Page 84 of Johnathan

“You might be okay, but I’m not. I never want to get a call like that again, Abby. Everything flashed in my mind, and the thought of never getting…” He swallowed roughly. “Well, it just about killed me.”

“Never getting what, exactly?”

“Forever.” He didn’t care one bit that he could feel his brother still watching him. John leaned into his truck and pressed his lips to Abby’s.

It was a quick drive to her apartment from Sal’s, but he watched Abby wince with every bump in the road. Reaching over into the chest pocket of his jacket, he smiled when he heard Abby’s breath intake sharply at the touch.

“Are you trying to feel me up so I don’t go into shock?” she giggled.

“I’m not opposed to doing that if you think it will help,” he said as he finally wrapped his fingers around what he’d been searching for. “But I wanted to give this to you.”

John held the small bottle out to Abby.

“What is it?”

“Peppermint. For you to hold under your nose and breathe. I remembered you said it was the only smell that didn’t bother you when you had a migraine and I looked it up online. I guess it really can help with headaches and nausea.”

“So you bought some to carry in your jacket pocket?”

He shrugged. “I bought enough to have some for my jacket, my desk, my house. If we were together and you started feeling one coming on, I wanted to be able to help.”

“First the groceries, now this. I feel spoiled. Thank you.”

“Abby,” he sighed. “You don’t have to thank me for taking care of you. I’ve obviously not been doing a very good job of showing you how much you mean to me if a little peppermint oil and some groceries make you feel spoiled.”

“Do you want me to grab you some medicine?” John asked as he handed her a glass of water.

“No. I’m fine. Thanks for staying while I got settled. You can go.” Her voice wavered and she knew she was done for. Her strength crumbled and the tears she didn’t want to cry overwhelmed her.

“You’re not getting rid of me.” He sat on the couch next to her, lifting her onto his lap.

“I really am okay. I think it’s just a delayed reaction. It was scary and I didn’t want to admit that I needed you there. I saw the girls with their guys, and I didn’t want to burden you with what happened. But I needed you to come for me. And you did.”

“I would have been there the minute I heard about the fire if I’d known that was where you ended up. I thought you were all going to The Broken Spoke.”

“We were, but Emma thought that maybe I wouldn’t feel comfortable there after what happened.” She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes. “Little good it did us.”

John slid her off his lap and she nodded. “Don’t feel like you have to stay. I know you probably want to finish your shift and get Katy.”

He moved to the end of the couch and lifted her feet off the cushion. Then he sat down, placing her feet on his lap.

“I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere. You heard Hank. He’ll get my spot covered. Being with you is what’s important right now.” His fingers dug expertly into the arch of her foot and she couldn’t help the moan that slipped from her lips as she let her head roll back onto the sofa.

“God, that feels amazing.”

“Good. Now, are you feeling up to telling me what happened tonight?”

“I already told the deputies there what happened when the paramedics were helping me.”

“I don’t want to read it in a report, Abby. I want you to tell me.”

She lifted her head and saw the worry still so brightly etched across his face.

“We were having such a nice time. Honestly, nothing was out of the ordinary. I had a few drinks, danced with Grace, chatted with Emma and Daisy. It was so much fun. We were getting ready to all leave, and I needed to use the bathroom. I told the girls I’d meet them outside if they wanted, but they said they’d wait for me. So I went to the restroom, but when I was washing my hands, the fire alarm started going off.”

She winced at the memory of what she had to say next.

“Keep going.”

---