Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
This time when I got to the hospital, Fallon wasn’t in the ICU, barely breathing. Instead, she was waiting in the lobby for me, holding her coat around her, a bandage on her forehead and her arm in a sling.
I saw red.
As soon as she saw me, she grinned. “We’ve got him! There’s video of him trying to run me down. He’s going to end up going to prison again, this time for attempted murder!”
I carefully wrapped her in my arms and breathed in her fresh, sunny scent. Only this time it was marred by disinfectant and the smell of blood.
“Did you hear me? It’s over.”
“I heard you, Fallon.” I whispered into her hair. I’d relayed the information she’d given to me to Roan as soon as she’d called me. I was on the way to the hospital thirty seconds after her call. Unfortunately, Roan had called me fifteen minutes before arriving at the hospital saying that the cops had already found the van abandoned, and it was stolen. But they would be checking it for prints. I didn’t have a lot of hope.
Roan also told me that the cameras at the airport showed someone wearing a beanie and a medical face mask driving the van, so there was no hope of visual identification. Roan was still waiting to hear whether Sid was found at his apartment. Again, I didn’t hold out a lot of hope. My guess was that he would show up with some bullshit alibi that would be impossible to disprove. Or worse yet, just never return to his apartment at all.
“Let’s get you home. You’re shivering,” I said to Fallon.
“I need to get my SUV,” she protested. “It’s over at the airport parking lot.”
“I’ll have Zarek and one of the other guys at the firehouse take care of it. I want to get you home first.”
“Can you take me to a phone store, first? My phone was destroyed, and I need to replace it. I’m supposed to be at a meeting in Chicago the day after tomorrow, but I might skip it if Eddie and Vanessa are up to speed, but first I have to check in with them.”
“Are you sure you’re up for a trip to the store?”
“I have to be.”
I picked up her scuffed-up briefcase and carry-on, then put my arm around her and escorted her out to my truck. We went to the phone store in Pigeon Forge and got her set up, then I took her back to my house. She didn’t want to worry her folks more by letting them see her with her arm in a sling. I agreed. I knew Bob had just returned home four days ago from another dose of chemotherapy, so having him and Isla worry all over again for Fallon’s safety wouldn’t be a good thing.
“You’re not saying much,” Fallon said when I got her settled onto my couch with a mug of hot chocolate.
“I don’t know what I more I can say, except how thankful I am for that kid who saved your life.” I started a pot of coffee brewing for myself.
“Come sit next to me,” Fallon coaxed.
“As soon as I have my cup of coffee,” I promised.
I saw her start to get up off the couch and rushed over. “Fallon, for the love of all things that are holy, I’m begging you, stay seated. First, he almost killed you with the snakes, and today he almost ran you over. You’re injured, and all I want to do is take care of you.”
That wasn’t all I wanted to do, but I wasn’t going to tell her that part.
“I’m fine,” she protested.
I sucked in a deep breath through my nose. “I know you are, Baby.” I got up and picked up her purse from where she’d left it, near my front door. “Here you go. Why don’t you make those phone calls you said you needed to make when you got home.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot.” She grinned. “Thanks for reminding me.”
I tapped the tip of her nose with my finger. “That’s why we make a good time.”
I went into the kitchen to make a couple of calls of my own. First to Roan. He gave me the bad news that yes, Sid did make it back to his apartment, and he had someone who’d provided him an alibi for when the hit-and-run took place. I asked for one more piece of information, then I called Zarek. I explained the situation, and he agreed to be over at my house in a couple of hours.
“All done,” Fallon chimed from the living room.
I walked out of the kitchen with an ice pack. She gave me a look of disgust and for the first time since she’d told me she was in the hospital, I laughed.
“You heard the doctor, you’re supposed to ice your hip.”
“I am so sick of icing my body.” The way she jutted out her lower lip made me want to kiss it, or better yet, bite it.
“Why don’t you get into something more comfortable and then lie down and then I’ll get you situated with the ice pack?”
“Are you talking bed-comfortable?” she asked.
There was a definite invitation in her voice.
“I’m talking alone-in-bed comfortable,” I corrected.
“I’ve read that orgasms are nature’s best painkillers. I think we’re both in pain.” She reached for my hand to pull me down to the couch, but I wasn’t having any of it. I pulled her up to her feet, waiting to see if she was steady, and she really wasn’t.
I picked her up.
“Michael, put me down. I’m more than capable of walking.”
“I know you are, Sunshine, but resting your ankle and hip is good for you.” She gave me an assessing look, then wrapped her good arm around my neck.
“Sorry my bed isn’t made,” I said as I put her down. “But I washed the sheets yesterday.”
“Since we would have just messed up the bed together anyway, I don’t see any problem,” she teased.
“Let me go get your suitcase. That way you’ll have something to change into after you freshen up.”
“I love the idea of a shower.”
I paused. “Wait for me. I don’t want you to take a fall in the bathroom.”
She gave me a slow grin. “I love the idea of waiting for you, Mr. Rankin.”
When I got back with her suitcase, she was in the bathroom with the shower running to get the water hot. She was naked except for a pair of brief silk panties. All of her bountiful curves were on display.
“You’re staring,” she whispered.
“No man would blame me, that’s for damn sure.”
Fallon rubbed her hand across her soft stomach. “I think you’re biased. Most men aren’t as attracted to women with all this.” She lifted her arms wide.
I drank in her bountiful breasts and hips that framed a waist that cinched in. She was right, her shape wasn’t normally shown on magazine covers, but it had always done it for me. Then I frowned as I moved forward and saw the ugly bruise that was forming on her right hip. The same side as her swollen ankle.
I traced the bruise with a gentle finger.
“I’ll wait out here while you shower, to make sure you’re steady.”
Fallon stuck out her lower lip again. “You mean you’re not going to join me?”
“No water sports for you when you’re this injured. You need to be in top physical form when competing for the gold.”
She snickered, then bent down and quickly pulled off her panties. I opened up the shower door for her, and she stepped in.
I handed her a washcloth and she thanked me. Then I closed the shower door. I saw her reach for my shampoo.
“Wait a minute,” I called out.
She turned around and frowned at me. “What?”
“Let me get you your bath products. I like how they smell on you.”
She shrugged, and when I was back her hair was wet, and she was waiting for me. I opened the door and handed her the body wash, shampoo and conditioner.
“Thank you, Michael.”
I was righthanded, and I’d injured my right shoulder, so the idea of holding my travel blow dryer hurt just thinking about it. Why was I not surprised that just as I finished combing out my hair, Michael was knocking on the door and asking me if I needed help to dry my hair?
It was like we’d gone back in time when we could read each other’s minds. Only, I couldn’t read his anymore. I still didn’t know why he’d pushed me away so cruelly.
“Yeah, I could use help with my hair,” I admitted.
He came up behind me so he could look over my shoulder in the mirror. God, he looked so good. He was holding the blow dryer that I’d left in my open suitcase.
“I love these pajama sets. Have I told you that before?” He trailed his fingers along my tank top’s collar.
I cleared my throat. “You might have mentioned it a time or two.”
“Good,” he smiled. “Come into the bedroom and sit down on the bed. I don’t want you to stand up any more than you have to.”
I sighed. “That sounds good.” I followed him into the bedroom and found the bed made.
“Sit right there.” He pointed to a spot next to the headboard. He plugged in the dryer and started to use my brush to dry one lock of hair at a time. It seemed to take forever, and it felt like some kind of erotic scalp massage.
I don’t know when he had turned off the blow dryer and was just brushing my hair. But he was.
“Fallon, let’s get you into bed with that ice pack.”
“No, let’s both of us get into bed, without the icepack,” I countered.