Kallie’s apology. “Anyway,” she said, her voice betraying tiredness as well as some frustration, “we’re here in LA and we want to see you. Can we meet you at your hotel for dinner?”
“I don’t know if today’s good to meet. I want to be with Hunter right now.”
“We’re not asking for a full day together, Kallie. Just an hour or two. I want to see you. Your father wants to see you.”
“I know. It’s just that right now is a very fragile time for Hunter. He’s not even forty-eight hours out of surgery and he needs someone here with him.”
“You should go,” Hunter spoke suddenly.
Kallie nearly jumped out of her chair. “Hold on a second, Mom.” She put her cell to her lap and looked at him. “You’re awake?”
He turned his head sideways and looked at her. “I was sleeping like a baby until your phone woke me up.” His tiny grin showed her that he was mostly joking.
“I’m sorry about that. I’ll turn it off.”
“You need to go and see your parents,” he said.
“My parents will be fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“I’m fine, too.”
“I want to be here.”
He smiled. “You can come back later.”
“Please, I can’t leave you just yet.”
Hunter reached out and grabbed her hand. His thumb drew tiny circles on her palm, giving her chills up and down her spine. “You go and see your folks and do whatever else you need to do at the hotel. Come back when you can. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kallie knew Hunter was right. She couldn’t blow off her parents when they’d come all the way out to see her and make sure she was all right. They wanted to support her and be there for her. Of course, they’d also sent Sean to try and bring her back to Ohio, but that was something else entirely.
Kallie picked her cell up again and told her mother that she’d meet her for lunch back at the hotel.
When she got off the phone, Hunter was watching her and grinning.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Everything,” he said. “I’m on more drugs than Keith Richards at a bachelor party.”
His joke reassured her. Really sick people—people about to get even sicker—
didn’t make silly jokes like that. Hunter was getting better, and the doctor’s comments about him not being out of the woods were just precautionary statements, like Detective Phillips had said.
Heartened by what she was seeing from Hunter, Kallie decided that she could handle being away from him for a few hours. She collected her things and gave him a kiss on his stubble-covered cheek. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered in his ear.
“Five minutes or five hours, it’s all the same to me,” he said, his eyes drooping already. “I’ll just be sleeping and dreaming of you anyway.”
***
When Kallie met with her parents for lunch at the hotel, the last thing she expected was to see her brother’s fiancé, Lydia. But there she was along with Sean and Kallie’s parents, waiting in the hotel lobby.
Immediately, Kallie was surrounded, and then they were hugging and kissing her and telling her how much they loved her. There were lots of tears, and Kallie thought that she’d never seen her father so vulnerable before. He was practically blubbering as he hugged her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. “My little girl,” he said. “What would I have done without you?”
“I’m fine, guys,” she said, trying to break away and get some space.
Lydia took her hands and looked her in the eye. “You are so famous now!” she cried, happily. “You’re like Princess Dianna and Julia Roberts rolled into one. Everyone on the news out here is talking about what happened to you! It’s so dramatic.”
“That’s me—Princess Di,” Kallie said, pretending to smile. After all, who wouldn’t want to be compared to a dead princess?
“Chill, babe,” Sean said, putting his arm around Lydia and trying to back her off.
“Don’t tell me to chill,” Lydia said. “Kallie’s
“I don’t know if today’s good to meet. I want to be with Hunter right now.”
“We’re not asking for a full day together, Kallie. Just an hour or two. I want to see you. Your father wants to see you.”
“I know. It’s just that right now is a very fragile time for Hunter. He’s not even forty-eight hours out of surgery and he needs someone here with him.”
“You should go,” Hunter spoke suddenly.
Kallie nearly jumped out of her chair. “Hold on a second, Mom.” She put her cell to her lap and looked at him. “You’re awake?”
He turned his head sideways and looked at her. “I was sleeping like a baby until your phone woke me up.” His tiny grin showed her that he was mostly joking.
“I’m sorry about that. I’ll turn it off.”
“You need to go and see your parents,” he said.
“My parents will be fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“I’m fine, too.”
“I want to be here.”
He smiled. “You can come back later.”
“Please, I can’t leave you just yet.”
Hunter reached out and grabbed her hand. His thumb drew tiny circles on her palm, giving her chills up and down her spine. “You go and see your folks and do whatever else you need to do at the hotel. Come back when you can. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kallie knew Hunter was right. She couldn’t blow off her parents when they’d come all the way out to see her and make sure she was all right. They wanted to support her and be there for her. Of course, they’d also sent Sean to try and bring her back to Ohio, but that was something else entirely.
Kallie picked her cell up again and told her mother that she’d meet her for lunch back at the hotel.
When she got off the phone, Hunter was watching her and grinning.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Everything,” he said. “I’m on more drugs than Keith Richards at a bachelor party.”
His joke reassured her. Really sick people—people about to get even sicker—
didn’t make silly jokes like that. Hunter was getting better, and the doctor’s comments about him not being out of the woods were just precautionary statements, like Detective Phillips had said.
Heartened by what she was seeing from Hunter, Kallie decided that she could handle being away from him for a few hours. She collected her things and gave him a kiss on his stubble-covered cheek. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered in his ear.
“Five minutes or five hours, it’s all the same to me,” he said, his eyes drooping already. “I’ll just be sleeping and dreaming of you anyway.”
***
When Kallie met with her parents for lunch at the hotel, the last thing she expected was to see her brother’s fiancé, Lydia. But there she was along with Sean and Kallie’s parents, waiting in the hotel lobby.
Immediately, Kallie was surrounded, and then they were hugging and kissing her and telling her how much they loved her. There were lots of tears, and Kallie thought that she’d never seen her father so vulnerable before. He was practically blubbering as he hugged her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. “My little girl,” he said. “What would I have done without you?”
“I’m fine, guys,” she said, trying to break away and get some space.
Lydia took her hands and looked her in the eye. “You are so famous now!” she cried, happily. “You’re like Princess Dianna and Julia Roberts rolled into one. Everyone on the news out here is talking about what happened to you! It’s so dramatic.”
“That’s me—Princess Di,” Kallie said, pretending to smile. After all, who wouldn’t want to be compared to a dead princess?
“Chill, babe,” Sean said, putting his arm around Lydia and trying to back her off.
“Don’t tell me to chill,” Lydia said. “Kallie’s
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