Chapter 6 Ollie
OLLIE
The entire team showed up for the optional practice. That never happened with the Sasquatch. If things were optional, they were saying, “No thanks”—and that’s probably why their season is over and the Devil Birds are advancing.
Alvarez glances up from his phone when I pass him on my way to my locker after my shower.
“King, answer your phone,” he says.
I shoot him a confused look as I reach into the side pocket of my bag and fish it out.
It’s vibrating because I have the ringer off.
No one calls me—that’s what text messaging is for.
When I unlock it, I see I have multiple missed calls, a couple voicemails, and Phoebe’s name and picture on my screen with an incoming call.
I don’t even have a chance to appreciate how pretty she looked at our siblings’ wedding as I answer and put the phone up to my ear.
“Phoebe, hi, what’s up?” I hold the towel at my waist as I sit on the bench. I already put on my briefs, so no one is going to see anything. Not that anyone cares, we all have the same stuff under our pads—but I’ve never been one to strut around with my twig and berries out for all to see.
“Ollie, can you come get me at the hospital in Shifting Pines? I need a ride back to Finn and Shelby’s house. My car is here, but I can’t drive it.”
I stand up in alarm. “Hospital? What? Are you okay? Of course I’ll come, let me work out a ride.
” Alvarez waves to catch my attention and gives a thumbs-up to signal he’ll get me there.
“Got the ride, I’ll be there in…” I glance at Alvarez, who tells me half an hour.
He’s already getting dressed. I tell Phoebe.
“Thank you,” she says with a grateful sigh. “I’m okay, I fell at work and sprained my wrist. The doctor is wrapping it now. I took strong Tylenol and am a little loopy.”
That tracks. She has no tolerance for alcohol, and a dose of cough syrup makes her tipsy. It kinda makes sense that anything stronger than a single aspirin would have a similar effect.
“Okay, Phoebe. I’ll be there soon. Stay put.”
I hear her giggle as the phone disconnects.
At least she’s not feeling any pain. I dress quickly and follow Alvarez out of the Nest, across the wooden Boardwalk Atlantic City is famous for, and down the steps to the surface lot full of assorted trucks and SUVs.
Alvarez and I put our hockey bags in the back of his Jeep Wrangler and climb in.
Not as roomy as my Suburban, but not too tight a fit.
Soon we’re driving off the island Atlantic City is on and along the highway that cuts through the marshland to take us to the mainland.
Twenty minutes later, we park outside the ER entrance and head in. Alvarez veers off to talk to the cute woman with light brown hair that was at the game with Phoebe the other night. I assume she’s Andie. I don’t see Phoebe, so I ask about her at the desk.
An older nurse overhears and calls out, “Are you the fiancé?”
It’s like a record scratch, and then all the sound is sucked from the room, and I can feel every eye on me. Not that the waiting room is full this early in the afternoon, but there are enough people around to hear it.
“I’m here for Phoebe Albright.” That’s not a lie. “Can I see her?”
The desk attendant hits a button that unlocks the doors leading back to the patients, and I walk through to join the nurse.
“Your fiancée is a little bit loopy from the Tylenol she was given when her wrist was wrapped. Is that normal?”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s a lightweight.” She pushes open the curtain to bay number eight to reveal Phoebe sitting in a recliner, looking up at the ceiling and humming something that sounds like the theme song from Sesame Street.
“Ollie! You’re here! I have a sling.” She waves her arm around, and thank goodness it’s her left one, the one without the sling.
I sit on the stool next to her and take her hand to keep it still. “Yeah, you do. What happened?”
Her giggle brings a smile to my lips. It’s infectious.
“A turkey tripped me. Sprained my wrist. It hurts.” She giggles again. “Doesn’t hurt now. I forgot to tell them a little bit of pain meds go a long, long way.”
I lean toward her, and she leans in too.
Our faces are inches apart, and I can see the gold flecks in her chocolate brown eyes and the freckles on her pert nose.
She’s so pretty. A few more inches, and we’d be kissing.
If she wasn’t loopy on Tylenol, maybe I’d finally take that step.
Who am I kidding? No, I wouldn’t. Phoebe only sees me as a friend—I can’t risk that to selfishly want more.
“Why do they think I’m your fiancé?” I whisper.
Her eyes drop to my lips and then meet mine. “I couldn’t remember sister’s brother-in-law, fiancé popped out. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.” It’s more than okay.
The sound of the curtain being pulled back causes me to straighten quickly. Phoebe straightens much more slowly. A nurse comes in with some paperwork.
“Alrighty. Phoebe is going to be discharged into your care, Mr. King.”
I’m surprised they know my name. Phoebe must have provided it.
“Okay,” I say.
“Here are the instructions. For pain management, she should be fine with over-the-counter pain relievers.” She goes over the rest of the information, including what to look out for, when to follow up, and other details.
Soon we’re going through the doors to reenter the ER waiting room.
Alvarez and Andie are there waiting for us.
“Hi, Ollie, I’m Andie. So nice to formally meet you!
” She holds out her hand for me to shake, and I do.
She surprises me by tugging on my hand until I bend down so she can whisper in my ear.
“I know there’s some kind of story here because if you were really engaged, Phoebs would have told me, but we can work that out later. ”
I meet her intelligent hazel eyes and nod.
“Here are her keys. I drove us here, and Colby drove you, so you’ll need a car. She’s staying at her sister’s house, she’s cat-sitting. I assume you know all this?”
I nod and take her keyring with a cupcake charm hanging from it. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll take her there and spend the night. She obviously can’t be alone. We’ll be fine. Thank you so much for your help, Andie. You too, Alvarez.”
Andie’s smile is warm. “Of course, that’s what friends are for! She’d do the same for me in a heartbeat. Let me give you my number in case you need anything. Colby and I both live in the same neighborhood as Phoebe—near the historic village where the bakery is—so we’re not that far from you.”
I give her my phone, and she texts herself so we have each other’s numbers. Alvarez does the same.
We walk outside and leave the girls on the sidewalk by the entrance as we get the cars.
I grab my bag from Alvarez’s Jeep and put it in the back of Phoebe’s small forest-green SUV.
I put the seat all the way back so I can fit behind the wheel.
My Suburban can’t get here soon enough. I feel like I’m in a kiddie car with my knees up to my ears.
I leave the engine idling as I jump out and come around to help Phoebe settle in the passenger seat and buckle her seat belt.
I wave my thanks to Alvarez and Andie and put Finn’s address into the navigation system.
I have a general idea of where I am—as a Bigfoot shifter I’m blessed with an innate sense of direction—but I want to make sure I get us there as quickly and safely as possible.
There’s a light drizzle when I pull up in front of the cottage our siblings live in.
It’s on the marshland and has water on both sides of the road.
Most of the houses on the road are elevated on stilts to reduce the chance of flooding with high tides or storms. The house is owned by the wildlife refuge Finn works as a Fish and Wildlife Service officer and is within the boundaries of the refuge.
Finn gets to live here as part of his benefits package.
Not going to lie, being out here resting on wood pilings creeps me out.
I’m so glad they’re building a cabin in the woods.
I couldn’t live out here where everything is flat.
I’m sure the views are lovely at sunrise and sunset, maybe for star watching, but it’s so exposed.
Give me the shelter and anonymity of the forest any time.
I pull into the driveway and park. Turning to Phoebe, I can’t stop the grin spreading across my face. She’s so spacey from the pain meds that she’s staring blankly out the windshield with her lips parted, and a little bit of drool is coming from the corner of her mouth. She’s adorable.
“Stay put until I come around to your side, okay?”
Phoebe gives me a big, goofy smile that’s a punch to my heart. I wish she’d give me that kind of smile when she wasn’t high as a kite. Oh well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
“Ollie! What are you doing here? Hey, what’s this?” She holds up her right arm in the sling, closes her left eye, and studies her wrapped wrist and wiggles her fingers experimentally.
I hurry around to her side of the vehicle and open her door.
Reaching across her belly to undo her seat belt, I’m close enough to smell her signature scent of cupcakes and roses.
It shouldn’t smell so good, but it always makes me think of weddings.
In my most secret daydreams, I think of our wedding.
Not that Phoebe would ever marry someone like me.
She’s too pretty, too bubbly, too outgoing.
She wouldn’t want to be with someone quiet and boring.
But even if she’ll never love me, I can take care of her with all the love I have for her.
“Okay, sweetheart, let’s get you inside and settled. Can you walk up the steps, or should I carry you?”
She holds out her arms for me to lift her, and I do. When she rests her head on my shoulder, the sigh she breathes out tickles my neck, and a shiver races down my spine.