Chapter Fourteen
Adam sat in the ambulance wondering how Ben was holding it together. Remembering the pain he’d been in after his car accident, he was amazed the kid wasn’t screaming his head off. God knows, he did. He was a grown man and he wailed like a just-smacked newborn. But Ben was lying there, oxygen mask on his face, breathing slowly and forcing his eyes shut to defend against the pain. He was trying so damned hard to be brave, but there was that lone tear track that let Adam know Ben was scared to death.
“We’re almost there, pal.” Adam touched Ben’s shoulder and he nodded, opening his eyes and revealing every emotion.
“Is Aunt Mia…”
He barely got the words out, but Adam was quick to reassure him. “I talked to her. She’s meeting us at the hospital.”
Ben nodded again and looked around as the sensation of the ambulance slowing and then stopping got his attention. A small lurch made Ben wince, but the telltale beeping made it clear they had arrived at the hospital and were backing into the bay. Adam had never been so relieved in his life. All he wanted was for Ben to get treated. Seeing him in this kind of pain, this afraid, and not being able to do anything about it was torture.
When the doors flew open and he had a second to adjust to the light, he saw Mia, her hair being lifted by the breeze, her knuckles white from the tension, and still looking more beautiful than she should, considering she was probably scared out of her mind.
He hopped out of the ambulance and went to her, wordlessly letting his hand settle softly between her shoulder blades. Mia didn’t hesitate, she turned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. That was the only signal Adam needed; he folded her in his arms and held her as the EMTs readied Ben for the move out of the back. Her body curved against his and all Adam wanted to do was take away her pain and worry.
“He’s going to be okay,” he said against her temple.
Of course, right then, Ben cried out, and Mia broke toward the ambulance. “I’m here, Ben.”
Desperate to get to him, she wasn’t paying any attention to what was happening. Dropping his hand on her shoulder, Adam guided her a few steps away. “Mia, honey, step back so they can get him out.”
Mia stepped away momentarily, only to bolt to Ben’s side once the stretcher was on the ground. Adam watched as she looked him over, stroking the hair from his face, looking at the cut by his brow, and finally settling on the splint wrapped around his right leg. After taking it all in, Adam watched her quiet her own fears and give Ben the comfort he needed. She looked in his eyes, touched his cheek, and whispered in his ear. Ben nodded, and when Mia smiled at him softly, Adam felt the grip around his heart tighten.
The EMTs took their places alongside the stretcher and Mia followed as they brought Ben into the emergency room. Standing back, Adam looked toward the parking lot and to the harbor beyond, leaning against the cement pillar supporting the overhang.
Why was he in knots over this? He’d been to this hospital with injured players over the past few years. He’d waited until family could get here so some kid who was away from home wouldn’t be alone. He knew the drill.
Once Mia arrived, he should have relaxed; but unlike when the patient was a kid on his team, there was no way he was going to leave. Mia and Ben were too important to him. And while he’d fought these feelings his whole life, there was no denying he was falling for her. Fast and hard.
There were so many things running through his head, he didn’t realize how much time had passed until the ambulance crew came out with the empty stretcher.
“You still here, Coach?” The EMT who sat in the back with Ben walked over when they’d finished putting away the gear.
“Yeah, figured I’d wait around a bit.” The truth was, Adam didn’t know what the hell he was doing, but he didn’t want to leave.
“They were going to take the kid to x-ray, and the doc said something about a C-T scan since he got his bell rung.”
All he could think was that Mia must have been out of her mind, and truthfully, Adam was more worried than he’d ever been. He extended his hand to the tech, who was still standing next to him. “Thanks for everything.”
“No problem. Let us know how the kid’s doing.”
Watching the ambulance pull away, he figured he’d do what he said he was going to do—set himself up in the waiting room in case Mia needed anything. Dragging his hand across the back of his neck, Adam turned and almost ran over Mia.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked.
Was she going to tell him to leave? He tried to read her meaning, but the look on her face didn’t convey anger so much as fear. Fear and something else.
“I was just heading to the waiting room.”
“Waiting room?”
“Yeah. Do you need something?”
Mia took a breath, grasped his hand. “I need you,” she whispered. “Please come back there with me?”
Adam felt the air leave his own lungs as he saw the panic in her eyes, and instinctively, he circled her with his arms. “He’s going to be okay.”
“They think he might have a head injury, too.”
“He was conscious and talking the whole way here. That’s a good sign.”
“I know,” she sniffled. “But, but…”
He held her as she struggled to be brave, struggled to stay calm, understanding there wasn’t anything he could say. He could only be with her, offer her comfort. “Come on, let’s go back and wait for him.”
“You’ll stay?”
Adam held her head gently in his hands and locked eyes with her, hoping he could give her some extra strength. “I’ll stay.”
The relief that washed across her face was so complete, Adam had a hard time keeping his own emotions in check. Whatever any of this meant, it was obvious that he and Mia were a lot more than friends.
*
Not knowing was the worst part. Janet sat restlessly in the waiting room with a few of the parents from Ben’s team, wishing she had some news. But she didn’t, and she was worried sick.
The last she’d heard from Mia, Adam had called, and Ben was in an ambulance on his way here with a broken leg. He’d been hurt at his game and the break looked bad.
She’d seen Mia for a split second while Ben was having x-rays, but that was it. What surprised her most was that Adam was nowhere to be seen. Especially considering the way things had been developing between him and her granddaughter.
Technically, she supposed, Noah and Mia were a couple, even though they sure didn’t act like it. However, the way Adam looked at her, touched her, joked with her, well, that’s what intimacy was built on. Maybe it was good they were trying to be friends. Their comfort level made everything easier between them, while the professor’s silly formality pretty much doomed him from the get-go. More than one person had said it: Noah was a very nice man, but they just couldn’t see him with Mia.
The only person who disagreed was Mia’s mother, and Janet shook her head wondering how a woman could be so out of touch with her child.
“Goodness, what’s taking so long,” she whispered.
The waiting was grating on everyone, though, and while she sat there, she wondered if she should call Ellen and tell her what happened. She decided against it. There was no way she wanted to catch the crap for Ben playing sports. And her daughter’s argument would be crap. Mia was doing the right thing, and Ben was happier than she’d ever seen him.
“Mrs. Lang?”
Janet looked up and standing before her was a smiling, young nurse. “Your granddaughter wanted me to come and get you.”
“Oh?” Gathering her things, she didn’t question. “Lead the way.” She felt her stomach clutch in response to her nervousness as she followed the nurse through the double doors.
“How is Ben doing?”
“Not bad, considering, and your granddaughter is nervous, but she’s been better since her husband got here.”
Janet stopped in her tracks. “Her husband?”
The young nurse nodded. “What a gorgeous couple, and he’s so great with Ben.”
They rounded a final corner, and entered a cubicle. That’s when she saw she had no need to worry.
On a stool, situated by Ben’s left shoulder, sat Mia. And on the other side of the bed, straddling a chair that was pulled right up to the bedrail, was her husband. Adam.
Wow.
“Here they are,” the nurse sang. Good lord, Janet thought. It must take a lot of energy to be that young and chipper.
“Your grandmother was chewing off her fingernails, Ben.”
“Hey, Nana.” Poor baby’s voice was weak and sad. “They’re taking me to surgery soon.”
“Surgery?” Janet looked from Mia to Adam and back to Ben. Not wanting to scare him, she waved off the worry. “And once it’s all healed, your leg will be as good as new. Did you meet your doctor?”
“Yes,” Ben nodded. “He’s one of Coach’s friends.”
Janet looked to Adam, who filled in the blanks. “Ryan McAndrews.”
She recognized the name immediately—another one of her former students. And he was, more than likely, the best orthopedic surgeon in New York. Ben was in good hands.
“You know him, Nana?” Mia asked.
“Yes, and he has a stellar reputation.”
“Aww, gee thanks, Mrs. Lang.” The deep, gentle voice hadn’t changed in twenty years. Ryan had been one of her best students, and now he was going to use those brains and that talent to reassemble Ben’s leg.
“You take good care of my great-grandson, doctor.”
Ryan smiled the same way he did when he was a kid. Big, warm, and full of confidence. Then he turned that smile on Mia.
If the situation wasn’t serious, Janet would have laughed watching Adam squirm as the handsome doctor made moves on her granddaughter.
Remembering her student history, Adam and Ryan had been friends and teammates in high school, but there was always underlying tension. A rivalry. Ryan was the do-good, super-student; a star athlete who found his way to Harvard. Adam was more laidback, a bit of a slacker, and more inclined to find trouble. He didn’t lack intelligence, but he knew that while Ryan could have gone anywhere on his academics alone, Adam needed sports to get into a top university.
Now, watching Ryan talk to Mia and Ben from his spot on the opposite side of the bed, Adam looked uncertain. She wondered if he realized how much Mia cared for him. Mia might have been dating Noah, but her heart belonged to Adam.
Janet inched over to him and put her hands on his big shoulders. “I’m glad you were here with her. I was worried.”
He looked up into her eyes, and that’s when Janet saw the truth. Holy Schemoly. There was no denying it. Adam was in love with Mia. He may not have realized it yet, but it was all over his face. Less than two months and this big, tough, hard-living jock was head over heels for her girl.
Nothing could have made Janet happier.
Adam’s big hand came up and covered Janet’s. He was worried, too. For all his experience, the injuries he’d had, he was scared for Ben—and she suspected, for Mia as well.
But somehow, Janet didn’t doubt that it was all going to be okay.
“You ready to take a ride, Ben?”
Unnoticed, a nurse and an orderly had slipped into the cubicle and were getting Ben ready for the move to the operating room.
A knot formed right in her belly.
Adam stood next to her and laid his hand on her back. There was kindness in his touch along with genuine concern. Things she always knew were inside the tough kid, but he was reluctant to show. Traits that made him one of her favorite students, even when he tested every limit.
They both leaned forward and while Janet kissed Ben’s forehead, Adam simply patted his shoulder.
“You hang in there, buddy. We’ll all be here when you wake up.”
“Thanks, Coach. See you later.”
Mia walked alongside the gurney and Adam hung back, taking a deep breath and watching as they moved toward the elevator.
“It’s going to be a couple of hours for the surgery, but he’s going to be fine. I already told Mia, the break looks clean.” Ryan looked confident and calm, and that should have reassured her; but this was her great grandson, and logic had left the building.
“Where can we wait?” Janet asked.
“The O-Rs are on the fourth floor. There’s a waiting area up there. Mia will be there once we take Ben in. We’ll let her stay with him until then.”
It was about all Janet could do to nod. “I’m going to tell everyone out in the waiting room what’s going on.” Turning to Ryan, she continued, “Thank you. I feel better knowing you’re taking care of him.”
Ryan smiled and gave her a big hug. “I’m glad Adam called me.”
“Me, too.”
*
Adam watched Mrs. Lang scoot back to the waiting room before he turned to Ryan. “Thanks again for coming, man.”
Ryan took Adam’s outstretched hand and nodded. “So, ah, I have to ask… you and Mia?”
Adam thought about the question, wondering if his friend was just curious or if he wanted to make a play for Mia himself.
“Nothing official, but she matters to me. They both do.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah, that’s kind of obvious. Good for you.”
That was a shocker. “What? No joke? No crack about how she’s too good for me?”
Ryan let out a laugh. “Nah, I think you’ve earned a reprieve. Besides, it looks like she has you on your knees, so that’s a big plus in my book.”
“That she does.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
Turning, Ryan left and Adam thought about what had just happened. Since he’d come back to Compass Cove, everything in his life—his priorities, his goals—had changed. Neighbors were kind, protective, and simply knowing a guy like Ryan McAndrews could accept him with someone like Mia proved that people didn’t see him in the same way anymore.
He never would have believed it, but coming home had saved him in more ways than he ever imagined.