Page 80 of Axe-identally Married
“Call it in,” she said to the EMT who slid an oxygen mask over their patient’s face. “Myocardial infarction with V-fib.”
She walked next to the stretcher as they rolled it out the door, then helped them load Mr. Moran into the back of the ambulance and climbed in herself, immediately hooking him up to various machinery.
Mrs. Moran grabbed my arm with a shaky hand, her face streaked with tears. “Is he gonna be okay?”
I had no idea how to respond, so rather than speaking, I patted her hand, hoping to offer her a little comfort.
“Thank God the doctor was here.”
The EMTs motioned for her to climb in, so I helped her into the ambulance, and then watched helplessly as the doors closed and the bus pulled away, tires screeching.
I was no doctor, but I was pretty sure I’d just watched Willa save that man’s life.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Willa
“Are you okay?” The words startled me as I stepped into the cabin.
Before I could get the door shut behind me, Cole was up and off the couch, grasping my shoulders and pulling me into a hug.
He wrapped those long arms round me in the most intense and comforting embrace.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, soaking in his strength. Every cell in my body ached with exhaustion from the adrenaline that had coursed through me for hours.
When he kissed the top of my head, I almost melted into his body. I needed this. Comfort, warmth.
“You are fucking magnificent,” he said, his lips in my hair.
This interaction was crossing several of our carefully drawn lines, but I didn’t care.
“I am so proud of you,” he gushed. “You don’t have to do anything. I’ve got dinner ready, and then you’re taking a bath. Then I’m going to wrap you up in that fancy robe and put you to bed.”
All of that sounded perfect. I didn’t have the energy to make decisions or even think. I needed to be near him.
I toed off my boots as he gently took the coat off my shoulders.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
“He’s gonna be okay,” I said, letting out the breath it felt like I’d been holding since that moment in the diner many hours ago.
He led me to the couch, where I collapsed and pulled my knees into my chest. I’d traveled with the ambulance to the hospital in Bangor. They’d needed to operate, so I’d waited, helping Mrs. Moran understand what the doctors were saying and ensuring my patient was awake and stable before I left.
I’d hitched a ride home with Camden, one of the local EMTs. He lived in Heartsborough, but he’d been kind enough to drop me off.
Cole fed me roasted chicken and glazed carrots—one of those recipes he’d found on YouTube and then effortlessly made his own. And then he drew me a bath, complete with candles, classical piano music, and fancy floral bubble bath. Where he’d procured bubble bath, I didn’t know, but it was delightful.
After I was sufficiently waterlogged, I combed out my hair, put on my pajamas, and headed out to the living room. There, I found Cole knitting and two mugs of tea on the coffee table.
“Sleepytime?” I asked with a smile.
He nodded, still knitting furiously. The yarn was a deep red color.
“Whatcha working on?”
“A little something for my team.” He smirked. “And you’re not getting away with ignoring what I said earlier. You were a fucking superhero today.”
His expression turned serious, causing a charge to run through me. Cole saw me, and he wasn’t afraid to be honest with me. It was terrifying and a bit thrilling at the same time.
