Page 36 of Free to Believe
What I didn’t count on was Emily not being there to see us.
21
Emily
After I escort Dr. Fischer to the door, I see magic in my driveway.
My Rover.
Three days early.
“Woohoo!” I leap into the air. Then yell, “Ow! Crap, stupid leg.”
Dr. Fischer tsks me. “That’s really not listening to doctor’s orders, Ms. Freeman.”
“Em,” I say, almost absentmindedly. I watch as Chris, one of Caleb’s analysts, gets out of the car. “Do you know what that is, Doc?”
Amused, he leans against the banister as he observes me watching Chris unload my bags. “No, what?”
“That’s freedom. And freedom’s a beautiful thing. Hey, Chris,” I call down to the former Marine.
“Hey, Em. Where do you want these?”
I wave him in. “Anywhere inside is great. I can move them later.”
He laughs. “Like hell. Caleb told me you managed to get injured up here. I’m supposed to give him a sit-rep after I’ve laid eyes on you. So, tell me where you want your bags so you can unpack.”
“Let me guess, Caleb is your brother-in-law? The doctor?” Dr. Fischer asks.
“One of them, sir. She has a few of them. And no, he’s not a doctor. Chris Henderson.” Chris drops one of the bags to offer his hand to shake.
“Dr. Robert Fischer.”
“Ah, Caleb wondered if you’d still be here. I’ll be able to report in that Em’s alive after her exam too. Maybe I can work in a few extra vacation days for all the intel,” Chris muses.
I snort. “So happy to be good for something.”
“Listen, Em, I’m just thrilled I get to go see my girlfriend a few days early. Then again, driving the Rover wasn’t much of a hardship either,” he admits.
Dr. Fischer laughs. “Em, stay off that leg more than you need to. Walk the dog if you must, grocery shopping, that kind of thing. No running, no swimming, no sightseeing for another week. If you continue to have any problems, come see me in my office now that you have a car.”
I grin. “Will do, Dr. Fischer. Just send me the bill.”
“Already been taken care of.”
I shake my head adamantly. “No. I pay my own way. Send it to me.”
He chuffs my chin. “Stubborn thing. I’ll send it to you later.” Chris is coming out of my apartment empty-handed. “Don’t let her help you carry things up, young man.”
“No, sir, I won’t. It wouldn’t just be you who would get angry.”
I roll my eyes. Men.
It takes Chris less time to unpack the Rover than I thought it would, but then again, he’s a former Marine who’s used to carrying a hell of a lot more than my suitcases and sewing machine. “Can I take you out to lunch to say thanks?”
He looks at his watch. “Actually, Em, if you wouldn’t mind just driving me back into town, there’s a ferry I can catch back to the mainland. I have a car ready to rent tonight to head out to the Cape.”
I grin. “Done. But we have to go by this amazing coffee shop on the way there. I’m buying.”
