Page 7 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

"We're good," the officer confirmed, but he kept his hand out, prepared to steady his charge if he needed it.

She turned back to Alex. "Okay, Captain America. Can you hobble over to the car or do you need us to carry you?"

"Captain America, hm?" Alex chuckled, but she could hear the strain in his voice. "I can manage," he said, then took a very wobbly step. Bobby was at his side in a flash, and Alex draped his arm over the officer's shoulder, leaning so heavily on the guy they both swayed a little.

"Or not," Juno retorted, moving to Alex's other side. "You big lug. Just ask for help, okay? Or are you too manly for that?"

He flashed her one of his trademark grins. "Juno, you wound me."

Juno snorted. "Uh, nope. Pretty sure you managed that all on your own today." She didn't touch him, but walked beside him just in case an extra hand was needed. This was his road rash side, and she grimaced as she noticed it wasn't just his shoulder blade that was scraped up. His elbow and forearm looked a little like someone had taken a cheese grater to it.

"But you do think I'm manly," he teased.

Juno pressed her lips together, refusing to acknowledge the comment. She gave Bobby a 'let's do this' look, then together, they maneuvered Alex the few feet to her car.

"An Outback, huh? It suits you," Alex said through gritted teeth. He ran a hand over the curve of the doorframe in what seemed like a rather suggestive gesture. "Tough as nails. Practical. And very nice lines." The words were strained, but his eyes still held that familiar gleam of mischief.

"Get in the car, Frampton." And here she'd been just starting to feel sorry for him.

He slid the passenger seat as far back as possible to accommodate his long legs, eased gingerly into the vehicle, then balled his shirt up and tucked it behind him at the base of his spine to keep himself from accidentally leaning back against the seat. Bobby carefully closed the car door, then through the open window, he said to Alex, "Call me and let me know you're okay." Peering past him to Juno, he added, "Make sure he actually goes in. Don't let him talk you into just dropping him off at home."

"I wouldn't—" Alex started.

"You would," Juno and Bobby said in unison.

As she pulled away from the curb, Juno was suddenly acutely aware of how little room there was in the front seat of her car. She'd never thought of her Outback as being cramped for space. She'd hauled coffee and catering supplies all over Autumn Lake and beyond in her little hatchback without once feeling like she needed something bigger. But Alex Frampton, shirtless and bleeding, took up every inch of real estate, at least figuratively. She felt crowded against her door, trapped behind the steering wheel, strapped in place by her seatbelt.Um, isn't that what seatbelts do?It was suddenly hard to breathe.

"You don't have to do this," Alex said quietly. He was looking out the window as they drove, his profile tight with discomfort. "I could have called Ward."

"Well, it's your lucky day. You got me, instead." She turned onto Dahlia Drive and headed toward the small urgent care clinic on the other side of town. The closest hospital was Evansville, but the staff at Lakeside Urgent Care was more than equipped to handle Alex's injuries.

"Right." It was only one word, but the nuances packed into that single syllable made Juno's chest tight.

The urgent care waiting room smelled like cleaning chemicals. Juno pulled a small tube of hand sanitizer out of her purse and used it liberally. The handles of the wheelchair they'd let her use to wheel Alex inside the building had been unsettlingly tacky. She sat on the end of a row of seats, his chair parked close, sneaking glances at him while pretending to scroll through her phone. He looked uncomfortable, keeping his injured elbow from bumping the armrest and trying to find a position that didn't aggravate the scrapes on his back.

"I'm sorry about all this," he said, breaking the silence. "You're missing work because of me."

"The shop's in good hands." She tucked her phone away. "Are you in a lot of pain? Do you want me to see how much longer the wait is?" When they'd checked in, the woman at the desk had said it would be a few minutes. That had been at least twenty minutes ago.

"It's okay. I know they'll see me when they can. I just feel ridiculous sitting in this wheelchair." He gestured at himself with his uninjured arm. "Not exactly Captain America's finest hour, is it?"

"Hey," she said, giving him an encouraging smile. "You were amazing out there, Cap. A real hero, especially to the Carrols. They will be telling this story for years to come." She lifted her hands to mime a marquee headline. "Local hero Alex Frampton throws himself in front of a speeding car to save the lives of Harold and Mamie Carrol."

His cheeks warmed a little under her praise and she was glad to see some color. He was awfully pale. "Yeah? What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you think I'm a hero?"

Juno met his eyes, seeing past the teasing to something more vulnerable. "You didn't hesitate. Just ran right out there." She nodded. "So yes, Alex. I think you're a hero, too." It was true, at least in this instance. Maybe not back in the day when she'd really needed a hero and he hadn't come through for her. But he'd definitely showed up for the Carrols.

Alex was quiet for a moment, studying her face. "This is nice," he finally said, gesturing with one finger back and forth between them. "We were friends once, weren't we?"

The question caught her off guard. Before she could form a response, he added softly, "I'd like to think we could be again."

"Alexander Frampton?" A nurse stood in the open door of the hallway that led to the exam rooms. When he waved at her and she saw his wheelchair, she crossed the room to them. "Oh, that doesn't look like much fun," she said, her smile sympathetic, if maybe also the tiniest bit flirty. "I'm Katie. I'll wheel you back."

"Do you want to come with me?" Alex asked Juno, something in his voice making her think maybe he wanted her to say 'yes.' She smiled encouragingly, but shook her head.

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