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“Oh good,” she sighed and bent down to give Mickey a hug. She stood and studied my face for a long moment. “You don’t look happy about it.”
“I’m thrilled, actually. But I’m also worried that with her new exposure, I’m about to get hit with a heaping dose of karma.”
She laughed. “I doubt it. Lacey loves her home and her daughter, she might go out a few times a year, but she’ll stay here more than she’ll go away, and that’s only if she wants to risk all this again,” Michelle said and waved absently at the TV. “There’s also the other thing.”
I frowned and closed the door. “What thing?”
“I’m hungry,” Mickey whined, and we all headed towards the mouth-watering scent that wafted from the kitchen.
“Go wash your hands,” Michelle ordered with a grin and turned to me. “You can tell her that you love her and give her another reason to stay.”
I dropped down on a chair with a sigh. “That was the plan, but now that I’ve seen the footage, I can’t do that to her.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Dad you’re not doing anything to her, you’re giving her your heart. Your big ol’, totally in love heart. This is for her as much as for you.”
I shook my head because that was the last thing I wanted to be for her, another reason to abandon her dreams. “I can’t.”
Michelle scoffed and handed me a beer from the fridge, a move that formed another ball of regret in my stomach, that I’d missed this during the years when she might’ve tried to steal a sip or two. “You can, and you will Dad. She deserves to know that you love her, that she is loved, especially after all she’s been through. Let her know that she has more than Stevie to come home to from her next trip.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“No, you’ll tell her. Let her know you’re proud of her and that you love her as soon as you have her in your arms. Trust me on this.”
“Okay, I will,” I conceded easily, because I wanted Lacey to know how I felt, and I also wanted her to know that I would wait for her.
Chapter 27
Lacey
My eyes were closed as I listened to the sounds all around me. A constant beeping sound that never seemed to fade or grow tired, a whirring noise that I couldn’t figure out, and shuffling feet just outside my door. It was, clearly, the sounds of a hospital and I opened one eye and then the other. My gaze landed on the spray foam of the ceiling, lined with fluorescent lights. A long, curved rod held the ugliest floral curtain I’d ever seen, meant to offer me a modicum of privacy in a place not built for it. A quick glance to my right revealed a table with a cup of ice and a pitcher. To my left, the source of all the noises I couldn’t identify.
I looked down and wiggled my toes, moved my legs and then my fingers, my arms and my head. Everything is working properly. That was a good sign, so I tried to sit up and look around, to orient myself once again, because every day that I woke up for the past three days, I went through this routine because I was sure I’d wake up in Umberto’s cabin.
Again.
The door opened and a nurse I knew from middle and high school, Shelby, shuffled in with a smile. “Good morning Lacey, how are we feeling today?”
I raised a hand in greeting. “I’m still exhausted and a little dehydrated. Still a little paranoid, but I’m alive and safe and healthy.”
She smiled. “That’s great to hear. You ready to get out of here today?”
I nodded and sat up again, this time successfully. “Is that really going to happen?”
“Yes. The doctor says you’ll continue to heal, but you no longer need constant monitoring. If anything worsens, come back to see us, all right?” Shelby grinned. “Can I just say that you were incredible during all that hullabaloo. You kept your cool, you looked great, and you told one hell of a story.”
“Uh, thank you Shelby.” I hadn’t gotten much feedback that I could remember other than from Carlton. I had done two interviews with major news networks who were dying to be the first one to tell my story. “I was just trying to not think about everything else.”
“Well, I never watch the news, too depressing ya know? But I was glued to this whole thing. It was just riveting.” Shelby shivered. “Anyway, I’m just glad you’re all right. Those bug bites are gonna sting like the dickens for a few more days. No scratching,” she admonished, “or you’ll have scars everywhere. Call if you have any questions.”
“I will,” I assured her. “I promise.” With a smile and a nod, Shelby left me to my thoughts, which mostly centered around seeing Levi for the first time in weeks. Would the same spark be there? Would he be jealous that the story had turned into an international sensation, or would he be the proud, handsome man that had kissed me goodbye and wished me luck?
