Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  I want to laugh at the absurdity of that statement. Don’t worry about anything? Really? But he’s only trying to help, and he deserves my thanks, not my ridicule. “I… Thank you.”

  “Yeah, no problem. Go with her. I’ll take care of the truck and make sure they find you to tell you where it is.”

  “Thanks.” Following behind the gurney they’ve loaded Honey onto, I jog to the spot where the chopper team is waiting for the paramedics to load her up. The first responders give a shouted assessment to the chopper crew. I’m pulled into the helicopter by one of the crewmembers, and we lift off seconds later, before I can even catch my breath or process anything I just heard about possible closed head injuries or concussions or brain bleeds.

  We land at University Hospital in San Antonio a few minutes after we take off, and Honey is whisked away by the doctors who meet us on the roof. No one tells me where they’re taking her, so I run after them, hoping they’ll let me stay with her.

  A nurse stops me at the doors to the Emergency Department. She takes me into a cubicle to get some information about Honey. I tell them her name is Evelyn Carmichael, but she goes by Honey. I don’t know what insurance she has. Shouldn’t I know that? I’m her fucking fiancé. I can’t remember her birthday, and that has me blinking back tears. What right do I have to her if I can’t remember her fucking birthday?

  I brush away the tears and try to focus on what Honey needs from me. “Let me call her friend. She’ll know what I don’t.” I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Lauren’s number from memory. It hasn’t changed from when we used to hook up.

  “Now why are you calling me when you’re supposed to be on vacation with my best girl?” Lauren cheerfully asks when she answers.

  “Lo.”

  “Blake? What? What’s wrong?”

  Somehow I manage to get the words out, to tell her where we are and what I need.

  “I’m on my way. Put me on with the nurse. I’ll tell her what I can.”

  “Thanks, Lo.”

  “Is she, tell me… Blake…”

  “I don’t know. I don’t anything yet.”

  “I’m coming. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

  I nod because that’s all I can do and hand the phone to the nurse, who asks Lauren a series of questions. I watch her write the March 2nd date on the chart, and commit that date to memory. I pray that she’ll live to see another birthday.

  Lauren arrives five long hours later, with Garrett in tow. I’ve never been so happy to see anyone as I am to see them when they find me in the ICU waiting room. I’m allowed in to see Honey once every half hour for a few minutes.

  “What’s the latest?” Lauren has called me for regular updates from the road, and I can’t tell her anything more now than I could then.

  “They say she’s stable, and we have to wait and see.”

  “What does that mean?” Lauren’s eyes are red from crying.

  Garrett puts his arm around her to offer comfort she doesn’t want. She shakes him off.

  “That’s all they’ve told me other than she has a severe concussion from the whiplash. We got hit hard from behind, and somehow she broke her ankle, too.”

  “And they checked you out?” Garrett asks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. They said it was because I was awake, if you can believe that. She was asleep, so she was defenseless.” My voice catches as a sob erupts from my chest. “I can’t believe this has happened again.”

  Lauren hugs me hard. “It’s not like before. Honey is alive and fighting, and she’s going to be fine. We have to believe that.”

  “Listen to her,” Garrett says. “She’s almost always right.”

  “There’s no almost about it,” Lauren insists. “I’m always right.”

  Their reassurances are the only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind.

  It’s after midnight when I talk Lauren and Garrett into leaving to find somewhere to spend the night. The ICU nurses take mercy on me and let me sit by Honey’s bed.

  I hold the hand that wears my ring, and I tell her about Lauren and Garrett showing up in San Antonio and how they went off to spend the night together, probably in the same room. I talk about all the things we’re going to do after we’re married. I tell her about the farm and the swimming hole and her photography and my construction and how we should put the two together to create a business we can run together, like the couple on HGTV that combined his renovation skills with her design flair. We could be like them, I tell her, and raise our little brood of blond-haired kids while working side by side.

  I’m not sure what time it is when my parents appear outside the room, looking exhausted and upset and stressed. The glass walls make it hard to miss them standing out there, watching us.

  I kiss the back of Honey’s hand and place it gently on the bed. Then I walk over to the door and step outside to talk to my parents.

  “We came as soon as we heard, son,” Dad says as they both hug me. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be as soon as Honey wakes up. I’m sorry I didn’t call you myself.” I asked Garrett to call them because I wasn’t sure I could say the words without breaking into a million pieces.

  “We understand,” Mom says.

  I run my fingers through my hair, certain it must be standing on end after hours of pulling on it. “I should tell you… While we were away, I asked Honey to marry me, and she said yes.”

  “Oh, Blake,” Mom says, blinking back tears. “Oh, I’ve always loved Honey. That’s such wonderful news! Isn’t it wonderful, Mike?”

  “It sure is.” Dad’s gaze shifts to the room, where Honey is attached to all kinds of machines. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “They tell me she should be, but they aren’t entirely sure yet. She’s got a concussion and a broken ankle from her leg being jammed under the dash. The worst part…” I take a deep breath and force myself to stay calm. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”

  Dad grasps my shoulder with his big hand. “Son, I can’t imagine what must be running through your mind in light of what you’ve been through in the past. But this isn’t like that. Jordan was killed instantly. She never stood a chance. Honey isn’t Jordan.” He takes me by the shoulders and turns me to face her. “Look at her. She’s got a good strong heartbeat, and she just needs some rest before she’ll wake up and ask you what all the fuss is about.”

  Tears roll down my cheeks. I want so badly to believe he’s right, that this is nothing like the last time, but why won’t she wake up? I wipe away the tears, determined to be strong for her the way she always is for me. But damn, I wish I could run away and hide, bury myself in work or something, anything to make this terrible ache go away.

  But there’s only one thing that can take away the ache, and that’s Honey.

  Mom and Dad sit with me for an hour before they go to sleep in the ICU waiting room. They refuse to leave me alone, probably because they’re afraid of what I’ll do if Honey doesn’t make it—and with good reason. I can’t bear to let my mind wander in that direction.

  I return to my spot next to Honey’s bed, holding her hand, stroking her hair and talking to her about everything and nothing, hoping the sound of my voice will bring her back to me.

  I hear him. I smell his distinctive scent. I can feel his hand in mine and the touch of his fingers in my hair. I take comfort from the sound of his voice, even if I can’t quite understand the things he’s saying. I feel his love in every word and in every stroke of his skin against mine.

  Where am I? What happened?

  We’re engaged. He asked me to marry him. I said yes. There was a ring, a nice ring with a big diamond.

  I open my eyes, blinking when the bright light makes them water. I lick my lips, which are so dry they feel like they belong to someone else. My head hurts.

  Blake’s head is on the bed next to mine. I’d know that hair anywhere.

  I want to touch him, but I can’t seem to make anything work the way it’s suppose
d to. My hand is trapped under his, and he’s heavy on top of me. He’s here. That’s all that matters. For now.

  I close my eyes, but only because I can’t keep them open.

  The next time I open them, Blake is standing next to the window, looking out at the bright sunshine. The slight slump of his shoulders tells me how exhausted he is, and I want to comfort him. My tongue feels too big for my mouth, which is so dry that it hurts. I want to drink in the sight of him, but my eyes won’t stay open.

  Frustrated, I make a sound and open my eyes again to see his blue eyes go wild as he looks down at me.

  “Honey!” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, his whiskers rough against my skin. “Darlin’, wake up. Please wake up.”

  It takes everything I have to keep my eyes open, wincing at the bright light.

  Blake goes to the window and closes the blinds. “Better?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Honey, sweetheart…”

  I lick my lips. “Not what you call me.”

  He drops his head to rest on my hand. Is he crying?

  “Blake…”

  “I’m here, Honeydew. I’m right here.”

  “What happened?”

  He looks up at me, his eyes ravaged from tears and exhaustion. “We were hit from behind on the highway. We went off the road. You have a concussion and a broken ankle. We’ve been waiting two days for you to wake up.”

  Two days? I try to process that, and then I gasp, thinking about how horrible that must’ve been for him after losing Jordan the way he did. I begin to cry. “So sorry to do that to you.”

  “Aww, Honeybee, don’t cry.” He wipes away my tears. “Please don’t cry. The only thing that matters is that you’re awake and talking to me and going to be all right.”

  I close my eyes because they won’t stay open. “And I’m going to marry you.”

  “That, too,” he says, kissing my hand and then leaning over me to kiss my lips.

  “Thirsty.”

  Blake checks with the nurses, who give him permission to get me some ice chips, which are, officially, the best thing I’ve ever had in my entire life.

  “So good. More.”

  “Take it easy. You don’t want to make yourself sick by overdoing it.”

  “Were you hurt in the crash?”

  “No.”

  “Have you been a mess?”

  “Something like that. I couldn’t believe it was happening again.”

  I wrap my hand around his, wincing when the IV fights back. “Totally different outcome this time.”

  “You couldn’t tell me that the first day.” He lets his head drop down to our joined hands as if it’s too much for him to hold it up. “This guy named Clint came to our rescue out there. He helped me get you out of the truck, and then he came here to bring me our stuff.”

  “That’s really nice of him.”

  “It was. He waited until they towed the truck and brought me info on where to find it. It’s totaled, by the way.”

  “I’m so sorry. I know how much you love that truck.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about the truck, Honey. It can be replaced. You…” He draws in a choppy breath. “You… You could never…” His voice breaks, and he shakes his head.

  Though I’m moved by his emotional reaction, I go for a moment of levity. “You’d better not be replacing me.”

  “There’s no replacing you, Honey Nut Cheerio.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I spend a week in the hospital in San Antonio before they clear me to go home. Lauren and Garrett are there for a couple of days, as are Blake’s parents, but for most of the time, it’s just the two of us, in my room, watching movies and eating the takeout he procures for us from all over the city. He says we need to take full advantage of our time here to try as many different places as we can.

  The nurses have gotten used to finding him snuggled up to me in my bed, and they’ve stopped teasing us about celebrating our engagement in their hospital. They’re all super nice to us, and I’m almost sad to say good-bye to them when Blake wheels me to the front door for the ride home.

  His dad made the long trek back to San Antonio to drive us home. When I ask Blake why we didn’t just rent a car, he says it was easier to have his dad come. I’ve left all the arrangements to him, so I don’t question it further, but it does strike me as odd. I wonder if he’s afraid to drive me himself, and I hope that isn’t the case.

  I sleep most of the five-hour ride home, mostly because I’m still on painkillers for my ankle that knock me out. The closer we get to home, the more anxious I become about having taken more than two weeks out of work. I’ve built up a cushion, but the downside of being self-employed is that if I’m not working, there’s no money coming in.

  I need to get back to it as soon as I can, but with a bulky cast on my ankle and crutches for the next six weeks, I’m not sure how I’ll manage. If I think too much about the realities of my situation, my anxiety spikes into the red zone. Along with the house that I own free and clear, Gran left me with a nice little nest egg that I’ve never touched. I pretend like I don’t have that money, but I may need to tap into it if I can’t get back to scheduling photo shoots again soon.

  “What’s the matter?” Blake asks from his seat in the front.

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you’re worrying about something, you do this thing with your lips. You’ve been doing it for half an hour now.”

  “I do? I have?” Has anyone ever paid closer attention to me than he does? No one, except for Gran, of course. I realize how much I’ve missed being “seen” the way he sees me.

  He nods. “What’s on your mind?”

  I glance at his dad, who’s focused on the road and not on us. Then I look back at Blake. “Let’s talk when we get home.”

  His curt nod tells me he’s not happy to put it off, but he understands my desire for privacy.

  We arrive at my house late in the afternoon. Even though I slept for most of the ride, I’m tired and sore, and I still have a headache that won’t quit. Blake seems to know what I need. He scoops me up from the backseat and carries me into the house.

  “Thank you for coming to get us, Mike.”

  “Any time, Honey. Happy to see you home safe.”

  I’m surprised to see a shiny new black truck bearing Blake’s company logo in my driveway. “Where’d that come from?”

  “Garrett took care of picking up a new one for me.”

  “You never said if they got the guy who hit us.”

  “They got him. He was drunk.”

  I shudder at the thought of how much worse it could’ve been for both of us. “I’m so sorry you had to go through this.”

  “Don’t apologize to me. None of it is your fault.”

  I try not to focus on his sharp tone or gruff demeanor. I chalk it up to post-accident stress and his worries about getting me home and settled. Things will calm down and return to normal now that I’m home. I’m sure of it.

  He sets me gently on the bed, props my ankle on a pillow and covers me with a blanket. “Comfortable?”

  I extend a hand to him. “I’d be more comfy if you joined me.”

  He takes my hand, gives it a squeeze and releases it. “I need to run home to pick up a few things and hit the store to get us stocked up. Lauren is going to come by to stay with you while I’m gone.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m fine by myself.”

  “You’re recovering from a head injury and managing on crutches. You do need a babysitter, so don’t argue with me.”

  There’s that gruff tone again. I chalk it up to the stress he’s been under, but I begin to worry that it might be something more than that.

  “Fine. Whatever you want.”

  “What were you stressing out about in the car?”

  “My business and the lack of revenue when I’m not working.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of anything you need.
”

  “That’s not what I want, and it’s not why I told you.”

  “Please, Honey. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to go, but I’ll be back.”

  I don’t have the energy to argue about anything, including money. “Okay.”

  He turns and leaves the room. I try not to notice that he doesn’t kiss me or tell me he loves me the way he would have only last week before the crash.

  I must’ve dozed off, because the next thing I know, Lauren is in my room, fussing over the blankets and arranging a vase with my favorite black-eyed Susans. “Thank you.” My voice sounds rough with sleep and the thirst I can’t seem to quench no matter how much water I drink. The nurses told me it’s because of all the medication I’ve been on.

  Lauren is right there with a cup of ice water. She holds the straw for me.

  “Thanks.”

  “It’s nice to have you home.”

  “It’s nice to be home.” I push myself up, looking for a more comfortable position, the pain in my head taking my breath away for a second.

  “You’re still in a lot of pain. I hate to see that.”

  “It’s better than it was.”

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “A new head would be awesome.”

  Despite her smile, I see the exhaustion and worry etched into her pretty face. I reach for her hand.

  She folds her hand into mine.

  “I’m okay, Lo. I promise.”

  “Scared me,” she whispers. “Getting that phone call was like Jordan all over again.”

  “I know. It must’ve been awful for all of you.”

  “It was. Thank God for Garrett. He showed up right after I got the call and offered to drive me to San Antonio. He was amazing through the whole thing.”

  “Is that so?” I ask with a suggestive smile.

  “Yeah, he was great.”

  “Blake said you guys got a hotel together.”