Hey Sunshine (28 page)

We turned around just in time to watch the ride collapse in on itself from its own weight.

Chapter 19

“I’d like to keep Annabelle overnight for observation, Ms. Kent.” The young doctor consulted his clipboard. “The head trauma is obviously more concerning than her dislocated shoulder. There’s only a slight concussion, and I’m certain she’ll make a full recovery, but at her age it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Four hours later, my hands were still shaking and I couldn’t get warm. Was it me or was the hospital hallway freezing?
Concussion, concussion, concussion.
The word rattled and swirled around in my head, making me nauseous. I pulled Fox’s fleece-lined hoodie tightly around me and shoved my fingers deep into the pockets. “Of course, Dr. Stone. Whatever you think is best.”

“I’ll put in my notes that she’ll be released around noon tomorrow, barring any complications. You and your husband are welcome to stay in her room tonight,” he said, gesturing at Fox through the window to where he sat on Annabelle’s bed.

I didn’t bother correcting him. Sue me, I liked that he referred to Fox as my husband. It was a small pleasure on this incredibly fucked-up night. “Thank you.”

“Just ask the nurses for any extra pillows or anything you need. I’ll be back to check on Annabelle in an hour or so.” He flashed a warm smile at me before reaching for his buzzing cell phone and scanning the message. “The hospital administrator just informed me that the police have arrived. They’d like to ask you, and me, a few questions.” His brows knit together as he read the screen. “Apparently it cannot wait.”

“What? The police are here?” I’d anticipated having to deal with the police when we decided what to do about the liability of the carnival company, but not until then. Then it dawned on me. Chase. That cowardly asshole. He took off when we realized Annabelle was stuck on the ride. I hadn’t told the first responders why the Ferris wheel had collapsed, but maybe someone else had. There were plenty of witnesses at the fair, and the police must’ve gotten at least part of the story.

“We’re to meet them in a conference room on the third floor,” Dr. Stone said. He gave me a sympathetic glance. We’d filled him in on the logistics of what had happened, in order for him to treat Annabelle accordingly, but the look in his eyes told me he understood it was not just an accident, it was personal. Ferris wheels didn’t fall down every day, obviously. “They want to speak to your husband and parents as well. Is there someone else in the waiting area who can stay with Annabelle while we deal with this?”

“Yes, of course. My best friend is here, and my aunt. They’ll sit with her while we’re gone.”

Heather and Joy had rushed to the hospital immediately when they'd heard the news. I was lucky to have them both in my life as a constant source of support, especially since Annabelle’s birth. Joy had even stopped at my house and picked up some clothes for me and things for Annabelle, including her pajamas and her baby doll.

“Okay then. I’ll see you on the third floor.” Dr. Stone got into the elevator as I opened the door to Annabelle’s room.

In spite of the circumstances, my heart burst into a million happy pieces when I saw Fox and Annabelle snuggled up in her hospital bed. Her little head, complete with a large white bandage, rested on Fox’s chest as he read her a Fancy Nancy book that Joy had stuffed into our overnight bag, and the arm without the sling clutched her baby doll tightly.
Concussion.
My heart beat in time with the syllables. I shoved my guilt aside and smiled at them.

“Hi, Mama.” Annabelle sat up. “Fox is reading me Fancy!”

“That’s so nice, baby,” I said, my heart still stuttering as I took in the vision of my precious daughter and the completely surprising man next to her. Fox met my eyes and his beautiful mouth turned up at the corners just slightly. Once again, the intensity and depth of his look took my breath away.

“Fox,” I began, shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts. He chuckled, and I gave him a half-annoyed glare. He knew exactly what he did to me at all times. Including right now, which was getting my mind off her bandage and her sling, and into the gutter. Because he loved me and Annabelle. And he wanted to take care of us. And he didn’t want me to worry, ever, about anything.

“Fox,” I tried again, firmer this time. “They want to see us on the third floor.”

His forehead creased as his brows lifted. “Who?”

“P-O-L-I-C-E,” I spelled, not wanting Annabelle to understand. She was old enough to know that uniforms and badges were serious, and she’d been through a lot today already.

His eyes flashed. I knew it was taking every bit of his self control not to hop on his bike and go looking for Chase, but his concern for Annabelle’s well-being trumped his anger. For now. I just hoped the police found Chase before Fox did, for Chase’s sake. Between the attempted uneven bar brawl and Annabelle’s accident, Chase was no friend of Fox’s anymore. A less loyal man would’ve dismissed Chase a long time ago, but even Fox had his hard limits.

“Bells, I have to get up, okay?” My heart lurched again when he called Annabelle by her nickname. “Mama and I will be right back.”

“Auntie Heather and Auntie Joy will come sit with you while we’re gone, baby,” I said to her. “We’re going to get more pudding.” I hated to lie, but I was also actually planning to find more pudding because Fox had eaten all of mine earlier.

“Okay! Chocolate please, Mama.” Annabelle smiled.

Fox swung his legs off the bed and shoved his feet into his unlaced boots. He stood, stretching his arms above his head. His long-sleeved thermal shirt rode up just barely over the waistband of his jeans, exposing lean, tanned muscle. Warm, tingly sensations ran through me as I thought about his chest without the shirt altogether. I looked away.
Entirely inappropriate, Avery,
I told myself.

Fox kissed Annabelle’s cheek. “We’ll finish Fancy Nancy when I get back, okay?” Annabelle nodded sleepily and curled up with her thumb in her mouth.

The door opened and Heather popped her head in. “Hi dollface! Auntie Joy and I thought it might be fun to watch a movie while your Mama’s gone.” She stepped into the room with Joy right behind her, taking in Annabelle’s drowsy eyes and thumb-sucking.

In an aside to me, she said “Your daddy told us y’all had a little interview to get to.” Rolling her eyes, she continued. “I can only imagine what strings will be pulled in regard to those consequences.”

Unfortunately, I knew she was right. While I didn’t expect to see him with a long sentence for what was definitely a thoughtless, drunken mistake, Chase had endangered quite a few people tonight, my own child most of all.
Concussion,
my heartbeats reminded me. He should sit in a cell for a while and know that.

But with his family’s influence in the county, I’m sure he’d get a slap on the wrist and nothing more. If Annabelle had been severely hurt, no judge or jury would be able to curb my crusade for justice, and luckily that wasn’t the case. I’d love to see him in a superbly degrading community service situation, but I knew even that outcome was doubtful. Regardless, God help him the next time we were face to face.

“Is he all right?” Heather whispered to me, nodding toward Fox, who had an intense look as he watched Joy chat with Annabelle. Not just angry but fierce, with the wheels turning full speed. He did a good job smoothing his expression for Annabelle’s benefit but didn’t bother to mask it when she wasn’t looking.

I frowned. “No. He wants to find him.”

Heather’s eyes grew wide. “Bad idea.”

“No kidding.” My head pounded. I needed caffeine, or a sedative, or a vacation, or a time machine to rewind today and avoid this mess altogether.

Heather gave me a quick, one-armed hug. She smelled sweet, like the sugar cookies she’d doled out to the kids from her concession booth at the fair.

“How ‘bout we all cozy up and watch that
Tangled
movie you like so much?” Joy held up a portable DVD player. I was touched again by how thoughtful they both were.

Heather and Joy squeezed onto the bed, Annabelle between them. They looked a little cramped, but happy. I tucked Annabelle’s special blanket over their laps and kissed the tip of her nose. Joy started the movie, and Annabelle was immediately engrossed in the drama of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, although her big eyes drooped with fatigue. I glanced at the clock and saw it was after ten p.m. Of course she was tired. It was hours past her bedtime and she’d been through a traumatic experience, first on the Ferris wheel and then again when she was poked and prodded upon her arrival to the hospital.

How had I allowed this to happen? And when would it really be over?
Bumps and bruises would heal, but what about the drama outside these hospital walls?
And how could I make sure it all ended here, before more people I loved were hurt?
My breath caught as I considered the ramifications of small-town gossip and good ole boys’ loyalty. I had to nip this in the bud, now, before it all blew up in my face.

“We’ll be back soon,” I said softly, taking Fox’s hand as we left the room.

* * *

In the elevator, I turned to Fox.

“Tell me what’s going on in your head.” I slid my arms around him. Under my hands his muscles relaxed slightly, and he exhaled.

“I’m sorry, Avery.” His turbulent green eyes met mine.

“What for?” I asked, surprised.

“I’m so angry,” he bit out as he broke my hold, his fury renewed. “I don’t give a shit how drunk he was! It doesn’t matter! He was fucking stupid and reckless, and he put those kids in danger tonight. Annabelle… any of them could’ve gotten really hurt.” His broad chest heaved, and he moved to lean against the wall of the elevator, clenching his fists, the muscles of his forearms bunched and tight. “This was about me and him, and no one else. I’m so sorry, Avery. Annabelle is in that hospital bed tonight because I let this get out of control. I should’ve taken care of it earlier, at the bar.” His eyes were on fire.

“I’m angry too. But it’s not your fault. Chase went off the handle. And I know what you’re thinking. At least, some of it,” I amended, as he raised an eyebrow skeptically. “But we have to let the police find Chase.” I moved close to him again, until our chests touched and he bent to rest his forehead against mine. “Promise me you won’t go outlaw, okay? I need you here with us.”

I hated to play the clingy card, but I knew it was the only thing that would keep him close. I had to keep it together for Annabelle, and Fox on the hunt would be the straw that broke me.

Fox looked over my shoulder for a moment, lost in thought. A muscle in his jaw worked furiously even as his gentle hands came up to my sides.

“Okay. I promise. For now.” His lips brushed mine, his arms encircling my waist and pulling me up tightly against him.

Any thoughts I had about Chase or the police went directly to the back burner of my mind as his warm mouth skimmed over my lips, coaxing me to open and let him in. His tongue traced the curve of my lips before sucking my tongue into his mouth slowly, and I melted against him, allowing him to support my entire weight as he explored my tongue with his own. He took all his worry, and mine, and put it into that kiss, hoping to erase the events of the day with low whispers of love as his nose skimmed up my jawline, his hot breath tickling me as his lips found the hollow behind my ear and slowly worked their way back to my mouth. I vaguely heard the mechanical ding signaling our floor, but I was lost in Fox.

The elevator doors opened, and Fox reluctantly released my mouth with a final nip to my lower lip. I opened my eyes and was embarrassed to realize we had an audience of three wide-eyed nurses. Fox nodded his head to them politely.

“Ladies.” His shy smile made him even more endearing, if possible, like a sweet little boy who got caught with his hand in the candy jar.
My
candy jar, specifically.

Mortified, I turned fifteen shades of red and grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the elevator.
Concussion, concussion,
my heart stuttered, refreshing my guilt. We quickly walked down the hallway to the conference room but not before I heard one of the nurses sigh to her friend.

“Wow,” she murmured.

From the expansion of his grin, I knew Fox heard her too. As we walked, I thought I noticed a slight hitch in his gait and immediately my mind flashed back to falling into his arms from the top of the Ferris wheel, and then us crashing to the ground… his leg.
Oh no.
Was there more damage? How badly was it hurting him?

Fox saw me glance down and pulled me to a stop just outside the doors. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”

My entire brave facade crumbled under the reassuring look on his face. “Shit, Fox, your leg! I didn’t even think. You caught me, and Annabelle, and…” Tears welled up in my eyes again. “You’re hurt too. Both of you are.”

“No, sunshine, I’m okay. I’ll be good as new in a few days. Please don’t cry,” he murmured into my temple as he pulled me against him. He smoothed a hand down my back. “I just need a little rest and a good stretch. I’m slacking on my PT lately… been a little distracted.” I could hear the smile in his voice and then his fingers lightly tapped my butt.

I looked up into his confident face and tried to push my anxiety back down from where it bubbled in my throat. I’d never met a person who knew himself and his body better than Fox, so I decided to take his words as truth. These days he radiated health and self-assuredness, and his positive demeanor was a calming balm on my frazzled nerves.

His expression changed two seconds later, however, as we entered the meeting room and found the police chief, two officers, my parents, and Dr. Stone waiting for us. His guard went up, his shoulders squared, and his eyes sharpened. I felt his tension radiate down through his fingers, and when I rubbed my thumb soothingly over his, his face didn’t register the contact.

Fox wasn’t just angry. He was furious.

“Ms. Kent, Mr. Fox, I’m sorry for pulling y’all away from Annabelle tonight.” Chief Barnes met my eyes briefly as Fox and I settled into the empty chairs, a sympathetic look on his worn, wrinkled face. It didn’t really surprise me that the chief got pulled into this case, especially given our close-knit county, but I was a bit surprised at how fast the whole thing had mobilized. The last name Dempsey really meant high profile. “This won’t take but a minute and then we’ll get out of your hair.” He gestured to one of his deputies who began recording our statement on the iPad in the middle of the table.