Rescued (A McKenzie Ridge Novel Book 1) (10 page)

“I really think she was going to tell you about Ellie. Sam hasn’t had the kind of life you wear on your sleeve. She is kind, warm, and giving, but she is very guarded.”

“I am starting to realize that. I just thought that things were different than they obviously are. We’ve had a good time these past several weeks, getting to know each other. It’s been easy to talk and be together, I just assumed…I don’t know what I assumed.”

“Dawson, just be patient with her. Her life has been less than normal; she hasn’t had a man in her life since before Ellie. She’s been hurt by too many people.”

“Evie, I would never hurt her, surely she knows that. You both have known me quite some time now…“

“I know you are a good guy, Tayler, Sam knows it too; she just has a hard time letting people in. She has more than just her own heart to consider, she has that little girl. Ellie Lou is her life; she doesn’t let just anyone in her daughter’s life.”

“Which is why I didn’t know about Ellie. Somehow, I found myself
here
, with her, and it isn’t something I’ve done before. I don’t date; I don’t do
this,
whatever
this
is I mean, uh, I uh…sound like a serious asshole.”

“No, Dawson, you sound like a guy with his own past to work through, and some new surprises to wrap your mind around. You’re one of the good ones. It’ll work out the way it’s supposed to.”

He sat quietly for some time just looking at Sam, trying to figure out what it was he was trying to get across to Everly Shaw, what was
this
. He knew he wanted to be there, needed to in fact, he just didn’t know why, what was stirring in him. Why did he care so much? Was it what the gang back at the House said? Was he in a
relationship
?

He cared about her, enjoyed her family even. He didn’t see himself seeing anyone else at this point, and definitely not sleeping with anyone else. The night they shared at the rodeo, by the creek, and the days leading up to it, were something he couldn’t explain. He enjoyed their time together, desired the time with her, she wouldn’t leave his thoughts, and he wanted more than anything for her to wake up.

Days turned into weeks and Sam’s condition hadn’t changed, other than the bruises fading and wounds healing. When Dawson wasn’t working, he was at the hospital or helping her family with all that needed to be done while Sam healed. His mornings usually included trips to Baker’s, collecting everyone’s favorites, down to how they took their coffee, or chocolate milk as it may. They had developed a routine of sorts, that included taking turns on all fronts, beyond just watching Sam.

When meals weren’t sent over from friends and colleagues at the House or brought in by Sam’s hospital friends, they took turns bringing them in themselves. Dawson found himself chipping in more often than not, even with Ellie—trying to keep her busy and distracted was harder and harder as each day passed. She missed her mama.

More than once, Dawson had volunteered to take Ellie to Sugar Pine’s for her riding club, and to her “Art on the Prairie” class. It was good to get her out of the hospital; it was good for him to get out of the hospital so he could reconcile the events of late and figure out what the hell he was doing. As much as he wanted to be there by Sam, wished her to wake, and felt drawn to help her family, he just couldn’t settle on why those desires were so deeply rooted?

Sam the mystery had become Sam the muse, and now he didn’t know what this was called; a challenge he clearly accepted, but what is his goal and why was he so determined to achieve it? That, he could not answer. He was learning about and growing more fond of the woman that flooded his thoughts and kept him awake each night. He really needed to get a grip. He was falling hard for a girl in a coma.

His handful of outings with Ellie usually ended with a stop at the Snow Cap Soda Shop for ice cream cones and floats.

“What flavor are you feelin’ today, squirt? I think I’m having another round of that Sherbert.

After a long pause and with eyes out the window, after a long sigh, she finally replied in a sad, small voice, that lacked all the charisma that was Ellie Lou, “I don’t feel like ice cream today.”

“What? No ice cream? Are you trying to fool me into getting you extra ice cream again? Cause I’m on to you twerp!” His smile faded at the sight of what had to be the saddest little girl he had ever seen.

“Not even my favorite lemon taster’d with whipped’d cream and fairy sprinkles. It might spoil our dinner and give us belly aches and make our teeths fall out.”

“Wow, this is serious, I know how you love that lemon custard ice cream, and who doesn’t love all those fairy sprinkles that make you run faster?”

He paused at his own statement, trying to figure out when he learned to speak kid, and how it flowed so easily. Fairy sprinkles make your wings and feet faster? He was clearly spending a LOT of time with the four and under club. If the gang at the House heard him, he’d be the butt of every fairy sprinkle foo-foo joke there was. They’d have him in a damn tutu in no time.

“I just don’t feel the happies today, Dawson. Can we just go see mama? I wanna tell her I painted her favorite flower today with all her favorite colors of the rainbow. And you aren’t supposed to talk about fairy sprinkles making my wings faster, that’s a fairy secret.”

“Oh sorry, I thought everyone knew about fairy sprinkles? I know about fairy sprinkles.”

“You’re a fairy.” She deadpanned, with a sharp, all business, no play look in the eyes.

“
I’m
a fairy? Why am
I
a fairy? When did
I
become a fairy?” Realizing what he just said, he looked around to be sure no one could hear him, small town gossip and all. Jesus, he was one foot stomp away from a full blown toddler tantrum, the transformation from man to child was nearly complete. He would figure out where to turn in his man card later.

With a dramatic eye roll and heavy sigh, she explained what was clearly obvious to everyone but the big fairy himself, “You’re a fairy cause you are very giant and bigger than all the other fairies, and you are a boy so no one knows you are a fairy because you don’t eat fairy sprinkles, and you don’t…wear…a…tutu.”

“That makes me a fairy? Not eating sprinkles and no tutu?” His flailing arms and dramatic body language was quickly reeled in to just hands on the hips and a quick inner monologue that included a strict scolding,
quit acting like such a fucking girl, Tayler, man up dude, you’re not a fucking princess, errr, fairy!

“Noooooo, you’re a fairy cause you keep all da other fairies safe.”

Like a shock to his heart, her words hit him hard, arms dropped, and all of his self-scolding halted. Safe, she felt safe with him around.

“That’s why you drive da ambli-ance with Miss Carigan. You rescue all da fairies and fix them, like mommy. Remember, I said I know’d your secret.”

He did remember, at the hospital, when they first met, all those weeks ago, she said she knew his secret. A sense of pride overcame him as he absorbed her admission, she looked up to him, felt protected by him, and he wanted to protect her. Damn straight he was a friggen fairy, and he’d deck the first prick to hassle him for it. He needed to fix things for his littlest fairy pal, pronto.

“You know what I really need, since you know I’m a fairy and all? I’m dying for some fairy sprinkles! I haven’t had any in days, trying to keep my secret. I am not feeling very fast, and since you don’t have the happies, I think we both could use some!”

With a twisted mouth and heavy concentration, she weighed her options a short spell and finally agreed, “Well, only cause you need them.”

“Two double scoop lemon custards with extra whipped cream and fairy sprinkle overload, please!”

Earning an all braces grin from the swooning, acne clad, teenybopper behind the counter, Dawson was contemplating how to get his damn man card back, when little arms hugged his leg.

***

Ellie Lou ran right to her mother’s bedside. It seemed she had her ‘happies’ back, for the moment anyway. She delivered a blow-by-blow run down of the day’s events, in rapid-fire fashion. Her voice lowered to a near whisper as she leaned in to tell her mom the best part of her day.

“And mama, he told me he was a fairy! I knew it! He ate da sprinkles!”

Relieved that his fairy status had such power, or magic rather, over Ellie, satisfied him. He just hoped that magic worked on her mama when she woke up, and he hoped that would happen soon. Keeping himself busy, inserting himself into her world kept him distracted, yet he still found himself missing her.

Clearly he missed her for them; he wanted her awake for them, for Ellie, who needed her mama. That’s the story he sold himself, and the one he was sticking to. Although they were good together, damn good together, feeling that way for himself put him on edge and incredibly antsy. How could he miss someone this much, that he only knew, really knew, a short time, and what if she woke up and didn’t feel the same?

With Ellie content talking away to a sleeping Sam, he went to find Lou and Evie to let them know they brought back Chinese food for dinner, and fill them in on what transpired this afternoon, minus his fairy status; he would let that detail lay low. He saw them walking up the hall with someone he didn’t recognize. As he approached the door, he heard the unfamiliar voice that sounded all business. She wasn’t in scrubs like the rest of the staff, and he hadn’t seen her before tonight, and given the tone, he assumed she must be from the other end of the hospital, the business office.

“Correct, Miss Shaw, there isn’t anything due at the moment, insurance has been initiated. It’s been just a handful of weeks, but the hospital does bill monthly, and the residual fees not covered, shortly after,“ said the woman in a suit.

He shouldn’t be listening to this, Sam wouldn’t want him to know about her finances and bills, but as if his feet were cemented in place, he stood stealthily, and listened anyway.

“We have good insurance here, but even so, the expenses are adding up rather quickly. Without an end in sight, we will need to talk about arrangements in the very near future,” suit lady said sympathetically, understanding the position they must be in.

“A lot of the staff has donated their own vacation days to Sam, to help off-set the loss of pay she will inevitably endure, Gran. That will help for a while,” Evie interjected, offering some hope to what seemed like a bleak situation.

“That’s awful generous, honey, a lot of people sure do care about our girl, but it just might not be enough. Her mortgage is coming due and I already took care of the small stuff that’s come up. Her car is being totaled, but until the insurance people get their crap together, I don’t know what to do with her car note. Julia has been real helpful down at the bank, helping me sort this stuff out,” Granny shared, going over what she had done to date, almost like she was thinking out loud.

“Like I said, ladies, we have a little time, and I hate to be the messenger, but I wanted to discuss this with you in advance so you had time to prepare. You two are listed in her employee file, and Everly has power of attorney. I do hope something works out, I don’t know Sam well, we aren’t down in the ER much, but I do know she’s a class act, and has a little girl. Everyone from my department donated hours, I wish there was more…”

“Oh hush, honey, it was very kind of you to do this. We’ll work things out, we always do,” Granny assured, likely more for herself then the benefit of the other two ladies in her presence.

“Thanks Susan, my grandmother or I will be in touch, appreciate the heads up.”

That’s when Dawson decided to make his entrance and interrupt the conversation he already knew was over. Most decent people would feel at least an ounce of guilt for eves dropping, but he didn’t, he knew exactly what his next move was now. His sense of purpose in the world that was Sam, just took a new direction.

Yep, he missed her, not for everyone else, but for himself because he cared for her, he took care of people for a living, and it was in his nature to do so, but this was different, and as unfamiliar as this feeling was, he welcomed it. It had been missing for over a decade now, it was frightening, but he wouldn’t be haunted by it anymore, he wanted this. Tomorrow he would take care of it, he would take care of Sam. He was going to go speak to Susan and Julia.

“Oh hey, hope I’m not interrupting you ladies, just wanted to let you know El and I brought back dinner, whenever you’re ready.”

Ready,
he
was ready.

It was an unusually rainy day for August, everyone was off today, and the weather had them all in doors. They were scattered around the hospital room, Granny was reading one of her dirty books that she claimed were just ‘love stories’, Evie was watching something on her iPad, and Ellie planted herself in Dawson’s lap while he read her a book over and over again.

The tension was thick, they were all frustrated, and patience was running thin. It had been over a month since the accident, the doctors were confident Sam would come back to them, but she hadn’t, and they needed her to wake up. The sterile confines of the tiny room were racking nerves at epic levels.

“Lord, I’d rather be wrestlin’ a rabid bear naked in the woods about now!” Granny dropped out of nowhere, surprising everyone but Ellie, who laughed herself silly.

“Pfffft! What?!? I just got soda up my nose and all over my shirt. How about a little warning next time, Granny?” Everly said, holding her iPad and drink in separate hands, away from her body, while the rest of the rogue soda ran down the front of her, again gaining some giggles from the four and under club.

“Well, ‘tis the truth! This is just, it’s just, well it’s too much,” Lou replied, turning her attention to a still sleeping Sam. “It’s time to wake up little lady! C’mon now, I know ya can hear me!”

“She will Lou, the doctors say any day now, she will when…” Dawson chimed in, amused by Granny’s surly mood, but trying to calm her all the same.

“Well, I have as much faith in those doctors as I do a broke hooker in…”

“Whoa, Granny, little ears, little ears!” Evie interrupted, managing not to spit soda all over herself this time. The last thing they needed is Ellie telling her mama about broke hookers when she woke up.

“What’s a hooker?” Ellie asked, eyes wide, anxious to learn a new word that was obviously a naughty one.

“It’s someone who crochet’s, honey, like that scarf I made you!” Lou replied, quick to right her wrong.

“Oh! I want to be a hooker too, Granny!” Ellie shot back, clapping her hands in excitement.

“We’re all frustrated and anxious,” Dawson interrupted, playing peacemaker, understanding full well where all of this was coming from. They needed fresh air, new scenery, and time to decompress. “Maybe we should all go out for a bite to eat, get some fresh air, blow off some steam, and have a drink, Lou. My treat.”

“Mama is waking up today,” Ellie deadpanned, before anyone could chime in about Dawson’s offer.

All eyes were on Ellie, full of concern and regret for having this conversation in front of her, while she sat focused on her coloring sheet; what were they thinking? The guilt was plastered on each of their faces as they looked at one another, searching for the right thing to say. They didn’t want her to lose hope, but they certainly didn’t want her to be disappointed when her mother didn’t wake.

“Oh child, we all hope it will be today, but if it isn’t, that’s okay too,” Granny responded first, feeling the most responsible for Ellie’s disposition, given her rabid bear and hooker outbursts. With a look full of guilt, she tried to fix what she thought she had done. “We want her to wake up, but only if she is ready and she is feeling better, remember?”

“No, it’s today,” Ellie continued, confident in her claims, never once looking up from the coloring sheet she had been working so hard on.

Sadness washed across their faces. This little girl was about to be disappointed when today became tomorrow and the next day, and Sam was still in a coma. What on earth would they do then? It had taken everything they had to keep that little lady happy and patient, and they just blew it.

She was right there with them, frustrated and impatient to the point that she just refused to think anything other than her mama was just going to wake up. As if the universe had that power, and Ellie was the all-knowing with an inside tip that today was the day.

“Ellie, what Gran is trying to say is that it still could be tomorrow, or even a couple tomorrows…” Everly tried, before being interrupted by a very certain Elliot Louise, who was apparently a hungry little Ellie Lou too.

“It’s today! Why do you all have silly faces! Let’s go, Dawson, can we have cheeseburgers, that’s my other favorite-ist food, but only with pickles, cause pickles are…”

“Let me guess, your favorite?” Dawson was quite familiar with all of Ellie’s favorites, a list that consisted of absolutely everything and anything she has ever done or eaten. With Ellie’s hand in his, he held the door for them. “Let’s go feed our bellies, squirt! Ladies?”

“Let’s hurry cause mama’s waking up. Can we bring her a smashed mellow milk shake for when she wakes up? It’s her very favorite! It’s my favorite too.”

Holding the door for the three ladies before him, he turned and looked at Sam with a smile and head shake at Ellie’s confidence and unhampered joy.
That little girl is all you, Sam, completely you.

“Let’s go find a
marshmallow
shake.”

***

Ugh, cotton mouth and foggy head, why do I feel so heavy; either I drank too much beer or it’s the middle of the night and I’m still sleeping. It’s so dark, something must have woken me up, makes sense. God, my muscles; I need to get in better shape if a night of dancing and wild sex next to a creek feels like that! The creek, oh my God, I can’t believe we did that…how will we ever top that?

I never knew I could feel the way Dawson made me feel, so content, happy, and safe. Last night was amazing, and not just the dirty parts, he truly was a good man in every way. Maybe there is a little room for more in my life, we can go slow, make sure this isn’t just some hormone generated infatuation. As much as I miss his touch, I miss him, all of him. Oh for God’s sake, Sam, what are you getting yourself into, be careful.

What is all that noise, beeping and humming, it sounds like a construction site, and all the voices? Who is that? Ellie? What is she doing up this late, oh that girl. Dawson? Ellie and Dawson? Together? What? Dreaming, that’s right. Rest up buttercup, you’re seeing him again tomorrow. I need to tell him, he needs to know about her…

***

Having dinner out was a nice change, they typically ate at the hospital when they were all together. Dawson enjoyed his time with Sam’s family more and more; when he wasn’t at work, he was with them. He liked
belonging
, it had been so long he forgot how it felt and just how complete it feels.

Sure, he had the gang down at the House and they were like family, but this was different. He wanted to be with Sam and her family for entirely different reasons. He liked helping them and liked that they welcomed his help, and with them it was a true sense of belonging, he was free to be himself, it was redemptive. He had missed having every part of this, and he felt they wanted him as much as he wanted them.

He was accepting this journey full of unknowns; he just hoped that the journey didn’t change when Sam woke up. Their time together was startling in the most mind blowing and incredible way. Their compatibility in carnal nature was knee weakening and earth moving, but that was a very small part of something bigger that they shared. He wanted her long before their last night together; she was the one thing in his life that he didn’t know was missing.

Finally admitting his feelings was a substantial consummation that pleased him. With this realization came new insecurities that revealed just how delicate that wall he erected over a decade ago had been and how easily it can go back up. Sam hasn’t had the time to mull over these emotions, nor did he know if there were any for her to reconcile, there may be nothing for her to bring to terms. With the progress they had made and their last night together, he couldn’t imagine that being the case, but there was still that little issue, Ellie, and why Sam hadn’t told him about her that haunted him, and left him a bit insecure about where Sam’s heart and mind was, when it came to them.

There was no guarantee that she would even remember their time together, as stellar as it had been, especially that night by the creek. He felt like such an ass, who falls for a girl in a coma? He’s been dating someone who wasn’t dating him back. Oh the insecurities. He would have to push those aside and let things fall into place; as Everly had said weeks ago, it will work out the way it is intended. He was hopeful that it wouldn’t mean losing family…again.

***

“See, she squeezed my hand again! Told you! She’s going to wake up!” Ellie shouted with zeal, followed by a silly giggle, as if her mama was playing a game with her.

“Ellie, honey, what do you mean, squeezed your hand? Your mama?”

All eyes were on Ellie with her pleased grin and confident look, waiting for her to answer Everly’s frantic questions. Cautious optimism, excitement, and even a sense of fear filled the room, could she be waking up? Did she squeeze Ellie’s hand, and what did she mean,
again
?

Ellie said today was the day and they all had assumed it was just a girl missing her mom, lost between fantasy and reality. Sam squeezing Ellie’s hand could mean nothing, if it even happened, and it could mean everything. If she was waking up, it could still take days or weeks even, and there was no guarantee the woman waking up would be the same Sam they were all waiting and praying on.

She could wake up and not know who any of them are, including Ellie, or even who she herself is. This panic and sign of awakening stirred emotions, questions, and scenarios, none of them had considered or prepared for. Looking around the room the notion was mutual, their frenzied ideas were laced with angst; too many what ifs.

Movement in the bed stirred them from their thoughts and gained their attention. Everyone moved bedside, Ellie grabbing Dawson’s hand while casting a bold smile at each of them.

“She moved, she
just
moved, oh my God! I am going to get the doctor, stay calm if she opens her eyes, don’t overwhelm her!”

As Everly rushed from the room anything but calm, Dawson held one of Sam’s hands, and Granny Lou the other, while Ellie laid her little hand over Dawson’s, and smiled wide. Sam’s arms began to twitch and she squeezed her hands as the doctor and Everly darted into the room. The doctor stood at attention, chart in hand, observing the activity as well as her vitals, while Evie remained near the foot of the bed, seated, while resting her hands on Sam’s legs.

Her subtle activity turned to restlessness, her eyes started to flutter, and she let out a quiet moan, as if she were in the midst of a nightmare. Eyes finally open, her body settled, returning to its relaxed state, she scanned the room, her confusion evident, finally landing on Ellie.

Fighting to keep her eyes open, she gave a slight grin as she struggled to speak in a labored, raspy, whisper, “Baby” was all she delivered as she looked at Ellie, but that grin fell, her brows furrowed, and concern filled her eyes as she looked to Dawson. Mouth open, grasping for words, a slight panic washed over her as she looked at Granny Lou and Evie, searching for help, before she looked back to Dawson with Ellie in his lap. Their smiles faded to concern as she spoke again, “Oh no,” and she drifted back to a restless sleep.

***

He needed air, finding his way to the hospital memorial garden, to collect his thoughts, he stood leaning over the small foot bridge that crossed the tranquil creek that encircled the peaceful grounds, and ended in a small waterfall. After all these weeks with his heart on the line, committed to seeing what, if anything was there for him and Sam, his answer was loud and clear.
Oh no?

He put his heart on the line, something he hasn’t done since it was ripped to shreds when he lost everyone he loved a decade ago, what the hell had he been thinking? How could he be so stupid? This relationship thing wasn’t him, it never was, he was better off on his own, heart protected, and emotions and feelings at an arm’s length at all times.

Jesus, what the hell was wrong with him, was he so desperate that he let a little girl, an old lady, and friend suck him into this fantasy that was anything but his to take part in? They were Sam’s family, not his, and two little words quickly put him back in his place, on the outside.

He had let his need to take care of people, help the wounded, overcome common sense, a mistake he wouldn’t make again. She didn’t want him. She woke up, happy to see everyone, but him. He shouldn’t have been there all these weeks, he shouldn’t have been there. What a fool.

“There ya are! You didn’t make it easy ta find’ya! What are you doin’ out here, besides givin’ those skeeters a real handsome meal?”

“Hey, Lou. Just thinking. Needed some fresh air, thought I would give you all some time together.”

“You ain’t gonna jump are ya? Might give an old woman a heart attack if you do, not much of a swimmer!”

“Nah, not jumping, funny though. I’m pretty sure you can handle a few inches of water.”

“Oh, I don’t know, a big handsome fella like you might need savin’, by the look on your face alone.”

“I’m good. Just…just not sure what to make of all that back there.”

“Ah ha, I thought you might’ve read that wrong, you are a man after all.”

“I read that pretty loud and clear. What does being a man have to do with it?”

“Oh really? Mind explainin’ what it is you think you heard so loud and clear?”