“What’s that?”
“He wanted you to know that he heard you. Loud and clear.”
She smiled.
The doors into the waiting room opened and in walked the surgeon. Everyone stood and inched toward the doctor. It was eerily quiet.
Callie stayed one step back, but that changed when Henrietta and Herold pulled her front and center.
“How is he?” Troy broke the silence.
“The surgery went very well. Better than anticipated. The bullet didn’t do nearly as much damage as we thought. He’ll make a full recovery, though it will take some time.”
“When can we see him?” Henrietta asked.
Callie clutched her chest. The words full recovery echoed in her brain.
“He’s actually awake and giving all of us a hard time, even though he’s groggy. But he’s in the recovery room, so I can only let in two at a time, for short periods, and only immediate family for the next twenty-four hours. While we don’t see any problems or complications arising, we have to be cautious,” the doctor said.
Immediate family. Well, he was alive. That’s all that mattered.
“Excuse me, doctor, but is a fiancée considered immediate family?” Henrietta asked.
“Of course,” the doctor said.
Callie’s jaw slacked open. She might have been that once, but she wasn’t his fiancée now.
Henrietta turned and dug into her purse. “My husband wasn’t totally honest about his conversation with our son before they took him into the OR.”
“I’m not following,” Callie said.
“He was lucid enough to ask us to get this from his house.” She pulled out the jewelry box that housed her engagement ring. “I think he wanted us to go in first so he could give it to you, but this is the only way to get you to him.” She took the ring out and slipped it on Callie’s finger. “Why don’t you go see him first? Alone.”
“I…I…” Callie blinked, staring at the shiny diamond.
“Just go tell my son you love him.” Henrietta kissed her cheek. “We’re all so happy you came home.”
Every single time Jag shifted, his entire chest felt like he ripped it open. But he couldn’t get comfortable.
“You can have more pain meds,” the nurse said as she fiddled with the IV drip.
“No. I’m groggy enough,” he said. “I want to be alert so I can talk with my family. Aren’t they coming?”
“The doctor went to go get them.” She rested the call button on the side of his bed. “Use this if you need me and use this one,” she held up another wire with a button on the end of it, “when you want pain meds. If I were you, I’d give yourself a few pumps now. I’ll make sure we weaken the dosage for you. Just do one or two now. Trust me, you won’t be sleeping from it, and you might be able to get comfortable.”
He took it and tapped it once. “Thanks.”
An immediate tingle filtered through his bloodstream. She was right; it didn’t make him groggy, but he wasn’t going to risk a second shot. Not until after he got to see Callie.
The nurse pulled back the fabric, and his breath hitched.
“Hey,” Callie whispered.
“Hey yourself.” His pulse increased, and it showed on the monitor as it beeped a little faster. “You look like shit.”
She chuckled. “You look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you.” She inched closer.
He patted the side of the gurney.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It will hurt me if I don’t at least get to hold your hand.”
She smiled, easing herself to the side of the bed, barely resting her ass against the mattress. “I hope I did the right thing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I thought you wanted me to tackle her, but now I’m not so sure.”
He chuckled, but it was cut short by the pain. He clutched his chest. “You did exactly what I wanted. I just didn’t expect the gun to discharge, and I thought Jenna was closer.”
“You knew she was there?”
“I could see the patrol car through the trees behind you. Kara couldn’t see it. My calculations were a little off though.” He took in a slow breath, trying not to breathe too deep because it fucking hurt. He took her hand and gasped. “Have I been asleep for three months?” He ran his finger over the diamond shining bright on her hand.
“Oh. Well, that’s the only way the hospital would let me in to see you. Immediate family only.”
The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. “But you put it on, and you told me you wanted more than three months. You said you wanted a lifetime.” He lifted her hand and kissed her ring finger. “When I saw Kara holding that gun to your head, I thought my heart stopped.”
“It almost did,” she said.
He arched a brow. “That’s really not funny.”
“I know. Sorry, but you know how I get when you get all mushy and shit.”
“I love you, Callie. I never stopped, and I want you in my life always. I’m not asking for you to say yes right now, but I am asking—”
“Yes,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I want to marry you.”
“You do?” He tilted his head. “You’re not going to make me grovel and beg?”
She leaned over and pressed her warm lips against his. “No. But I do have a condition.”
“Oh shit. Here it comes,” he said, lifting the pain med controls. “Do I need to fill myself full of drugs for this?”
“You might,” she said. “A while back you mentioned writing the book with me. Did you mean it?”
“Oh, that.” He groaned as he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, pulling her closer, feeling her hot breath on his skin. “Can I be the chief of police and co-write your book?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Then you’ll marry me?” he asked as if they both needed it to be official.
“Yes.” She kissed him tenderly, resting her hand on his chest.
He moaned and not in a good way.
“Fuck, sorry.” She bolted to a sitting position.
“No
