Page 143 of Free to Fall

“I will.”

“It was . . . good . . . to see you, Liam.”

“You too, Laura.”

Giving me a quick nod, Laura strides back into the ER.

More determined than ever to win her back, to be on the receiving end of that smile and her love till the end of time. I urge Bailey inside. Casting a glance in the direction of the ER, I swear on my life I’ll earn back her trust and prove myself worthy of her forgiveness.

Making our way to the bank of elevators, I smile down at Bailey. “Do you think you’ll be up for taking Laura’s suggestion after your PT?”

“Yes!” she practically shrieks.

“Good.” Then we focus on Bailey for the next hour and a half. When we’re done, we head up to the sixth floor to find the magazine subscriptions and sugar-free treats are out of stock.

Not for long.

Chapter

Seventy-Seven

I’m up on Six West a few days later, visiting a patient, when Felicity stops me. The first words out of her mouth have my jaw agape.

“Listen, if you don’t want that delicious piece of man meat, can I have him?”

“No!” I shout, the idea of Liam with another woman infuriating me. Then I calm down. “What did he do?”

She drags me over to the kitchen and shows me the vendors restocking the kitchen available to patients.

“He really arranged for that?”

“He did, Gore. He renewed the subscriptions for the next five years and look!” She holds up a case of Sees sugar free candies and pops. “They were express mailed.”

I had really meant to deter Liam from sending me massive bouquets of flowers, but what he did here touched me more than even one single petal. “That is pretty special.”

“Also, look at these.” Felicia shows me a folder of handmade cards.

At the sight of them, my heart takes me back to craft day when Bailey and I made cards and crafts I could hand out at the hospital. My emotions, riding too close to the surface, want out. Now. I manage “She’s a doll” before I take off down the corridor.

“Now, how did you know she made them, missy?” the charge nurse shouts after me.

Because I know the family I’m in love with. But I don’t answer.

I can’t say anything.

I’m too busy wishing I was at home—my real home.

Later, just after my shift ends, I get a text that sends fear shooting through my heart and my SUV racing along the interstate.

Liam:

Can you come over? It’s kind of an emergency.

Chapter

Seventy-Eight

“Thank you for coming.” I step back into the living room once she crosses over the front door threshold.

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