come to the hospital to finish up some last minute business, and thought since he was here, he would ask the nurses if Eve was doing all right.

“Good evening, Mr. Crane.”

“Good evening, Kate.” Julian smiled. He knew all the nurses, something that he had always prided himself on. But lately, that old pride was becoming less and less of a priority. He was not getting any younger, even though he thought that he was still quite dashing. And the gray hair, well, that could only be explained in one word…wives! He had had too many of them recently!! Luckily, Theresa and Ivy had been dispatched. There was only Rebecca left now, still acting as if she were Mrs. Julian Crane, even though no legal paper could support her claim. ‘I think it’s time I dealt with that nasty business.’ He sighed, not looking forward to facing Rebecca’s wrath. “How is Dr. Russell doing this evening?” he asked Kate.

“She’s resting. The last of the day’s visitors just left. I’ve been instructed not to disturb her, so I am sure that she going to be sleeping for the rest of the night,” Kate explained. “I’ve got to go. A patient is beeping me, and the other nurses are on break.” With that, she was off, leaving Julian to stare after her.

Julian turned to leave, and then noticed that Eve’s door was slightly ajar. He couldn’t help himself as he walked over to peek inside.

Eve was sleeping soundly; the sound of her soft breathing filled his ears. Making sure that no one was looking, he entered the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

He sat on the stool next to her bed and watched her sleep. She looked so beautiful, even though she did have bandages on her head. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek with his finger. His heart pounded when she stirred. The last thing he wanted was to scare her, and he was sure that his presence would do just that.

“My sweet Eve,” he whispered. “If only I could show you how much I care for you.” He continued to caress her face lightly.

When she shifted in her sleep, he quickly withdrew his hand and got to his feet. When she settled back down, he leaned over her, his arm stretched across her bed, bracing himself against the railing. On impulse, with his heart beating wildly, he gently touched his lips to hers, so soft and sweet. It took all the strength he possessed to pull away, and with one last caress, he quietly left the room.

Eve awoke when the door clicked shut. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the dimly lit room.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand and touched her lips. Had she been dreaming? She’d swear that she could still feel the soft pressure of his lips. “TC, you are such a romantic,” she whispered as she dozed off to sleep again.

Driving home, Julian was deep in thought, the feel of Eve’s lips still lingering on his own. He couldn’t believe that he had taken such a risk and kissed her. ‘What if she had awakened? That would have ruined everything!’ Julian punched the steering wheel, causing the horn to honk.

His reawakened love for Eve was causing conflict with his current lifestyle. There was no question that he couldn’t continue to live the way that he had been and expect a woman like Eve to want him. But one thing he was certain of, he would sacrifice anything to be with her…in a heartbeat. Even the Crane billions! But first, he’d have to deal with the shrew that lived under his roof!