Reminding myself to do that, I set my computer to the side and huddled beneath the covers, letting wedding plans take over my dreams.
36
Jackson
The buses had finally stopped for the night. Our next show was scheduled for tomorrow night. The early arrival would give us more of a chance to relax after setting up than if we had arrived in the morning.
Out of habit, I glanced at the clock, my brain automatically calculating Megan’s time zone. Eight at night here meant two in the morning there. Too late to call her, but too early for me to go to bed.
I shoved my feet into my favorite Chucks and slid my phone in my pocket. We’d been on the road for days, so dinner and a few drinks in a place not on wheels sounded great. I knocked on Monty’s trailer, knowing he’d be hungry. He was always hungry.
“Come in,” Allana’s voice called through the door. I stepped inside and found her sitting on the couch. “Hey, Jackson.”
“Hey. Figured I’d come over and see if you guys wanted to go grab something to eat.”
“Fuck, yes,” Monty yelled from down the hall where the bedrooms were.
Allana smirked. “He’s been bitching about it for days. He wants something that’s not delivered.”
“I have to say I agree with him.” My stomach growled and I rubbed my hand over it.
Monty stepped out of the foyer. “Then let’s get the hell out of here and get some food.”
“You round everyone else up and I’ll get the car.”
Monty winked. “Deal.”
I stepped off their bus, followed by Monty and Allana. He had everyone out of their buses and ready to go. A few minutes later, the cars arrived and we were off to get real food. While the conversation and laughs were great, it sucked that Megan couldn’t be there. Where it never bothered me before to be the only one not in a relationship, now that Megan and I were together, I noticed how lonely it could be when she wasn’t around.
I finished the last bite of my steak when I felt my phone ring in my pocket. Megan would be sound asleep at that point and anyone else could wait until we got back.
Monty leaned back in his seat, hands resting over his stomach. “I’m so glad the buses got in early. I don’t think I could handle another night of takeout on the road.”
Sawyer lifted his glass to his lips, stopping halfway. “Without those takeout nights, we wouldn’t have made it early and you’d be bitching about having to set up tomorrow afternoon.”
“No—”
Allana covered Monty’s mouth with her hand. “Yes, you would,” she said. “Enjoy your drink and stop complaining.”
I clapped my hands together, slowly enough to have Monty glaring at me.
Not long after, we finished our meals and drinks, leaving a hefty tip to the poor waitstaff that had to deal with Monty and our loud mouths. When you’re stuck on a bus for days at a time, it’s easy to get lost in conversation when you all finally get together again.
“That was perfect,” Jenna said, as she walked hand in hand with Heath. Mia had fallen asleep a few hours ago, so they left her in the care of the nanny they hired for certain parts of the road trip.
We climbed in the cars as soon as they arrived. My phone once again buzzed in my pocket. With five us in the car, getting my phone out would be a pain, so I ignored it again.
The phone rang for a third time, right as the car pulled into the holding area for our tour buses. Who could possibly need to get a hold of me that badly? This time, I stepped out of the car and tugged the phone from my pocket. The number wasn’t one I recognized, but I answered and lifted the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Hadden?”
“That’s me. Who is this?”
“Sir, my name is Sgt. Thomas from the Department of the Army Wounded in Action Branch.”
My heart rate sped up as my body started to understand what my mind didn’t want to hear. “Who?”
“I’m calling to inform you that your wife, Lt. Commander Randall, was injured in the line of duty.”
“Holy fuck.” I stopped in my tracks. Drawing in a deep breath became difficult as my chest tightened. I bent over, trying to catch my breath as the sergeant continued to explain what happened to Megan and the plan moving forward. The army was flying her back to Maryland in the morning. But none of that registered as I did everything not to pass out.
The phone was taken from my hand as someone else guided me up a set of stairs. They helped me to the couch and a glass of water was shoved in my hand.
“Breathe,” a female voice said, but I couldn’t have told you who.
A good smack to my back brought me out of my daze and I sucked in a deep breath, then another. Slowly, the black edges of my vision receded and I could clearly see Mari sitting on one side of me and Monty on the other.
“Drink,” Mari ordered, pushing the cup closer to my lips.
I took a few sips and brought it back down.
“What the hell happened?” Monty asked.
I glanced up. “Megan was injured, but I have no idea how. All I do know is they are flying her back to the States in the morning.”
Mari rubbed circles over my back. “I’m so sorry. Hopefully when her parents get there, they’ll give them more information.”
I lifted my head from my hands. “I have to call her parents and explain all of this to them.”
Sawyer’s brows drew together. “Why wouldn’t they call them? They’re her next of kin.”
“And how did you find out, if the army hasn’t spoken to them? I didn’t know you had any friends in the army,” Heath said, confusion written all over his face.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Reagan’s gaze bouncing all over the room, waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.
I reached inside my T-shirt, tugging out the chain I kept my wedding ring on. The shiny platinum gleamed in the light. “Because I’m her next of kin.”
The room went completely silent. I dropped my head back into my hands. Until Megan was flown home, I had no more information than the army had been willing to give me.
“You got married?” Mari whispered.
My mind raced through all the ways I could get to the hospital they were flying her to in Maryland, trying to figure out which way would be the fastest. When I didn’t answer, Reagan spoke up.
“They got married five months ago.”
“You knew about this?” Sawyer asked, his tone harsh.
“I did. I went as his lawyer and witness.”
Sawyer’s tone grew louder. “And you didn’t think to tell any of us that one of our best friends got married?”
“You didn’t know that I got married until the papers reported it,” Monty argued.
Heath scoffed. “That’s ’cause the press ratted your ass out before we had a chance to figure it out.”
Reagan walked over to Sawyer and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, pressing a kiss to this temple. “You know that sometimes I can’t tell you things, especially when the person I’m representing asks me not to.”
When I looked up, Reagan’s gaze was locked on me. Reagan didn’t deserve anyone’s anger. I’d asked him to keep the secret.
Sawyer turned to me. “You asked him not to tell us?”
I sighed. “I did. We wanted to have a real wedding when she got back. Something to celebrate with our family and friends. The courthouse wedding was just in case, but I’d hoped we never had to use it.”
My eyes burned and the room began to shimmer. The shock of the phone call wore off and despair settled in its place. I still had no information on how bad her injuries were.
Mari squeezed me tighter. “Okay, what can we do to help?”
“I need to get to her.”
“Where are they taking her?” Sawyer asked.
“Maryland.”
Sawyer faced Reagan. “Can you deal with the studio? We’re postponing our shows until Megan’s healthy again.”
I shook my h
ead. “No way are they going to go for that. We can get a temporary guitar player until then.”
He shook his head. “No, we play together or not at all. This isn’t Heath’s or Jackson’s or Mari’s band. It’s all of us or nothing.”
“Exactly,” Monty said. “Besides, what’s the point of being popular if we can’t use it to our advantage?”
Mari smiled through teary eyes. “He’s right. And when the fans hear why we’re postponing, our true fans will understand. Everyone else can kick rocks.”
Sawyer raised a brow. “Kick rocks, Mari? Really?”
“What can I say? I’ve been hanging out with Allana lately.”
Heath shook his head. “I will never understand how you”—he pointed at Monty—“ended up with someone as innocent as Allana.”
Monty rolled his eyes. “Can we get back to the point here?”
“Right,” Sawyer said. “We need to get the tour postponed and Jackson on a flight to Maryland.”
Reagan stood. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As he walked out the door, Jenna and Allana came racing in.
“We just heard.” Jenna raced over to wrap her arms around me. “What can we do?”
Allana kneeled down in front of me. “Yes, tell us. I wish I could give you both congratulations under better circumstances.”
I tried for a smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace. After all I put Allana through, I wasn’t sure I deserved her kindness in a moment like this.
“Thank you.” My voice sounded raspy even to my own ears.
Heath patted the seat next to him and Jenna walked over and sat. “We’re going to postpone the tour until after Megan’s one hundred percent.”
“Think the studio will go for that?” Allana asked, looking back at Monty.
“We’re not sure. Reagan is calling Tom now.”
We sat there for what felt like hours, waiting for Reagan to come back. I’d locked myself in the bathroom to call Megan’s parents. I didn’t give them anything more than the facts I knew, not even how I knew where she was heading. I told them to head to the airport and I’d have tickets waiting for them at the gate. They were much closer than I was and could get there faster.
Jenna packed my bag, while Heath got me on a red-eye in a few hours’ time.
“Call us when you get there,” Sawyer said as the car pulled up.
“I will.” In a daze, I climbed in the car and shut the door behind me, dreading what I might find when I arrived in Maryland.
The next afternoon, we were still waiting on Megan to arrive. The night before was a blur. I remembered getting in the car, but after that not much. I moved from car to plane to car like a zombie, trying to keep it together and figure out my next step at the same time.
Megan’s parents and I sat in a small corner of the waiting room, where they’d shown when I arrived sometime in the middle of the night. I didn’t care that it could be hours or even a day or two before she arrived. I planned on being there when it happened.
I twisted my phone around in my fingers, when it began to ring.
Reagan.
He had still been trying to get a hold of someone in the main office to deal with our scheduled appearance when I called last when I arrived.
“Hey, Jackson. Is she there yet?” Exhaustion filled his voice.
“Not yet. We’re still waiting.”
“Do you have a minute to talk? I spoke with someone in the office.”
“Yeah, give me a sec.” I mouthed to the Randalls that I’d be right back and slipped through the door and down the hall. “What is it?”
He sucked in a breath and let it out in a rush. “They’ve agreed to postpone the show dates until Megan is out of the hospital.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Are you fucking kidding me? Who’s going to take care of her when she gets home?”
“We think we have a plan for that.” Jenna’s voice came through the phone.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and hit speaker phone so I could hear her better.
“And what’s that?” I knew I sounded short, but this was my wife we were talking about. I continued to pace outside on the small alcove.
“Allana and I were talking and when Megan is ready to come home, we’ll stay home with her. She can come and stay in the extra room at our house.”
My feet froze in their tracks. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not. We’re offering. I’m sure Mia will be happy to have her playroom back for a few months.”
“Jenna, it’s a lot—”
“It’s not.” Allana cut me off. “We’re family. It’s what family does for each other.”
I took the first deep breath I’d taken in what seemed like days. A woman in a white coat entered the waiting room.
“Thank you. Both of you. Let me call you back, though. I think Megan might finally be here.”
37
Jackson
I shoved the phone into my pocket and hurried back to the waiting room. The woman, who I assumed might be Megan’s doctor, looked around the room. One of the nurses who’d done his best to keep us updated on Megan’s journey home stood next to her. The door closed behind me and they both turned to face me. The nurse pointed in my direction. I made my way over to them.
“Mr. Hadden, it says here that you’re Lt. Commander Randall’s husband?”
I heard the sharp intake of breath behind me, but I didn’t take my focus off the doctor for a second. I’d talk to Mr. and Mrs. Randall later. Right now, I needed to know how bad things were. “I am.”
“And you’re her parents?” the doctor asked the two people behind me and to the right.
“We are.”
“Good. I’m Captain Wright. Lt Commander Randall was flown in this morning with multiple injuries from an explosion on base. She arrived with eight broken ribs, a punctured lung, damaged spleen, a tibia and collarbone fracture.” Each new injury was like a knife being slammed into my chest. “She’s been sedated to give her lungs and spleen time to heal.”
“Can we see her?” I interrupted, realizing I needed to see her before I could focus on all of her injuries.
“Yes, but I need to warn you, there are multiple machines helping her right now. It’s going to look very overwhelming when you get in there.”
“I understand. Please, just let me see her, then we can talk all you want about her recovery.”
Her eyes darted back and forth between me and her parents. Mrs. Randall slipped her arm through mine.
“Please do as my son-in-law asks. Take us to see her.”
Captain Wright nodded and opened the waiting room door, leading us down the hall.
Mrs. Randall’s hand squeezed my arm tighter with every step we took closer to Megan’s room. Captain Wright stopped outside of a door halfway down and on the left.
“Let’s go in and see her. Sergeant Thompson will be back later with more antibiotics and pain medication.”
I inclined my head. “Thank you.”
When Sergeant Thompson pushed the door open, the variety of sounds hit my ears. The distinct one was the sound of a heart monitor, the most prominent in the room. I took a step through the doorway and froze.
If it hadn’t been for the tight grip her mother had on my arm, I might have collapsed there on the floor. Megan looked so small and fragile resting against the stark white sheets. Her skin pale and her breathing slow and shallow. Small cuts and bruises littered her face. My stomach lurched. How could my poor, beautiful wife look so frail?
With measured steps, I walked to her bedside. A brace held her right arm tight to her body and beneath the sheets, I could see the outline of something on her left leg. All of this damage.
“What happened?” I whispered into the silent room.
Captain Wright had followed us into the room and stood at the end of the bed. “I’m not sure of the details, but we were told there had been some type of explosion. I’m sure the rear detachment will c
ontact you to explain what happened.”
“Rear detachment?” I asked.
Mrs. Randall let go of my arm and moved around to the other side of the bed. “It’s the person from Megan’s unit who is assigned to the base while the unit is deployed to talk to families when a soldier is injured.” Tears ran down her face as she laid her hand on Megan’s good leg.
I slipped my fingers around Megan’s free hand. They were cool to the touch. I forced my gaze away from Megan’s to find out where we went from here. “What happens now?”
The doctor lifted the folder in her hand. “The medical staff on site placed a chest tube to help reinflate her lung. Once she was moved to a more stable facility they found bleeding in her abdomen from a small rupture in her spleen. They were able to repair the damage but decided to leave the sedation in place for transport. Now, we need to set her collarbone and tibia, but both will require surgery. I was able to book an OR and surgeon to complete the procedures today, with your permission.”
“You have it,” I said immediately. “Whatever she needs.”
The doctor inclined her head. “I’ll let the surgeon know. He’ll be by soon to go over the procedures. Until then, we’ll keep her sedated and comfortable.”
I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand as my eyes moved back to Megan. More surgeries, more procedures. So much damage. Would she ever have the chance to heal?
“Thank you,” Mr. Randall said, reaching a hand out to the doctor.
I nodded in her direction, refusing to let go of Megan’s hand. “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The doctor disappeared, the door closing behind her. Nothing else mattered except Megan. I wanted to climb in bed next to her and take every one of her injuries away. I’d take them all and suffer through the pain so she wouldn’t have to. Months, that’s all she had left. Then she would come home, her contract would be up, and we’d be able to plan the wedding we wanted to have with our family and friends.
Play Me (Jaded Ivory Book 5) Page 25