by Lea Hart
“Sorry, only patients ride in the bird. We’ll take real good care of your wife and meet you at the hospital.” Giving the signal to the pilot, the paramedics closed the door and tapped it. They pulled Chase out of the way and the firemen made sure the area was clear, so that the chopper could take off.
A policeman stood next to Chase and they both watched the helicopter rise straight upward and move toward Miami. They had to make it in time, because there was no other choice. Turning toward the house, he felt a hand on his arm and turned to see a cop. “I need to get to the hospital.”
“I know, son, let me give you a ride because you don’t look like you’re capable of driving right now.” Waiting for Chase to acknowledge what he said, he stood patiently.
“Thanks that would be great. Let me close the front door and grab my phone.” Running to the house, he tried to get his mind to function and found it impossible. He knew he wasn’t going to take a regular breath until Ronnie was fully healed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Wednesday
By the time that Chase thought about calling anyone to let them know what was going on, he realized that he didn’t have anyone’s number in his phone. So he called Scott and had him get in touch with Jack and Clark. He figured that Ana and Ella would know what to do, and he was going to rely on them to contact whomever they felt was appropriate. He hadn’t taken a regular breath since he stared across the street and watched the car plow into Ronnie. And he didn’t expect to have one until she smiled into his eyes. He was in a holding pattern until they heard from the surgeon.
They’d officially admitted her a couple of hours ago, and Chase did the best he could with the paperwork. For the first time in his life, he was glad that he was famous. The administrator was about to give him the run around, and he lost his shit with the woman. He regretted his outburst, and knew at some point he should apologize to the woman. He remembered saying something about his smile being worth a million dollars and to not worry about the bill being paid. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but he’d lost civility when the car hit Ronnie. Did they seriously worry about being paid more than saving lives? He was going to have to think about that after all of this was over and see what he should do.
Glancing around the waiting room, he counted the number of people who’d shown up when Ana and Ella called them. He had a feeling that Scott had something to do with all of the faces in the room as well. The place was filled with many of Florida’s top athletes. Ronnie did more than manage people’s wealth. She seemed to manage parts of their lives, as well. Ana handed him a cup of coffee and sat next to him. Nodding his thanks, he set it next to him.
“I’ve spoken with my colleagues, and the surgeon who’s doing Ronnie’s surgery is considered one of the best.” Patting his leg, she stared off into the distance. “It’s all going to be okay. Ronnie is going to pull through, and you two are going to start a happy life together.”
Glancing over, he wondered when he gained Ana’s approval. “I had no idea that you approved of the two of us.”
“Of course I do. You’re the only man to stand up to her and take her on. Nobody’s had the guts up until you.” Taking a sip of her coffee, she crossed her legs and thought about it more. “Ronnie has a big heart, but she’s learned to protect it over the last couple of years. She made it almost impossible for anyone to scale it, and I can’t really say that I blame her. I did the same thing until Jack came after me. Anyway, a man’s never gotten past her wit and sarcasm…until you. You seem to see beyond it and be interested in the woman behind the pretty façade.”
“I’ve always been interested in the woman who stood up to me and showed me my place. It happened within the first five minutes of speaking with her, and nothing has changed.” Rubbing his face with his hand, he let out a breath. “I told her I loved her right before she got hit by the car.”
“Don’t worry, Chase, you’ll have a thousand more opportunities to say it.” She watched Jack walk in with her sweater and smiled. He’d been nice enough to run to her office on the other side of the complex and get it for her. “Thanks, honey.” He held it out to her, and she slipped it on. “Did you have any trouble getting into the office?”
“No, there were some people working in the lab, so it was easy.” Peering around the room, he let out a sigh. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if something happened to Ana. All of his sympathy was with Chase. There was nothing worse than feeling like you couldn’t do something for the people you loved. He remembered being in college and getting a call from his parents when Chris had been seriously injured on an op. His world had moved in slow motion and stalled until he got word that he was okay. He noticed Clark hold Ella in his arms as they spoke quietly to one another. “Let me know if you need me to go and pick up Ronnie’s parents from the airport.”
“Thanks, man. Their flight arrives at six, and I have a car scheduled to pick them up.” A surgeon entered the room, and Chase stood up along with Ana and Ella. “How did it go, Doc?”
Motioning for him to walk over, Chase moved quickly toward him along with Ana and Ella. “The surgery went well, and the team is closing her up. There was a significant amount of internal damage, and we were able to repair most of it. We’ll see how she’s doing in a couple of hours and then reassess whether we need to do more surgery after that. You can go and see her in about an hour. If she makes it through the next twenty-four hours, then her chances of a full recovery increase greatly. She’s young and strong, so we’re cautiously optimistic.”
A whoosh of air escaped Chase’s lungs, and he felt light-headed. Leaning over, he rested his hands on his knees as he tried to get himself together. Two small hands rubbed his back, and he figured both Ella and Ana were showing him their support. Standing, he focused and shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you, sir. That’s good news.” Crossing his arms, he took a big gulp of air. It turned out the first full breath was an important one. “I need some air, so I’m going to take a little walk.”
“You go ahead, Chase. We’ll update everyone,” Ella said.
Nodding, he walked out of the waiting room and discovered a door that led out to a small patio. Making his way into the dark starry night, he found a corner and slid down the wall. Burying his face in his arms, he felt tears leak from his eyes as relief swamped him. She was going to be all right; the love of his life was going to make it. Leaning his head against his knees, he allowed himself the luxury of crying. This was probably going to be his one chance to let it out before he started taking care of Ronnie. When her body sailed up in the air and then hurtled to the ground, he knew it would be a miracle if she came away with little damage. But she was alive, and that’s all that mattered. Looking up, he noticed the sky turning pink as the sun rose over the horizon. It was going to be a good day.
********
Gerald strode through the corridor of the hospital with Mama and Papa DuMond. He’d met them at the airport and escorted them here. How had so many things changed in just four weeks? It wasn’t his custom to return from his month long vacation to so many disasters. He thought his effort at matchmaking was going to be the big news, not Ronnie in the hospital. “Don’t you worry, Val. Our girl is going to come out of this just fine.” He patted her hand and then stalled at the door of the waiting room. Placing his hand against his heart, he was momentarily stunned by the number of people there. The place was packed to capacity with her friends and clients. Standing in the middle of it was Chase. Someone was handing him a cup of coffee, and as his eyes lifted, they met Gerald’s. Nodding to one another, he watched him move toward their group. It would seem that his matchmaking worked better than even he expected.
“Mr. and Mrs. DuMond, Gerald…Ronnie is sure going to be happy to see you. I just came out of recovery, and she’s going to make it. Her eyes opened for a minute, and she squeezed my hand for a second.” He hugged Val then shook the hands of both men. “Let me go and tell the nurse that you’re here, and I’m sure she’ll get you in
right in.”
Val touched his arm and gazed into his weary eyes. “How did you get the doctors to tell you what’s going on with her? They usually only tell the family.”
“The paramedic assumed I was her husband at the scene of the accident, and then he must have said something to the nurses when they medevacked her in. And…I might have written it accidentally on purpose on her admittance forms. The woman was giving me a hard time about an insurance card, and I said or yelled not to worry about me taking care of my wife’s medical bills.”
“That was good thinking, but you won’t be responsible for any bills. That’s up to us.”
“No disrespect intended, Mrs. DuMond, but I’ve already taken care of it. Let me go see if I can talk to the nurse.” He moved away from the group and walked through the doors in search of the nurse.
“The man is in love with Ronnie!” Gerald exclaimed. “How did that happen in a month?” Staring at Val, he lifted his shoulders and let out a breath. “I have to start checking in when I leave, because look at what I missed.”
Papa DuMond let out a low chuckle. “He requested my permission to ask Ronnie to marry him when they were at the house for Nana Boo’s birthday party. He wasted no time and wanted to make sure that I approved before he moved forward.”
Val waved to the girls and watched them get up and move in their direction. “He bought the house next door and closes on it in a couple of weeks. He’s nothing if not determined.” Turning, she opened her arms to Ana and Ella and enveloped them both. “Our girl is going to be okay.” She embraced both of them and kissed each of their heads. A small tear escaped for the first time since hearing the news of her daughter’s accident. She hadn’t allowed herself to fall apart, and she wasn’t going to do it now, but having her daughter’s best friends cling to her allowed her to let a little emotion out. The girls lifted away and wiped their faces. “Let’s make sure she has what she needs when she wakes up. You girls go to the house and make a bag for her and bring it back.” Tapping her finger against her mouth, she thought about what else need to be done. “Pack something for Chase as well. I have a feeling he’s not going to leave until she does.”
Ana spoke first. “Of course.”
“The guys have breakfast ordered, and it’s on its way. After you see Ronnie, come back and have something to eat,” Ella said. “Jordan and Alex are flying in, and they should both be here by this afternoon.”
Papa DuMond looked over the girls who he considered daughters and smiled. “Our girl is fortunate to have you all in her life. It has given Val and me a lot of peace over the years to know that you all looked out for one another and stuck together like you have.”
Ella held his arm and gave him a small smile. “We had to; it’s not like anyone else was going to understand us.”
Val lifted her head in the direction of the two large men in the group who’d been keeping an eye on the girls. “I think you each have found someone who gets you. And for that, I am grateful.”
Ana pulled Val’s hand. “Come on and let me introduce you to them, and then we’ll run to the house and get Ronnie’s stuff packed. Being in a car accident is unfortunate, but waking up without your stuff would be tragic.”
Before they made it over to the men, Chase walked in with the nurse. “Mr. and Mrs. DuMond, they’re going to take you in now, and then it will be Gerald’s turn.”
The girls stepped back and let them move toward the door. Val called over her shoulder that she would meet the men later. Jack and Clark walked up and wrapped their arms around the women and waited for instructions.
Ana patted Gerald’s hand. “Do you want anything from the house?”
“No, you all go and I’ll see you later. After I see Ronnie, I’ll head home and make sure that we’re ready for the family to arrive.”
“Call Trevor, because there is a whole new alarm system in place,” Ella said.
“I’m never leaving on vacation again,” Gerald replied flatly. “Too much happens when I’m gone.” Taking Ella’s hand, he squeezed it. “Nothing can happen to my girls. I’ve put too much work into you all not to see the happy endings.” He sniffed and pulled out his hanky to dab his eyes.
Giving him a little hug, Ella laughed. “We would never do that to you, Gerald.”
Jack and Clark walked over and listened to the plan from the girls. The four of them gathered their things and headed out. It was going to be a long day, but a good one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Thursday
Chase stood next to Ronnie’s parents as the doctor updated them on her condition. He felt a cold sweat form on his skin as he listened to the doctor describe Ronnie’s condition. How could she have taken a turn so quickly?”
“It seems that the infection has taken hold, and we’re pumping antibiotics into her as quickly as we can. It’s a wait and see situation. We have to let her body try and fight the infection, and then we can address the question of surgery.” Dr. Minkins felt his phone vibrate and checked it. “I have another patient to see. I will be by in a couple of hours to check on her.” Shaking hands with the group, he walked down the corridor.
Val turned to her husband and leaned against him. “Our girl is a fighter, and that is what we have to count on. Let’s find the chapel, because I need to have a conversation with God.”
Mr. DuMond looked at Chase and placed his hand on his shoulder. “We are going to keep the faith. Our girl has never given up on anything, and this is not going to be any different. Do you want to come with us to the chapel?”
“No, thank you. I think I will just sit with her for a while. I feel better if I’m holding her hand.”
Nodding in agreement, Val hugged him. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
Leaning against the wall, Chase watched them move arm-in-arm down the hall. He closed his eyes and sent up a quick prayer and then stood and moved into Ronnie’s room. Seeing her so banged up, with all the lines going into her port, made him falter as he made his way to her side. Sitting down heavily, he took her small hand in his. “Hi, honey. Your mom and dad are heading over to the chapel to have a little talk with God. I have a feeling that your mom has a direct line; something tells me that she lets him know her thoughts on a regular basis. Anyway, it seems that your body is giving you some trouble, but I need you to fight back with everything you have. Just the same way you give me everything you have—good or bad. That may be one of my favorite things about you. You give whatever you’re involved with everything you have and hold nothing back. If you were a guy, you would’ve made a great football player. You have the heart for it, that’s for sure. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Maybe it makes me feel like we’re having a regular conversation.” Lifting her hand to his mouth, he pressed his mouth to her skin. “I love you, honey, and I need you to work real hard on fighting the infection, because you’re the person who I’m going to build a life with. And without you, I won’t have one.”
Ana stood just outside the door and heard the conversation Chase was having with Ronnie and felt a tear slip down her face. The man was all right in her book. The way he loved her friend was enough for her. Opening the door slowly, she cleared her throat to make sure that he knew she was coming. He quickly wiped his face as she smiled gently at him. “I approve, Chase. As far as I’m concerned, my friend’s heart is safe in your hands.”
“Thanks, Ana. I just need to her to fight this infection.”
“She will.” Sliding over to Ronnie’s bed, she smoothed Ronnie’s hair before sitting down. “That is the thing that will always be true about Ronnie. She will fight for what she believes in, who she cares about, and the last piece of cake. So this…she will definitely fight.”
“How did the five of you become friends and stay that way?” Chase asked.
“Ronnie and I were roommates freshman year. Ella’s room was next door to us, and Alex and Jordan’s was on the other side. Ronnie and I, in some respects, couldn’t be more different, but in all of th
e important ways, we are the same. That can be said for all of the people in our group. When you grow up being the smart geek in high school, it’s a relief to go to college and discover there are a bunch of people just like you. For me, it was like finding my tribe of people. They took me as I was, and there was no better gift. Alex was the only one who was normal. But in his crowd of jocks, he was considered an anomaly. You don’t get into Stanford without having some serious brain power, and he definitely has some. Just not as much as the rest of us. We like to remind him about it all the time.”
“I guess I’m lucky that Ronnie even considers me an option. I only went to UCLA, which, though academically challenging, is nothing like Stanford.”
“My cousin Birdie went to UCLA for her graduate degree. It’s a fine school and one that you should be proud of.”
“Oh, I’m proud of it. Don’t get me wrong.” Looking over at Ronnie, he sighed. “But it’s nothing like this girl and what she’s accomplished. And you, too.”
“You don’t have to charm me, Chase. I already think you’re a good choice for Ronnie. I haven’t ever seen a man stand up to her in the way you have.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m a grown man and not a boy.”
“Maybe. But Jack and I are the same age, and he feels like a grown man to me, I feel like we’re equals, and he’s just as mature as me. Which maybe means that we both lack maturity; I’m not sure.”
“I don’t know Jack that well, so I couldn’t say. But he’s always conducted himself with a lot of style and class. He takes his job seriously and, from what I can tell, works harder than most to perform at his best ability. He doesn’t seem to take any of it for granted.”
