Because He's Perfect

by Anna Edwards

  “It’s a private facility owned by Homeland. Doesn’t draw attention to the team like a regular hospital would.” Then, still trying to appease her nerves, he added, “Jake’s wife is a nurse here.”

  Okay, so that did make her feel a bit better. Sarah had met Olivia McQueen shortly after she and Kole started dating, and she’d instantly liked the other woman. Jake’s wife was a total badass in her own right.

  Sarah had also recognized her right away. She didn’t know the whole story, just that Olivia had survived insurmountable odds last year when she was kidnapped and held captive for several days. For a while, the country thought she was dead. Thanks to Jake and his team, Olivia was back home, where she belonged.

  After the longest elevator ride of her life, Sarah practically pushed the slow-moving doors open after hearing the ding.

  With Nate hot on her heels, she stepped out into the open space. Swiveling her head back and forth, she realized she had no idea which way to go.

  “Come on.” Nate put a comforting hand on her back. “His room’s down here.”

  By the time they reached the closed door, Sarah felt as if her heart would explode from worry. Steeling herself, she pushed against it and stepped into the room.

  When she saw Kole sitting up in bed and laughing with Matt Turner, one of the other members of Bravo, her knees nearly gave out. Relief left her shaking as she made her way to him.

  “Hey, baby,” he said, smiling as if he wasn’t currently lying in a hospital bed because he’d been shot.

  “H-hey.” Sarah’s voice cracked, emotion clogging her throat.

  Understanding filled his eyes, and he opened his arms wide. “Come here.”

  Knowing his injury was to his leg, she didn’t hesitate to grab hold of him tightly.

  “Don’t cry, baby. I’m okay. I promise.”

  Sarah was silent as she continued to hold him close. A few moments later, when she felt more in control, she pulled away and wiped her face dry.

  “Sorry. I was just so scared.”

  His narrowed gaze slid to Nate, who was standing at the foot of the bed. “You were supposed to tell her I was fine.”

  With both palms raised, Nate swore to him, “I did.”

  “He did.” Sarah quickly backed up his claim. “I guess I just needed to see it for myself.”

  Squeezing her hand, Kole promised again. “I’m good. You can even ask Olivia.”

  “Ask Olivia what?”

  All four turned their heads toward the door where Olivia McQueen, Jake’s wife, had just walked in. Wearing light blue scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck, she went to Sarah and gave her a hug.

  “Hey, Sarah. Good to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances.”

  “No kidding,” Sarah said, earnestly.

  “So, what was it you wanted to ask me?” Olivia directed her question to Kole as she began taking his vitals. Sarah stepped out of the way to give her room.

  “Will you please tell my amazing-but-worrisome fiancée that I really am fine?”

  Olivia entered some numbers on the computer attached to a rolling cart near the bed, then turned to Sarah. “The injury he received to his calf was a through and through. The bullet missed his bones, and there was no major damage to his veins or arteries. A few days of rest and a few weeks of light activity, and his leg should be healed.”

  For the first time since Nate approached her at the coffee shop, Sarah felt her body relax. “Thank God.”

  “See?” Kole said from the bed. “I told you.”

  “There is something I wanted to discuss with you,” Olivia addressed Kole. She glanced at Sarah, then Nate and Matt. “It might be best if we talk alone.”

  “He’s okay, though. Right? I mean, you just said—” Nate asked, clearly worried about his friend.

  “He’s fine, Nate. There are just a couple things in regards to his charting that I needed to talk to him about. That’s all.”

  “I’d say that’s my cue,” Matt said. He shook Kole’s hand and said his goodbyes.

  To Sarah, Nate said, “I’ll be in the waiting room. When you’re ready to go home, come find me, and I’ll take you back to your car.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And you,” Nate pointed at his friend. “You give either one of these woman any grief, and you’ll be dealing with me.”

  Kole feigned being scared. “Oh, not that. Anything but that.”

  Nate looked at his friend for a few seconds before leaning down and giving him a big hug. “Glad you’re not dead, asshole.”

  Laughing, Kole hug-slapped his back a few times. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  “I know that’s right,” Nate joked. To Olivia he said, “Good to see you again, Olivia. Thanks for taking such good care of our guy.”

  “Hey, that’s what I’m here for. Although, I’d love it if I never had to treat another R.I.S.C. member again.”

  Nodding in agreement, Nate turned to Kole. “I’ll call ya later, man.”

  “Later.”

  Kole waited until the door closed behind Nate before saying, “So, what’s the matter? My insurance refusing to pay or something? ’Cause if that’s the case, you’ll need to take it up with your husband.”

  When Olivia didn’t smile back, an uneasy feeling began to churn in Sarah’s stomach. The feeling intensified when the other woman looked at Sarah and back to Kole.

  Picking up on it, too, Kole spoke up. “Sarah and I are going to be married in a few months, Olivia. Whatever it is, you can say it in front of her.”

  Straightening her shoulders, Olivia nodded and cleared her throat. “Okay. When you first came in, you said you couldn’t feel the injury to your leg. You shook it off as adrenaline. Given your medical background, I’m sure you understand the way adrenaline works on the body.”

  “I do.”

  Olivia nodded. “Then you should also be aware that your adrenaline would have dumped well before you were brought here.”

  “Meaning…” Sarah’s voice trailed off.

  “Meaning, Kole’s lack of sensation had nothing to do with his adrenaline rush.”

  “I-I don’t understand,” Sarah admitted. “You said the bullet wound didn’t cause any major damage.”

  “It didn’t.” Olivia’s long, brown ponytail swished from side to side as she shook her head. “Even with a major shot of adrenaline rushing through his system, an injury like the one Kole received should’ve hurt like hell. Our concern is that he wasn’t feeling any pain.” She looked to Kole again. “Dr. Shafe would like you to stay a couple more days in order to run a few tests.”

  “Two more days?” Oh, hell, no. “I’m fine, Olivia. You said it, yourself.”

  “Kole,” Sarah started to argue with him, but he cut her off.

  “I’m fine. I can recoup at home just as well as I can here.”

  “This isn’t about you recouping, Kole,” Olivia said, using a slightly more stern tone with him. “We need to find out why you lost feeling in your leg.”

  Kole shook his head, dismissing her concern. “It’s probably just the pinched nerve I told you about.”

  “Dr. Shafe double-checked your scans. You don’t have a pinched nerve, Kole.”

  “So, what does that mean?” Sarah asked nervously from beside him.

  “It means there’s something else causing the tingling and numbness in your lower extremities.”

  “Like what?” Sarah kept prodding. “What do you think it could be?”

  “It’s probably nothing, but the doctor just wants to be sure. The other tests will tell us everything we need to know.”

  Kole liked Olivia. Not only because she was his boss’s wife, but also because she was a genuinely nice person. Right now, however, he wanted her to get the hell out of his room and quit scaring the shit out of Sarah.

  With that in mind, he finally relented and agreed to stay.

  “I’ll give them two days,” Kole said after Olivia left. “Two d
ays, and I’m gone…whether they find something or not.”

  Carefully, Sarah sat down next to him. Wrapped in his arms, she kissed him and laid her head on his chest.

  “Two days,” she agreed. “Then I’ll take you home, no matter what.”

  Two days later, with Sarah at his side, Kole sat on the edge of his hospital bed trying to make sense of what the doctor and Olivia had just told him.

  Multiple Sclerosis. He had fucking MS.

  “Kole? Are you listening?”

  He blinked and turned his head toward Sarah. Tears had begun to form in her eyes, but in a matter of seconds, they were gone. Replaced by the same raw determination he’d seen her use when trying a difficult case.

  His amazing fiancée was already making a plan of action. Kole, on the other hand, was still trying to comprehend what it all meant.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah. I heard them. Loud and clear. I have MS.” He shrugged. “End of story, right?” Then, he chuckled humorlessly and added, “Mine, at least.”

  “It’s not like that, Kole,” Olivia spoke softly. “This isn’t a death sentence like many people think.”

  “She’s right,” Dr. Shafe intervened. “The tests confirmed what I suspected. You have a more mild form of MS called relapsing-remitting MS, or RRMS.”

  “Doesn’t really matter what you fucking call it. It’s still MS, right? So, giving it some fancy name doesn’t mean anything.”

  “What it means”—the doctor patiently tried to explain—“is that the tingling and numbness you’ve had recently may very well be the only symptoms you experience for a long time. You have full sensation in both legs now, correct?”

  Kole nodded. “Yeah.” His bullet wound hurt like a bitch, actually.

  “That’s good,” the doctor offered.

  He shook his head. “I have Multiple Sclerosis, Doc. Nothing fucking good about that.”

  “Kole,” Sarah started to chastise him, but Dr. Shafe gave her a reassuring smile.

  “It’s okay, Sarah. Most men who are as physically active as Kole is have a hard time understanding RRMS at first. We’ll send some literature home with you. Read up on it as much as you can. However, I do recommend using caution when using the internet to research this disease. Some sights are very reputable, while others…well, I’m sure you understand. The most important thing you need to know is that you can still lead a very fulfilling and happy life, despite this diagnosis.”

  Fulfilling. Right. “Whatever you say, Doc.”

  Kole knew he was being an asshole, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

  “Do you have any questions for me before I sign your release papers?”

  “Nope. Think you’ve said all I need to hear.”

  Turning his head, he found Sarah staring back at him. Dr. Shafe continued talking, but the only thing Kole could focus on was the pity in Sarah’s eyes. It fucking gutted him.

  “Olivia will get you the information I told you about and set up your next appointment. I’ve seen several cases like yours, Kole. I’m willing to bet you’ll have a long stretch before having any further symptoms. That being said, it’s very important for you to keep every scheduled appointment so we can gauge your progression, if there is any. Again, I’m not expecting it, but we need to keep an eye on it, just in case.”

  “He’ll keep his appointments.” Sarah looked back toward the doctor. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  Right. Because that was her job, now. To take care of him. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  Chapter Four

  Sarah’s knee bounced nervously as she sat in the expensive leather chair. Kole was back there somewhere, talking with his boss. About what, she wasn’t sure, which explained why she felt so nervous.

  It was by pure luck that she even knew he was here. Sarah had been standing at her firm’s reception area talking to the other lawyer when she just happened to see Kole through the glass door.

  Sarah had gone out into the building’s lobby, calling out for him, but he’d stepped inside the building’s main elevator, and the doors had already closed.

  His team was supposed to meet today, but Kole had told her it wasn’t until later in the afternoon. She supposed he could’ve simply gotten stir-crazy at home and decided to come in a little early. However, Sarah didn’t think that was it.

  With a bad feeling in her gut, she’d immediately come up here…to R.I.S.C. That was fifteen minutes ago.

  Sarah looked back down the narrow hallway just as Jake McQueen’s office door opened, and Kole came out into the hallway. Alone. His step faltered slightly when he saw her.

  The expression on his face, coupled with the fact that he was now looking everywhere but in her eyes, left Sarah’s stomach churning. She stood and walked toward him, thankful there weren’t any R.I.S.C. clients around.

  When his eyes finally did meet hers, they held the same cold, unfamiliar gaze he’d had since leaving the hospital three weeks ago.

  “Kole? Is…everything okay?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Just peachy, sweetness.”

  His tight smile made her heart drop into her stomach. She’d seen him upset before. Had even heard him yell a few times, but his anger had never been directed toward her. Lately, though, it seemed as if every little thing set him off.

  “W-what happened? What’s wrong?”

  Movement in the hallway caught Sarah’s eye. Her gaze slid over Kole’s shoulder to where his boss and Trevor Matthews, Jake’s right hand man, were both slowly making their way toward them.

  Her heart beat a little harder against her ribs when she saw the expression on their faces.

  “I’m heading home,” he said quietly. “I’ll see you there.”

  She looked up at him again, not missing the way he’d deliberately ignored her questions. “Home?” She glanced down at her watch. “I thought Bravo Team had a meeting.”

  A muscle in his handsome jaw bulged. “The team does.”

  That was all she got before Kole stepped around her and left. Sarah was still standing there, staring at the closed door when Jake spoke up from behind her.

  “He’ll be okay, Sarah.”

  She turned to face the two men. “I-I don’t understand. If the team has a meeting, then why did he just—”

  “Kole’s no longer a part of Bravo Team,” Trevor interrupted her, his regret obvious.

  A sick feeling brewed deep in her gut. “He’s…off the team?”

  She stared at the two men for a moment, trying to convince herself she hadn’t heard correctly. The look on their faces said differently.

  “I’m sorry.” This came from Jake. “We’re hoping, with time, maybe Kole can—”

  “You’re sorry?” Her soft-spoken words kept the formidable man from continuing.

  Confusion filled Jake’s crystal blue eyes. “Yes. I am.” He glanced at Trevor, then back to her. “We both are. Kole’s one of the best operators I’ve seen, and I—”

  “So, you fired him?”

  In the few months Kole had worked for R.I.S.C., Sarah had held nothing but respect for Jake and the others. Nevertheless, she couldn’t just stand by silently while they treated Kole this way.

  “Not only is that wrong on so many levels,” she continued, “it’s highly illegal.”

  Trevor spoke up. “You don’t understand. We didn’t—”

  “Oh, I understand perfectly. You’ve both been singing Kole’s praises since he joined R.I.S.C. Then he gets diagnosed with MS, and you fire him?”

  Kole’s boss opened his mouth to speak, but she refused to let him try to excuse what they’d done.

  “I’ve spent hours researching and taking notes on relapsing-remittent MS. I’ve used every spare minute I’ve had to learn as much as I could so Kole and I would both know what we were up against. Do you know what I found out?”

  Sarah paused, only to take a breath, but Jake used the opportunity to answer her rhetorical question.

  Speaking in the calm and steady voice she�
��d come to recognize from McQueen, Jake surprised the hell out of her when he said, “My guess is, you’ve learned the same facts about RRMS as I have. The most relevant to this conversation being that, statistically, Kole could go on for at least another ten years before ever experiencing another symptom. Even then, depending on what it is, it may not be bad enough to affect his ability to be a part of the team.”

  Now, it was her turn to be confused. Sarah looked at Trevor, then back to Jake. “I…I don’t understand. If you know all that, then why did you—”

  “We didn’t fire Kole, Sarah.” Jake’s face softened. “He quit.”

  Just like that, the wind left her sails. “Kole…quit? But…he loves the team. He loves all of you.” She shook her head in disbelief. “It doesn’t make sense that he would just quit.”

  “It makes perfect sense,” Trevor said sincerely. “He’s leaving R.I.S.C. because he cares for everyone here.”

  Jake took a step closer. “Kole believes he’s a liability. He’s concerned about his ability to provide adequate backup to his team.”

  Trevor also tried to help her understand, adding. “Sarah, Kole’s afraid someone on the team will get hurt because of him.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she said matter-of-factly. “The doctor told him just this morning that he was in remission. And if the statistical information is correct, he’s no more a liability than the two of you are. Not now, at least. Maybe not for years to come.”

  “Which is exactly what I told him when he handed me his resignation.”

  Sarah couldn’t believe Kole hadn’t talked to her about his plans to quit R.I.S.C. Tears welled in her eyes, but she willed them back.

  “Okay”—she straightened her shoulders and regrouped—“Kole obviously isn’t thinking clearly. I’ll talk to him. I’ll tell him everything I’ve learned, and he’ll see he doesn’t have to leave Bravo Team, after all.”

  “Sarah.” Jake’s comforting tone irked her. “Regardless of the statistics, the fact is, he’s been dealt a hard blow. Anyone, man or woman, would have a difficult time with a diagnosis like his. For a guy like Kole…a man who does what he does?” Jake shook his head. “That makes it that much harder to swallow.”