Chapter 20
twenty
Denver
When I open my eyes, it doesn’t feel as fuzzy. The doctor is assessing me, a smile on her face.
“Well, Mr. Banks, you’re one lucky man. You have three broken ribs, suffice to say please stop trying to get out of bed and let us do our jobs.
” She looks at me sternly and I swallow.
She’s probably a few years older than my mom, and feisty.
Unfortunately for her, I’m used to feisty women in my life.
“You have some concerning burns that we’ll continue to treat,” she goes on, “as well as some bruising around the abdomen, but I’m happy to report there are no internal injuries.
Thanks to the quick thinking of your team administering oxygen at the scene, removing any carbon monoxide, prevented any further damage.
Your lungs are clear with no signs of toxins.
Oh, and you have some anxious people outside wanting to see you. ”
“The girl?” I start, but she cuts me off.
“Is doing well. She suffered smoke inhalation and we’re treating that as we speak. She’s breathing on her own, so that’s a good sign. Her bloodwork showed no signs of any unwanted toxins. You got to her before it was too late. You’re a hero.”
“I don’t know about that, but thanks, Doc, that’s great news,” I say, trying to peer over her shoulder. “I’m glad she’s okay.”
“We usually say family only, but I can see these two are persistent.” She gives me a slight roll of her eyes. “Five minutes, then the nurse has to change the bandages.”
“Got it, thanks, Doc. I really appreciate it.”
She nods, taking her leave and two seconds later Adelaide and Daryl come rushing through the door. Adi stops in her tracks, her eyes widening when she sees me, her hands move up to cover her mouth as she gasps.
Daryl puts a steady hand on her back, moving her forward as he gives me a devilish smile. “Didn’t have to set yourself on fire to get me to come home, old boy,” he says.
I grin. “Funny fucker.”
He reaches one arm out to give me a careful, one-armed hug, his other arm still holding onto Adi. She looks as white as a sheet.
“Adi?” I whisper as we both look at her. “Are you okay?”
“W-what are all those tubes?” she stammers.
“They’re just monitoring my heart, and I’ve got oxygen at the ready. The doc says I’m gonna be fine. My team got me out in the nick of time.”
“Adi saw some of the footage on the way over,” Daryl goes on. “That was fucking insane, bro.”
I’m still staring at Adi who hasn’t come near me yet. I get Daryl’s in the room, but still. “Tell me about it,” I say, but I don’t look at him. “Adi?”
She lifts her gaze. “I’m so sorry, D.”
“Do I get a hug?”
She glances at Daryl and he rolls his eyes.
“She told me,” he sighs. “So while I’m gonna need some time to get used to you two love birds, I’m okay with it.” I high-five him gingerly, but then he adds, “You hurt her and I’ll have your balls in a sling.”
I blink. “Understood.” I reach for Adi’s hand. “But we’re not going anywhere.”
She slides her hand into mine and I pull her closer. “All those bandages…” she whispers.
“I suffered some burns, but they’ll heal. My ribs weren’t so lucky, but I’ve been complaining about needing a vacation.”
Daryl snickers.
Adi doesn’t laugh. She’s treating me like I’m made of glass. “I’m fine,” I tell her.
“The guys said you went back in to rescue a little g-girl?” she stammers.
“Yep. I pulled her out from under a bed, she was already unconscious. She’s a redhead, like you.”
Tears well in her eyes and then she practically throws her arms around my neck. “Oh shit, Denver, I’m sorry!”
I hold onto her tighter, kissing her hair. “Don’t be sorry. Just talk to me, okay? Like what we said.”
“Why don’t I give you two a minute?” Daryl offers.
I glance at him. “Thanks, bro.”
He clasps my hand and squeezes it. “Trust me, the last thing I wanna do is stand here and watch you two make out. By the way, your parents are on their way. Abby too.”
“Appreciate it.”
Daryl leaves and Adi still clings to me.
When she pulls back, her eyes are bloodshot and her cheeks pink. She wipes her nose with her sleeve. “Please don’t ever do that to me again.”
“It was an accident, baby girl. These things happen, it’s part of the job.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it when shit goes wrong either, but the important thing is, everybody got out. I knew what I was in for when we went in there.”
“And it was dangerous. I saw the footage, D, it was insane!”
“It was, but our team is pretty phenomenal.”
“You are pretty phenomenal.”
I brush back her hair, really taking her in. “I thought of you, right before I went under.”
Tears fall from her pretty eyes again. “I dropped the phone when JJ called me.”
“I heard.”
“I h-had to tell Daryl. Don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m never gonna be mad at you, Adi. If you think I’d ever do that then you don’t know me at all, and we need to rectify that.”
“This is nuts. Us. What if you don’t like me? What if I don’t live up to, to—”
I place a finger over her lips. “First, I don’t like you, I love you.
Second, you don’t just live up to any expectations you think I have—you exceed them.
I love everything about you. I want to be with you.
I want to start a life with you. Today. Now.
” I swipe one of her runaway tears with my thumb. “I hope you want that, too?”
“I do.” She sniffles. “Just the idea of losing you sent me into panic mode. I just froze. I can’t imagine a life without you in it. I love you, D, so much.”
I press a kiss to her adorable nose. “I love you, too.”
“You’re not just saying all this because you’re on pain meds?”
I laugh. “Nope. There’s no getting rid of me now.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
We kiss, and she’s careful, so much more than I want her to be, but I wince when I reach for her.
“Hey,” she says. “You’re supposed to be on bed rest, which means I’m in charge now.”
“There’s my girl.”
She strokes my cheek. “Your crew is pretty amazing, but Dylan and AJ said you went back in there when the flames had overtaken the apartment.”
“I couldn’t leave knowing there was a kid trapped. It’s what we do.”
“That’s just it,” she whispers. “You’re that kinda guy.
The guy who goes running into burning buildings without any fear.
You take on impossible tasks and come out the other end.
I think you’ve always been my hero, and not just because you pulled me out of a fire when I was four, but because you have a big heart, Denver James Banks, and I love every inch of it. ”
“Maybe you’re my hero, for being so brave, for looking after your sister when she was sick. I saw who you were, too, when we were both so young.”
“I’m just glad I moved back to Chicago, but now we have to figure out where we go from here.”
“I don’t care, as long as you’re with me.” Then I smirk, remembering. “Wait, how do you know my middle name?”
“I know you’re named after your dad, duh.”
“Oh,” I laugh. “Right.”
She folds into my arms and I hold her precious body close to mine.
Nothing will ever compare to having her re-enter my world.
Nothing will stop me finding Adelaide and making her mine.
“And I’ve been thinking about Hope,” she says into my shirt.
“I think we should try and foster her.” She lifts her head.
“If you’re up for it? I think we’d have a better chance if we’re a couple.
” We’ve been going to visit Hope every day, we both feel really bad when we have to leave.
We’ve both been separately too when one of us is at work, so some days she gets multiple visits.
I cup her face. “I’d love that, and I think she would too, but we need a bigger place.”
Her eyes pop. “I’m not even moved in yet and I’m moving again?”
My shoulders shake. “We can work between the two places for now, until we figure it out. Let’s not get our hopes up, but I think we have a really good chance of being her guardians. Plus, she likes us.”
“She’s so brave. She’ll be so upset to hear you’ve been hurt.”
I kiss her forehead. “She will, but she’s strong, just like my girl.”
“Just don’t scare me like that again.”
I don’t want to ever scare her, but my job comes with risk. I know she’s just worried, and I love her for that, but it’s my job as a man to worry about her. Taking care of her is my priority.
“I won’t. But this job is dangerous, you know I’ve always lived for the adrenaline.”
She smiles sadly. “I do know that, and I’m not asking you to change anything, just be careful.”
I kiss her again, needing to be closer, not close enough. “Stay with me. The pain meds are kicking in and I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere, so you’re stuck with me,” she says. “Your parents and mine are a little while away still.”
“The whole family is coming?”
“Don’t act surprised, my parents love you. They were beside themselves when we called them driving over here.”
I pinch her chin. “It’s gonna be alright, all of it.”
“I’m just so relieved you’re gonna be okay.”
“I’ll live, but I may need a nurse to help me get back on my feet. Any takers?”
She looks up, a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m so glad you didn’t damage your face, pretty boy.”
I laugh out loud, then wince because it hurts. “You’re gonna pay for that when I’m better.”
“Famous last words.”
24 hours later
“You’re sure you’re feeling up to it?” Mom asks. “It seems too soon to be leaving the hospital.”
“Mom, I’m fine, I want to go home,” I tell her as gently as possible.
Dad helps me up. “Leave him be,” he tells Mom. “You know he’s stubborn as a mule so you’re wasting your breath.”
“The doc okayed it, and I’m just sitting here staring at the wall. I could be home doing that, plus Bodhi needs me.”
My sister came by earlier, but has been and gone.
She went and got Bodhi from my apartment and took him with her.
Home is the best place for me, and since I have some time off on my hands, I can look into the fostering information a little more closely.
I want to try. Hope deserves it, and at least this way, we’ll know she’ll be safe while she gets all the support she needs.
If you’d have told me this could be my future a few months ago, I would’ve laughed.
Funny how things turn around quickly when you least expect it.
I even put a proposal to Adi: if we moved in together—after dating, of course, because she deserves to be wooed—I could switch my shifts to nights so I could take care of Hope until she’s ready to go back to pre-school.
Adi could quit the bar and open her own design studio—she’d have her nights free, and we’d line up the same two days off.
When I put the proposal to her, she burst out crying again.
I know she’s just moved here and it’s a lot, but I have savings. I can help her reach her dreams, and there’s a quaint little shop in Old Town that would work perfectly for her.
Plus, she’s already lined up her first client: Ellie’s mom.
My parents were surprised when I told them the news about me and Adelaide, but they’re happy for us, just as I knew they would be. It’s new for all of us, and I’m sure it’ll take some adjusting, but all that matters is that it’s what we both want.
“Well, I don’t care what you say,” Mom goes on as if I haven’t spoken. “I’m here to look after you, and make your life more comfortable. I know you have Adi, but she’ll be at work some of the time, and me and your father don’t take up much room.”
Dad and I share a look but I don’t say anything. I also, somehow, refrain from laughing. It hurts too much. This is what Mom does, and I love her for it.
“Bodhi’s gonna love all the attention,” I say.
“Well, I have to visit one of my grandbabies since neither you nor Abby are giving me any anytime soon,” Mom grumbles.
“Will you leave the boy alone?” Dad tsks. “He’ll be kicking us out to a hotel before long.”
Mom gives Dad an ‘I don’t think so’ look. “Ha, that’ll be the day!”
I love them both, but they worry far too much.
I don’t want to say anything to my parents just yet about the possibility of fostering Hope.
For all we know, there could be hurdles we’re not even aware of.
I want to try, though, for Hope’s sake. The idea that this poor kid could go somewhere bad is equally terrifying as it is unthinkable.
She deserves better. I know checks are in place to ensure kids go to good homes, but I’ve been around long enough to know that isn’t always the case.
“There she is!” Mom says, just as Adi comes around the corner.
“Shoot! I’m sorry!” she says, sprinting towards us. “I got held up.”
I know she’s been to see Hope, and I wanted to go too but we both decided that her seeing me like this might distress her. So we kept it to ourselves. I think the shock of me and Adi being together is enough for both of our parents for one day. Each day at a time.
“It’s fine,” I tell her when she pecks me on the lips. I don’t miss the beam from my mom. “You’re good. It’s gonna be a slow walk to the car anyway.”
She nods.
“How was your morning?” I go on, hoping to hear more.
Adelaide knows to not blurt out where she’s been or what she’s been doing, so we speak in our own little code. “Everyting was perfect,” she says. “Really good. Happy.”
That makes me smile, but what I really want to do is get my girl home. Her place. My place. I don’t care.
“I’m glad.”
She smiles up at me. “You look good upright.”
I smirk. “You don’t say?”
“He needs to get out of this stuffy place,” Dad grumbles. “It’s making him cranky.”
Adelaide laughs, but Mom is having none of it. “Leave him be,” she scolds Dad. “He’s perfect as he is.”
Yeah, I’ve always been a momma’s boy, and Adi knows it. She gives me a knowing look and I give her a wink in return.
We’ve so much more to do.
And this is just the beginning.