When the EMTs had finally arrived at the cabin, they rushed Mike and Gunner both into the ambulance. Shar and Lily followed in a police car. The E.R. doc had put Mike out, giving him blood and operating on the torn muscles. Last she’d heard, Gunner had also lost a lot of blood from his head wound and had a concussion, but he was going to recover.
Too tired to hold her head up, she rested it against the bed railing and studied Mike’s handsome face in the dimly-lit room. She loved his smooth, brown skin and full lips, but she’d love it even more when he opened those deep brown eyes and gave her a meaningful look. When would he wake up? She wanted him to rest and heal, but she also wanted to know he was all right.
Closing her gritty eyes, she said a prayer for him and a prayer of gratitude. They were safe. The memory of last night was insane and a bit fuzzy with no sleep and so much stress and terror, but somehow they’d all survived. Gunner and Lily had saved them from that crazy Brett White and his hired mercenaries. Shar was also grateful that Gunner had been the one to kill Brett. She didn’t think Mike would’ve dealt well with killing his former friend. Mike was definitely a more sensitive soul than Gunner. She laughed to herself, thinking that was the understatement of the year.
She lowered the bed railing and rested her head against the tilted mattress and her hand on Mike’s chest. His smooth skin was warm and felt so reassuring. She just wanted to be near him. It was crazy that she hadn’t worried about her restaurant or anything but Mike last night or this morning. She hadn’t known him long, but he was quickly becoming her entire world.
Sunlight peeked through the slanted blinds, and Shar jerked awake. Mike’s eyes were open, and he was studying her. He still looked exhausted, but he was awake.
“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured.
“Mike!” She gave him a gentle hug. “How are you feeling?”
“Drugged.” He rolled his head from side to side then studied her. “How are you?”
“Tired, but so grateful we’re okay.”
He nodded. “Gunner and Lily were worth every penny.”
She smiled. “True. Especially because they were your pennies.”
He returned her smile, but his eyes were too somber for her liking. Studying her, he murmured, “I can’t believe I endangered you like that. Please forgive me, Shar.”
Shar pulled back. “It wasn’t you. It was that crazy man, Brett White. You can’t be blamed for that.”
He shrugged slightly. “I blame myself.”
“Well I don’t, so stop being a dum-dum sucker.”
Mike’s full smile came then. He studied her for a few more seconds then his eyes drifted closed. “I hate how tired I am.”
“It’s okay. Rest. I’ll be here.” She could relate as she felt like she could sleep for days, and she hadn’t had a traumatic bullet wound and a dangerous amount of blood loss.
He covered her hand with his as it rested on his bare chest. “Don’t move.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
He smiled, but then his face relaxed, and she knew he’d drifted off again. His hand slowly slid off of hers and down to his side. Shar didn’t mind not moving, staring at his handsome face and wondering what would happen between them when he got released from the hospital. He was going to need some time for his leg to heal from the gunshot wound. Hilton Head Island was a perfect spot for rest and recuperation. She smiled to herself and trailed her fingers across his strong chest, avoiding any tubes and sticky thingies on him.
Time ticked by, and whatever amount of sleep she’d had definitely wasn’t enough as her eyes felt bleary and gritty, and she hoped she wasn’t just romanticizing everything with Mike because she was so overwrought and emotional. But he had been so great, and she wanted to see what developed between them, now that the threat was over.
Her rear started hurting from sitting there, and she really needed to use the restroom. Mike was snoring loudly. It made her smile. She couldn’t wait to tease him about it. Would he snore without all the drugs in his system and not sleeping on his back? She really wanted to find out, but they were nowhere close to a marriage proposal. They weren’t even officially dating. She shoved away her fantasies of him begging her to date him and tried to focus on staying awake so she could be here for him when he awakened.
Finally, she could stand it no more, and she stood and stretched, rolling her neck around and then stretching her back and chest. Mike didn’t stir. She hurried from his room and down the white, sterile hallway. Finding a women’s restroom, she used it and washed her hands, peering at herself in the mirror. She examined herself through blurry eyes. Splashing some water on her face, she looked again, but nothing had changed. She still looked and felt horrible. The hospital staff had checked her out and cleared her, and then had given her some clean scrubs to put on. Her hair still smelled like smoke, though, and it was a rat’s nest. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from stress and no sleep. Her lips were dry, and she missed the humidity of home.
Home. Hopefully, she and Mike would be able to fly there soon. She’d have to check in with Lily after Mike awakened and the doctor told her the plan for his release. She loved that she felt responsible for Mike. She’d heard his family had been informed last night about all the events involving Mike, but they weren’t here yet, so she got to watch over him.
Exiting the bathroom, she took a long drink from the water fountain and then hurried back toward Mike’s room. The elevator dinged open in front of her, and a bunch of beautiful people walked out: five women and one man. They were chattering, and only one of the younger women noticed her, giving her a friendly smile. With the scrubs on, Shar probably looked like a nurse.
Turning, they walked in front of Shar toward Mike’s room. His family? They were all tall, dark, and beautiful like him, with the exception of one lady in the group who was a gorgeous blonde. So gorgeous, she should’ve been on magazine covers. The blonde and one of the young women walked arm in arm at the front of the group.
A nurse stopped them, and the man, a slightly balding older version of Mike, though not as thick or tall, said, “We’re Mike Kohler’s family.”
“Oh, yes. I can definitely see the resemblance. Right this way. He’s doing fabulous.” The nurse led them into the room, chattering about Mike’s injury and recovery.
Shar crept behind the group, suddenly feeling awkward and displaced. What was her role now? Did she introduce herself to his family as his … girlfriend? No, she was only the crazy fangirl who he’d kissed several times, and who’d gone through something traumatic with him. They had no relationship, yet. Shar fought to keep her confidence up. Mike had shown every indication that he wanted to be with her. How to tell his family that? Hopefully, he’d wake up again and insist Shar stayed by his side, introduce her as … she didn’t know what, but she felt excitement and nervousness swell in her.
She stayed back from the room but could see through the open door and could hear their voices clearly.
“He’s snoring,” one of the younger girls giggled.
His mom stood on the left side of his bed with his dad right next to her. She brushed her fingers across his cheek. “Oh, my handsome boy. I hate what he’s been through.”
Mike’s dad cuddled her close. “He’s okay, love. He’s okay.”
She leaned against her husband’s shoulder, tears trickling down her pretty face.
“Meredith,” one of the girls said. “Wake him up for us.”
“Okay.” The blonde’s voice was full of excitement, but Shar couldn’t see her face.
Meredith? Could it be? His college girlfriend who had been framed as the stalker? Shar felt bad that the girl had been wrongly accused, but she still didn’t want to leave Mike alone with the woman.
Shar started forward just as the blonde leaned down and kissed Mike full on the mouth. Shar gasped, but nobody in the room heard her. They were all tittering about Meredith kissing their brother or son.
Mike’s arms came up around the woman, and it was obv
ious from this angle that he was kissing her back.
Shar’s mouth and eyes widened, and her stomach plunged. No, no, no, no! She scrambled away, but not before she heard Mike murmur, “Now, that’s a way to wake a man up.”
His family’s excited voices drowned out everything else as Shar spun and rushed for the elevator. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she was going away from here. Hot tears stung her eyes as she pushed the elevator button and waited. A distinguished man who reminded her of James Bond, and a beautiful, refined blonde woman, walked out. She was barely able to squeak out a nod as she rushed in. They both whirled and came back in with her.
“Shar Heathrow?” the man asked.
“Yes?” she said cautiously, brushing the tears away and wishing she wasn’t such a mess.
“Sutton Smith.” He stuck his hand out, and she shook it. Then, he wrapped his arm around the woman. “My wife, Liz,” he said with obvious pride in his voice.
Liz gave her hand a squeeze. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
“I …” She shook her head. The elevator went down to the first floor, and they all exited. She should’ve recognized the well-known couple. They’d been at Colt and Kim’s wedding, but she hadn’t officially met them. She was such a mess that she could barely see the entryway of the hospital in front of her. She was exhausted, emotional, and far too invested in what was happening with Mike and Meredith. The only answer that came was to get far away, so she didn’t go start a catfight with some woman she didn’t even know, and offend and upset Mike’s family.
Sutton turned toward her. “What can we do for you?”
“Is Gunner okay?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself to buy some time.
“Yes.” Sutton nodded reassuringly. “Sadly, not his first or last hit to that hard head.” He smiled. “Lily’s giving him plenty of love and care.”
Shar smiled. She really liked those two and was so glad they were both okay. She’d never forget watching Lily’s heartache as she focused on rescuing Shar and Mike, and leaving her husband.
Mike. Shar’s heart wrenched again. Maybe there was a logical reason he’d kissed that Meredith chick back, but Shar didn’t think it was her spot to push in with his family and try to prove she was the one who should be waking him up. It hurt like a root canal throughout her entire body that he would kiss someone else and say it was the way to wake up. Shar was the way for him to wake up, not that blonde model.
“We were just on our way to see you and Mike,” Liz said, in a smooth, beautiful English accent. “How’s he faring?”
“His family is with him now,” Shar managed to get out, but her voice bounced with emotion and probably betrayed her.
“That’s brilliant.”
Shar nodded tightly.
“And you’re okay?” Liz’s kind blue eyes swept over her face. She obviously knew Shar was a mess.
Shar was so exhausted and bleary that she could hardly see, let alone make any decisions. Some sappy part of her didn’t want to leave Mike, but the small part of her that was rational quickly remembered he was upstairs kissing that blonde with his family surrounding him. “I just need to get back home, but I don’t have my wallet or ID or anything to get on an airplane.” Yes, that was the ticket, focus on getting back home, getting back to real life. The past few days with Mike were a crazy, unrealistic dream. She’d compartmentalize it and move on, back to her busy, fulfilling life running her restaurant. Mike Kohler was just a memory. A beautiful memory full of longing on her part, but it was done.
Sutton nodded. “We can get you home.” He looked down at his wife. “You all right staying in Colorado for a day or so, love? I’ve got a few things to clean up with this case.” He smiled wryly at Shar. “Someone burned one of my safe houses to the ground.”
“Blimey, yes. Any chance I have to be close to you, I’ll take it.” She smiled sweetly up at him.
Sutton wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Thanks, love.” He focused back on Shar. “You wait right here, and I’ll have a driver take you to my plane and fly you home to … Hilton Head, correct?”
“Yes.” Shar’s lower lip trembled. They were so kind and so beautiful together. How would it be like to have a lasting kind of love like this? She’d probably never know. Her love and her life was her restaurant. That had been okay … until she’d met Mike Kohler. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Sutton pulled out his phone and murmured, “Excuse me for a moment.” He walked away to make the arrangements, and Shar was left facing his beautiful wife. She had to be in her early fifties, but she still looked like a supermodel. Shar remembered when she was a duchess and named the most beautiful woman in the world.
Liz stepped closer to her and put a hand on her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay, love?”
Shar nodded, trying to force a smile, but she could barely think straight. She must look a mess. Patting at her hair, she murmured, “Nothing a hot shower and my own clothes won’t fix.”
Liz’s eyes were too perceptive. “Lily let slip that you might … fancy Mike Kohler.”
Fancy Mike? She more than fancied him. She thought she was falling in love with him. No, that wasn’t right. She was a strong, independent woman, and he had his family and that blonde Meredith all over him.
“Are you sure you want to leave so fast?” Liz softly asked when Shar didn’t reply.
“Yes,” Shar said quickly. “I need to get home. My restaurant. My employees need me.”
Sutton walked back toward them, pocketing his phone. “The driver is pulling up to the door now. We’ll just wait with you so I can introduce you and make sure you’re comfortable.”
Tears stung her eyes again. These people were a class act. “Thank you,” she managed to get out. “I’m so grateful I met you.”
They both nodded graciously. Liz said nothing more about her “fancying” Mike, and Shar was grateful. The driver, a small, grinning man, hurried into the open waiting area of the hospital, shook her hand, bid Sutton and Liz goodbye, and waited for her to say her farewells.
“Thanks again,” Shar said, shaking Sutton’s firm hand.
He nodded. “Let us know if there’s anything else you need.”
“Thanks.” She was saying it too much, but she meant it. These two had rescued her. She could’ve gotten ahold of Ally or Kim, and they would’ve helped her, but she would’ve been waiting a while.
Liz gave her another hug. “Wonderful to have met you.”
“You too.” She forced another smile, whispered, “Bye,” and followed the driver out the sliding glass doors to a stretched Escalade limousine that she suspected was bulletproof. Sinking into the soft seat, she closed her eyes and let the tears leak out. Had Mike really kissed that Meredith back and said, “Now that’s a way to wake a man up?” Oh, she could hardly stand to remember it. Even though it felt like she’d been hit by a sledgehammer, her brain still seemed able to remember.
She let her mind wander back farther. Mike using her as a bench press. Mike kissing her like she was the one for him. Mike grinning at her. A sigh escaped, and luckily, the driver let her have some privacy. She was going home, back to her restaurant. That had to be her focus. She just wished the tears would stop leaking out.
Chapter Thirteen
Mike was in a fog. He wanted to fight out of it and hold Shar close. She’d promised she’d stay close. He heard voices and movement and fought to rise out of the fog. Suddenly, lips pressed against his. Shar. He smiled against her mouth and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her through the haze. It was a subpar kiss for Shar, but she was probably as exhausted and out of it as he was. All that mattered right now was she was here.
When she pulled back, he heard people laughing, and he tried to joke away the lackluster kiss with, “Now that’s a way to wake a man up.” Their next kiss would be dynamite again. They were simply both worn out.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, son.”
Mike finally opened his eyes. Everything was a bit blurry through the grogginess of the insanity of last night and the anesthesia, but his family was here. He could hardly wait for them to meet Shar. Where was she? She had to be close. Hadn’t she just kissed him? His gaze swiveled around the well-loved faces until they landed on … “Meredith?”
She grinned at him, biting at her lip. “Hi, Mike.”
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
Her face flushed red, and his dad said, “Now son, that’s no way to greet the woman you just kissed.”
“I just … kissed?” Horror traced through him. His head was cloudy for sure if he’d kissed Meredith and imagined she was Shar. Shar’s kisses beat Meredith’s a thousand times over. “Where’s Shar?”
“Who’s Shar?” his mom asked.
“She’s my …” Could he really claim she was his girlfriend? They’d only known each other a few days, but he felt as if they were together. And if it got Meredith to back off, he definitely thought it was worth claiming he was with Shar, even if he hadn’t had a chance to clarify that with her. Where was she? “My girlfriend,” he said firmly.
“Oh?” His mom looked confused, but then she smiled. “Well, then, we can’t wait to meet her.”
His sister Eliza glared at him. “Meredith came all this way to see you, you just kissed her, and now you’re claiming to be dating some Shar chick?”
Mike had no clue why Meredith was even here. His father had taught him to be kind, but this was ridiculous. “Meredith and I broke up a long time ago,” Mike said as kindly as he could. “Shar is the woman I want to be with.”
Meredith’s face crumpled, and she gave a little overwrought cry, spun, and ran from the room. Eliza gave him a death-glare and followed her friend.
As soon as they were gone, Mike turned to his dad. “Why on earth would you bring her with you?”
“Well, son, she’s been coming to services every Sunday and for youth activities. She and Eliza have become close friends. She was with Liza last night when we got word about you being attacked by some stalker …” He pushed a hand over his balding pate.
The Pursued Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance Page 11
