Page 32 of Serve and Protect
“Thanks.”
Micah gazes down at Chris and frowns. “He could have been killed today, Jen. I worry about him. I swear, he’s got a hero complex. He’s always the first one to put his life on the line to rescue someone.”
My throat tightens because I share Micah’s concerns. “He is who he is. I don’t think either one of us would want to change him.”
Micah hangs around for a little while hoping Chris will wake up. But after a while, it seems that’s not going to happen anytime soon.
“I guess I’ll take off.” Micah walks over to me, leans down, and kisses the top of my head. “Let me know if either of you needs anything tonight. I’m just a phone call away.”
“I will. Thanks. Give Robyn my love.”
Micah hasn’t been gone long when the patient finally begins to stir. He moans groggily, which tells me he’s still pretty much out of it.
“Hey, Sheriff,” I say as I reach for his good hand. “How do you feel?”
He slowly turns his head toward me, and his eyes widen in surprise. “Jennie Lopez! What are you doing here?”
Yep, he’s still out of it. “I came to check on you.”
He looks around, clearly confused. “Check on me? Why? Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital in Estes Park. Do you remember what happened?”
He frowns. “No.”
“You were in an accident.”
“Seriously? How bad was it? Was anyone hurt?”
I don’t want to go into all the gory details, so I just tell him he was chasing a carjacking suspect who had kidnapped a little girl.
“Did we catch him?”
“Yes.”
“Is the kid okay?”
“Yes, the little girl is fine. There’s nothing to worry about, so just relax.”
“What about my vehicle?”
I frown. “Honestly, I’m not sure. You crashed in a ditch.”
He frowns. “I hope it’s not totaled.” He looks disappointed. “Well, at least the kid is okay.” He sighs as he gazes at me for the longest time. “You’re so pretty, Jennie.”
I smile. Sedation has such an interesting effect on people. “Thank you. So are you.”
He shakes his head. “Be serious. I’m not pretty, but you sure are.” Then he giggles. “I always thought you were the prettiest girl in school. You’re an angel, Jennie, you know that? And I don’t just mean because of looks. I mean you’re an angel on the inside, where it really counts. You’re the nicest, kindest, sweetest girl in the world. You’rebeautiful,inside and out.”
He may be awake, but that sedative is really messing with his head.
I squeeze his hand gently. “Thanks. I think you’re pretty awesome yourself.”
Suddenly, his smile turns into a frown, and he shakes his head. “You don’t get it. But how could you? I never told you.” He looks devastated.
My pulse starts tripping. “You never told me what?” I’m almost afraid to hear his answer. Whatever he’s about to tell me, it’s clearly under the influence of a sedative. There’s no telling what he’s going to say, or even if it’s true.
I’m about to change the subject to something much safer when he blurts out, “I never told you how much I love you.”
