Hey Sunshine

by Tia Giacalone

  I was trembling, on the verge of a total breakdown, but I looked into his eyes and nodded.

  “Annabelle, baby, hold on! Fox is coming to get you!” I yelled to her, trying to keep my voice calm.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a crowd had gathered, and I was sure someone had already called for help, but I knew the fire truck wouldn’t get here fast enough to reach Annabelle. She’d already slipped a few more inches. My heart was beating out of my chest but I kept calling out encouragement to her, telling her what a good girl she was and how well she was doing. It was torture listening to her whimper and cry, but I kept my voice as steady as I possibly could.

  Fox had started his ascent when we heard another rusty metal creak, and one of the buckets came loose right beneath his feet. Swearing, he looked up at Annabelle and jumped to the ground. He met my father’s eyes for a moment before he spoke, and my dad nodded grimly.

  “I can’t reach her. I’m too heavy for this broken-down wheel and I’m afraid it’s going to come crashing down.”

  I started to cry in earnest. “What? No! She can’t hold on!”

  “Focus, Avery. You have to do it. You have to get her. You’re almost seventy pounds lighter than me, and the ride will hold you. Climb up there, pull her back into the bucket, unbuckle the belt, and then let her drop down on the other side. I’ll be there to catch her.” Fox’s face was gentle, his voice firm, just like that day in the storm. He was good at saving us.

  I didn’t stop to think, I just looked up at Annabelle and started to climb. Never was I more thankful for those hours of mandatory high school gymnastics than as I pulled myself from bar to bar. Precious seconds ticked by as the voices below me got farther and farther away, but I focused on her little tearstained face and her fingers gripping the side of the bucket.

  I could hear Fox in the background and vaguely registered him following my movements underneath the wheel as I picked my footing. The wheel was fairly simple to climb, but the metal was rusted and the entire ride jolted as I moved upward. When I finally reached the bucket, I pulled myself inside.

  “I’m here, Annabelle! Mama’s here! I’ve got you, baby.”

  Quickly, I slid my arms under her and pulled and we fell back into the bucket, where I immediately unbuckled the broken seatbelt. The crowd below let out an audible sigh. She was limp and crying but she was whole.

  “Oh Annabelle! I’m so sorry!” I sobbed. Her entire life had flashed before my eyes on that climb. From infancy to first steps to yesterday, I relived it all in a few seconds.

  “Mama!” she sniffed, holding me tight. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  “It’s okay, baby. You’re okay,” I soothed her.

  “Avery!” Fox called. “You have to hurry. Put her over the side and I’ll catch her. I’m right here.”

  I looked down, feeling dizzy. Now that I had Annabelle in my arms, I was reluctant to release her. I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her close to my chest, my whole body trembling. I trusted Fox to catch her, I just wasn’t sure if I could bear to let her go.

  “Now, Avery!” Fox’s voice was urgent. I heard the creaking metal of the old wheel, and my panic renewed itself. Leaning as far out of the bucket as I could, I held tight to Annabelle’s torso and prepared myself.

  Fox was standing right below us, his arms out. “Drop her, Avery! You have to!”

  I took a deep breath and let go. It seemed like she fell for a full minute but it was only seconds until Fox’s arms closed safely around her.

  “I’ve got her!” he shouted. “She’s okay!” Fox immediately passed Annabelle to my father, who ran with her in his arms to meet the arriving EMTs, my mom right behind him.

  “Fox!” I called. “How do I get down?” I tried to block out the distance between myself and the ground, but my adrenaline was waning and I felt weak and tired.

  He considered for a brief second before answering. “Come down the same side you dropped her. I’ll be right underneath you.”

  The pig. Annabelle would want me to get the pig. I stuffed Wilbur halfway into my pocket and put one leg over the side of the bucket and started to descend, my hands still shaking. Going down blind was a lot more difficult than climbing up to my frightened child.

  “That’s it, you’re doing great,” Fox encouraged.

  I took another deep breath and felt around for my next foothold. I’d only made it about three feet when the old wheel started to shudder and heave. Terrified, I glanced over my shoulder and saw I was still far from solid ground.

  “Fox, it’s collapsing!” I cried. The bar I was standing on detached from the main structure, and my feet started sliding downward. I gripped the pole above me as hard as I could but my hands were clammy and slipped on the metal.

  “JUMP, AVERY! Jump! I’m here!” Fox yelled.

  One of my hands slipped from the pole and I made a split-second decision. Just get clear of the wheel, I thought. Heaving myself backwards and away from the ride, I trusted Fox to catch me in my haphazard fall.

  When my body collided with his, we both went down, but his arms cradled me and he shifted, protecting me from the worst of the impact. I wanted to lie there for a minute and catch my breath, but Fox got to his feet quickly, urging me to stand. The wheel was making horrible sounds, metal creaking and snapping, and we were directly underneath it. It was a dangerous place to be and we didn’t have much time. I let Fox drag me up, my hipbone protesting where I'd fallen, and he quickly tugged me away from the broken Ferris wheel.

  We turned around just in time to watch the ride collapse in on itself from its own weight.

  Chapter 19

  “I’d like to keep Annabelle overnight for observation, Ms. Kent.” The young doctor consulted his clipboard. “The head trauma is obviously more concerning than her dislocated shoulder. There’s only a slight concussion, and I’m certain she’ll make a full recovery, but at her age it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  Four hours later, my hands were still shaking and I couldn’t get warm. Was it me or was the hospital hallway freezing? Concussion, concussion, concussion. The word rattled and swirled around in my head, making me nauseous. I pulled Fox’s fleece-lined hoodie tightly around me and shoved my fingers deep into the pockets. “Of course, Dr. Stone. Whatever you think is best.”

  “I’ll put in my notes that she’ll be released around noon tomorrow, barring any complications. You and your husband are welcome to stay in her room tonight,” he said, gesturing at Fox through the window to where he sat on Annabelle’s bed.

  I didn’t bother correcting him. Sue me, I liked that he referred to Fox as my husband. It was a small pleasure on this incredibly fucked-up night. “Thank you.”

  “Just ask the nurses for any extra pillows or anything you need. I’ll be back to check on Annabelle in an hour or so.” He flashed a warm smile at me before reaching for his buzzing cell phone and scanning the message. “The hospital administrator just informed me that the police have arrived. They’d like to ask you, and me, a few questions.” His brows knit together as he read the screen. “Apparently it cannot wait.”

  “What? The police are here?” I’d anticipated having to deal with the police when we decided what to do about the liability of the carnival company, but not until then. Then it dawned on me. Chase. That cowardly asshole. He took off when we realized Annabelle was stuck on the ride. I hadn’t told the first responders why the Ferris wheel had collapsed, but maybe someone else had. There were plenty of witnesses at the fair, and the police must’ve gotten at least part of the story.

  “We’re to meet them in a conference room on the third floor,” Dr. Stone said. He gave me a sympathetic glance. We’d filled him in on the logistics of what had happened, in order for him to treat Annabelle accordingly, but the look in his eyes told me he understood it was not just an accident, it was personal. Ferris wheels didn’t fall down every day, obviously. “They want to speak to your husband and parents as well. Is there someone else in the waiting
area who can stay with Annabelle while we deal with this?”

  “Yes, of course. My best friend is here, and my aunt. They’ll sit with her while we’re gone.”

  Heather and Joy had rushed to the hospital immediately when they'd heard the news. I was lucky to have them both in my life as a constant source of support, especially since Annabelle’s birth. Joy had even stopped at my house and picked up some clothes for me and things for Annabelle, including her pajamas and her baby doll.

  “Okay then. I’ll see you on the third floor.” Dr. Stone got into the elevator as I opened the door to Annabelle’s room.

  In spite of the circumstances, my heart burst into a million happy pieces when I saw Fox and Annabelle snuggled up in her hospital bed. Her little head, complete with a large white bandage, rested on Fox’s chest as he read her a Fancy Nancy book that Joy had stuffed into our overnight bag, and the arm without the sling clutched her baby doll tightly. Concussion. My heart beat in time with the syllables. I shoved my guilt aside and smiled at them.

  “Hi, Mama.” Annabelle sat up. “Fox is reading me Fancy!”

  “That’s so nice, baby,” I said, my heart still stuttering as I took in the vision of my precious daughter and the completely surprising man next to her. Fox met my eyes and his beautiful mouth turned up at the corners just slightly. Once again, the intensity and depth of his look took my breath away.

  “Fox,” I began, shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts. He chuckled, and I gave him a half-annoyed glare. He knew exactly what he did to me at all times. Including right now, which was getting my mind off her bandage and her sling, and into the gutter. Because he loved me and Annabelle. And he wanted to take care of us. And he didn’t want me to worry, ever, about anything.

  “Fox,” I tried again, firmer this time. “They want to see us on the third floor.”

  His forehead creased as his brows lifted. “Who?”

  “P-O-L-I-C-E,” I spelled, not wanting Annabelle to understand. She was old enough to know that uniforms and badges were serious, and she’d been through a lot today already.

  His eyes flashed. I knew it was taking every bit of his self control not to hop on his bike and go looking for Chase, but his concern for Annabelle’s well-being trumped his anger. For now. I just hoped the police found Chase before Fox did, for Chase’s sake. Between the attempted uneven bar brawl and Annabelle’s accident, Chase was no friend of Fox’s anymore. A less loyal man would’ve dismissed Chase a long time ago, but even Fox had his hard limits.

  “Bells, I have to get up, okay?” My heart lurched again when he called Annabelle by her nickname. “Mama and I will be right back.”

  “Auntie Heather and Auntie Joy will come sit with you while we’re gone, baby,” I said to her. “We’re going to get more pudding.” I hated to lie, but I was also actually planning to find more pudding because Fox had eaten all of mine earlier.

  “Okay! Chocolate please, Mama.” Annabelle smiled.

  Fox swung his legs off the bed and shoved his feet into his unlaced boots. He stood, stretching his arms above his head. His long-sleeved thermal shirt rode up just barely over the waistband of his jeans, exposing lean, tanned muscle. Warm, tingly sensations ran through me as I thought about his chest without the shirt altogether. I looked away. Entirely inappropriate, Avery, I told myself.

  Fox kissed Annabelle’s cheek. “We’ll finish Fancy Nancy when I get back, okay?” Annabelle nodded sleepily and curled up with her thumb in her mouth.

  The door opened and Heather popped her head in. “Hi dollface! Auntie Joy and I thought it might be fun to watch a movie while your Mama’s gone.” She stepped into the room with Joy right behind her, taking in Annabelle’s drowsy eyes and thumb-sucking.

  In an aside to me, she said “Your daddy told us y’all had a little interview to get to.” Rolling her eyes, she continued. “I can only imagine what strings will be pulled in regard to those consequences.”

  Unfortunately, I knew she was right. While I didn’t expect to see him with a long sentence for what was definitely a thoughtless, drunken mistake, Chase had endangered quite a few people tonight, my own child most of all. Concussion, my heartbeats reminded me. He should sit in a cell for a while and know that.

  But with his family’s influence in the county, I’m sure he’d get a slap on the wrist and nothing more. If Annabelle had been severely hurt, no judge or jury would be able to curb my crusade for justice, and luckily that wasn’t the case. I’d love to see him in a superbly degrading community service situation, but I knew even that outcome was doubtful. Regardless, God help him the next time we were face to face.

  “Is he all right?” Heather whispered to me, nodding toward Fox, who had an intense look as he watched Joy chat with Annabelle. Not just angry but fierce, with the wheels turning full speed. He did a good job smoothing his expression for Annabelle’s benefit but didn’t bother to mask it when she wasn’t looking.

  I frowned. “No. He wants to find him.”

  Heather’s eyes grew wide. “Bad idea.”

  “No kidding.” My head pounded. I needed caffeine, or a sedative, or a vacation, or a time machine to rewind today and avoid this mess altogether.

  Heather gave me a quick, one-armed hug. She smelled sweet, like the sugar cookies she’d doled out to the kids from her concession booth at the fair.

  “How ‘bout we all cozy up and watch that Tangled movie you like so much?” Joy held up a portable DVD player. I was touched again by how thoughtful they both were.

  Heather and Joy squeezed onto the bed, Annabelle between them. They looked a little cramped, but happy. I tucked Annabelle’s special blanket over their laps and kissed the tip of her nose. Joy started the movie, and Annabelle was immediately engrossed in the drama of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, although her big eyes drooped with fatigue. I glanced at the clock and saw it was after ten p.m. Of course she was tired. It was hours past her bedtime and she’d been through a traumatic experience, first on the Ferris wheel and then again when she was poked and prodded upon her arrival to the hospital.

  How had I allowed this to happen? And when would it really be over? Bumps and bruises would heal, but what about the drama outside these hospital walls? And how could I make sure it all ended here, before more people I loved were hurt? My breath caught as I considered the ramifications of small-town gossip and good ole boys’ loyalty. I had to nip this in the bud, now, before it all blew up in my face.

  “We’ll be back soon,” I said softly, taking Fox’s hand as we left the room.

  * * *

  In the elevator, I turned to Fox.

  “Tell me what’s going on in your head.” I slid my arms around him. Under my hands his muscles relaxed slightly, and he exhaled.

  “I’m sorry, Avery.” His turbulent green eyes met mine.

  “What for?” I asked, surprised.

  “I’m so angry,” he bit out as he broke my hold, his fury renewed. “I don’t give a shit how drunk he was! It doesn’t matter! He was fucking stupid and reckless, and he put those kids in danger tonight. Annabelle… any of them could’ve gotten really hurt.” His broad chest heaved, and he moved to lean against the wall of the elevator, clenching his fists, the muscles of his forearms bunched and tight. “This was about me and him, and no one else. I’m so sorry, Avery. Annabelle is in that hospital bed tonight because I let this get out of control. I should’ve taken care of it earlier, at the bar.” His eyes were on fire.

  “I’m angry too. But it’s not your fault. Chase went off the handle. And I know what you’re thinking. At least, some of it,” I amended, as he raised an eyebrow skeptically. “But we have to let the police find Chase.” I moved close to him again, until our chests touched and he bent to rest his forehead against mine. “Promise me you won’t go outlaw, okay? I need you here with us.”

  I hated to play the clingy card, but I knew it was the only thing that would keep him close. I had to keep it together for Annabelle, and Fox on the hunt would be the straw t
hat broke me.

  Fox looked over my shoulder for a moment, lost in thought. A muscle in his jaw worked furiously even as his gentle hands came up to my sides.

  “Okay. I promise. For now.” His lips brushed mine, his arms encircling my waist and pulling me up tightly against him.

  Any thoughts I had about Chase or the police went directly to the back burner of my mind as his warm mouth skimmed over my lips, coaxing me to open and let him in. His tongue traced the curve of my lips before sucking my tongue into his mouth slowly, and I melted against him, allowing him to support my entire weight as he explored my tongue with his own. He took all his worry, and mine, and put it into that kiss, hoping to erase the events of the day with low whispers of love as his nose skimmed up my jawline, his hot breath tickling me as his lips found the hollow behind my ear and slowly worked their way back to my mouth. I vaguely heard the mechanical ding signaling our floor, but I was lost in Fox.

  The elevator doors opened, and Fox reluctantly released my mouth with a final nip to my lower lip. I opened my eyes and was embarrassed to realize we had an audience of three wide-eyed nurses. Fox nodded his head to them politely.

  “Ladies.” His shy smile made him even more endearing, if possible, like a sweet little boy who got caught with his hand in the candy jar. My candy jar, specifically.

  Mortified, I turned fifteen shades of red and grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the elevator. Concussion, concussion, my heart stuttered, refreshing my guilt. We quickly walked down the hallway to the conference room but not before I heard one of the nurses sigh to her friend.

  “Wow,” she murmured.

  From the expansion of his grin, I knew Fox heard her too. As we walked, I thought I noticed a slight hitch in his gait and immediately my mind flashed back to falling into his arms from the top of the Ferris wheel, and then us crashing to the ground… his leg. Oh no. Was there more damage? How badly was it hurting him?

  Fox saw me glance down and pulled me to a stop just outside the doors. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”