Chapter Thirteen
Pepper
I’ve called my mom at least seven times, my dad twice, and no one is answering, which made the ride into the Springs feel like ages.
“Maybe they forgot their phones at home,” Rhett says, hand on my thigh as he pulls his truck into the emergency parking spot a few feet from the main entrance. “They were probably in a hurry to get out.”
He jumps out of the truck and reaches for me through the driver’s side door, the same way he did when we were getting ice cream, and though we’ve only done it twice, I’m already used to the way it feels to jump into his waiting arms. It’s so natural, like my body recognizes safety and it settles me.
Maybe that’s why this whole thing hits me so hard. It’s the contrast. The contrast of what life was like with Nathan versus what it’s like with Rhett.
In the past, I’ve dealt with my mother’s medical scares alone. No one to drive me. No one to sit in the waiting room with. No one to hold my hand. I learned to carry it all alone because I was… alone.
Having Rhett next to me is disorienting, in the best way. He doesn’t make a big deal out of being here. He isn’t pushing me or hovering. He just shows up, steady and strong.
My hand tucked into his, we head toward the front counter, before following the receptionist’s lead through the double doors and into the triage center where long white curtains divide every room.
The scent of latex, disinfectant, and cold metal permeates around us as my heart thumps against my chest harder and harder the closer we get to the end of the hall.
I don’t know what I’m walking into. I don’t know what I’m about to see. Did she fall? Did she have another memory spell? Did her blood pressure spike? Is her heart okay? Is this the end? Why is she here?
Rhett stops me just outside of her room, his dark gaze on mine as his inked hand lifts to my cheek. “Baby girl, whatever you see, I’m here for you. Okay?”
I swallow hard and nod slowly, the heat of his care like an anchor keeping me from spinning out as I slide open the curtain and step into the storm.
My mother is lying back on the bed in a hospital gown, a thin white blanket folded over her lap, her leg lifted slightly in a sling, her hand on the remote control, a goofy grin on her face. Dad sits near her in an uncomfortable looking straight-back chair, staring up at the television.
“We just saw that episode last we—” My father glances toward the curtain mid-sentence. “Oh God.” He turns toward my mother. “Is this the bad boy she left the rich one for?”
Not the introduction I was hoping for, but there it is.
“Umm, maybe someone will tell me what’s going on with Mom first.”
Dad folds his arms over his chest and exhales loudly, the silver watch he wears constantly on his wrist reflecting against the fluorescent light in the hospital room.
“I’m fine,” my mother answers. “I fell off the back porch steps. They say I broke my femur. We’re waiting for x-rays so the doctors can decide if I need surgery.”
My stomach clenches and my brows narrow inward. “What? Surgery? Why would you need surgery?”
She shrugs. “Just what they said. Now we haven’t been properly introduced.
” She reaches her hand out toward Rhett, a wider than normal grin on her face as though maybe she’s a little drugged.
“You must be the big, hot guy I told my daughter to stay away from.” Mom winks toward me.
“I see why it was difficult. The man is a giant.”
I pinch my lips together and glance toward Rhett, trying not to grin. “Mom, this is Rhett. Rhett these are my parents, Moira and Dave.”
“Moe.” My mom grins wider. “Everyone calls me Moe.”
Dad doesn’t bother responding, which I expected given the fact that he said more than his share the second I opened the curtain. He’s never been the type to be overly talkative, unless it’s about hunting, then he’d probably have an earful of tracking stories and gear set-ups to tell you about.
“So,” my mom continues, tossing the remote to my father, “what are your intentions with my daughter? Is this some fun fling or do you plan to give me grandchildren?”
“Mom!” I laugh, a little shocked at how forward she is right now. Usually, she’s very sweet and really good at remembering boundaries. I gather it’s the drugs that have her so loose lipped.
“What, honey? I’m asking real questions. I don’t know how much time I have left. I’d like to know I have a grandbaby or two in my near future.”
I stagger in a heavy breath and squeeze Rhett’s hand. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“Oh, but I will,” he groans and glances toward my mother, his hand reaching out for hers. “If your daughter will let me, I’ll give her a house full of babies.”
“I’m sure you will,” my father grumbles under his breath. Oh, he does have something to say. “You going to let them draw all over themselves too?”
“Dad!” I snap. “Stop!”
“Yeah, Dave! Stop!” my mom laughs. “Don’t be such a prude.
The tattoos work for him,” she narrows her brows, “though he’s a little old for you, peanut.
I should talk to him alone for a second.
Get a read on the man. Why don’t you go get Dad and I some food from the cafeteria.
Your dad hasn’t eaten in an hour, so that’s probably why he’s so grumpy. ”
I didn’t plan on leaving Rhett’s side and I don’t want to. “No, Mom. You’re—”
Rhett turns towards me, the rough calloused bumps on his fingertips like sandpaper on my face. “If you’re okay going down to the cafeteria alone, I wouldn’t mind talking to your mom.”
My chest is tightening at the thought of everything they could say to him in the twenty minutes I’m away.
My mother is drugged out of her mind. She could say anything.
She could tell him about my freshman year of college where I was so sweaty I ruined every shirt I owned.
We still don’t know what that was about, but I tried every deodorant known to man and nothing was working!
That’s not something I want the man I’m in love with knowing about!
Love.
My chest squeezes.
Oh God, the thought was so natural.
“Here,” Rhett says, tucking his cell phone into my hand, “in case you need it. Go straight there and back though, okay?” He kisses my forehead again. “If you’re not back in twenty, I’m going to come looking.”
I nod and my heart warms at how protective he is, how well he looks over me.
Maybe it would be okay if my mom told him every embarrassing story I’ve ever had.
I can’t imagine him liking me any less for any of it.
In fact, it might be good all-around for him to sit with my parents for a minute alone.
At least that’s what I tell myself because I have no actual choice.
“Be good, Mom!” I say, squeezing her hand before leaning in for a kiss. “You too, Dad.”
“I make no promises today,” Mom laughs. “This morphine is the best. I hope they give me some to take home.”
I smile, my hand brushing against Rhett’s as I slide past him.
“Twenty minutes, baby girl. Then I come looking for you.” He kisses my head as I step past the curtain and into the hush of the hospital.
I have no idea what time it is, but it’s a quiet evening with only a few nurses on staff, and one doctor by the looks of it.
I’ve been up here plenty of times in the past and know my way around the hospital pretty well, including the long, dark hallway that leads down to the cafeteria from the emergency room.
You’d think they’d brighten this space up or add some colorful paintings.
People are depressed enough already in here without having to travel through the tunnel of depression for a cupcake.
I glance down at Rhett’s phone, trying to remember Nikki’s phone number.
We haven’t talked since the wedding, and I owe her an update on my life, but I can’t remember her number for the life of me.
I think it ends with a six and a seven, or a seven and a six.
I try them both and she answers the second time around.
“Oh my God! Why haven’t you called me? The whole town is talking about your kidnapping. I had to call your mom for updates, and she said something about some bad boy.”
I laugh out loud as the tunnel of darkness approaches. “Yeah, it’s been a weird couple of days, but if it’s any consolation, I feel better than I ever have. I really like Rhett.”
“Rhett, the guy that kidnapped you? You like him? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great. Well, except for the fact that I’m in the hospital with Mom waiting on x-ray results. She broke her femur. They’re talking surgery, but we’re still waiting.”
“We… as in you and your parents, or we as in you, your parents, and the bad boy?”
“Y’all really like calling him a bad boy.”
“Your mom sent me a picture of him she screenshotted online. He’s hot… and he does look like a bad boy.”
“He looks like a guy with tattoos, but he’s the furthest thing from bad.” I swear this hallway gets darker and darker the further I go down it.
“Oh shit! You’re in deep. I’m jealous! You’re out in the world really living, and I’m still helping my dad sell houses.”
“What does he have you working on now?”
“Selling a houseboat. I’ve known the guy forever, but it’s still going to be a hard sale. Lord knows there aren’t a lot of people who want houseboats. My dad’s really riding me like this is the world’s biggest deal.”
“And when are you thinking you’ll free yourself of that mess?” I finally leave the tunnel of darkness and head into the cafeteria where the scent of industrial coffee, plastic trays, and steam table food punches me in the stomach with a bit of nausea.
Dinner was a while ago, so all they have left are a few scary looking hot dogs and a slice of pizza that looks like it’s been sitting out for hours.
“I don’t think one ever truly frees themselves from a man like my father, do they?” She huffs out a long, heavy sigh and I feel bad that I’m not there to help her more. I know she’s lost right now.
“Why don’t you leave for a while. He can’t hurt you if you’re not there. You can stay at my parents’ place.”
She laughs under her breath. “I appreciate you, babe, but he would come find me, drag me out by my hair, and threaten more awful things again. It’s best if I stay until I figure a better way out.
You, though,” she forces her voice to perk, “you are doing something special over there. So, tell me how serious it is with this Rhett guy?”
I grab a tray from the side wall and load it with prepackaged muffins, candy bars, chips, and a few bananas that don’t look overly spotted. “I like him. Probably too much.”
“Can you like someone too much?”
“Yeah. I mean, he took me from my wedding as ransom, now my engagement ring is missing, and I’m just glazing over all these very red flags because he’s hot.”
“That’s, umm,” Nikki pauses for a moment, “that’s not good. Do you think he took the ring?”
“He says he didn’t, and I want to believe him really badly, but we’re the only two people in the house and I don’t know where else it could’ve gone.”
“Maybe it fell down the drain or something. That happens, right?”
“Maybe,” I sigh, tossing another package of chocolate chip cookies on the tray. I was too busy fucking him in the shower to think any of those very smart thoughts.
“Go with your instincts, babe. You knew Nathan wasn’t right for you. If this guy feels right, trust it.”
I wish I had the same sort of sage advice for Nikki. She’s the sweetest person, and she doesn’t deserve the way her dad treats her. “As soon as all this settles, we should get out of town for a while. Girls’ trip.”
“Sounds fun,” she says, her tone more somber than I’d like. “I’ll call you again tomorrow. Good luck with your mom.”
“Love you.”
“Love you more.”
The line disconnects, and as I glance down at the screen, I see a text that’s come in from Reed. I don’t have to click on the message to get the gist.
Reed: I grabbed the ring when I was taking a piss the other day. I didn’t want you to do something stupid with it.
It’s then that I feel Rhett’s heavy hand on my arm, his voice deep and graveled as he says, “The doctor came back to talk to your parents. No surgery necessary.”
Oh my God! My shoulders relax, and I exhale as I lean against Rhett’s chest, my heart warm and full. He didn’t take the ring, my mom is going to be fine, and maybe, just maybe, everything I’m feeling for Rhett is finally okay to feel.
It’s that, or I fell in the tunnel of darkness, hit my head, and I’m currently experiencing the greatest coma dream. If that’s the case, please, just let me sleep forever.