11. Ava
Chapter Eleven
Ava
Getting a ride
As soon as I heard Tanner’s voice, my belly spun with butterflies, and my nerves sparked. Tanner wasn’t even in the room yet. For all I knew, he wasn’t here to see me. He was a firefighter and a first responder. There were plenty of people in this hospital he could be checking on for work, right?
“How’s your mom?” Chris asked.
“Pretty good. How are you?” Tanner replied, his voice all low and rumbly.
The footsteps slowed in the hallway. It was loud in the hospital, so I could totally justify wondering how far away they were.
Chris had just cleared me for discharge.
I’d managed to walk up three steps with my little medical boot.
I was officially free. I’d had a glorious, hot shower, real clothes were on my body, and I was ready to bust out of the hospital jail.
I knew it wasn’t actually jail. But you try being stuck with your leg in traction for a week and tell me it doesn’t start to feel like jail.
I’d been contemplating the beginning of that zombie show—the one where the guy wakes up alone in the hospital after the zombies run wild.
That thought had haunted me more than once.
“Hey, Ava.” Tanner’s voice pulled me from my spiral as he knocked lightly and leaned around the doorway.
“Come in, come in!” I called, waving him in with maybe a little too much enthusiasm. My belly was doing a full-on pirouette.
He grinned. “You’re ready to go, I see.”
“Yes!” I was sitting on the edge of the bed. Chris had lowered it so my feet were flat on the floor. I lifted my booted foot up proudly. “I have to wear this and do physical therapy, but I’m almost free.”
Tanner’s grin sent heat blasting through me. I tried to ignore it. I hadn’t seen him since the kiss.
“I heard you have a place to stay and everything,” he said.
“I do. Holly’s awesome.”
“She is. Universal opinion around town,” he agreed.
“Really?” said a new voice from the hallway.
I glanced up to see a handsome man with brown hair step into the room.
“Oh, hey, Nate,” Tanner replied easily. He gestured back and forth between us. “This is Ava, and Nate, Holly’s husband.”
Nate flashed an easy grin. He had a flirty vibe, though not directed toward me. I guessed he’d flirt with a rock. “Of course, Holly’s awesome,” Nate said.
Holly’s voice came from behind him. “Definitely not. I’m too pushy.” She breezed into the room with a sheaf of papers in her hand, heading straight to me. “These are your discharge papers. Guard them with your life.”
“With my life?” I teased, raising a brow.
She grinned. “It’s nothing you don’t already know. Just a detailed outline of your physical therapy plan and a reminder not to put too much weight on that foot.”
“I know, I know,” I assured her. “I understand.”
Nate was still smiling at her. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her cheeks going a little pink.
“Seeing you. And Tanner says the whole town likes you.”
“They don’t,” Holly said with an eye roll.
“I appreciate a bossy woman,” Nate said.
Holly tilted her head and tapped the discharge papers thoughtfully. “The world needs more bossy women.”
“For sure,” Nate agreed before he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.
Her blush deepened. “I’m working.”
“I know,” he said innocently.
I smiled between the two of them. “I like you, Nate,” I announced. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Heard all about you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You fell up on the glacier. Tanner here carried you down the mountain. Very rescue-y.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “It’s my job.”
“I know,” Nate said, “but is it also your job to check on her in the hospital?” His smile was sly.
Tanner’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t answer.
“I came here on my second vacation, and my friends had to go back home. So I’m thrilled with anyone who’s visited me.”
“Well, I’ll see you around town,” Nate said.
“And you’ll help me get her to her place,” Holly added.
“I will?” Nate blinked. “Since when?”
“One of the nurses called out sick,” Holly said, not missing a beat. “I can’t leave, so when you showed up, I figured you could help.”
“Oh, I thought you were just happy to see me,” Nate teased.
“You don’t have to give me a ride,” I said quickly.
“I’d offer, but—” He checked his watch. “I have a flight in half an hour. I just came to say goodbye, but I’ll be back this evening, just a little later than usual.”
Holly looked over at Tanner. “Can you—”
“I’ll give Ava a ride.” Tanner nodded. “No problem.”
“You’re a good man,” Nate said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Holly bustled around the room, collecting my few belongings. “I’ll get your stuff out to Tanner’s truck,” she said. “I promise you’ll see me a few times a week.”
“Thank you for everything, Holly. Honestly.” I felt a lump rise in my throat.
“No need to thank me,” she said quickly.
“You’ve been more than a nurse to me. I consider you a friend.” She squeezed my shoulders. I smiled through a swirl of emotion. I didn’t know many people here, just a few nurses, Holly, Chris, Tanner, and the guide from the glacier hike. But it was a start.
Holly glanced at Tanner. “She’s in the middle house of the ones Tate rents out.”
Tanner nodded. “I know right where that is.” He glanced down at me, tipping his head toward the door. “Let’s get you going.”
In short order, I was settled in Tanner’s truck. It felt surreal to be outside. The fresh air was incredible.
Tanner looked over as he started the engine. “You ready?”
I held his gaze. “Absolutely.”
As he started driving, I looked around town. Main Street was so cute, and it still blew me away to see the mountains in the distance, towering tall and sharp against the crisp blue sky. The sun shone brightly today. It felt like the whole town was welcoming me back to the land of the living.
“So you know where I’m going?” I asked.
“I do,” Tanner said, his low, rumbly voice making my nerves spark again.
“Willow Brook’s pretty small, and Tate is a friend. He’s also a firefighter.”
“Oh, there seem to be a lot of those here.”
Tanner chuckled, and those butterflies in my belly twirled. “We house three hotshot crews here, plus the town crew.”
“How many does that make?”
“Over a hundred firefighters.”
“What?” I yelped.
“A hotshot crew has twenty-five. So three of those, plus the town team. That’s a hundred.”
“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s a lot of firefighters.”
We left downtown and turned onto a side road just a mile or so out. Another turn brought us down a gravel driveway through the trees, which suddenly opened into a sunlit clearing. Three little matching houses stood, each topped with bright red steel roofs that peeked cheerfully above the trees.
“Here we are,” Tanner said.
“Wow, these are nice,” I said as we pulled in. “I hope I’m not putting this guy out by staying here.”
“Tate’s a good guy. If he says it’s good for you to stay, just roll with it.”
“Just roll with it,” I echoed, amused and overwhelmed.
Just then, reality struck. I needed everything—food, toiletries, and more.
“What do I do about food?” I squeaked.
“I’m sure Holly thought of that. But if you need anything, just tell me. I’ll go to the store and bring it back.”
“What?” I turned toward him. “Tanner, I can’t rely on you for everything. You’ve already saved my life, visited me in the hospital—”
“I didn’t save your life,” he interrupted, turning the engine off and looking at me squarely. “You broke your ankle. I mean, yeah, it sucks. But you weren’t going to die.”
“I could have,” I said dramatically. “I could’ve gotten hypothermia on the mountain.”
“You weren’t going to die,” he said again, chuckling a little. “I’m sure your friends would’ve figured it out. Maybe dragged you down.”
A laugh bubbled up before I could stop it. “Okay, fine. Maybe I wasn’t at death’s door, but still…”
“You got hurt. Around here, we take care of each other.”
“I’m starting to understand that.” I looked out the window. “I’m not used to anyone taking care of me.”
Tanner held my gaze for a beat before he nodded, steady as ever. “Let’s see what Holly stocked you up with. Then you can decide if you need anything from the store.”
“But it’s probably out of the way,” I said.
He shook his head. “Not at all. I live two houses over.”
“You do?” I blinked.
That kiss flashed in my mind, hot and sudden. For a second, I almost leaned in and kissed him again right there in the truck, but he was giving off very “friendly, helpful neighbor” vibes in the moment.
“All right,” I said, grabbing my crutches. “Let’s get inside.”
Chris had told me I could mostly use the boot around the house, but I still needed the crutches for support. I hobbled inside, making it to the door on sheer determination and stubborn pride.
“Oh my gosh, this is so cute!” I exclaimed.
Tanner set my suitcase and backpack near the bedroom door. “It is.”
Sunshine poured in through a row of windows at the front. The hardwood floors were warm-toned with a few colorful woven rugs. A comfy-looking sectional sat against the far wall, facing a mounted TV, and the kitchen had a tidy little island and a round table tucked into the corner.
“I love it. I need to get cable turned on.”
“Already is,” Tanner said, grabbing the remote. A few clicks later, all the streaming services were loaded up. He opened the fridge and stepped back dramatically. “Ta-da.”
It was stocked with pre-made meals, sandwich stuff, veggies, fresh fruit, half-and-half, and coffee.
“Oh wow.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “Holly’s amazing.”
“Holly’s thorough like that.” He gestured toward a loft above. “You’ll need to skip that. Don’t try those stairs with crutches unless you’ve got a death wish. Bedroom and bathroom are down here, so you’re good.”
I peeked into the bedroom and was immediately in love. Cozy and bright with its own en suite bathroom. “This is amazing.”
“You’re set,” he said, checking a monitor-style heater on one wall. “That’s your heater—super efficient.”
“Oh wow.” I spun in a slow circle, a little stunned. “I really am set.”
“You’ve got my number. Holly’s too. Just text either of us if you need anything.”