Chapter 15

 

“Have you heard anything yet?” I ask Amelia who I’ve called no less than five times over the past two hours.

“No. Kade’s out there too but he hasn’t returned my calls. I promise to let you know if I hear anything, okay, honey?”

“Thanks,” I answer quietly and we hang up. I set my phone on Ryan’s coffee table.

“Nothing?” Ryan asks.

I shake my head and continue staring at my phone willing it to ring. It’s after midnight and there’s no one else I can call because everyone’s asleep since they have to work in the morning.

After the second explosion, Ryan and I had gotten in my car and gone to Jen’s but no one there had much news. Eli West, the bartender and whose dad owns the hardware store, had said he’d heard three guys had been hurt in the second explosion but since the ambulance hadn’t come back through town he assumed it wasn’t that bad. And that’s when the ambulance had sped by.

We found out it had carried Kevin Underhill who’d received a pretty bad burn on one of his arms and Chris Ackley, Jane Ackley’s dad (she graduated in the same high school class with Ryan and me), who they thought may have had a heart attack, to the hospital. Jesse Jeffers, one of the plant managers, had been hit with debris but his injuries had been superficial so they’d bandaged him and that was it.

We went back to Ryan’s and I’d called my dad but he hadn’t heard anything. Then I called Cassie who was freaking out just as much as I was because Jeremy and both her brothers were out there but she hadn’t heard anything either. I’d left messages on Brody’s phone telling him I was back and asking if he’d please call me as soon as he got my message. Then I called Fin since she was the only reporter in town but she was clueless as well.

Over the past two hours, I’d heard a big fat total of nothing about Brody.

“Hey, no news is good news, right?” Ryan states with a smile. She’s sitting in the big, cushy chair she bought from me last year. It’s got purple paisley fabric and doesn’t match any other object in what I’ve dubbed her Bohemian living room. Her walls are painted turquoise, her couch that I’m sitting on is fuchsia with gobs of brightly colored pillows on it, the love seat is a bright royal blue with more colorful pillows and her tables are a mish mash of varying styles.

I love it.

“I guess,” I mumble then can’t hold back a yawn.

“We need some sleep. I’ve got an eight o’clock dye job in the morning with Mags. You wanna stay here or go to your house?”

“If you don’t care, I’ll stay here. It’s closer to him.”

She lets out a “Pfffttt” noise. “Of course I don’t care.”

“Just gonna sleep on the couch, okay?” I stand to go to her hall closet to get a quilt.

“Yep. You know where everything is.” She comes over and hugs me. “Everything’s going to be fine, okay? We’ll know more in the morning.”

“Thanks, Ry. ‘Night.”

“’Night.”

After getting some sheets and a quilt, I go to the main bathroom and get ready for bed. Ryan and I always keep extra toothbrushes at our homes in case we need to crash with each other, so I get a new one out of a drawer and use it. She walks by with an armload of clothes.

“Hey, here are the sweatpants you left here that day you decided to take up jogging but only made it from your house to mine before quitting.” She snorts. “There’s a pair of your undies in there too for some reason and some shorts and a t-shirt of mine.” She holds the stack toward me. I could just go out to my car and get some clothes out of a suitcase but I’m too tired, so I take it from her and place it on the counter.

“Tell me again he’ll be okay.”

She gives me a soft smile. “He’ll be okay, Pipe. ‘Night.”

I take a quick shower because I feel gritty from the six-hour flight plus the hour drive from Richmond then put on what Ryan brought me. In the living room, I put a sheet down on the couch and one over it to crawl under with the quilt on top. After I’m lying down and comfortable, I reach back and turn the lamp off then lie there thinking of Brody out there battling that stupid fire in all kinds of danger and pray that he makes it back safe.

Just before I drift off, a tear slides down the side of my face as I visualize us, eighty years old and sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch of our house. We’re holding hands and smiling as we watch tons of our grandchildren of all ages playing in the yard. He turns his still handsome face to me and winks then leans over, kisses my cheek and whispers, “Always and forever.”

~~~

I’m awakened by my phone ringing and frown into the dark not knowing where I am. I turn and see it lit up on the coffee table and realize I’m at Ryan’s. Leaning over to grab it, I swipe the screen and put it to my ear and let out a raspy, “Hello?”

“Piper? It’s Amelia. They’re back and safe.”

I’m instantly awake and sit up. “What time is it?”

“Almost two. Kade said Brody went to the hospital to see Kevin and Chris, so you might catch him there.”

“Everyone’s okay then?”

“Yes. The fire’s still burning a bit but they’ve got a fresh crew out there so the guys came in.”

“Thanks, Mill,” I say and we hang up.

I get up and change into the jeans and sweater I’d worn on the plane. I’m pulling on my boots when Ryan comes in.

“They’re okay?” she asks.

“Yes. That was Amelia. I’m going to see if I can find Brody.”

“’Kay.” She yawns and starts heading back to her bedroom. “Come by the shop later.”

I drive to the hospital on the east side of town and see Brody’s Jeep parked outside and pull into a space near it. I look in my rearview mirror and see that I look hideous and smooth my fingers under my eyes to diffuse the smudging that’s gone on. When I get out of my car, I run my fingers through my hair trying to allay some of the craziness that’s going on there but give up, instead finding a hair tie in my pocket and pull it up into a high ponytail.

I go inside and head to the nurses’ station and stop dead in my tracks. Brody’s standing there in his blue uniform pants, t-shirt and jacket with smudges on his face and Bethany Yates, one of the assholes who asked me if she could ask him out after we broke up, is wiping them off for him with a cloth. She sees me, but he doesn’t, and I see a wicked spark flash in her eyes as she looks at me. I then watch in horror as she tiptoes up and puts her hands to his chest then proceeds to blow at an invisible spot of soot on his cheek. Brody’s hands land on her waist and he leans down to give her better access and I swear, their lips are only millimeters apart.

What the fuck?

He pulls back and blinks down at her, giving her what I’d say was a look of realization like he’s just figured out that he might be interested in her.

Again. What the fuck?

She smiles brightly up at him and as she goes flatfooted, brushes her hand sweetly over the scruff on his cheek.

And he’s still got his hands on her waist.

I breathe in deep and blow it out trying to remain calm then walk toward them. Brody finally sees me out of the corner of his eye and looks at me in surprise. He drops his hands and steps away from Bethany then narrows his eyes at me.

“Thought you wouldn’t be back for another couple days?”

Wow. That’s it? I bite my lips and feel my brow wrinkle as tears sting the backs of my eyes. I glance over at Bethany who smirks then goes to do some nursely duty or suck off one of the doctors. It’s a toss-up at this point, I’m sure.

“I, uh,” I clear my throat, blinking several times to keep the tears at bay. “I came home early.”

We stand and stare at each other. His eyes look tired. But they also look indifferent as if he could care less that I’m here.

I take in a shaky breath and whisper, “I was so worried about you tonight. I’m glad you’re okay.” I look off to the side because I can’t take his eyes on me like that anymore. When I hear a rustling sound, I look back to see that he’s put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and he’s still looking at me with cold eyes.

“Did some thinking,” he shares.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

I bite my lip as I meet his gaze. My heart’s pounding so fast I think I might pass out.

“Taking a break.”

Oh, my God.

He doesn’t want to be with me.

I knew I screwed it all up.

Oh, my God!

“Wh-what?”

I can’t breathe. It’s just like the first time he broke up with me but worse. Then, I thought I’d die but I somehow made it through still breathing. But this time… this time I know it’s going to kill me.

As in kill me dead.

As in heart shattering-breath expiring-face planting-body convulsing-soul leaving-right here on the floor, dead.

He nods. “Need a break.”

Just then another firefighter, Drew Reynolds, walks out of one of the rooms midway down the hall to the left where I’m assuming either Kevin or Mr. Ackley is checked into.

“Hey, Piper,” Drew says, smiling shyly at me when he walks up. He, too, has smudge marks on his face but it doesn’t take away from his hotness. He’s got blond hair that’s spiky on top but it’s looking a little mushed right now from wearing his helmet. He’s the same size as Brody, built almost the same but is really quiet and reserved.

“Hey, Drew,” I reply but I don’t smile, I don’t do anything but stand there in a daze.

“Mind if I take your guy for a minute?”

My guy.

I shake my head and see him put a hand on Brody’s shoulder turning him to lead him to the room that he just left.

I’m still standing there when I hear a beeping noise at the desk then a doctor goes running by shouting something about cardiac arrest and for someone to get a crash cart. The doctor goes into the room Brody just entered and I see him and Drew come out, along with Will Dawson and Corey Appleton.

I stand there until Brody looks my way, shakes his head and turns away.

It’s only then that I leave.