Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
They’d taken Frankie straight from the ER bay to imaging—X-rays, CT scans, and bloodwork. The gunshot wound hurt like hell, but what hurt worse was being alone. After the adrenaline faded, she’d started shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering as techs moved around her like she was made of glass.
The bullet hadn’t gone clean through. After examining the X-rays, the doctor decided it was best to remove the bullet. They’d taken her into the OR and numbed her up. She’d felt the pressure, the tug of careful movements as they removed the slug from her thigh and cleaned the wound. Not major surgery, they’d said. Nothing to worry about. After that, everything was a blur of voices, beeping machines, and the low buzz of fear beneath the painkillers. Not just from the attack—but from what the cancer might be doing inside her.
Now, she was finally in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm, her thigh bandaged and throbbing beneath the blanket. It was the middle of the night, the absolute worst time to be awake in a hospital bed.
Waylon knew the cancer might be back. She’d blurted it right out in front of him. She hoped he’d gotten treated, then gone home.
I’m not about to drag him through this. No way .
Someone knocked on the door. Then it cracked open, slowly and carefully. Waylon stepped inside. He looked wrecked.
“They just told me you were settled,” he said quietly. “Said it was okay to come in.”
Waylon was here. He’d stayed.
Her heart lifted, but she felt very fragile.
“Hey, Buddy.” She reached out her hand.
Waylon’s expression softened as he quickly crossed the room and pulled up a chair to her bedside. He kissed her softly before settling into it.
“Just so you don’t worry, Gina’s handling the police. Shane had all the evidence they need to see that Leon Musgrave was a psychopath. He used the app to stalk other women, too. You’re the first one he went after, as far as Shane can tell. Watchdog may or may not have hacked into his servers.” Waylon smiled ruefully. “The police are still going to want to interview you. I already talked to them downstairs.”
Frankie blinked, surprised. “Are they coming up to talk to me now?”
Waylon stroked her hair. “Not tonight. Gina said they’ll check in with you tomorrow afternoon. She’ll talk to you before the interview and she’ll be with you the whole time. I will, too. Are you all right,” he tapped his forehead, “up here?”
“Yeah, I am.” She was surprised but she realized it was true. “He violated my entire life. He spied on me. He thought he deserved me just because he wanted me. Then he wanted me dead because I laughed at him. He tried to kill you.” She met Waylon’s eyes. “So yeah. I’m fine that he’s dead. Maybe I’ll feel differently once the shock’s worn off.” She gave him a small smile. “And the drugs.”
Then her eyes widened as she remembered. “Oh my God, Snoopy?—”
“Is fine,” Waylon reassured her. “Lachlan went back to the cabin and got him. He’s staying with them until we get home. ”
She closed her eyes as she blew out a relieved breath for her sweet little puppy.
We. Home .
I can’t be that selfish .
“You shouldn’t be here. You should go home,” she told him.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Pix. This is where I belong. I’m not leaving you alone.”
God, he was breaking her heart.
“Oh, I’m not alone.” She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice. “I’m never alone. It’s always me and the Divine. Ninety-five percent of my prayers consist of, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Four percent are, please. But it’s that one percent that’s probably going to send me straight to hell—I love you, God. I love you, but I am so damn mad at you right now.”
“Pix.”
“You should go, Waylon. Really, staying here with me will only bore you to tears.” She wiped her cheek. “See? I’m already bored to tears?—”
He cut her words off with a kiss. Not just any kiss, but one that felt desperate, possessive, all-consuming. It was a kiss that said I’ll never leave you .
She wanted to fight that kiss, didn’t want to tie him to her. He’d get overwhelmed by her disease just like everyone else, even the friends who said they’d stay, the ones who couldn’t be bothered to even call to find out if she’d made it through her surgery.
She’d made her peace with those friends, but she’d never be at peace with Waylon leaving her first.
Yet her body betrayed her and she returned his kiss with the same passion. She reached up and held the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her harder.
When he finally pulled away, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to push me away before I have the chance to leave you.”
She tried to look away but he wouldn’t let her. “Even right now, looking away, you’re pushing me away. And I’m telling you; I’m not leaving. I get why you’re doing this. I know what happened the first time. I know it must have left you feeling totally unloved and alone. I don’t blame you for feeling scared that it’s going to happen again.”
She shook her head almost violently. “You know what? We should go back to just being Adventure Buddies,” she said, the words hurting even as she said them. “Nothing serious, just fun. It’s what you wanted.” She placed her fingers on his lips as he started to protest. “And that’s all right. That’s what I wanted, too.”
He gripped her hand and gently pulled her fingers away. “You know that’s not how it is anymore. I love you. I’m never going to deny that. I love you more than any other woman I’ve ever met. I can’t even imagine having another adventure without you at my side, and by adventure I mean life. The exciting parts and the hard parts, like right now. I’m going to be right here cheering you on. Holding out my hand when you need it to pull you up. I’m going to be here through every single night and I want to be the first person you see in the morning. I’m not leaving you alone. Not now, not ever. Understand what that means?”
Tears were coursing down her cheeks. She was afraid to trust his words, and yet he’d never lied to her. Their relationship was based on trust; it was how they’d kept each other safe through every challenge. It was how their bodies were in such harmony when they made love. This wasn’t any different.
She finally understood, all the way down to her bones. Waylon would stay, he would keep his promise and stay.
Not now, not ever . He was asking to be in the rest of her life—no matter how long or how short that might be.
Frankie swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
His eyes softened. “You understand?” he repeated.
“I do,” she whispered.
A knock at the door drew their attention. A doctor walked in, but Waylon didn’t let go of her and pull back the way she’d expected him to, as if they’d been caught doing something wrong. Instead, he gave her a squeeze and took her hand while they waited for the doctor to speak.
“Hi, Francesca, I’m Dr. Benson. I’m the hospitalist on call tonight.”
“Hi, Doctor. Please, call me Frankie.”
Dr. Benson nodded and looked at Waylon, then at her. “I take it I have your permission to share anything with him as well?”
They both nodded, and she couldn’t help but smile. Waylon really did have her back, and it would be so much easier hearing bad news if she wasn’t alone. He could help her ask any questions or for clarification. A tremendous weight lifted off her heart.
“I understand you’re concerned that your cancer may have returned,” Dr. Benson said, glancing at the chart in his hand. “We’ve run a full blood panel, and your imaging—X-ray and CT—look good so far. No obvious signs of metastasis on the scans.”
Frankie released a breath.
“So that’s good news,” Waylon said, squeezing her hand. “Clear CT and X-ray means nothing’s lit up in your bones or lungs, right?” He glanced at Dr. Benson. “What about the CA 15-3?”
Dr. Benson gave a small, surprised nod. “Yes. That’s right.”
Frankie blinked at him. “How do you know that?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Might’ve done some late-night Googling in the waiting room.”
She stared at him, the corners of her eyes stinging. “You looked up tumor markers?”
“I looked up everything I could,” he said softly.
“That said,” Dr. Benson continued, “we’re still waiting on some of the lab work. Your blood panel’s nearly complete, but the lab is a little backed up tonight—storm-related staffing issues. We should have the rest of the results, including your tumor markers, by late morning or early afternoon. Since it’s a weekend, I want to prepare you that things tend to move a little slower, and discharges can take longer. I’d like to keep you at least one more night for observation. ”
She nodded, fighting back tears. “I appreciate your honesty,” she told him.
He gave her a quick, terse smile, but not a cold one. She wondered how hard it must be to deliver bad news as a hospitalist. Though the news wasn’t always bad. Her news was good so far. She needed to hang on to that.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Dr. Benson said. “If you need anything, the nurses here are wonderful. I’ll check back during rounds tomorrow and hopefully have more concrete updates.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” she said.
When he left, she looked at Waylon. “I love you, too. I love you so much.”
He kissed her again. This one was sweeter but no less passionate.
“Is it okay if I give everyone downstairs a status report? They didn’t want to come up and overwhelm you.”
That confused her. “Everyone downstairs?”
“Yeah, babe. Oh, and what do you want for breakfast tomorrow?” Waylon continued as if he weren’t fazed at all. “Hospital food sucks, so I’ll tell them what you want and someone can go pick it up. Or maybe Steph can on her way in?—”
“Wait. Who’s everyone?”
“Let’s see. Gina, Ben, Elias, Wren, Gabe, Rochelle.” Waylon checked his phone. “Looks like Shane, Charlie, Arden, and Kyle got here while I was in the elevator coming up. Lach’s at home with the pups but demands we keep him in the loop, just like Bear and Ellie. Steph will be here tomorrow morning when Dr. Boyfriend picks her up on his way in.”
Frankie covered her mouth, her shock growing as the list of names got longer. They were all here? In an uncomfortable waiting room in the middle of the night? During a blizzard?
For me?
“Right now?” She pointed toward the floor. “They’re all down there?”
Waylon looked confused. “Yeah, babe. Where else would they be?”
“Home in bed, where they belong. I didn’t mean to trouble anyone.”
Waylon actually laughed. “Babe, it’s no trouble when it’s family.”
Her lip quivered and she found herself holding back fresh tears. “Family,” she whispered.
“That’s right. You’re part of the family now, and family’s no trouble. What else do you need? Anything you want. Sounds like we might be here all weekend. You want someone to stop by our place and pick up pajamas? Or, wait, I bet they have some down in the gift shop. You want me to buy you some new ones tomorrow?”
“You don’t need to do that?—”
“There is need and there is want, and I want to do anything and everything that’s going to make this easier and you happier.” He grinned. “Get used to it, Buddy.”
She beamed a smile back at him. “I’ll do my best.”
“Yeah you will. You’re gonna do your best like you always do.” He brushed his hand over her hair. “So. Breakfast. Might as well give me your lunch and dinner choices, too. And what else? Tell me anything else you want in the entire world and it’s yours.”
Frankie laughed softly. “Honestly?”
“Yeah. Honestly.”
“What about something I don’t want?”
“Intriguing. What is that?”
“I…don’t want to go to Hawaii.”
Waylon raised his eyebrows.
“Don’t get me wrong. Hawaii is beautiful, and I’ve loved the scuba lessons.”
Waylon grinned. “But? Wait, let me guess. That was more Dan’s adventure than yours.”
She nodded sheepishly. “I still want to swim with sharks, and go paragliding naked, because who wouldn’t? Besides, Wren would kill me if we didn’t. ”
“Yeah, she might.”
They both laughed softly.
“So, Pix. What do you want to do instead?” He grabbed her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles.
“As if you can’t guess, Buddy.”
Waylon nodded. “The northern lights. Iceland.”
“Ding ding ding. Give the man a stuffed puffin.” She squeezed his hand. “If I only have a little time left?—”
“Nope. You’re not doing this. You’re not going to think this way.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Frankie drifted off to sleep, holding hands with her Buddy.
The storm had finally broken.
Snow glittered against the hospital window in the early morning light. The sky was pale and blue, waiting for the sunrise.
The door opened and the smiling CNA who’d taken care of Frankie all night stepped inside with her rolling vitals cart. She was a little younger than Frankie.
“Hi, Patty. How was the rest of your night?” Frankie asked on a yawn.
“Good morning, sweetheart. It was nice and quiet. Just gonna check your vitals again real quick, okay?”
Frankie nodded and held out her arm. She looked to her side.
Waylon was slumped in the chair beside her bed, his arm draped across the mattress, fingers still tangled with hers. He’d dragged the chair up as close as it would go, and sometime during the night, his head had dropped beside her hip. Patty had draped an extra blanket over his shoulders on her last visit.
He stirred when Patty clipped the pulse ox to Frankie’s finger.
“Mm—what time is it?” he rasped, blinking up at them.
“Just after six,” Patty said quietly, not missing a beat. “You can stay right there, handsome. I’m not disturbing a thing. ”
Waylon stretched, his back popping as he sat up straighter. “Nah, you’re fine. Just checking on my girl.” He took his phone out of his pocket.
Frankie gave him a sleepy smile, her heart aching with tenderness. She’d never felt so cared for.
“You’re a lucky one,” Patty told her with a wink as she patted her arm. “Vitals look good. I’ll let your nurse know. You can order breakfast anytime you want.”
“Actually,” Waylon said, rising and putting his phone away, “Steph’s here with breakfast. I’ll go grab it before someone else eats your cinnamon rolls.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Oh, I’m very serious,” he said, kissing her temple. “Back in five.”
Patty opened the door for him, smiling as he passed. “That’s a good one you’ve got there.”
“I know,” Frankie whispered.
The moment the door closed, Frankie exhaled slowly. A little ache pulled at her chest. It was getting harder to pretend she wasn’t afraid.
Another knock. The nurse was already here to check on her.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside—a petite woman in blue scrubs under her white coat.
“Hey, Frankie.”
Frankie blinked in surprise. “Dr. Tremblay?”
“I heard you were here,” she said warmly, pulling the stethoscope from around her neck. “I checked your blood tests and I had to come see you myself.”
Frankie’s heart froze over. Dr. Tremblay was part of Frankie’s oncology team. Of course she’d be checking for markers, checking for signs the cancer had metastasized.
Waylon wasn’t in the room with her to hear whatever was coming next. She realized it was a small mercy. She didn’t want to be alone, but she also didn’t think she could take seeing his expression. Her stomach burned.
Except I’ll have to be the one to tell him .
She swallowed hard and tried to sit up a little straighter.
Dr. Tremblay gave her a kind smile. “Frankie, I wanted to see you myself before rounds started. The full tumor marker panel hasn’t come back yet but I’ve reviewed everything else they’ve run so far.”
The doctor reached for her hand, gave it a quick squeeze as she gave her the results.
When she finished, Frankie nodded, numb. Dr. Tremblay might as well have dropped a bomb on her head.
“I know it’s a lot,” Dr. Tremblay said. “But the good news is, it’s early and you’re holding steady. No fevers, nothing immediately concerning so far. We just have to wait for the rest of the tests and then look at your options. I know this is the hardest part—the waiting.”
Frankie bit her lower lip, her eyes hot. “Yeah,” she whispered. “It is.”
“I’ll check in again later today, all right?”
Frankie managed a nod.
When the door closed, Frankie stared straight ahead at the wall.
She had no idea how she was going to tell Waylon.
Whatever happened next… it would change everything.
The door opened a few minutes later. Frankie wiped her cheeks fast. Waylon came in balancing two takeaway coffees and a plastic container.
“As promised, cinnamon rolls from Steph, still hot and fresh. She said to tell you she’s eager to see you.” He set the bag and coffees on the bed tray and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “They all are, whenever you’re ready. ”
He paused, reading her expression. “What is it?” He sat down and grabbed her hand. “Pixie…”
“My oncologist came to see me. Dr. Tremblay.”
His face fell. “Whatever she said, baby. I’m here for you. I love you.”
“I hope so,” Frankie whispered, her voice trembling. “I really do.”
And then the tears came. She couldn’t stop them.
“I’m going to have a baby.”
Waylon blinked. “A...baby?”
Frankie nodded, laughing and crying all at once. “Dr. Tremblay heard I was here and looked through my chart. They did a pregnancy test. It’s standard when they admit women, I guess. It was positive. She couldn’t believe no one had told me yet. Waylon—she thinks my symptoms are from being pregnant. Not cancer.”
Frankie choked on a breath. “We won’t know for sure until this afternoon, but?—”
She couldn’t get another word out.
Because Waylon was kissing her.
His hands cradled her face, gentle and sure, and the second his lips met hers, the world stopped spinning out of control.
She kissed him back through tears and laughter, through fear and stunned joy, through every ache in her body and every last prayer of thanksgiving in her soul.
When they finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers.
“We’re having a baby,” he said, wonder in his voice.
She smiled through the tears. “Yeah, Buddy. We’re having a baby.”
Fresh tears streaked down her cheeks. But this time, they were tears of something sweeter. Something lighter.
Hope.