Chapter 36 #2
He gives me a half smile. It’s the most I’ve ever seen from him, and it’s striking. I’m not really into older men, but this is perhaps the first time I’ve realized that Deputy Chief Collins is a silver fox.
“You’re not a nightmare. You’re one of the best we’ve got. There’s a whole room full of people waiting to see you. But there’s one particularly grumpy old man who’s giving them hell out there. Can I send him in?”
I chuckle because Chief Collins has often been characterized much the same, but I’m thinking that underneath that gruff exterior is a total softie. Much like the man creating havoc in the waiting room.
“Sure, send Gus in,” I say with a smile. Barely any time passes before my door bursts open and my favorite pain in my ass shuffles through. Well, one of them. The other one is half a world away, probably as miserable as this one if he’s aware I got hurt.
White hair standing on end and face pinched in worry, Gus takes one look at me before tears well up in his eyes.
“Katie.” He chokes out my name as if it’s all he can say.
I hold out a hand to him. “I’m fine, Gus. Really, I’m fine.”
Fingers gnarled with age and arthritis take mine as he sinks into the bedside chair. A watery gaze searches my face for a few beats before he whispers, “You scared the shit out of me, girl.”
“Yeah, scared myself and everyone else on scene pretty good too. How’d you find out?” I never added Gus to my emergency contact list. There’s actually no one on my emergency contact list.
He releases my fingers and scrubs his through his white hair, and I realize that’s the reason for his ruffled appearance. He must’ve been doing it the whole time he’s been waiting.
“Dex called. He was on scene helping. He let me know they were taking you in. I met the ambulance as they pulled in.”
I imagine Gus sitting alone in the waiting room until my crew arrived, and it makes my heart hurt because I know he must’ve been worried sick about me, especially after all that happened with his daughter and son-in-law. “You must’ve been here a long time.”
“Couple hours, I reckon. Them assholes wouldn’t tell me anything. Wasn’t ’til your boys from the station showed that I even got a real answer.”
“Thanks, Gus.”
“For what, darlin’?”
It’s the first real term of endearment he’s ever bestowed on me. It touches some place deep in my heart because I know it comes from his.
“For being here. For caring.”
He waves my words away, trying to act unaffected. “Nothing you haven’t done for me a dozen times.”
He’s not wrong. I’ve cared for Gus professionally for quite a while, but I’ve also come to care for him as a friend. Even more than a friend… as family.
His phone rings in his pocket, the sound loud and jarring in the quiet space of the moment, and I jump, then groan at the reverberating soreness.
Gus answers on speaker. “’Lo.”
“Any word?” Vaughn’s voice blasts through the speaker, so loud I’m sure the entire emergency department can hear. I make a mental note to have Gus’s hearing checked.
“Looking at her right now,” Gus replies. To me, he says, “You wanna talk to Vaughn?”
I give Gus my biggest I-can’t-believe-you glare but say “Hi, Vaughn” into the phone.
“Kate.”
I’m grateful I’m lying down, because the emotion in his breathless reply would’ve sent me to my knees. All he said was my name, yet it hurts almost as badly as being thrown from the car. I miss him so much. And he sounds equally tortured.
But I suck it up and swallow that pain. “I’m okay. Just a little roughed up, nothing serious.”
“Gus said—”
“Never mind what I said,” Gus barks. “You heard her, she’s fine. I’ll call you back later.” Then he stabs his phone screen and slips the device back into his pocket.
“What the heck, Gus? You can’t just hang up on people.”
His phone rings almost immediately, and he ignores it. “Better than pulling a gun on him, I reckon. ’Sides, if he were here instead of halfway round the world, he’d be in the know. Can’t help the consequences of his stupid decision,” he says haughtily.
Gus with his nose in the air, doling out retribution to an errant grandchild, shouldn’t be amusing or so adorable, but it’s just what I need. Affection is a warm wash through me. This sweet, grumpy old man cares more than he wants to.
“Well,” he says before I can thank him again, “there’s a whole room full of people out there.
I best let them have their turn. I’ll stick around until they decide if you can get out of here.
” His hand covers mine once more, giving it a gentle squeeze.
He avoids my gaze, but there’s a noticeable sheen in his eyes, and his throat works as I take in my sweet housemate.
I flip my hand over and return the squeeze.
“Glad you’re okay, Katie.” His chin wobbles the slightest bit as he fights for composure. “I’ll be waiting to take you home.”
I feel like the world’s biggest asshole watching him shuffle out of the room. This situation could’ve gone very differently. He could’ve gone through a similar heartache to the one he’s already suffered. Somehow, Gus has come to care about me. And I understand that this is truly why Vaughn left.
Because he couldn’t face getting one of these calls. Couldn’t face the reality of me doing the job that killed his father. It doesn’t lessen the hurt of his goodbye, but there’s a sliver of me that understands why he decided to leave.
I’m lost in thought when Jackson, Cal, and Leo burst into my room, completely ignoring the two-visitor rule. They raise enough hell that the nurses beg for my release.
As promised, Gus waits to take me home, doting on me like I’m some kind of passenger princess, and it makes me wonder if he was always such a sweetie to his Ginny.
The thought makes me smile as we pull into the farm, where I’m surprised once more.
The lawn is covered with cars, and my friends are all gathered, waiting. Checking in on me. Showing up for me.
Reality sinks in. I may not have any family by blood left, but I have family of the heart in spades.