Page 35 of To Belong Together
“That’s not a fan, is it?” Tara approached, casting a wary look toward Erin.
“No. That’s a friend.” Gannon, toting the grocery bag and John’s backpack in one hand, draped his free arm around Addie’s shoulders. “Thanks for bringing the dogs. I’ll get him settled.”
The women peered toward Erin’s car, interest obviously piqued. Gannon had probably already told Addie about Erin. Did Tara know too?
“Come on, man.” Gannon fit his hand on the inside of John’s arm, simultaneously supporting and guiding him toward the door.
Shrugging off the help might throw his balance, so John focused on his footing on the narrow path. Car doors and an engine signaled Tara and Addie leaving. Was Erin still parked, or would she follow them out?
“I don’t know why she came.” He stood to the side as Gannon unlocked his door. His own set of keys was buried somewhere in the backpack, which his friend still carried.
“I’d say her reasons are pretty obvious.” Gannon motioned him inside.
Trigger pushed past John’s knee. He had to grip the doorframe to stay upright.
Gannon glared at the dog as if it were an out-of-line fan, but Trig never cowered under an evil eye. The dogs trotted to the kitchen, and moments later, their simultaneous glugging of water sounded. Gannon stalked off toward John’s bedroom while John removed his coat and sank into the nearest armchair.
Gannon returned empty-handed. “The meds are on the vanity.”
“Okay.” He pulled the lever on the recliner, lifting his feet before the chill on his arms registered. His T-shirt wasn’t cutting it. A blanket lay over the arm of the couch ten feet away, and an empty fireplace waited across the room.
He closed his eyes. In a few minutes, he’d feel up to collecting the blanket.
“You’ll call me if you need anything.”
John lifted his thumb, though Gannon lived thirty minutes away. If an emergency bad enough to warrant calling someone occurred, he’d be dead before Gannon arrived.
“Look. Last night, you spouted off all this stuff about how you don’t talk because it ruins relationships, but you can always talk with me. About anything.”
Had John really said all that? “I was out of it. If I need something, I’ll let you know.”
“How about right now? What can I get before I go? Water?”
“Bye, Mom.”
Gannon met the jab with silence.
John’s parents had been reassured by the doctors, Gannon, and John himself that he was well enough to go home. They’d headed home that morning. Only Gannon had stuck around long enough to see John’s energy fade.
“All right.” Gannon’s footsteps retreated to the door, where the dogs made a racket as they saw him off. Finally, the door clunked shut.
The dogs thudded into the living room. The leather of the couch rustled as they settled there. Now that he’d rested for a minute, he opened his eyes to reconsider the distance between himself and the blanket.
In the space stood Erin.
She hiked a thumb toward the door. “Gannon said I …” She fidgeted. Perhaps she’d realized whatever Gannon had said, it hadn’t been with John’s blessing. “This is awful. I feel awful.”
“Me too.”
Erin surveyed the room then stepped toward the couch. Both dogs thumped their tails against the cushions, but she didn’t pet them. Instead, she took the blanket and laid it across John’s lap.
How had she known?
Her attention returned to Camo. Odd, given her fear of the dogs on her last visit. She sucked a breath through her teeth. “He has a cut.”
“What?” Even furrowing his brow seemed to worsen the headache. “Camo does?”
“If Camo is the striped one, yeah. A big gash on his side.”
