17. Anna
Anna
“ A nna! Anna!”
Someone was calling, but she couldn’t answer.
“Anna!”
Her upper body lifted, but her head was too heavy. Finally, her eyes opened, but she couldn’t manage more than a few rapid blinks.
“Anna, talk to me.”
It was Beau. The warmth of his chest settled into her as the fog lifted.
And everything hurt. A piercing in her head had her reaching for it, but she jerked as pain shot up her arm.
“Don’t move. You hit your head.”
That would explain the pounding. She tried again and failed to lift her arm without a shock of pain shooting up her arm. “My wrist. ”
“Looks like you landed on it.” He shifted her in his arms. “I’m calling the front desk.”
She rested in his arms as he made the call. The next second, the sound of multiple footsteps surrounded her.
“She hit her head?” a woman asked.
“Yeah. And she said her wrist hurts,” Beau said.
A beautiful blonde woman appeared in Anna’s line of sight. “I’m Joanna, Aiden’s wife. He called and said you weren’t feeling well. Our medical team is on the way.”
Ugh. A dizzying sickness lingered, but it was nothing like it had been when she walked into the bathroom. She’d known what was happening seconds before she passed out, but there wasn’t anything she could have done to stop it.
A few more people filed into the small bathroom. She hadn’t even made it to the stalls, but thankfully, the nausea had eased.
“Miss Harris, do you remember what happened?” a man asked.
“I think it was the altitude. I was dizzy and nauseated.” Her tongue was dry and too big for her mouth. “I came in here thinking I needed to vomit, but I passed out.”
The man with dark hair and a red uniform crouched in front of her, studying her from all sides. “Is this where you hit your head?” he asked, pointing just above her right temple .
“Yes.” Exhaustion spread over her like a weighted blanket. Could she just lie here until she felt better? Beau’s arms tightened around her.
“You mentioned your wrist,” the man said, gently examining it with small touches. “There’s a little swelling, but I don’t think it’s broken. We’ll need to get you in for x-rays to be sure.” He pulled out a pen light and pointed it toward her. “Can you follow my light?”
She did as he asked, one thing after another, giving answers when prompted and resting during his exams.
Soon, she was being lifted and carried to a gurney with Beau at her side. He kept a hold on her as she slowly returned to her senses.
“I can walk. I think I’m fine now. I feel better,” she said.
“Well, I’m not fine, so you’re going to get checked out,” Beau said with finality.
That made her chuckle, but the movement jostled her enough to aggravate the pain in her head.
He stayed quiet on the way to the hospital and while the paramedics transferred her to the emergency department. She didn’t really feel like talking anyway. If only she could close her eyes and slip into a restful sleep for just a few minutes.
Once nurses started asking questions, Beau recounted most of the events when she got tired of talking. All she had to do was confirm what he said, and it was a great relief.
When they were left alone while they waited for her tests, she let her eyes close. Beau didn’t so much as move in the chair beside her bed, but it was impossible to miss his presence. Knowing he was with her allowed her to rest.
Someone eventually returned to take her for x-rays and CT scans. After a long, boring wait, she was diagnosed with a sprained wrist and a mild concussion and released with a wrist brace and pain-relieving medication.
Beau sat quietly next to her in the back of the taxi as they made their way back to Freedom, but he glanced over at her every few minutes.
Her head still ached, but her pride took the biggest hit. Not only had she failed to snowboard, she’d skipped out before even trying. Then, she passed out. In the bathroom, no less. Poor Beau had to rescue her from the nasty floor.
Joanna met them at the entrance when they returned. “How are you feeling?”
The kind woman wearing a flowing lilac blouse and black pencil skirt gave a warm welcome as Anna stood from the back seat of the cab.
“Much better.” Anna lifted her braced hand. “Sprained wrist and mild concussion.”
Joanna clutched her hands to her chest. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” She handed Beau two cards. “This is my direct number. Call me if you need anything. Our employees are aware of what happened, and they’ll do absolutely anything for you. No need to leave the room until you’re ready.”
“That’s so kind,” Anna said as she leaned onto Beau’s sturdy side.
“The other number is for you to call whenever you’re ready to eat. There’s a menu for The Liberty Grill in your room, and you can order anything you want and as often as you want at no cost.”
Anna brushed her hair behind her ear and winced. She’d forgotten all about the tender spot on her head. “You don’t have to do all that. I promise I won’t be filing a lawsuit. None of this was the fault of the resort. I just got a bad taste of altitude sickness.”
“It’s not about that. I’m sorry you had to spend part of your vacation with an injury.
We want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible.
” Joanna reached out and grasped Anna’s hand, and the warmth spoke of more than just protecting her job.
“Aiden and I will be praying for you, but if you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me. ”
Okay, the emotional toil of the day must be getting to her because it took everything Anna had not to let the tears fall. “Thank you so much. That’s really all I need.”
Joanna smiled and turned to Beau. “They’ll be waiting on your call at the Grill. I’m sure you two are hungry after the day you’ve had. If you want something warm and comforting, I recommend the potato soup.”
Beau said his thanks to Joanna and wrapped his arm around Anna, tucking her close to his side.
His strength was a huge help, and he guided her directly to the elevator where she leaned back against the wall.
They’d been taking the stairs for the majority of their stay, but Anna happily accepted the ride after a day of fighting for balance.
When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Beau reached for her, wrapping his arms behind her back and legs. Seconds later, her stomach dropped as he lifted her into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
He stepped out into the hallway and headed toward their room. “I’m not risking another fall.”
Unable and unwilling to argue, Anna rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
He stopped at the door and lowered her to her feet, continuing to hold her close as he pulled out his key card. Once the door was open, he picked her up again.
“This isn’t necessary,” Anna said.
“I don’t care,” was Beau’s quick response.
He lowered her to the couch, and she missed the loss immediately. Everything inside her wanted to reach for him and never let go.
Beau turned around, grabbed a binder off the table and handed it to her. “What do you want to eat?”
She took the binder and opened it to the menu for The Liberty Grill. If he wanted to revert back to his old stoic self, good for him. It would be easier to squash her feelings for him now before they got out of hand.
Who was she kidding? Things were already out of hand. Even when he sounded cold and uncaring, he was still carrying her and trying to feed her.
She rattled off her order and handed him the binder. While he called for room service, Anna checked her phone for the first time in hours.
Dozens of missed calls, texts, and emails waited. It was the same as every other day, except each one would deliver a tiny stab into her chest.
She’d gotten used to the encouraging messages from women who followed her fashion vlog and matter-of-fact emails from work. Now, she had to wade through speculation, assumptions, and opinions about her personal life.
She went for the texts from Olivia first.
Olivia: Are you okay? Beau texted and said you passed out. Call me!
Olivia: Beau said not to bother you, but I love you and I’m praying.
Olivia: Also, does Beau get brownie points for this?
The last message made her chuckle, but the others sucked all the fleeting joy away.
Anna: I’m fine. Beau has been taking good care of me. He gets all the brownie points.
Mom: I can’t believe what you’ve done. Dean is trying to get in touch with you. If you had any sense, you’d beg his forgiveness.
So much for tiny stabs. Her mom always knew how to cut to the core.
Dean: Answer your phone. We have a lot to talk about.
No thanks. Could she skip to the part where Dean moved on and left her alone?
She clicked over to social media and skipped over any messages that looked even remotely aggressive, clicking on the one that promised some kindness.
Brittany: That’s awful. Where are you now?
Anna rested her head back against the couch. Brittany was one of the kindest people Anna had met online. Brittany had been following the vlog since its early days, and she’d become a genuine friend.
After rehashing the story late last night, Anna had fallen asleep before reading Brittany’s response.
Anna: I went on my honeymoon. I just needed some time away to wrap my head around things.
A response came immediately.
Brittany: What are you going to do with the dresses?
That was weird. Of course Anna had called each boutique and explained why she wouldn’t be featuring the dresses they’d sent with the promise to return them in perfect condition. They hadn’t been pleased, but she couldn’t follow through with her end of the arrangement without a wedding.
Brittany knew a lot about how Anna handled her fashion vlog, but why would that be one of the first things she asked?
Anna: I sent the dresses back to them and recommended a few other influencers who might be able to feature the pieces.
She tossed her phone onto the couch just as Beau ended the call.
“Food should be here in fifteen minutes.”
Anna stood slowly, and Beau was at her side in an instant.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to get out of these layers.” She reached her good hand up and touched her hair. “Gross. I just remembered I was laying on a public bathroom floor.”
Beau reached for the zipper on her outer coat. “Let me help you out of these coats. You can take a shower while we wait for the food.”
She winced quite a few times as Beau carefully removed layer after layer. The ones that went over her head were the worst, having to maneuver around her wrist and head.
When he’d helped her down to a tank top and thermal pants, she plopped onto the couch and stared at her useless hand. Showering was going to be a chore.
“I think I’ll wait until after we eat to shower.” Every last bit of her strength was zapped, and her stomach rumbled. It was well into the afternoon, and neither of them had eaten since their early breakfast.
Beau sat on the coffee table facing her, resting his elbows on his knees and pinning her with an intense stare. “Are you okay?”
She waved her good hand. “Of course. I’m fine now.”
But his expression didn’t change. His jaw was tight, and his gaze drifted slowly over her features.
“Are you okay?” she asked. He’d missed out on snowboarding—the only activity he’d been looking forward to on his trip—and instead, spent the entire day at the hospital with her. No doubt it was boring.
He looked down at his clasped hands and swallowed hard. “You scared me.”
Anna sat forward and placed her good hand on top of his. “I’m sorry. I know you came on this trip because Olivia wanted you to protect me, but this wasn’t something you could have prevented. It’s not your fault. Plus, I’m fine now.”
“You’re not fine. You’re hurt.”
Then it hit her. His confession when they’d played twenty questions.
He was afraid of her . What did that mean ?
Beau lifted his chin, and his gaze locked with hers. They were so close now—merely a breath apart.
Was he afraid because he cared? It was dangerous to hope, but it was impossible to ignore the way he’d tended to her.
If love was something she could perceive and feel outside of her emotions, it was everything Beau had done for her since the moment he rescued her from a marriage that would have been a mistake.
His copper-brown eyes turned dark as his shoulders swelled with each breath. Lifting his hand, he brushed his fingertips over the bruise just above her temple.
All the air left the room. She couldn’t breathe—couldn’t think past the surge of hope hanging between them.
His fingers trailed into her hair as the pad of his thumb skimmed over the sensitive skin of her cheek. She leaned into his touch until he lifted his other hand, cradling her face and tilting her chin up to him.
At exactly the wrong moment, three knocks beat against the door.
But Beau didn’t move. Neither did she. How could she pull away when everything inside her said this was right? The one thing she was dying to say was stuck in the back of her throat.
I’m afraid of you too .
The knocks came again followed by a deep male voice. “Room service.”
Beau let out a huff and stood, letting his hands fall away as he moved to answer the door.
Beau, of all people. Why did Beau have to be the one to show her how broken all of her other relationships had been?
It was obvious now. No other man had treated her the way Beau did.
He encouraged her, answered her honestly, and shared parts of himself he didn’t share with anyone else.
He was right beside her when she needed help and was the first to tell her that she could do anything she wanted.
He believed in her when no other man had.
He made her want to be stronger.
And she wanted to give all those things back to him. After seeing how hard he worked to build his business, treat people fairly, take care of his family, and study God’s word, it was as plain as day.
She was falling for Beau Lawrence—not even a week after a breakup from her fiancé.
Everyone would say it was a rebound. Everyone would assume they’d been seeing each other behind Dean’s back. Everyone would assume and assume and assume.
But she didn’t care what everyone else would think. She cared about Beau, and the circumstances surrounding them didn’t matter.
The question was, would all of those things matter to him?