Searching for Bristol, page 8
“For the record, I don’t do this,” he said, gesturing between them. “My role is to find people, not nurse them back to health. Not to drive them to Roanoke to the hospital.” He shrugged a little self-consciously. “And if the Eagle Point SAR team did offer this kind of service to the people we rescue, I’d probably be the last person someone would want at their side.”
Bristol frowned. But he went on before she could comment.
“I’m too…rough around the edges. My looks scare people off sometimes. Not to mention the lumberjack jokes I have to suffer through.”
That bothered Bristol. “Well, those people are stupid,” she said with a huff.
Rocky smiled, then sobered. “Anyway, the next couple of weeks are gonna be tough for you. The thought of you leaving and trying to do things on your own in Kingsport, and possibly getting hurt in the process, doesn’t sit well with me. We get along well, I enjoy talking to you, and I can help while you’re healing.” He shrugged. “I’m not making my case very well.”
“Actually, you are,” Bristol told him. “I’m not mad at all that you already seem to have everything planned. I’m relieved, to tell you the truth. And for the record, I don’t usually go around accepting offers to live with men I just met.” She smiled at him shyly. “But it feels as if I’ve known you for months, rather than for only a day.”
“Right?” he asked with a grin. “It’s kind of weird.”
“It’s so weird,” she agreed.
They smiled at each other, and Bristol couldn’t stop the sigh of relief when he once more reached for her hand.
“So…your brother and his fiancée will be coming by this morning?” she asked.
“Most likely. I do still need to call after you see the doctor, to update them on how you’re doing and how long you’ll be here.”
“I know you don’t like to hear it, but I have to say thank you again,” Bristol said. “Seriously, you being here is keeping me from freaking out. And knowing I have somewhere to go—and a way to get there, since I don’t have my car—makes me feel much better.”
“You’re welcome to stay with me as long as it takes for you to heal, Punky,” Rocky said. “There are no strings with my offer. If you get uncomfortable and want to stay somewhere else, that’s okay. I’m not going to get pissed if you want a change of pace. Again, my apartment’s not terribly fancy, and I spend most of my time when I’m not working chilling in front of the TV or hanging out with my friends.”
“Sounds a lot like what I do,” she told him honestly. “Minus the friends part.”
He smiled at her, and his thumb brushed the back of her hand once more, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Rocky opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the door opening and a nurse coming into the room.
“Good morning!” she said cheerily. “It’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?”
Rocky let go of her hand and stood, giving the nurse room to approach the side of the bed. Bristol felt a little resentful that they were interrupted, but smiled at the woman anyway.
Rocky folded up the cot he’d slept on, then stepped out of the room, giving her privacy as the nurse gave her a sponge bath. Bristol would give anything to be able to wash her hair and take a real shower, but when the nurse moved her leg, the pain made Bristol break out in a cold sweat, despite the painkillers. It was obvious it would be a while before she could shower on her own. The thought should’ve been depressing, but because she didn’t have to worry about being alone as she recovered, she was surprisingly all right with everything.
The doctor came into the room shortly after her bath, Rocky on his heels. He asked the doctor what seemed like hundreds of questions, but they were mostly things Bristol would’ve forgotten or not known to ask herself, so she was relieved he was there. The doctor wasn’t ready to commit to a time when she could leave, but as the nurse had told Rocky, he suspected she’d be good to go in a day or so…but only because she wasn’t going to be on her own, and because he knew Fallport’s doctor personally.
Translation: without Rocky’s offer to stay with him, she’d likely have to remain in the hospital longer, since she was single and lived by herself.
After the doctor left, the nurse reminded her about how the pain meds worked in her IV, that she should push the button when she got too uncomfortable. Then she headed out to see other patients around the time breakfast was delivered.
Bristol realized she was starving, but after only finishing half the meal on the tray, she found it almost impossible to keep her eyes open.
“I’m gonna go and call my brother,” Rocky told her.
Bristol nodded, blinking to stay awake.
“Sleep, Punky. Stop fighting it.”
“I shouldn’t be so tired,” she complained.
Rocky rolled his eyes, and Bristol couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the muscular man making such a ridiculous facial expression.
“Cut yourself some slack. You’ve had a hard few days,” he told her. “Anything you want the guys to get for you at the store, food-wise?” he asked.
Bristol shook her head. “I’m not that picky. I’ll eat whatever you do.”
“Okay. You want me to put the rest of your breakfast to the side so you can eat it later?”
Bristol’s eyes shut, and she forced them open again. “No, I’m good.”
In response, Rocky wheeled the tray out of the way of her bed and pushed the button to lower the mattress so she was lying semi-flat instead of sitting up. Then he surprised her by leaning over and kissing her forehead gently. His beard tickled her skin, and she smiled a bit even as her eyes slid shut once more.
“I’ll be back later,” he said quietly.
For some reason, panic suddenly struck. Her eyes flew open and her hand reached for him. She grabbed hold of his forearm and held on tight, but no words came out.
“Bristol?” he asked, concern lacing the word.
“You promise you’ll be back?”
His face relaxed, and he covered her hand with his. “Yes. I’m not leaving.”
Bristol took a deep breath. “Right, okay. Sorry…just had a mini panic attack for a second.”
Rocky leaned in, resting his weight on his hands, flat on the mattress next to her. She didn’t let go of his arm and felt the muscles shifting under her palm. “I’m just going to go call Ethan. I need to go to the parking lot and get my overnight bag, so I can change. I’ll probably stop by the cafeteria and grab some breakfast too. I’m one hundred percent not leaving you, Punky. When you wake up, I’ll be sitting right here, catching up on work, seeing which projects I want to accept and which I can push off for a while. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said immediately. “I just…being out in the woods by myself…it wasn’t great. And for a second I was scared of being alone. But that’s stupid because I’m not alone. I can push the call button anytime I need to. I’m sorry. Go. Do your thing. I’ll just be here…sleeping.”
“Don’t discount your feelings. You were in a very scary situation. But I promise that I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thanks,” she whispered.
Rocky stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to read her mind. Eventually, he nodded, smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear, then stood and turned for the door. Almost before he reached it, Bristol’s eyes were closed once more.
Chapter Six
The doctor decided that it was smart to keep her for an extra night, so Rocky didn’t get to spring her from the hospital until Thursday. The last few days had been…relaxing. He didn’t have to worry about the phone ringing and going out into the forest on a search. He didn’t have to think about what materials he needed to order for a job or much of anything else, other than entertaining Bristol.
And after the first day, when she’d slept a lot of the time, she was remarkably easy to amuse. He was afraid time spent in the hospital would drag, but getting to know Bristol was fascinating and made time fly, instead.
Her leg was healing well, and she’d weened herself off the hard-core painkillers. She was just using the over-the-counter stuff now. She wasn’t allowed to put any weight on her leg for two weeks, and then she could use crutches or a knee walker, which the doctor recommended as being more comfortable for most people, even though it could take some getting used to.
Rocky had called Doc Snow, and he’d been happy to agree to come to the apartment to check on her and take out her stitches when it was time to do so. He would also put on the plaster cast she’d need to help make sure the bone healed properly after the stitches were removed.
Ethan had driven up the first day Bristol was in the hospital. Lilly had been asked to photograph a surprise engagement at the last minute, so she hadn’t been able to come, much to her disappointment. He’d brought clothes that Lilly and Elsie had shopped for the evening before, and Lilly had told him to apologize for them not being too fancy.
But Bristol had beamed at the soft sweatshirt and loose flannel pants. Rocky helped her cut off the right leg so she could wear them comfortably and they’d fit over the cast.
The three of them had talked for a short while, until a nurse had come in to help her shower and wash her hair. When she’d returned to bed, Bristol couldn’t keep her eyes open. Rocky sat next to her and watched her sleep for way longer than he was willing to admit. He had no idea what it was about her that had him so…hooked.
Now she’d been cleared to leave the hospital. She couldn’t walk on her leg yet, so someone was tasked with wheeling her out to his SUV, which he’d already pulled up to the entrance to the hospital.
Rocky easily lifted her into his truck and helped the nurse’s assistant load her things into the car. When they were finally on their way back to Fallport, he looked over and saw Bristol sitting next to him with a small smile on her face.
“What’s that grin for?” he asked.
Bristol turned to face him and shrugged. “Life can really take it out of you sometimes. Be so hard that it’s all you can do to breathe. But then something changes, and you realize whatever had you so upset or depressed somehow doesn’t seem so awful anymore. When I was crawling through the forest, I had doubts that I’d make it to the trail or that anyone would find me. My leg hurt worse than any injury I’d had before. I started having a hard time imagining I’d make it out of the woods, let alone ever feeling happy again.”
She shrugged. “And now, here I am…my leg’s been fixed, you’re going out of your way to help me, and even though I’ve only talked to them through texts, I feel as if I’ve known Lilly and Elsie for years. Not to mention all the other people from Fallport who’ve sent their well-wishes. To top it off…the sun’s shining today and my leg feels pretty darn good, all things considered. I’m a very lucky woman, and I know it.”
“You’re an optimist,” Rocky said after a moment.
“Yup,” Bristol said happily. “There are definitely times I get depressed, but generally, I try to look on the bright side of things. Life could always be worse, and I try to concentrate on all the good going on around me, rather than dwell on the bad.”
Rocky was usually annoyed by overly chipper people like Bristol, but she didn’t try to shove her optimism down anyone else’s throat. She just oozed positivity, which made her glow. “It’s a good way to live,” he said after a moment.
“I’m not an idiot. I know so many bad things happen in the world,” she said solemnly. “But I truly feel as if having a good attitude when things go wrong helps make them more bearable. And when truly awful things happen, like me falling off a cliff in the middle of nowhere with no one knowing where I was…trying to be positive keeps me from drowning in a pit of despair so deep, it’ll suck me down and never let me go. If I’d stayed where I’d fallen, you might not have found me,” Bristol said. “I believe that everything in our lives happens for a reason…even the bad things.”
Rocky thought about that for a long moment. He wasn’t sure he agreed. He’d been in situations as a SEAL that he couldn’t justify, unable to come up with a single reason for why they’d happened. Had seen children killed for absolutely nothing. Had struggled to help his military friends deal with career-ending injuries. He still couldn’t come up with one good reason why his dad had to die.
But…he couldn’t deny that being around Bristol was a breath of fresh air, and he truly liked being with her partly because of her sunny disposition.
“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” she said quietly. “I’ll believe enough for both of us.”
“Okay,” he said. There was so much more he could’ve said on the topic, but he didn’t want to talk her out of her positive attitude.
“Okay,” she echoed with a smile.
They chitchatted about nothing in particular as they drove toward Fallport, and with each mile that passed, Rocky had a feeling eventually letting her go was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. And if he felt that way now, saying goodbye after having her in his space for however long it took her to get back on her feet…It was going to destroy him.
He was beginning to think having her stay with him wasn’t a good idea after all, but he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, take it back now. He forced himself to push the uneasy feelings to the back of his mind.
“I thought we’d make a quick stop before heading to my apartment, if you’re feeling up to it,” he said.
“Sure,” Bristol answered with a shrug.
“How’s the leg?”
“Pretty good.”
“We’ll prop it up when we get there. Your hands hurt?”
“No.”
“All right. But if you start feeling too tired, just let me know and we’ll leave.”
“You’ve got me extremely curious now,” Bristol said, the excitement easy to hear in her tone.
Rocky chuckled. “It’s not a big deal. It’s Fallport, after all. I don’t want you to be disappointed when you find out where we’re going.”
Bristol reached out and touched his arm. “Before I decided to go on this trip with Mike, the biggest excitement in my life was going out to get the mail,” she said with a small smile.
“Well, here’s to hoping this will rank above that,” Rocky said as he chuckled.
He pointed out the Mangree Motel and RV Park as they passed, and told her about Elsie and her son living there. Mentioned Edna, the woman who ran the place with her husband, was ornery and gruff, but had a heart of gold. He showed her where Brock worked as a mechanic. Asked if she’d seen Caboose Park, and when she said she hadn’t, promised to take her there once her leg healed up a bit more.
He pointed out as many of the quirky things about the town as he could as they drove, and when they got to the square downtown, quickly parallel parked right in front of Sunny Side Up.
“Oooh, are we going to see Sandra?” Bristol asked.
Rocky smiled. “Yeah. She’s been driving me nuts with texts, wanting to know how you were doing, and since the food in the hospital wasn’t all that great, I figured you wouldn’t mind getting a decent meal and calming her fears at the same time.”
Bristol smiled at him…but then her lip began to quiver.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, somewhat alarmed.
“It’s just that, if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t have come looking for me. And I know you didn’t really think you’d find me, but still. I owe her so much!”
Wishing the console wasn’t between them, Rocky reached out and put his hand on her nape and turned her toward him. He rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t cry,” he ordered. “If you do, Sandra will absolutely lose it.”
Bristol gave him a watery chuckle.
“I’ve already told you Sandra doesn’t take to people very easily. And she’s notoriously cranky when it comes to tourists. They’re a necessary evil for her, but she much prefers the locals. For her to take such a shine to you means you’re special.”
“I’m just me,” Bristol said softly.
“So, just keep on being you,” Rocky suggested. He took a deep breath and leaned back, but kept his hand on her. He loved touching her. Didn’t want to let go until he absolutely had to. “Deep breath, Punky. And remember, when you’ve had enough, just let me know. I’ll take you home…er…to my place to get settled in.”
She smiled, and he couldn’t read the expression on her face. “I know you told me not to thank you, but it’s really hard at times like this.”
“Stay put,” he ordered. “I’ll come around and get you.” Rocky knew he sounded a little gruff, but he was feeling off-kilter. This little spitfire of a woman had him tied up in knots. He caressed her nape with his thumb and felt her shiver, then forced himself to let go and climb out of his side of the car. He was at the passenger door in seconds. Bristol had unbuckled her seat belt and was waiting patiently for him.
“A girl could get used to this,” she quipped as he leaned over and easily picked her up.
Rocky was extremely careful not to bang her leg on the doorframe as he straightened. He turned and kicked the door shut as he strode toward the entrance to the diner. “Anytime you want me to carry you around, just let me know,” he said seriously.
“Whatever,” Bristol mumbled. “Just because I’m short doesn’t mean my legs don’t work.” She took a breath to say something else, but the door to the diner opened just then and Rocky strode inside.
As he expected, the place was packed. The small reunion between Bristol and Sandra had turned into a full-on welcome home party.
Rocky saw his search and rescue team, along with Lilly, Elsie and her son Tony, Sandra, Finley Norris—who owned The Sweet Tooth, a bakery across the square—Nissi O’Neill, the lawyer whose office was next to the diner, Whitney Crawford, the owner of Chestnut Street Manor Bed and Breakfast, and Tiana and Reina, waitresses who worked with Elsie at Zeke’s bar.
Doc Snow and his partner, Craig, were at a small table. He also saw Fallport Police Chief Simon Hill; Davis Woolford, a homeless veteran; Dorothea, Cora, Ruth, and Clara, four close friends who loved to be in on everything happening in Fallport; and to round out the crowd, Silas, Otto, and Art, who’d given up their seats outside the post office to come check out the woman everyone in town was talking about.
