Small town romance boxed set

by Goodwin, Emily

  I nod and the shock starts to leave me. Everything happened so fast in the ER, and the faces of the doctors and nurses told me everything they didn’t say: getting Chase into surgery and removing his ruptured appendix might not be enough.

  “Why did Chase have surgery before?” I ask and press a button to get into an elevator.

  “Broke his leg flipping over the handlebars of a four-wheeler. He refused to go to the hospital for a week and the small fracture he got in the fall turned into a nasty break. By the time he got seen the bone had to be reset.”

  “I’ve seen the scar,” I say, recalling the straight surgical line on his thigh. “How long ago was it?”

  “Fuck if I remember,” Jax says, getting a dirty look from the woman who’s in the elevator with us. “Five years ago? Six?”

  “You two have been friends for a long time then, right?”

  “Feels like a lifetime,” Jax jokes.

  I nervously pull on my cat necklace, mind whirling. When Chase said he never stayed anywhere long, I assumed he left everything and everyone behind. We get to the surgical floor and the nerves come back tenfold.

  I can’t lose Chase. I wouldn’t survive it. Sitting in the cold, hospital waiting room, thinking about Chase on the operating table, makes my stomach churn. I close my eyes and get hit with another vision. I’m standing in a graveyard, watching a coffin get lowered into the ground. My heart is inside that coffin, but no one believes me. The dirt falls, burying me deep underground.

  I’ve been through it before.

  “Hey,” Jax whispers, putting his hand on mine. “It’ll be okay.”

  I open my eyes and realize I’m close to hyperventilating. I blink back tears and nod. Jax pats my hand and leans back in his chair. I wrap my arms around myself and stare up at the TV in the corner of the room.

  What feels like hours later, a nurse calls my name. I scramble up and over to her. She gives me a quick rundown—surgery went fine, but the infection was worse than they thought, which was why Chase was so out of it before we came here. He is being moved to the ICU to be treated for sepsis after this. She takes me back to see him, and tears fill my eyes the moment I see him lying in the recovery bed, hooked up to IVs and machines.

  His eyes are closed, and he looks peaceful. The nurse warns me he might wake up totally confused and even combative, saying that’s pretty normal.

  “Chase,” I whisper, putting my hand on his, careful to avoid the IV line. I gently stroke his skin, pressing myself close to the bed to stay out of the nurses’ way as they check the monitors.

  Chase’s eyes flutter open and he starts to sit up. “Sierra,” he mumbles.

  “I’m here. Right here. Don’t sit up, Chase. You just had surgery.”

  His head falls back onto the pillow and a few seconds go by before he opens his eyes again. “Why did I have surgery?”

  “Your appendix burst. You’re pretty sick, babe. You need to rest.” I blink tears back. “But you’re gonna be okay.”

  “Right,” he agrees and twists his hand around, interlacing our fingers. “Sierra?”

  I lean in, straining to hear what he has to say. “Yes?”

  “I think I love you.”

  I don’t try to stop the tears that fall this time. “I think I love you, too.”

  * * *

  The last time I was in the Intensive Care Unit, Jake died. Slight jitters take over when I step through the doors. Everything is the same. The lighting. The smell. Even the nurses.

  Jake was at the room at the end of the unit, farthest away from the nurses. It didn’t matter by that time. The curtains were drawn around the glass walls. They gave us privacy because that’s all we had left.

  Chase is in the second room, right across from the nurses’ station. The curtains and pulled back, and a nurse is in there now, adjusting tubes and checking on him. He’s awake and looks bored. It’s easy to convince myself that he’s fine and out of the woods. But having an infection turn septic is serious. Very serious.

  Chase looks up, smiling when he sees me. I stay to the side, waiting for the nurse to finish, then go in and hug Chase.

  “I guess you were right,” he says, running his hand through my hair. “I did need to go to the doctor.”

  “Yeah, no shit,” I say back and we laugh. Chase winces slightly. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. Give me a day or two.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “I think you’ll still be here in a day or two.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “You have a drain in the wound.”

  “It’s turning you on, isn’t it?” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Hey baby, want to see my wound drain?”

  I laugh and run my fingers through his hair. “Do you know Josh’s number?” I ask Chase.

  “It’s in my phone. You can get it,” he replies, then tenses.

  “Your phone is at home.”

  “Good.” Chase relaxes, eyes fluttering closed. “Why do you need his number?” he asks a moment later.

  “To let him know what’s going on.”

  “No, he just left the hospital with the boys, remember? I don’t want to make him worry.”

  “That’s really sweet of you, but he needs to know you won’t be at work.”

  “Fuck. Right. I should call him.”

  “I’ll handle it,” I say and continue running my fingers through his hair. Chase closes his eyes again, and within minutes, he’s asleep again. I tuck the blanket around him and slip out, filling Jax in on how Chase is doing, and then going into the hospital lobby to make a few phone calls. I get ahold of my mother first and am surprised by her concern. I have to stop her from getting in the car and coming here right away. Instead, I send her on a mission to get Josh’s cellphone number, and texts it to me in a matter of minutes.

  “Hello?” Josh answers, and I’m so glad he does. I never answer unknown numbers.

  “Hey, Josh, it’s Sierra.”

  “Hey. What’s going on?”

  “I’m at Mercy with Chase. He just has his appendix taken out.”

  “Shit. Is he okay?”

  “He will be. His appendix ruptured and turned septic. He’s in the ICU right now.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “No,” I say quickly. “He doesn’t want you to come. He didn’t even want me to call you and make you worry or take time away from the twins. But I knew you needed to know.”

  “Right. Are you staying there with him? You sure he’s okay? People die from sepsis.”

  “I’m not leaving, and the nurse seemed confident he’s going to recover.” I sit on the bench right outside the entrance doors. Night has fallen, and the city is far from asleep. “He was really out of it when I got to his house this evening, and his fever was high. The ER doctor told me we got here just in time.” Tears fill my eyes and I don’t know why I’m telling this all to Josh. “It was scary.”

  “I’m glad he has you. He’s lucky, you know.”

  “Yeah,” I say and sniffle. “I think I am too.”

  A baby cries in the background. “Call me if anything changes?”

  “I will. Bye, Josh.”

  The crying gets louder, drowning out whatever Josh said. I hang up and call Mrs. Williams, and then call my mom back to make sure she’ll feed the cats. Back inside, I tell Jax to go back home, and he takes a taxi so I have my car. Chase is still sleeping, so I sit in a chair next to his bed, resting my head against the wall. Before I know it, I’m asleep too.

  Chapter 24

  Chase

  There must be some unwritten rule stating that hospitals have to be cold and uncomfortable. I wake up freezing and I’m the one covered up with a blanket. Sierra is curled up in a chair, goose bumps broken out on her arms. Her head is resting on her shoulder as she sleeps.

  Carefully, I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I’m hooked up to so many damn lines it takes a minute just to stand without pulling something lose. I take the blanket and a few steps t
o Sierra when someone knocks on the door.

  Sierra jerks up, blinking as she looks around the little room, trying to remember what’s going on.

  “Chase?” she asks. “What are you doing?”

  “Good question,” the nurse echoes, standing in the doorway.

  I give Sierra a smirk and hold up the blanket. “I was going to smother you in your sleep.”

  She smiles right back. “I thought we already established blankets don’t make good murder weapons. I’m actually disappointed. We’re in a room full of objects you could use to kill me and you go for the blanket.”

  “That’s my girl.” Aware the nurse is staring at us like we’re crazy—and probably wondering if she should call security—I go to Sierra. “I thought you were cold.”

  “I am, but you shouldn’t be up, right? It’s only been like six hours since your surgery.” She turns to the nurse.

  “Right. Well, not alone. Getting up and walking is good for you, but with assistance.”

  I roll my eyes and sit back in bed. I’m still tired, and in more pain than I expected. Sierra leaves to use the bathroom while the nurse assesses me. She brings me pain medicine and two extra blankets. I move over as far as I can in bed, making room for Sierra when she returns.

  “I’m not hurting you, am I?” Sierra asks, covering us up. “These beds aren’t made for two.”

  “It feels good having you next to me.”

  “Good, because I’m going to be here with you for the next few days.”

  “Go home. You’ll be bored sitting here. I’m already bored.”

  Sierra shakes her head. “I’m not leaving.”

  “I could be here for a week.”

  “I’m staying right here for the next twenty-four hours at least.” She tips her head my way, and I see tears in her eyes. “I need to make sure you’re okay,” she whispers. And then it dawns on me just how hard this must have been on her…and how hard it still is. Going to the hospital to see my nephews created too much anxiety, and here I am in the ICU, with IV antibiotics, trying to fight off a serious infection. When I really think about it, it even freaks me out.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I promise and take her hand, moving the IV tubing out of the way.

  “You better not.” She lets her head fall against my shoulder, and I feel a weird sense of peace, despite the discomfort I’m in.

  “Sierra?”

  “Yeah?”

  “When I woke up after surgery…I told you I thought I loved you. That was a lie.”

  She sits up, eyes widening. “A lie? So you…you don’t?”

  “No. I don’t think it. I know it. I do love you.”

  * * *

  “Morning,” the nurse says, opening the door the moment after she knocks. Sierra opens her eyes, blinking a few times, and sits up. She’s not a light sleeper, and it takes her a full minute to wake up. I find it amusing yet adorable. Seeing her get up with ease lets me know she never fell deep asleep last night.

  “Morning,” I respond.

  “How are you feeling today?” she asks and shuts the door behind her. She pulls the curtain around the bed, preparing for a full assessment. I grumble and start to sit up. Sierra gets out of the bed and smoothes the blankets over me. She stretches her arms and rolls her neck. I know she was uncomfortable all night, worrying about squishing me or pulling out the IV. Selfishly, I liked having her next to me all night.

  “Good. Can I go home now?”

  The nurse laughs. “Not quite. You’re going to be here with us for at least another day.”

  Sierra goes to use the bathroom while the nurse checks me over. I’m in the middle of getting more blood drawn when Sierra comes back.

  “Want me to get you anything from the cafeteria? I’m gonna head down for breakfast.”

  “Sure. Whatever you get is fine. And a black coffee.”

  The phlebotomist shakes her head. “They probably won’t let you have that.”

  “I won’t get the coffee,” Sierra says and shifts toward the door. She hesitates, looking back at me, eyes full of unspoken worry.

  “I’ll still be here when you get back,” I assure her, offering a small smile.

  “You better be,” she replies quietly and walks out the door, not returning for nearly half an hour.

  “Sorry,” she says as soon as she’s back in the room. Empty handed, I might add. “Turns out I’m not allowed to bring food in here and whatever you eat has to be approved by the doctor. You’re on a ‘special diet,’” she tells me, making quotes with her fingers.

  “Are you fucking with me?”

  “I don’t fuck with food. They had good biscuits and gravy downstairs too.”

  “I’ve never liked that. Maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t bring me any.”

  Sierra laughs and sits at the foot of my bed. “I ate yours anyway. Do you want me to get the nurse and find out about breakfast for you? Are you hungry?” She gets up and inspects the monitors. “I have no idea what any of this means.”

  “Neither do I.” I sigh. “But I do know I want this shit off so I can go home.”

  Sierra half smiles, giving me a weird look.

  “What?”

  “You’ve never called it home before.”

  She’s right, I haven’t. I never intended to, and saying it right then was a slip. But it’s true. “It never felt like it before.” I take her hand. “I’m realizing I was wrong.”

  “About what?”

  “I was looking for a place to call home, but now I know home is a feeling. When we’re together, I am home.”

  “I love you,” she whispers, eyes glossing over.

  “I love you, too.”

  She leans over the bed and kisses me, and I want nothing more than to pull the curtain and fuck her hard. Never mind that my body is weak, I’m fighting off a nasty infection, and I was cut open a few hours ago.

  Sierra’s phone rings and the Game of Thrones theme song fills the room. She frowns when she picks it up, silencing the call.

  “It’s Lisa,” she explains.

  “Are you going to answer?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You should,” I encourage. “I know it upsets you to fight with her.”

  Sierra nods and answers the phone. “Hey,” she says and pauses, listening to whatever Lisa has to say. “Yeah, last night. And I think so. I hope so.” She pauses again. “It’s okay. Well, it’s not, but I can’t worry about that now.” Another pause, this one longer than the others. “Uh, well I don’t think they’ll let you in the room or anything since you’re not family. They’re strict in the ICU. I was worried they wouldn’t let me in since I’m just his girlfriend. But if you do come up, I could use clothes, my phone charger, and a toothbrush.”

  Just his girlfriend. I play her words over in my head. She didn’t mean it as an insult, no, not at all. So why does it feel like one? I watch Sierra talk on the phone, pushing her messy hair out of her face. She has on the same clothes she did yesterday, barely slept at all, and hasn’t once complained.

  The words are insulting because she’s everything to me, and the stupid label implies a lesser bond. According to the hospital, anyway.

  “Lisa is going to come up here,” Sierra tells me and sets her phone on the bedside table. “I think she feels bad for being a dick yesterday. Two days ago? What day is it? I don’t even know.”

  “Lay down next to me,” I tell her. “You need to sleep.”

  “You need to more and I know you’re not comfortable with me in bed next to you.”

  I smile and shake my head. “You’re impossible, Sierra Belmont.”

  Chapter 25

  Sierra

  “Ms. Belmont?”

  A hand lands on my shoulder and my name is repeated. I slowly sit up, back aching. I fell asleep sitting in the chair next to the Chase, bent forward with my head and arms resting on the edge of the bed.

  After breakfast, Chase got sick from one of his meds. Throwing up
caused him pain, so he was given more medicine to combat the nausea along with the pain. He’s been passed out for the last few hours.

  “Yeah?” I ask, rubbing my eyes. Dried mascara crumbles off my lashes. A shower sounds nice right now.

  “There’s someone in the waiting room for you,” the nurse tells me. My eyes slowly start to focus and I get a flash of the nurse’s face. She was the same nurse who put her arm around my shoulder and consoled me after Jake’s heart stopped beating. I wonder if she remembers me. It was almost two years ago, and I’m sure she sees a lot of people and a lot of tragedy.

  “Thanks,” I say and stand. My legs are cramping and my right foot is asleep. I shake feeling back into it and limp my way out to the waiting room. My mom and Lisa are standing there, and Mom throws her arms around me right away.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” she says, voice heavy with emotion. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m tired, but I’m fine. Chase is going to be okay.”

  She gives me one more squeeze. “I packed your bag. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Do you want coffee or anything to eat? I tried calling before we got here but your phone must be dead.”

  “It is, and coffee would be great. The coffee here isn’t that good.”

  “There’s a Starbucks around the corner. I can get you something. Do you still like their caramel frappuccinos?”

  “I do.”

  “I’ll go get it. It shouldn’t take me long.” Mom blinks away her tears and pulls me in for one more hug. “Love you, baby,” she whispers and goes, leaving me alone with Lisa.

  “How are you holding up?” she asks.

  “Okay. I think. Chase was awake this morning and acting normal. It’s easy to think he’ll be better soon, then I remember they wouldn’t have put him in the ICU if it weren’t serious. He had a bad reaction to his medication this morning, which was scary. He’s sleeping now.”

  Lisa grinds her jaw and looks at the floor. “I’m so sorry, Sierra. I mean, I still feel like you should be careful, but for right now, I’m sorry. I made Chase out to be the bad guy and didn’t think anything like this would happen to him. I know he needs you, and you need him. I won’t press the issue anymore.”