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“Figure out a reason to arrest him and get him out of my sight. His station is involved with Mr. Adams’ accident.”
The officer nodded, taking hold of the man and walking him down the hallway.
The doctor looked at me, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about that. Things are a little crazy here. Please don’t judge the rest of us on that guy’s behavior.”
“That was amazing. Thank you so much, Dr.…”
“Sutton. Dr. Bruce Sutton.” He reached out and shook my hand.
“You don’t sound like you’re from here. I hope I’m not being rude.”
“Good ear. I’m not. I’m from New York.”
My breath caught. Of course, he knew who I was. I was considering how to respond when he continued.
“I’m a fan, Mr. Adams. I’d heard you’d moved out here. I was hoping the mountain air would do some good. I know it did for me when things got to be too much. You signed your first book for me years ago. It’s a first edition, one of my most prized possessions. Don’t let assholes like that control your future. You’re a talented writer, and I would love to read something new from you. No pressure.” He smiled.
I swallowed hard, letting my defensive mode sink into the background. “Thank you. I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”
“Well, you probably won’t appreciate my words as much as you will appreciate seeing the young lady waiting in the hallway for you. Her name is Tara Foley? I’m not certain I can keep her out of here if you don’t. She seems incredibly determined to see you.” He smiled even wider, understanding what Tara meant to me. “I also wanted to give you an update. Is it okay for her to hear?”
“Yes, please.” I immediately wondered what I looked like. If it was worse than I felt, it might not be good.
“Landon! Are you okay? What happened?” Her eyes filled with tears the minute she reached my bed.
“I’ll explain, but Dr. Sutton has some things to say.” I pointed to him, taking her hand in mine.
“Ms. Foley, Mr. Adams has granted permission for you to hear his update. If you want to continue to have her on your file, Mr. Adam, I can add her to it.” He paused, waiting a minute to continue. “You were very lucky. It’s thanks to that old truck that you’re going to get discharged tonight. You will be sore for a few days—that’s just a result of your body tensing for impact. You don’t have any broken bones, though, and that’s pretty darn amazing. You’re good to go if Ms. Foley agrees to watch you for the night. Try not to drive for a few days.”
“I won’t leave his side.” Tara squeezed my hand.
Dr. Sutton stepped out so I could get dressed. Thankfully, Tara was there to help. He wasn’t kidding about being sore. I tried not to let her see me wince, but it felt good to have her supporting me.
“Do you have everything?” she asked, looking around the room.
“I honestly don’t know. The nurse was going to look for my phone. I don’t know if anyone picked up from the accident.”
“Mr. Adams.” The nurse walked in, right on cue. “I’m sorry that took so long. The officer left this at the front desk.”
She handed me a plastic bag with my phone, keys, and wallet in it. I hadn’t even thought about my wallet, but I remembered sitting both it and my phone in the cup holder when I left Tara’s. Thanking her, I sat down in the mandatory wheelchair and put my feet in the brackets. I was more than ready to get home. We started down the hallway but heard someone call my name before we got too far. It was the officer from before.
“I’m glad I caught you. There’s a group of reporters at the front entrance. Is this your driver?” He pointed to Tara, and I introduced them. “Do you know where the service entrance is?”
“Yes, actually. I have some friends who work here,” Tara replied.
“Great. Go around that way, and we can meet you there. That way, you can get out of here without running into anyone. I know the county officers were running everyone off your property, but that doesn’t mean they won’t return. I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it, unfortunately, but I appreciate you getting us out of here safely,” I said.
Tara walked down the hall after kissing me. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. And couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her. I was a little worried, though. I wondered if she realized it was only a matter of time until the vultures realized she and I were together. I hoped it wouldn’t affect us. Not everyone could handle the madhouse that followed me sometimes. Not even me. But together, I felt like we could conquer anything. Minutes later, the officer and nurse wheel me outside, underneath a carport. Tara pulled up seconds later, and I climbed in, happily leaving the hospital behind.
