Chapter 22
Reid bolted through the open gate to the backyard. His heart pounded against his rib cage as he approached four EMTs standing
over Kaiah. She was lying on a gurney, and when he saw her eyes were open, a thin ribbon of relief rushed through him.
“How is she?” Reid asked, his voice thready and his heartbeat echoing in his ears.
“Lieutenant Turner.” A young EMT he recognized as Taylor Bailey pointed to Kaiah. “We gave her an EpiPen, and she’s regained
consciousness. Her vitals are coming back to normal. We’re going to transport her to the hospital for an eval.”
“Thank you,” he told Taylor before turning his attention to Kaiah. “Hey, Ky.” His words sounded pained.
Kaiah rubbed her eyes. “What happened?” she whispered, her voice shaky. She reached for him, and he cradled her quaking hand
in his.
“Just rest,” he told her, and his voice caught in his throat.
He pushed her hair away from her face. He spotted a rash and hives on her neck, shoulder, and arm.
Worry threatened to drag him under and drown him.
If the EMTs hadn’t reached her in time .
. . He wouldn’t allow himself to finish that thought.
His team jogged up behind him, and while another EMT gave them an update, Reid focused on Taylor. “I want to ride with her
to the hospital.”
“Oh?” she asked. “Are you family?”
Reid shook his head. “I’m her—I’m her boyfriend,” he said, and he liked the sound of that word. “She doesn’t have any family
here.”
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”
Reid turned just as Piper rushed over and threw herself into his arms. “Hey, baby.”
“Miss Kaiah’s sick.” Piper sniffed and tears trailed down her cheeks. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes, sweetie, she is,” he told her before kissing her head.
Becca, Cash, Astrid, and his parents appeared behind her.
“Piper’s been a mess.” Becca wiped her hands over her face and picked up Astrid, who was also wiping tears. “We were so worried.”
Her voice was hoarse, and Cash pulled her against him. “It all happened so fast. We were talking, and then her face turned
white, she said she didn’t feel well, and she passed out. Someone called 911, and I called you . . .” Her voice trailed off,
and Cash rubbed her back.
“I’m glad you called me.” Reid touched Piper’s nose. “Miss Kaiah’s going to be okay. I have to go now, and I need you to be
brave. Can you do that for me, Piper?” His daughter nodded, and he handed her to his father. Then he addressed his brother-in-law.
“Chief, I want to ride to the hospital with her and make sure she’s okay.”
“That’s fine,” Cash said. “We’ll send someone to get you.”
Dad rubbed Becca’s shoulder. “And we’ll come to the hospital too. Kaiah’s like family.”
“Yeah,” Reid said. “She is.” He kissed Piper’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Kaiah watched the IV dripping down from the pole and into her arm. The events from earlier in the day were fuzzy, but now
she was at the ER at Coral Cove Regional Hospital. This was definitely not on her bingo card this morning.
“Kaiah? Can I come in?”
Reid’s voice sounded from outside the curtain, and she finger-combed her hair. What was her problem? She was in a hospital
gown with an IV in her arm. There was no way she was going to look cute. She was still covered in hives.
It is what it is. Now he gets to see me at my worst.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice sounding thin.
He pushed open the curtain, slipped inside, and closed it behind him. “How are you?” he asked, his face full of concern.
Ready to die from embarrassment. “Okay.”
He pulled a chair over to her bed, empty except for her purse, and dropped himself onto it. Then he set her purse on the rolling
table beside her bed.
Kaiah let her gaze travel over him. She would never get tired of seeing that man and his biceps straining the arms of his
uniform. Nope. Never. In fact, if she had her phone in her hand, she’d sneak a photo of him right now and cherish it forever.
Maybe she should see if her camera was in her purse . . .
“You gave us all a real scare.” Reid blew out a sigh that sounded like he’d released it deep in his soul, rested his elbows on his thighs, and shook his head.
“I’m so sorry.” She grimaced. “I didn’t mean to ruin your day.”
He barked a laugh that shocked her. “Why are you sorry? It wasn’t your fault. Trust me, you didn’t ruin anything.” His smile
faded. “You’d mentioned that you were stung when you were a kid.”
“Yeah, the first time was when I was stung by a bee in first grade.”
“What happened?”
She rubbed her neck as the memory swelled in her mind. “I was running my hand along a fence.” She rested her arm on the bed
rail. “I saw the bee there before my brain could stop my hand. Next thing I knew, it had stung me and left the stinger in.
My arm swelled up, and they put it in a sling. Then I was stung again in high school, and the same thing happened—my arm swelled
up.”
“And you don’t carry an EpiPen.” It was more a statement than a question.
“I was never stung again, and no one ever told me to carry one.”
“I’m sure the doctor will tell you to now. Allergies can get worse when we become adults.”
“I know that now.” She opened her backpack purse and felt her phone. But there was a big gap in the pocket that shouldn’t
have been there.
My camera.
She pulled in a gulp of air. All of those photos she’d taken during the festival were gone. Now what would she do? She groaned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“My camera,” she began. “I’d been taking photos of the gardens and—”
“Don’t worry. Becca has it. She’s coming up to get you, and Cash is going to pick me up.”
Kaiah pulled out her phone and set it on the table. Then she met Reid’s concerned expression while she tried to put together
the pieces of what had happened. Why were her thoughts so fuzzy?
“It was so strange, Reid,” she said. “I remember feeling pain, and then everything went black. The next thing I saw was a
couple of EMTs standing over me, and I felt a strange sensation in my body. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t catch my breath.
And then you were there, and then we were in the ambulance, but I’m not sure how it all happened.”
“You were stung three times. Becca said someone called 911, and she called me. When I got her message and she said you were
going into shock . . .” His dark eyes sparkled in the fluorescent light, and he sniffed. “If you hadn’t gotten an EpiPen in
time . . .” He scrubbed his hand over his mouth as his eyes misted over.
The worry in his face was too much for her. For a moment she couldn’t speak.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She reached for him.
“Hey.” Leaning over, he took her hand in his. “Stop apologizing. I’m grateful it happened when other people were around, because
if you’d been alone . . . I can’t even allow myself to imagine what would’ve happened.” He gave her hand a squeeze, and a
crooked smile overtook his handsome features. “I kinda like you. I don’t want to imagine something bad happening to you.”
She laughed. “I’m glad. The feeling’s mutual.”
Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and then her lips, and she closed her eyes, enjoying how his mouth lingered against hers.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Kaiah,” he whispered, and his husky tone sent a shiver through her.
The curtain opened, and a woman in scrubs with a stethoscope looped around her shoulders appeared holding a clipboard. “Ms. Ross, I’m Dr. House. How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” she said.
“You had a very bad reaction to a few beestings. I see you received an EpiPen at the scene. We’re treating you with an IV
of antihistamines, and we’re going to keep an eye on you for a bit before we let you go. And I’m going to send you on your
way with a prescription for a steroid.” She set the clipboard down and then picked up her stethoscope. “I’m going to have
a listen if that’s okay.”
Kaiah was aware of Reid watching her while the doctor listened to her heart and lungs.
“Everything sounds good,” the doctor said. “Have you had this reaction in the past?”
Kaiah gave her a quick summary of when she was stung as a child. “It hasn’t happened again, but I’ve had a phobia of bees
and wasps since then. I try to stay away from them.”
The doctor nodded. “I recommend you carry an EpiPen with you in the future.”
“Told you,” Reid muttered.
Dr. House smiled. “He’s right. Are you her husband or boyfriend or . . . ?”
“Oh. Um. Boyfriend,” Kaiah stammered, and when she met his stare, his approving expression sent warmth wafting over her body
again. Why did this man always cause that reaction in her?
Dr. House smiled. “If you don’t mind hanging out a bit, I’d like to make sure you’re okay before we cut you loose.”
“Okay,” Kaiah said. “Thank you.”
The doctor left, and Kaiah’s phone dinged with a text. She read a message from her sister on the screen.
Kam: Hey, sis. What’s up? How’s the festival going?
Kaiah locked her phone and met Reid’s gaze. “I suppose that’s good news from the doctor.”
He nodded and rested his right ankle on his left knee. But a strange expression rippled over his face.
What did that mean?
An awkward silence filled the space, and she longed to read his thoughts.
“Did Hayes text you again?” he finally asked.
Her eyes snapped to Reid’s, and she was shocked to find worry in his eyes. “Hayes?” she asked. “Why . . . ?” She swallowed
a gasp as understanding filled her mind. “You saw his texts last night.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Yeah, I did. I didn’t mean to,” he said. “You were in the bathroom with Piper, and
your phone dinged. I saw it light up on the screen, and, well.” He licked his lips. “Did you answer him?”
“No. I didn’t.”
He remained silent, and he seemed more anxious than before he’d asked the question. Was he jealous? But why would he be?
“You can look at my texts from him. I don’t mind.” She unlocked her phone, pulled up Hayes’s texts, and held the phone out
to him. “Here. Take it.”
“It’s none of my business.”