Read Online Autumn in the City of Lights by Kirby Howell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kirby Howell
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another chair to prop her feet up, and was reading Anne of Green Gables .
“Hey guys,” she said, smiling at us as we approached. She stood up and stretched. “I think he’s looking better, Dr. Grey.”
Grey bent over Ben and examined the monitors. “You’re right. Everything’s stable. That’s really good.” He turned back to Jen. “Did he ever seem like he was coming to?”
“No, not yet.” She ran a hand over Ben’s hair. “But I have faith that today’s the day.” She smiled at Ben, and for the first time, I didn’t dislike her.
“Thank you for staying with him,” I said to Jen, meaning it. “It was very kind of you.”
“It’s no problem. The girl I’m rooming with right now snores like a pig on steroids, so it’s actually easier sleeping during the day while she’s awake!” Jen laughed, and for a moment, I did, too.
“Okay, those of us going to the meeting should probably head out,” Grey said. Connie took Jen’s seat, and Rissi took the chair where Jen’s feet had been resting.
“Daniel,” Connie said, “Will you stay back with Rissi and me for a bit?” Daniel nodded and went about moving another chair into the room.
“She’s going to tell Daniel about this morning, and then he’s going to get mad at us, too,” I protested to Grey as we exited the hospital.
Grey looked at me out of the corner of his eye, then said, “Better now than later.”
“How can you be so calm about them being mad at us?”
“I’m not, but the truth is we did mess up last night. Your mistake was that you asked me to come up. My mistake was that I did, and then allowed myself to fall asleep. And she was right, we did agree to these rules, and it’s not a very respectable way for me to treat you.”
He led me between Snicket and Gideon and lowered his voice. “And just because I’m able to get back and forth between the guesthouse and your bedroom without attracting attention, doesn’t mean I should.”
I stared at him, eyebrows raised.
“What?” he said flatly.
“You’re being so noble,” I teased. In response, Grey raised one eyebrow, checking to his left then right, then pulled me close and kissed me deeply. When we separated, he grinned.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“Just so you don’t think I’m too noble.” Then he boosted me up onto Snicket’s back.
We rode side by side to the Hillside Bowl and tied our horses under the tarp-covered corral. As Connie had predicted, one of the guards stopped us on our way up the steep hill to the seating area. He patted us down, then waved us through.
The stage was black with soot, and the remains of the iconic white band shell were burned and crumbling, but the seats were mostly unaffected by the explosion. I spotted Shad across the Bowl, seated high up on one of the retaining walls, binoculars hanging around his neck and a rifle across his knees. A chill crept down my back, and not from the weather.
Grey found us seats near the front, and we saved an additional spot for Daniel, who was coming through the entrance. I tensed as he wove his way through the crowd, heading toward us. Daniel surely would be as mad as Connie. He was the one who stayed up waiting for Grey to leave or for me to come home.
I was surprised when he smiled broadly, his freckled cheeks and the tip of his nose pink with cold.
“Sure feels like winter, eh?” he asked, putting his arm around me to rub warmth into my shoulders. “We should build a fire tonight. And maybe Rissi will let us have some of her stash of marshmallows to toast. We need to do something to celebrate her birthday. What do you think of that?”
I nodded, relieved by his friendliness. “That would be really nice.”
Diego clapped his hands together on the stage, the sound echoing off the back of the Bowl. The chatter died down, and the last few people standing found seats. I noted without surprise that there were fewer people here today.
“This is a last-minute meeting, so
“Hey guys,” she said, smiling at us as we approached. She stood up and stretched. “I think he’s looking better, Dr. Grey.”
Grey bent over Ben and examined the monitors. “You’re right. Everything’s stable. That’s really good.” He turned back to Jen. “Did he ever seem like he was coming to?”
“No, not yet.” She ran a hand over Ben’s hair. “But I have faith that today’s the day.” She smiled at Ben, and for the first time, I didn’t dislike her.
“Thank you for staying with him,” I said to Jen, meaning it. “It was very kind of you.”
“It’s no problem. The girl I’m rooming with right now snores like a pig on steroids, so it’s actually easier sleeping during the day while she’s awake!” Jen laughed, and for a moment, I did, too.
“Okay, those of us going to the meeting should probably head out,” Grey said. Connie took Jen’s seat, and Rissi took the chair where Jen’s feet had been resting.
“Daniel,” Connie said, “Will you stay back with Rissi and me for a bit?” Daniel nodded and went about moving another chair into the room.
“She’s going to tell Daniel about this morning, and then he’s going to get mad at us, too,” I protested to Grey as we exited the hospital.
Grey looked at me out of the corner of his eye, then said, “Better now than later.”
“How can you be so calm about them being mad at us?”
“I’m not, but the truth is we did mess up last night. Your mistake was that you asked me to come up. My mistake was that I did, and then allowed myself to fall asleep. And she was right, we did agree to these rules, and it’s not a very respectable way for me to treat you.”
He led me between Snicket and Gideon and lowered his voice. “And just because I’m able to get back and forth between the guesthouse and your bedroom without attracting attention, doesn’t mean I should.”
I stared at him, eyebrows raised.
“What?” he said flatly.
“You’re being so noble,” I teased. In response, Grey raised one eyebrow, checking to his left then right, then pulled me close and kissed me deeply. When we separated, he grinned.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“Just so you don’t think I’m too noble.” Then he boosted me up onto Snicket’s back.
We rode side by side to the Hillside Bowl and tied our horses under the tarp-covered corral. As Connie had predicted, one of the guards stopped us on our way up the steep hill to the seating area. He patted us down, then waved us through.
The stage was black with soot, and the remains of the iconic white band shell were burned and crumbling, but the seats were mostly unaffected by the explosion. I spotted Shad across the Bowl, seated high up on one of the retaining walls, binoculars hanging around his neck and a rifle across his knees. A chill crept down my back, and not from the weather.
Grey found us seats near the front, and we saved an additional spot for Daniel, who was coming through the entrance. I tensed as he wove his way through the crowd, heading toward us. Daniel surely would be as mad as Connie. He was the one who stayed up waiting for Grey to leave or for me to come home.
I was surprised when he smiled broadly, his freckled cheeks and the tip of his nose pink with cold.
“Sure feels like winter, eh?” he asked, putting his arm around me to rub warmth into my shoulders. “We should build a fire tonight. And maybe Rissi will let us have some of her stash of marshmallows to toast. We need to do something to celebrate her birthday. What do you think of that?”
I nodded, relieved by his friendliness. “That would be really nice.”
Diego clapped his hands together on the stage, the sound echoing off the back of the Bowl. The chatter died down, and the last few people standing found seats. I noted without surprise that there were fewer people here today.
“This is a last-minute meeting, so
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