The door to my room opened and my heart sped up, anticipating Dex, but it wasn’t him. It was a nurse dressed in a white uniform and wearing a cheerful smile.
“You look wide awake and ready to get out of here!” she said, coming to stand at the side of the bed.
“I’m feeling good, thank you. Will I be able to leave today?” I replied.
“I think so. The doctor will be in shortly to examine you one more time, and as long as he thinks you look good, then you’ll be able to go.”
I nodded. I was so ready to get out of here. “Thank you.”
“I will go get your discharge papers ready so when the doc gives his okay, we’ll be ready.” She motioned to a bag on the floor near the wall and said, “Your friends brought you some clean clothes.”
“Great,” I said, eyeing the bag.
I assumed she was talking about Dex’s butler, Hobbs. Dex hadn’t left to get me anything, and Frankie had no clue I was in here. I thought about calling her but figured I’d wait until after I saw the doctor. I wasn’t quite ready to deal with all her questions and explain what had been going on all these months. I wondered if she would even believe me.
The nurse bustled around the room a bit more, checking the IV machine, and then let herself out. My eyes wandered over to the bag with the clothes. I couldn’t help but be curious about what the butler chose for me.
I threw the covers back and went to the bag, bending to pick it up and bring it to the bed. When I bent down, I felt a gusty draft at the back of my robe. I grabbed it, bunching the material together around me. Why did hospital gowns have to be open at the butt? I mean, people here were already sick. Why make them wave around their bare booty?
Like a kid at Christmas, I delved into the plastic shopping bag to see what was there. I pulled out a pile of brand new clothes… all of them with the tags still attached and all of them in my size. Hobbs was good… and his taste was fantastic. It was also very expensive, I noted when I lifted one of the price tags. I couldn’t accept this outfit! It was worth more than an entire week of tips at the diner.
I stared down at the beautiful things… things I never had before. Hobbs probably paid for them with Dex’s money… A little smile curved my lips. He kind of owed me… I mean, hedidtry to kill me.
I tossed away the hospital gown and slipped the white silk tank top over my head, pulling it in place. Then I picked up the light-blue cashmere sweater and did the same. I never knew fabric could feel so soft and luxurious all while being warm. Next I pulled on a brand new pair of dark-colored designer jeans, a pair of cashmere socks, and slid my feet into a pair of light-brown Uggs. The sheepskin felt like heaven against my toes. Oh my goodness, I wanted a pair of Uggs since I first saw them… Talk about warm and comfy on a cold Alaskan day.
I went into the bathroom and winced at my face. No amount of cashmere could detract from the cuts and bruises. Frankie was going to flip when I finally called her. I had no idea what I would say. I’d tell her the truth because she was like a freaking walking lie detector machine. But I would need to make something up for the police. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came knocking at my door. I wouldn’t really be able to tell them much about the man who kidnapped me because I didn’t know anything. Maybe I would tell them that I got away and called Dex, who came to get me, and then on the way to the hospital we hit some black ice and the car crashed.
Just thinking about it all made me tired, and a wave of homesickness came over me. I felt like I was still kind of in shock over everything that happened. And I needed to talk to Dex. I needed more answers.
I rinsed my mouth out and did what I could with my hair—which equated to pulling the tangled mess up onto my head in an even more tangled knot—then left the bathroom.
The homesickness in my belly was still tugging at me and so I went toward the phone by the bed. I knew I said I’d wait to call Frankie, but I couldn’t. I just wanted to hear her voice. She was like my sister.
She answered on the first ring. “Hello? Piper, is that you?”
“Hey, Frank. Yeah, it’s me,” I replied, as that feeling of homesickness ebbed away at just the sound of her voice.
“Oh my God! I’ve been so worried about you! What happened? Are you okay? Where are you?” Her words tumbled over one another, and when she finally fell silent, I heard her take a shuddering breath.
“I don’t have time to explain everything now… but I will. I promise. I just wanted to call and tell you that I’m okay. I’m at the hospital.”
“The hospital!” She gasped.
“Yeah, Dex and I got into a car accident.”
“You’re with Dex? What does he have to do with all this?”
“He’s not here right now, but I think he’ll be back. I’ll explain later. I have to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I get out of here.”
“Piper—”
“Yeah, I know. It was scary. It’s over. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I hung up the phone and stared down at it for long moments. It was good to hear her voice. After that vision I was so afraid I was going to lose her. When I pushed her out of the way of the gun, her future must’ve changed. Hopefully, that meant her life was no longer in danger.
I turned from the phone and began gathering up the tags from my new clothes when the door opened behind me.
“I think Hobbs should give up his current line of work to become a personal shopper,” I said, smiling as I turned.
