Sizzle & Share: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 9)

by Kelli Callahan

  “Yeah.” Mr. Anderson dropped his cigarette and stepped on it. “As soon as I paid him a visit, Mayor Stevenson showed up at my house.”

  “This fucking town…” I shook my head back and forth.

  “You said it.” Mr. Anderson nodded and walked back into the waiting room.

  * * *

  Two days later

  “Eliza.” I felt a nudge and opened my eyes to see Preston squatting beside the row of chairs I had stretched out on to sleep. “Hudson’s awake.”

  “He is?” I sat up quickly. “Can we see him?”

  “Dad is talking to the doctor, but we should be able to see him soon.” Preston nodded the first smile I had seen in days formed on the edge of his lips. “I think he’s okay—he’s asking for you.”

  “Oh thank god!” I hugged Preston and started gathering my things. “I’m such a fucking mess—I need to go clean up a little bit.”

  “You’re as beautiful as ever. Trust me, Hudson’s not going to care about how you look.” Preston took my hand and helped me stand.

  I had been able to walk back and see Hudson through the glass in ICU a few times, but that was going to be nothing compared to actually seeing his eyes open—hearing his voice. I had started to lose hope, but I refused to leave the hospital until he was out of ICU. Preston and Mr. Anderson had been right there with me the whole time. All three of us were anxious to see Hudson, but the doctor didn’t want to let all of us go to his room at the same time. Mr. Anderson suggested that I should go first, since I was the first name on Hudson’s lips when he woke up. The doctor didn’t think there was any permanent damage, although it would take him some time to fully recover. That was the best news any of us had heard since he was admitted to the hospital and we hugged before the doctor led me away.

  My heart did somersaults as I signed in and got a name badge, so I could go to the main part of the hospital. I felt hope seeping into my veins as I took the elevator to his floor. I had been scared to have any real hope when I was in the waiting room—disappointment was such a common emotion for me—it was hard to truly believe the man I loved was going to open his eyes and make a full recovery. I had hope again though, and I was going to cling to it with everything I had. There was no way I was going to lose Hudson, not after everything we had been through to bring us back together again. I walked to his door and my heart sank when I saw his eyes closed—but then they opened, and he smiled—he freaking smiled.

  “Hudson!” I ran to the bed and grabbed his hand.

  “What’s your name, beautiful?” He blinked a couple of times. “The doctor said my memory might be a bit fuzzy.”

  “Are you—serious?” I tilted my head and my mouth fell open.

  “No.” He chuckled slightly. “A little brain damage isn’t going to make me forget you.”

  “Now is not the time to joke around!” I squeezed his hand and pulled a chair close to the bed.

  “Sorry—brain damage, remember?” He grinned and winked at me.

  “You’re going to have brain damage if you keep fucking with me.” I narrowed my eyes. “Tell me what happened—who did this to you?”

  23

  Hudson

  I was trapped in a fog for what felt like an eternity. I kept hearing the sound of metal crunching and glass shattering like I was reliving the accident on a repeated loop in my head. I wasn’t sure if I was still alive or trapped in some version of hell I couldn’t escape. The last thing I remembered was driving towards Indian Hills. I was still trying to figure out why Old Man Wrigley told me to talk to Henry Walford. The next thing I knew, my truck was in the air and I was about to crash. Part of that memory was missing. I remembered the crash, but I couldn’t remember how it happened exactly. I thought I was going to have to figure it out before I could open my eyes, but I still didn’t have answers when I saw the lights above my hospital bed. I was alive, and everything worked. The first thing I said was Eliza’s name—I remembered that. She was the only thing on my mind as the doctor told me why my head hurt, and how long I had been out. I never thought I would see her again when I was trapped in that fog, and I couldn’t focus on anything else once my eyes were open.

  “So, you don’t think it was Mayor Stevenson?” Eliza squeezed my hand after I told her everything I could remember.

  “I don’t know—I honestly don’t know.” I sighed and turned my head slightly, so I could see her better. “It doesn’t matter now. I won’t be able to run for mayor if I’m recovering from brain surgery. The doctor said it’ll be eight weeks before I can even think about driving—longer before he can completely clear me for anything other than sitting on my ass.”

  “You shouldn’t make a decision like that right now.” Eliza squeezed my hand again. “Let’s just take it one day at a time.”

  “What choice do I have?” I sighed and looked away.

  Eliza stayed with me as long as she could, but Preston and my father were both waiting to come in and see me. Eliza promised to come back as soon as they were done with their visit. They both asked the same questions Eliza did, but I didn’t have any real answers. I was definitely surprised to hear that Sheriff Tate had ruled it a loss of control accident so quickly, but I didn’t have anything to dispute his findings. It could have been exactly what happened. I had driven that stretch of road a lot over the years and had even driven it when I was being the wheel of a fire truck before. There was nothing dangerous about it, no curves that I could have taken too quickly, and I wasn’t driving fast enough to flip my truck—at least from what I could remember. After they were gone, I continued to wrack my damaged brain, trying to come up with anything that could help me put the pieces together, but I just had a blank space where that memory should have been.

  “I talked with the doctor while Preston was in here.” Eliza walked back up to my bed and took a seat. “He said that you should be able to go home in a few days.”

  “Am I going to be in here long enough to skip the wedding?” I chuckled under my breath, even though it made my head hurt when the laugher echoed.

  “You won’t be leaving the house for a while.” Eliza narrowed her eyes and her tone softened to a teasing one. “You didn’t wreck your truck because you didn’t want to go to that wedding, did you?”

  “No, I was actually looking forward to seeing you in that dress you showed me.” I forced a slight smile. “I guess you’ll just have to come model it for me at my house.

  ”That might be a bit dangerous.” Eliza tilted her head slightly. “You won’t be able to do anything about it if you like what you see.”

  “I’ll recover fast.” I tried to nod my head, but that definitely wasn’t happening. “You’ll be back in my bed in no time at all.”

  “Only because I’ll be sleeping beside you.” She squeezed my hand. “You’re going to be under my full-time care once the doctor releases you from the hospital.”

  “Is that your way of telling me that we’re moving in together?” I forced another smile, but each one was a little more painful and it made my head spin.

  “Temporarily.” She nodded quickly. “I’ll find my own place after you’re fully recovered.”

  “Nah.” I winced. “I think I’ll be too used to having you around by that point.”

  I wanted to keep talking to Eliza, but my head was hurting so bad that I was going to pass out if I didn’t get another dose of pain medication. The nurse came in and pumped some into my IV, which made me really sleepy. I saw Eliza pull the chair away from my bed and curl up underneath a blanket. I didn’t know if the doctor would actually let her stay, but she didn’t seem to have any intentions of leaving. I felt better knowing she was there. I wanted to know what really happened in the accident, but all I could focus on was sleep once the pain medication kicked in. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, feeling the fog close in on me again. I didn’t like the fog, but I wasn’t hurting, so that was a bonus. I also wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t see Eliza again. She was a few feet away�
�even if I didn’t have the strength to reach out and touch her. That gave me all of the peace that I could hope for under the circumstances.

  I’m going to find out the truth when I get out of this bed, and if this was anything other than an accident, there will be hell to pay.

  24

  Eliza

  Things felt like they were spinning out of control after Hudson’s accident and I was torn between helping Melanie and being there for the man I loved. Hudson was released from the hospital after a few days, but he still needed a caretaker at home. Melanie offered to let me skip the wedding entirely if I needed to help Hudson, but I didn’t want to do that to her. Preston turned out to be a godsend during this time, because he would spend his days off with Hudson, so I could focus on the wedding. He even stayed with Hudson, so I could take Melanie to Birmingham for the Chippendale show like we planned for her bachelorette party. It was a good way to relieve stress, even if the only man I wanted to see dance was laying at home in bed. When Melanie’s wedding day finally came, I stood by her side as planned. She made a beautiful bride, and Dave’s vows melted my heart. The next day, I moved the rest of my stuff to Hudson’s house. I still wasn’t sure if it would become my permanent residence, but he needed me until he was back on his feet again.

  “How is he?” I walked inside and put my purse down next to the door.

  “He’s sleeping—but he does that a lot.” Preston looked up at me. “Are you hungry? I was just about to make some lunch.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t even grab any food today.” I nodded quickly. “How about one of those grilled cheese sandwiches you used to make?”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking too.” Preston smiled and stood up from the couch. “Dad dropped off some groceries earlier, so we even have the good cheese.”

  “Perfect.” I nodded and walked into Hudson’s bedroom to check on him.

  I didn’t try to wake Hudson up when he was sleeping. The doctors said he would need a lot of extra rest while his body healed, so if he slept all day, it was perfectly normal. I hoped that was true. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched him sleep for several minutes before the smell of Preston’s butter-soaked grilled cheese made me realize how hungry I truly was. I hadn’t eaten anything since Melanie’s wedding the night before. I walked into the kitchen to find Preston dropping the first one on a plate and tossing two more pieces of bread into the pan. He used to make us those grilled cheese sandwiches all the time during the summer I spent with the two of them. Honestly, I think it was the only thing he knew how to cook back then, but I never complained because they were so good.

  “Here you go.” Preston pushed the plate over to me. “You don’t have to wait on me to finish cooking. I’m going to make one for Hudson too, just in case he wakes up.”

  “Good, because I’m freaking starving.” I grabbed a bag of chips and tore it open.

  My anger for Preston faded after Hudson’s accident. The tragedy was like a light switch in my head. I no longer saw him as the man who lied to me and ruined my life. We were kindred spirits—two people that were caring for someone we loved. Preston was selfless when it came to his brother, and that was a side of him that I had never seen before. The mistakes he made were truly forgiven in my eyes, even though they were ones that I never saw myself being able to completely move past before the accident. The world was bigger than us and it was a shame that it took something so horrific for me to see that. Things might never change in Andalusia, but the town would always be my home. I was content with that choice because I finally understood what really mattered. Love—passion—desire. Those were important, but life itself was too precious to waste and every moment of it was one that needed to be treasured.

  “I thought I remembered how good these were.” I bit into the grilled cheese. “They’re better…”

  “I’ve upped my game in recent years.” Preston looked over his shoulder and chuckled. “Now I fry them in salted butter—it’s a huge improvement.”

  “That explains it.” I nodded and smiled. “I feel my blood pressure rising already.”

  “The doctor needs something to talk about.” Preston shrugged and tossed the second grilled cheese on a plate before beginning the third.

  I finished my grilled cheese and when I went back to check on Hudson, he was starting to wake up. The pain medication made him drowsy most of the time, and it was time for another dose, so I knew he wouldn’t be awake long. I got him to eat some of the grilled cheese, wash it down with milk, and then I gave him a pill. He didn’t talk much, other than to thank me for bringing him some food and giving him his medication. I was afraid that in addition to the brain injury, he was slipping into a bout of depression from being stuck inside all day and unable to really do anything. I sat on the bed beside him and held his hand until he dozed off again. It was hard to see him hurting, but he was getting better every day. The doctor believed he would be able to sit up most of the way within a week, but even that would be difficult at first. I returned to the living room and found Preston eating his grilled cheese while he aimlessly flipped through Netflix.

  “You don’t have to stay.” I sat down on the couch next to him. “I’ll be here every day now that the wedding is over.”

  “I know.” He shrugged and sighed. “I just—I’m worried about him. It’s easier to be here and know he’s okay than to sit at home and worry all day.”

  “Then I guess you better find us a movie.” I turned towards the television. “And not another zombie one…”

  “What about zombie beavers?” Preston chuckled and pointed at the screen.

  “No. I want to laugh—if that’s even possible. Find a comedy.” I grumbled under my breath.

  “Okay.” He nodded quickly.

  “Have there been any updates on the accident?” I turned my head back towards him.

  “No.” Preston shook his head back and forth. “I tried to go see Hudson’s truck, but they already crushed it, so all I could do was read the report. It wasn’t helpful.”

  “I guess we aren’t going to have any answers unless Hudson remembers what really happened.” I sighed and turned towards the television.

  * * *

  One week later

  “Can you help me up?” Hudson leaned forward on the bed. “I want to try sitting on the couch for a little bit.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready for that.” I raised my eyebrows in concern as I walked over the assist him.

  “The doctor said it would be fine, right?” He grimaced but pulled himself up to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

  “Yeah, but he also said you shouldn’t push yourself if you’re not ready. Everyone heals at a different pace.” My muscles strained as I supported his weight until he was on his feet.

  “I’m just tired of this fucking bed.” Hudson held onto the wall as we walked. “If I get tired, I’ll lay down on the couch.”

  “You’re going to be tired as soon as you have more pain medication.” I aimed him towards the couch once we walked into the living room.

  “I’m going to try and skip it for now. It makes me so fucking drowsy.” He grimaced but managed to hobble to the couch with my help.

  “There’s no reason for you to be in pain.” I held onto him until he was seated. “You had brain surgery.”

  “Blah.” He shook his head slowly. “They just scraped some blood off it. It’s not that bad.”

  “You must not realize how horrific that sounds to someone who didn’t go through it.” I shuddered and sat down next to him.

  “I’m trying to be tough.” Hudson chuckled slightly. “I thought girls liked tough guys.”

  “I’m getting you some pain medication.” I stood up immediately.

  “No, please—just sit with me for a little while.” He reached out and caressed my arm. “I won’t stay out here long.”

  “Okay.” I exhaled sharply as I slowly sat back down.

  Hudson picked up the remote and turned on the television
, but the flickering seemed to bother him, so he quickly turned it off. We talked for several minutes, which mostly consisted of him thanking me for everything that I had done. I wasn’t sure if it was memory loss or the pain pills, but he had thanked me for the same thing almost every day, so all I could do was acknowledge the stuff he had already said. I heard his stomach rumble, so I went to make some lunch. I did my best to replicate the grilled cheese sandwiches that Preston had been making for us and laid out some stuff from the freezer, so I could cook beef stew for dinner. The grilled cheese wasn’t quite as good as the one Preston would have made, but Hudson didn’t seem to mind. He gobbled it up pretty quickly and chased it with a glass of milk.

  “Have you talked to Melanie?” He looked over at me.

  “No, not much.” I shook my head back and forth. “I’m sure she’s enjoying every second of honeymoon bliss right now—especially since her parents are back in Florida.”

  “I can’t wait until I can have some more honeymoon bliss.” He chuckled and reached out to put his hand on my leg. “That’s the worst part of this whole thing—I want you, but I can’t do anything about it.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time when you get better.” I smiled and put my hand on his. “I’m sure we’ll make up for all the lost time.”

  “I’m going to be sure of it.” He nodded and smiled. “How are things with Preston? Are you okay having him around during my recovery?”

  “Things are—okay.” I nodded. “I’m grateful to have his help.”

  “He surprised me.” Hudson leaned against the cushion. “I took care of him when he got hurt, but I didn’t expect him to be the kind of guy that would return the favor.”