Page 87 of I'll Be There
He opened his eyes as Conner came in, and a tremor of relief cascaded right through Conner, radiating off him.
She put her hand on his arm.
“You’re getting rusty,” Conner said. “He got the drop on you.”
“You nearly killed me getting us here.” Micah’s voice emerged reed thin, but he tried a smile. Failed. He closed his eyes, one tightening, a low moan emerging from his chest.
“I’ll call Lacey,” Conner said.
“No. She’ll freak out if she hears it from you. I’m going to live. I’ll call her.”
Was he kidding?Liza couldn’t stop herself “No. Micah, that’s not right. She deserves to know that you’re lying here in pain. That you lost so much blood that you nearly died.”
His eyes opened, something of shock in his expression, but she wasn’t stopping. “You’re a husband, and a dad—not a freakin’ superhero—and Lacey shouldn’t have to stand on the sidelines and wonder if you’re coming home to her.” She let go of Conner’s hand and walked over to Micah’s pile of bloody clothing, fishing through the pockets.
“Liza—” Conner started.
She found the phone and rounded on him. Held it out to Micah. “Call her, or I will.”
Micah’s eyes widened.
“Right now.”
He cast Conner a look, then held out his hand.
She shot a look at Conner, so much fury in it, no wonder he stepped back. “I’m tired of being surrounded by men who think they need to spare their women from the dangers theyrun into. We’re in this with you—and we deserve to know.”
She pushed past Conner, but stopped at the door, her breath hard in her lungs. Turned. “Thanks for being here this weekend, Micah. Conner needed you, and I know you probably saved his life more than once. Get better and go home. Live happily ever after.”
Micah stared at her with such a grim, confused expression that she softened her voice. “Don’t worry. You won’t miss the wedding. Because there isn’t going to be one.”
Then she pushed out through the doors into the hallway.
Took a breath.
Reuben had been admitted and moved to a room while Conner had his great adventure in town. And Raina and Casper still huddled with Layla in the ER, holding oxygen to her face.
Never in her wildest dreams did Liza think her wedding disasters might be this epic.
Grace, Max, and Yulia had already left in Max’s truck, taking Ingrid with them back to the resort. Ivy and Joy, after being checked out, waited in the lobby for Darek. Tiger hung around in the hallway, hands shoved into his pockets.
Mona had headed back to town with Emma, looking for their husbands.
Now, Jed, Pete, and even Romeo looked up at her, as if she carried dire news. “He’s alive. They’re giving him a transfusion. He’s calling his wife.”
John came over to her, pressed his big hand onto her shoulder. “You need a place to stay tonight?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’m fine. I’m just going to go home and figure out how I let it get this far.”
Then, because she only lived three blocks away, she headed toward the doors.
“Liza!”
The voice called out to her, raking at her heart, but she refused to turn.
“Liza!” Closer now, but she strode out into the parking lot into the cool whisper of the early summer evening, the stars swimming across the black vault of night.
She wiped her fingers across her cheekbones, then gave up and let the tears run.
