AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Where is everyone? My gaze darts over the other patrons in the waiting room. A young girl about four with her mother, an older couple huddled together whispering something back and forth, and a family of three with their feet sticking out in front of them and heads braced against the wall.
Rolling wheels signal the window reopening, and the receptionist lifts one perfectly plucked eyebrow. “You can come in.” She tips her head toward the door leading to the emergency room port. “The door will pop in a few seconds. Go back to room 11.”
“Yes, Ma’am, thank you.”
The harshness of her features softens. “You’re welcome.”
In under thirty seconds, I’m at her door, prepared to barge inside. Through the glass, I watch her sigh and adjust her head on the pillow. Her face scrunches, and she shifts again.
As if she senses my presence, her eyes snap open, and she struggles to sit up.
I’m around the door and at her side before she can straighten. “Don’t. Lay back.”
“Fine,” she grumbles, sags against the pillow, and grasps my hand. “I didn’t want them to call you at work. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” I sit on the edge of the mattress and cradle her hand in mine. I don’t know where she hurts, but I must touch her. My eyes rake over her tiny frame. She looks good. Dude. Don’t forget that movie where the guy looked good and was joking, and minutes later, he was dead. “What hurts?”
“My chest and waist from the seatbelt. And my shoulders and back.” She squeezes my fingers and laces her between mine. “But I’m fine. No broken bones, just bruises. They’ll get worse but will fade in a few weeks.”
“Thank God.” I allow my eyes to close and let her words sink in. She’s fine. That movie. My eyes snap open. “Are you sure? Have they done testing?”
“Yes.” She smiles and tilts her head sideways as her eyes search my face. “I’m fine. Really. They’ve done a CT scan, and no issues showed up. I’m waiting for them to release me.”
“Thank God.”
She uses her elbows to press into the mattress and struggles upright. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome. But it’s not like I’d not be here for you. And it’s why I’m moving here as soon as I can pack my gear.”
“You–”
“Don’t.” I kiss her lips and inhale the faint scent of her perfume. It’s masked by the aroma of antiseptic, but just that little reassurance that she’s fine eases the ball of anxiety lying in my gut. “No arguments. I love you, Harbor. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re not moving to San Francisco.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “We’ll discuss this later, but right now, I need your arms around me.”
“That I can do.” It doesn’t matter what she says. I’m not letting her continue driving back and forth. I’m moving here. She’ll come to her senses once she’s out of the hospital.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Harbor
After the doctor shares his parting orders, we’re left alone again. I grab Cole’s hand. “I need you to listen for a second.”
He frowns. “Okay?” His eyes widen as he glances up and down my body. “Did the doctor tell you something else is wrong?”
“No.” I rub the back of his hand. The man is adorable. “He did not say anything else is wrong.” I don’t need to clarify it again, but for his sense of well-being, I do. Not that I blame him for being worried. I’d feel the same way if I received a call that he was injured in a fire or on his way to a fire.
“Okay.” His shoulders drop slightly as the anxiety of more bad news diminishes.
“You’re not moving to San Fra–”
“Yes, I am. It’s been decided.”
“Cole, I asked you to listen to me, and you agreed.”
He exhales and smiles. “I’m listening.”
“Thank you. I’m quitting my job and moving back home.”
