Page 171 of Here and Now
My phone rings in my hand a second later and I answer. “Hello?”
“Miles, this is Sheriff Smith.”
“Yes?”
“There was an accident, and everyone is okay, but we brought the girls here to be checked out just as a precaution.”
“Oh my God, is she okay?” I ask, grabbing my jacket.
“Yes, she’s fine. No one was injured.”
I hang up and I’m running to get to the hospital. It’ll take me fifteen minutes to get there. I’m rushing out the door when the guys call after me, coming with me.
“Miles!” Quinn yells.
I turn to face him, relaying what I know. I look to Doug. “Keep Kai busy. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“What do you want me to do with the guests?” he asks.
“Sing and dance, I don’t know, but I need to go,” I explain, and then I’m running out the door.
Quinn is in the car with me, and then his phone rings. “Ashton?” I can only hear his side of the call. “You’re fine? Everyone else?” A pause. “We’re on our way. Yes, dear, I know that you said you were fine and I don’t need to come, that you planned to order a fucking car to get you, but we’re coming.” Another pause, and I can hear her yelling at him. “Well, they already have bad luck, so what’s a little more?”
He hangs up and releases a heavy sigh. “They’re fine. They figured we’d never know and they would’ve just ordered a car to come get them, but I said we were on our way. Penny is just waiting to be released.”
We pull into the hospital, and I’m out of the car as soon as it’s in park. Both Quinn and I push through the doors, and then I’m at the front desk. “Penelope Miller.”
She types on her computer and rattles off the area she’s in.
I slide the curtain over and she’s sitting on the bed, in her wedding dress, with the girls around her.
“Hi,” she says, biting her lower lip.
“Hello,” I say, keeping my voice even.
“Can you give us a minute?” Penny says to the girls. Each of them heads out, leaving us alone.
I take a step in, my throat growing tight. “You’re okay?”
She nods. “Yes, they took x-rays because my wrist was hurting, but the doctor said it’s fine, just sore.”
I move to her, touching her hands, arms, and then her face. “You’re fine?”
“Completely.”
I rest my lips on her forehead. “I lost a decade off my life. First I thought you were going to stand me up, then I heard you were in an accident, and I just ... I couldn’t think.”
Penelope leans back to look at me, a sheepish look on her face. “You’re in a hospital.”
I blink and look around. “I am. I didn’t even ...”
“Hesitate,” she finishes my sentence.
“Not even a moment. I had to see you, touch you, know you were okay,” I explain.
She smiles and takes my hands in hers. “There was nothing that was going to keep me from marrying you today.”
“Except the fact you guys hit a bus.”
