Page 47 of Laying it Bare on the Run

One of the medics gave me a look.

However, before he could say anything, Cannon growled. “She comes with us.”

The male didn’t respond but gave me a frown.

Whatever. I wasn’t going to cause any trouble or get in the way. I wanted Cannon taken care of even more than he did. I walked out to the awaiting ambulance alongside Cannon with his hand in mine.

During the ride to the hospital, one of the crew checked my vitals and ran a few tests, deeming I was not going into shock but just exhausted from the ordeal. My earlier adrenaline rush had bottomed out.

When we got to the emergency room, they quickly shuffled Cannon into one of the rooms so they could prep him for surgery. That was the only bit of information I was allowed. And I hadn’t even been afforded the chance to give him a brief kiss.

Still wrapped in the blanket, I ambled over to an empty plastic yellow seat and plopped down on it. Dropping my face into my hands, my shoulders shook with my quiet sobs. I tried to tell myself he was going to be okay. He was strong and healthy. However, my traitorous thoughts drifted to the brief time in the back of the ambulance. He had started looking a little pale and his energy was waning, and he had lost a lot of blood. But they were going to fix that. Without anything to focus on, other than some television across the way running a show I didn’t recognize and wasn’t interested in, my mind kept replaying the horrid events that had transpired after we had stepped into Cannon’s house after our first date. I was aware we had escaped that nightmare, but the horrors still haunted me.

I didn’t know how long I had sat there sobbing into my hands when a gentle voice interrupted my inner turmoil. “Hey, Harper. What are you doing down here? Why aren’t you sitting in the surgical waiting area?”

I lifted my gaze to my visitor and found Joe peering down at me curiously. “I didn’t know where to go. They didn’t tell me anything.” I hiccupped out my response.

He held out his arms to me. “Oh, come here, Sweetheart. I’ll take you up there.”

Standing, I practically fell into his waiting arms.

His wrapped around me and hugged me tightly. “Cannon’s going to be fine. Lucky bastard is going to get a longer vacation than he had expected.” Releasing me, he loosely wound one of his arms around my waist and led me toward the bank of elevators. Once inside and on our way up to the surgical floor, Joe winked at me. “Are you going to play nurse for him?”

I gave him a sad smile. “Thank you. I’m a mess and I need a distraction until I can see him again. Even when my eyes aren’t closed, those horrible events still rush through my head.” I glanced down at my wrinkled dress, splotches of blood staining the turquoise, and on to my feet which were miraculously covered. “Somehow I managed to slip on my sandals before I left. Or maybe I never took them off.” I shrugged my shoulders. I had no clue. The only things I could remember with clarity were the horrors. And my hands were stained red so I was sure I had smears across my face too. No doubt, I resembled someone from a horror flick.

When the elevator binged and the doors opened, Joe led me out into a waiting area. “Do you want me to get you something to eat or drink? I probably should have asked you that earlier but I don’t mind running back downstairs to the cafeteria.”

“No. Please just sit with me. You don’t even have to make small talk. I just don’t want to be alone right now.” A few leftover tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Hey, come here.” He gathered me into his arms again. “You need to stop with the tears. I can’t stand seeing them; it makes me want to hug you. So then I hug you. And I don’t want Cannon getting jealous and kicking my ass.”

Despite the unease and sadness suffocating me, I let out a small laugh.

“That’s better.” He rubbed his hand up my back. “Ah, I was wondering when they were going to join our party.”

Expecting to be greeted by some more of Cannon’s buddies, I twisted slightly in Joe’s arms. But instead of uniformed friends walking into the waiting area, an older couple and a girl about my age approached us.

One of his arms still around me, Joe extended his other hand to the gentleman. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Rush. Sorry it’s under these circumstances though.”

Cannon’s father shook his offered hand. “Good to see you too, Joe.” Then he studied me with shrewd eyes that matched the color of his son’s. His features so similar to Cannon’s he gave me a good picture of what Cannon would look like years down the line. His hair was the same shade as Cannon’s only styled in a formal cut instead of worn wild. “And I’m guessing this is Harper. When Greg called, he gave us the abridged version of what went down so I suspected she would be here as well.” His dad smiled warmly at me. “Cannon told us he had met a great girl. I’m glad we get to meet you. We’ll have you guys to the house when he’s more mobile since this shit is done.”

I wondered how much Cannon’s family knew about my recent past. Not that it mattered since it seemed they approved of my being here.

Cannon’s mother stepped up to me and placed her hand gently on my arm. “You look like you could use a warm meal and a long rest.” His mom was a petite thing – shorter than my five two stature – but very pretty. Her hair was a reddish brown like her daughter’s but whereas Kaylie wore her hair in long waves down her back, their mother had hers cut right above her shoulder. “Did they already take care of your injuries? If so, I can take you somewhere to clean up and get something to eat.”

“They checked me out in the back of the ambulance on the way here. I wasn’t injured in the attack.” I swallowed a sob that wanted to wretch itself free. “And thank you for the invite, Mrs. Rush, but I’d like to stay and wait for Cannon to come out of surgery.” Fighting my frazzled emotions was hopeless; my tears broke loose and trickled down my cheeks.

“Joe, this girl is ready to drop. Why are you standing with her?” Cannon’s mother chastised. “She should be lying down but seated would be better than standing.”

“Mrs. Rush, she was crying and I wanted to give her a hug.”

“He’s been taking good care of me.” I assured her.

“Thank you for coming to my defense, Harper. Mrs. Rush may be tiny but she’s a force to be reckoned with.” Joe gave me a slight squeeze.

“And stop with the formalities. Joe, you’ve been part of the family for years and Harper, you have just joined it. Call us Chris and Amy please. And this is Cannon’s sister, Kaylie.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad Cannon finally found himself someone who wasn’t a trashy bimbo. He gushed over the phone one day about how sweet you are. Thank you for that. I couldn’t stand the one he was dating while I had stayed with him.” Kaylie scrunched her face up like she had eaten something rancid.

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