The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (50 page)

Slowly but surely, he wakes from his deep sleep.  The nurse brings him a cup of ice chips and a can of ginger ale.  She brings me a wash cloth, soap, and a small basin.  Evan allows me to wash his face, fix his hair, and put toothpaste on his toothbrush.  He insists on brushing his own teeth.  I begin to see the man I love so dearly returning.  Relief finally begins to settle within me.

Evan’s first visitor besides his parents and me is Officer Harper.  He explains that he’s here to take Evan’s statement.  When I tell him that Evan just woke up from anesthesia, he offers to leave, but that means Evan will have to go down to the police station to answer their questions.  We decide that it’s best if we just get it over with now, so we can move forward.

Since Officer Harper has already interviewed Adam, he knows all about Averee’s harassment and vandalism.  What he’s most interested in hearing about is how and why Evan removed her from Wilkinson’s so quickly and why he brought her to Auggie’s house.

He explains to the officer how she pulled Evan on stage with her and discreetly showed him the gun she was prepared to use if anyone tried to keep them apart.  He says he had to make a quick decision to get her away from me and the crowds of innocent people.

After jotting down Evan’s remarks, he turns to me.  “Miss Fletcher, I want to compliment you on your quick thinking in helping the police locate Mr. McGuire so rapidly.  It saved the police valuable time and resources.”

Then he turns and addresses Evan directly.  “And Mr. McGuire, your clever clue-dropping conversation with Mr. Deegan helped the negotiator piece together a very important part of the puzzle.  You should both be proud of your fortitude and resourcefulness.” 

Officer Harper asks us if we have any questions for him.  My mind immediately goes to our friends and whether or not they will be able to gain access to both the houses.

“Mr. McGuire, your house has already been processed and you’re free to enter.  The mattress and damaged clothing have all been seized for evidence.  You should have no problem getting in,” the office explains.

“And what about the house on Comanche Avenue?  Our cars are there and I need to get a change of clothes.”  I hold my breath, fearing he’s not going to tell me what I want to hear.

“Well, that’s hard to say.  Picking up the vehicles is not a problem.  It’s the house that’s closed off for now, not the property.  I can escort one person into the home to retrieve a few items, but the house will probably be sealed for a few more days.”  That’s exactly what I thought.

We decide it’s best if Auggie meet Officer Hewitt at the house.  After all, he needs some of his things, too.  He instructs us to have Auggie meet him there in one hour.  Before leaving, he gives us another business card so we can contact him if we need to make any changes to our statements.

After we call Auggie to let him know the plans, we call our friends.  Adam and Marcus offer to retrieve Evan’s car from my house and bring it to the hospital so we can drive ourselves home.  They are more than happy to meet Auggie and get changes of clothes for both of us. They can bring my clean clothes to the hospital when they bring us the car.  I’ve been wearing my uniform for almost twenty-four hours straight and I cannot wait to get changed. 

Our next visitor is the plastic surgeon, Dr. Sharpe, who comes in to check on his patient.  He opens up the bandages and checks his work.  He seems pleased with what he sees.

“OK, Mr. McGuire.  You’re all set.  I want to see you in my office in five days.  We’ll remove your stitches at that time.  You may notice some tingling and numbness.  That’s normal and should clear up after a month or so.  There was some significant nerve damage, but the nerves will eventually regenerate.”  He’s looking over Evan’s chart and adding some notes of his own.

“What about exercise?  Can I continue my workouts?” Evan asks.

The doctor is firm.  “I don’t want to see you using that hand at all until I see you in my office at the end of the week.  You can do cardio, but no weight training.”

“How about football?  Will I be able to start this season?”

“I don’t see why not.  As long as there are no complications and you follow the discharge and aftercare instructions, I expect to see you on the field this fall.”  He hands Evan a list of do’s and don’ts, along with prescriptions for antibiotics and pain medication, then excuses himself from the room.

“Come here, you.”  Evan makes room for me on the bed beside him.  “Did you hear that?”

I curl up beside him and snuggle into his strong embrace.  “I did.  Are you relieved, baby?”

“Very.  Thank God I’m cleared for cardio.  But I can’t use my hand, so that means you’re going to have to do most of the work for a while.”  He has the most wicked smile plastered across his face. 

“You are insatiable.  Is that what you were worried about?  Seriously?”

“Petrified, weren’t you?”  He pulls me closer and kisses me gently, running his fingers across my cheek.  He still makes my heart sing.

“Hey, you two, break it up.  This is a hospital, not a motel.”  Adam and Marcus walk in with our change of clothes and car keys.

I get out of bed and give Marcus a big bear hug, “Thank you so much for everything.”  He smiles and hugs me back.

Adam walks over to look out the window, giving me some space.  He’s received so much of my anger last night and this morning, I don’t know if things will ever be normal again.  But I think I should at least make an effort.

I walk over to Adam and take his hand in mine.  “Adam, I need to thank you for everything and apologize for the way I treated you.  I needed someone to blame, and well, you were there.  I know you never would have intentionally done anything to hurt Evan.  Will you forgive me?”

He wraps his arms around me.  “There’s nothing to forgive.  You didn’t say anything to me that I haven’t said to myself a thousand times since.”

Evan watches us with a puzzled look on his face.  “What was that all about?”

Adam and I answer him at the same time, “Nothing.”

“OK, then.”  Evan just shakes his head and changes the subject.  “Thanks for the change of clothes, guys.  What’s it like out there?”

“It’s pretty crazy still.  There are reporters camped out at every exit waiting for you two to leave.  They swarmed your car when we pulled up.  I guess they recognized it.”

“Suppose we wait another hour or two until dark?” I ask.  “Maybe they’ll be gone by then.”

Adam disagrees.  “It doesn’t work that way, Jette.  They stay until they get the shot they came for.  It’s probably best if we just give them what they want.  Let’s get you two looking human again.”

I have to help Evan change into clean clothes.  The boys brought him jeans and a button-down.  No one realized how difficult it would be to pull up a pair of jeans, fasten and zip them up with only one good hand.  Evan does not seem to like being helpless.  “I think I prefer when you’re taking my pants off, Juliette.”

I slip into the bathroom to get changed.  Emmy sent over a pair of jeans and a clean top for me, too.  When I come out, Marcus hands me a small black bag with a zipper.  “What’s this?” I ask.

“It belongs to one of the nurses.  It’s her make-up bag.  She was kind enough to let you borrow it.”  Marcus is honestly one of the kindest men I know.  There aren’t a lot of men who could charm a woman into handing over her make-up to a complete stranger.  “Is there anything useful in there?” he asks.

“Actually, yes.”  I find some lip-gloss that I apply to my finger, and then dab on my lips.  A little foundation to cover the circles under my eyes, and just a touch of mascara, and I’m good to go.  Emmy packed a hairbrush and a hair tie, so a high and tight pony will have to do.  “OK, boys.  Let’s do this!”

Adam and Marcus leave to get the car.  They have to stop by security first to let them know we’re leaving.  The plan is for Adam to pull up with Evan’s car and for Marcus to follow behind.  They take our bags with them, so we won’t have to fumble with any belongings while the cameras are flashing in our faces.  While they head to the parking garage, Evan and I stop by the nurse’s station to sign the discharge papers and return the make-up bag.

We take our time walking through the hospital, slowly making our way towards the main entrance.  Adam calls to tell us they’re about to pull up.  Just as planned, Evan and I step onto the automatic door opener, and immediately the cameras start flashing and voices start calling out to us.  The security department at the hospital has a path cleared so we can get to the car.

As usual, Evan has his good arm wrapped around my waist and he pulls me close as he slows us just enough to allow a few pictures to be snapped.  We don’t answer any of their questions. 

Adam steps out of Evan’s car, leaving the door open.  Evan holds the door for me as I slip into the driver’s seat, and then he shuts the door.  He claps Adam on the shoulder with his left hand and thanks him.  Then he walks around the car, opens the door, and slides into the passenger seat.  Adam leans into the car to say something to us before he leaves.

“Race you there,” he challenges.  Without waiting for a response, he shuts the door, and retreats back to join Marcus in the car behind us, and off we all go.

The Home Stretch

“J
uliette, are you sure you know how to drive a stick shift?  Please be careful.”  Evan is worried about letting me drive his car.

“Evan, if you don’t trust me, you should have let Adam drive us home.”  I know very well how to drive a stick shift.  We spent many weekends driving up and down mountains all across Colorado.  “How about you just relax and let me do this.”

As we drive home, Evan calls his mother to let her know we’re on our way.  She warns him that there are reporters camped out in front of the house waiting for our return.  Great.

When I get closer to the house, I can see them.  Their huge vans are lining the street.  It’s dusk now, and I can see the crews setting up their lights to get the “perfect shot”.  I’m relieved to see that there’s nothing blocking our entrance, and I’m able to pull into Evan’s driveway and right up to the front of the house. 

Evan insists on me waiting for him to open my door as we normally would.  It’s a little awkward for him to open his own door using his left hand, but once he’s out, he gracefully strides over to my door, opens it, and gives me his good hand to help me step out of the car.

He closes the car door, then turns and waves to the reporters.  Their flashes go wild!  He takes my hand and leads me into
our
home, where his family is waiting for his return.

The moment I walk into the house, I can smell his mother’s homemade chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove.  My mouth is watering.  I didn’t realize how hungry I was.

Callie heads straight to her little brother and holds her arms out for a hug.  Evan’s arm is in a sling and his hand is in a splint, but he manages to move his injured arm out of the way so he can bring her in for a heart-felt embrace.  “Welcome home, Evan.  Are you hungry?  Mom made soup.”

“Starving.  Thanks, Mom.”  Evan gives his mother an affectionate hug, too.  “Smells great, as usual.”

Evan’s dad and brother-in-law welcome him home with typical male slaps on the back and shoulders.  I watch and admire the close relationship he has with his family.  It’s such a joy to watch them fuss and hover over him, and he doesn’t seem to mind in the least.  It makes me so happy to see him relax and laugh with his family.  He catches me watching him and gives me a captivating grin that spreads across his entire face.  I lean back on the counter and allow the joy to spread through me. 

Callie and I stand at the stove together, dishing out bowls of soup.  I take advantage of the moment away from Evan, and whisper to her, “Did you get it?”

She quietly replies, “I did.  It’s on the deck.  Wait until we leave, then take him outside.  We’ll all leave right after we’re done eating.”

“Thank you so much, Callie.  Evan’s done so many sweet things for me, I thought it was time I returned the favor.”

Evan’s mom walks over to grab the grilled cheese sandwiches that are warming in the oven.  “Juliette, there should be enough soup left over to keep you two well fed for the next few days.  Your refrigerator is well stocked and there are a few other homemade meals in the freezer.  Callie and I have been cooking all day.”

I give them both a hug and thank them for everything.

Callie offers, “Please call if there’s anything you two need.  I think it’s going to be difficult for either of you to slip out of the house for a while.”  I suspect she’s right.

Jill makes a phenomenal chicken soup.  She promises to send me her recipe.  The women begin cleaning up from dinner while Evan pours the men a nightcap.  It’s getting late and after a shared meal and drink, we all say our good nights.  Evan walks everyone to their cars so they can begin their long drive home.

I slip away and sneak out onto the deck to check on my surprise, and I’m pleased with Callie’s acquisition.  She was able to find exactly what I was hoping for.

When we first started dating, Evan and I would send each other playful texts.  I used to look forward to receiving a message from him that ended with a wink and a smile.  I take out my phone, and send him a text.