A John Doe matching Kaden’s description has been in a coma for days.
Apparently, a drunk driver had crossed lanes and smashed into the cab carrying Kaden to me. Kaden had been thrown free but the car caught fire and they hadn’t found any ID on him.
And being a private man meant that not many people would recognize him, despite his wealth.
“The doctor says he should wake up any day now,” the nurse says as Melinda, Luke, and I look at the sleeping man on the bed.
There’s a bandage wrapped around his head and a cast on his arm, a few cuts and scrapes but otherwise, he appears to be in one piece.
A wave of guilt makes me gasp and cover my mouth.
All this time I’ve been wallowing in self-pity and he’s been here, all alone.
Luke places his hands on my shoulders and squeezes.
“He’ll be okay,” he murmurs.
I yank myself out of his grip and it takes everything I have not to glare at him.
“Thank you, Luke. But I need you to leave now.”
He looks like he wants to argue but something in my expression makes him stop and he just nods and walks out. I feel even guiltier but it’s a guilt I can bear. Kaden is the only man I care about right now.
“Can we sit with him?” I ask.
The nurse frowns. “The doctor prefers that only one person enters at a time.”
“No,” Melinda says, raising to her full height and looking the nurse square in the eyes. “We both need to be with him.”
“I’m his partner and this is his best friend.”
The nurse looks from me to Melinda and back again.
Finally, she nods.
Inside I race to Kaden’s side and grasp his hand, kissing the grazed knuckles and whispering all the stupid things I’ve longed to say to him over the last week.
I apologize so many times I lose count and settle for just sitting in the chair next to him and holding his palm against my cheek.
Melinda is watching, her eyes glistening and I back up so she can hold his hand for a while.
We sit there side by side in silence for an hour before Melinda looks at me.
“This is my fault,” she says. “I was so caught up in my own desires that I didn’t see how much the two of you love each other. If I hadn’t set up those pictures he wouldn’t have rushed out here, he wouldn’t have been in that cab…” Her words dissolve into sobs and I wrap my arms around her slim shoulders.
“This wasn’t your fault,” I say, letting my own tears slip down my cheeks. “If I had just answered my phone and let him explain he wouldn’t have flown to L.A. in the middle of the night.”
There’s a groan, deep and gravely and a familiar voice.
“Unless the two of you are wearing pajamas and hitting each other with pillows, I’m not opening my eyes.”
“Kaden,” we gasp together and hurry to his side.
His eyes flutter open and he grins. “Who knew that all I had to do was get hit by a car to get you two to play nice.”
“If you promise to never get hurt again, we’ll play nice forever,” I say, taking his hand and bringing it to my cheek again. “I love you so much. I take back everything I said, I…”
“Shh,” he shushes me with a thumb over my lips. “I know, sweetheart.”
His gaze shifts to Melinda and he smiles, holding his hand out to her. She takes it and brings it to her lips.
“I’m the suckiest friend ever,” she sniffles. “You’re my best friend and I was afraid of losing you.” She looks at me and smiles and I think it might be the first real smile she’s ever given me. “I know now that Claire isn’t here to steal you.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he says. “We’ll always be friends.”
Someone clears their throat by the door and we look up to see the doctor.
“I see you’ve woken and is it possible our John Doe has an identity after all?”
“His name’s Kaden,” Melinda says and we look at each other and laugh.
It’s a silly, giddy sound the even the doctor seems to find contagious.
“Okay, well there are a number of forms that need to be filled out. Why don’t you go get started, while I take a closer look at Kaden?”
Melinda and I split the forms and fill in half each. When we finally finish the nurse hands me a clear bag labeled with the same number on Kaden’s wrist band.
“These were the items we found on him when he was brought in,” the nurse said. “I’m so glad someone came to claim him. He’s much too handsome to be a nobody.”
Melinda and I exchange a grin and sit back down.
In the bag there’s a watch, a pair of gloves, and a small velvet box.
I look at Melinda and she looks back at me.
Holy shit, we both mouth the words at the same time.
“It might be earrings,” I say.
She shakes her head. “Open it.”
“What if it’s not for me?”
Melinda just gives me a look but before she can say anything, the doctor is walking towards us, smiling broadly.
“He’s going to be fine. A few months of rest and he’ll be back on his feet.”
He rattles off some medical jargon that I only half understand and asks that we take turns sitting with him rather than both at once.
Something about not stressing him.
“You go first,” I say to Melinda but she just glares at me.
Taking the velvet box she drops it in the bag and shoves it into my hands, then she spins me around and pushes me towards his room.
“Get your ass in there and take your proposal like a woman.”