A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) (26 page)

“Mister Kerr.”

“Yes.”  Mike whipped around to Shannon’s voice.

“She’s been discharged.”

“Discharged?”  Mike repeated.  “As in she’s okay?”

“We don’t discharge people who aren’t okay.”  Shannon smiled.

“Did she leave an address?”

“Now that I can’t give you.  I’m sorry.  If she is your friend, I’m sure you’ll find her.”

Mike sighed.  “Thank you.”   He’d find her if damn Aiden would answer his phone.  Or call him back. 

Mike exited the hospital

“Damn Aiden.”

He fished out his cell phone and looked at the screen.  He hadn’t heard it ring but there were four missed calls and one voicemail.

“Mister Kerr, I’m so sorry, I’ve overslept.  It’d been a long day and I must have set my alarm for morning instead of evening, please don’t massacre me.”  Aiden’s voice was laced with fear.  Mike laughed at the message.  “I have a mate’s phone, the number will be on your ID.  Call please.  I’m so sorry.”

Mike dialed the number.

“Mister Kerr, I’m so sorry!” 

“Aiden, how—”

“I messed up setting the alarm clock, I didn’t mean to leave you at the airport.”

“How is—”

“Where are you?  I’ll send a cab.”

“Aiden, shut up.”

“Yes, sir.”  Aiden took a deep breath.

“How is Raleigh?”

“Ah, right.”  Aiden expected a tongue lashing when Mike told him to shut up.  “She’s resting at the hotel we’ve been put up at, the Park Hyatt Paris - Vendome.”

“She’s okay?”  Mike breathed a sigh of relief.

“She’s pretty sore, but yes sir, she’s going to be okay.  I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner.  Things were hectic and it slipped my mind.”

“It’s alright, I’m glad she’s okay.”

“Where are you?”

“Outside the hospital she was staying at.”

“I’ll send a taxi.  I’m so sorry, sir.  Please don’t massacre me.”

“I’m glad you think I’m such a violent person, Aiden.”

“Bollucks.”  Aiden panicked.  He constantly said the wrong thing. 

“I flew all the way here from Maine and I’m glad she’s okay, but will it be any different?  I’m going to have the same welcome I did in North Carolina.”

“I think things may be different, sir.  And you didn’t really fly all the way across the Atlantic to bloody back out now, did you?  Shit, I keep doing it, Aiden, shut up.”

Mike laughed.  He must really like Cass with how nervous he was.

“You can stay with me if you like.  Finding a room in Paris at 1am might prove difficult.”

“I’ll take you up on that.  Text me the name of the hotel and I’ll show the cabbie.  God knows I won’t be able to pronounce it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Aiden, my name is Mike.  Not Mr. Kerr, not sir, Mike.”

“Yes, ah, Mike.”

“Thanks.  I’m on my way.  And no, I’m not going to massacre you.”

“Thank you for that.”

Mike hung up.  He’d really flown all the way across the Atlantic on a whim...she probably would have him arrested.  That would make for an even more interesting story.”

*****

Aiden, you are such a tool.  If he didn’t like you before, he surely won’t now. 
Aiden was terrified.  Horrified.  Shaking like a little ninny.  He’d forgotten to call Cass, forgotten to call Mike, FORGOTTEN TO PICK UP MIKE, and then all of the stupid comments he’d made, ah hell, he was done for.  Done.

*****

The cab dropped Mike off in front of the exquisite lobby.

“Shit.”  Mike looked up.  This was very out of his price range.  This was a celebrity status hotel, not lowly game warden wages hotel.

“Sir, I ah, I mean Mike!”  Aiden waved at him.  “This way.”

Mike followed Aiden to the bank of elevators. 

“I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.  It’s more annoying than what you’ve already done.”

“Sorry, sir.”  Aiden caught his mistake.  “Shit, I bloody did it again.  I apologized and called you sir.  I’m sorry....Bloody aye!  I give up!”

“Calm down.”  Mike laughed.  “You need some medication there little man.”

Aiden faked a laugh.   “I could have used some the past few days.”

Mike rose a brow.

“Not that I do drugs, because I don’t.  Never have.  Not that kind of bloke, I just, I, sir, oh dear God.”  Aiden gave up on talking.

“Obviously I’m not the only one who is tired.”

“I’m going to sleep on the ledge.  You can take the bed.” 

“Aiden.”  Mike held his shoulders.  “It’s okay.  You’re starting to grow on me.” 

Truth be told all he wanted to do was laugh at the nervous as hell Brit. 

“Thanks?”  Aiden said surprised at that turn of events.

“I’ll take the loveseat.  Thank you for putting me up.”

“Gladly.”  Aiden kicked his shoes off.  “You know, it’s late and all, but you would be able to catch her alone if you sneak in now.  Her parents are down the hall, as is the rest of the team.  If you wait for daybreak, you won’t see her alone.”

“If she’s resting I don’t want to wake her.”

“I will then.”

Aiden grabbed a card and walked to the door.
 

“
What are you doing?”  Mike asked.

“Follow me.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Now.”  Aiden used a keycard and gained access to her room.  He walked through the large suite to her bedside.

“Raleigh,” Aiden said gently, sitting on the side of her bed.  “Wake up sleeping beauty.”

“Aiden?  What time is it?”  She asked in a haze.

“It’s late, well, early technically.  It’s the middle of the night,” Aiden fumbled every thought he tried to complete.  “Someone came all the way across the Atlantic when they heard you were hurt.  I didn’t want to make him wait any longer to see you.”  Aiden looked over his shoulder to Mike. 

The room was dimly lit, but Raleigh could make out his silhouette.

“Mike?”  Mike stepped forward.  “You flew all the way out here?”  She pulled herself upright.

“Take it easy Miss.”

“Aiden, I’m okay.”  She patted his hand. 

“I’ll leave you two alone.”

Aiden walked past Mike and out the door.

“You flew to Paris...”  Raleigh couldn’t believe it.

“I got a panicked call from Cass telling me what happened.”

“And you flew all the way out here for me?”  She said in disbelief.

“I sure as hell didn’t fly out here to see Aiden.”

Raleigh smiled.  She patted the side of the bed.  Mike’s heart skipped a few beats, she didn’t point to the door.  Deep bruises showed on her tanned skin, a large bump on her right temple visible even in the dark of night.

“How bad were you hurt?”

“A few bruises.  And a little concussion.”  Raleigh downplayed it.  “I’m a bit sore.”

Mike sat on the edge of the bed with her.  Mike raised his hand to the side of her face.  Taking the back of his hand, he ran it lightly down her jawline.  The thought of nearly losing her once again overwhelmed him.

“I can’t believe you came here.”  She truly was blown away.  It was shocking enough to see him in North Carolina, she was floored he flew all the way to Paris.

“You know I’ve never seen Paris.  The cab driver told me Paris was the city of love and anything can happen under the city lights.” 

Raleigh’s eyes weren’t contemptuous as they had been at their last meeting. 

Mike leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead.  “I’m hoping my cabbie was right.” 

Raleigh reached up to him and pulled him down to her taking him in an embrace.

“We have to stop meeting this way though.”  Raleigh closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.

“In beautiful places all over the world?”

“Through near death experiences.”

Mike pulled back and with a single finger tilted her chin upward.  “I agree.”   His lips softly brushed against hers.  “I’m glad you’re okay.   And glad you didn’t kick me out the door as soon as you saw me.”  He softly kissed her again.

“I don’t want you to go anywhere.  I didn’t want to leave you in North Carolina, but I was hurt.  I thought I didn’t mean anything to you.”

“You mean more to me than you could possibly know.  Not just because of my accident.”

“It was only a week.”   She felt the same as him, but still questioned the possibility of falling so hard so quickly.

“A week I’ll never forget.”  His breath brushed against her ears and sent chills down to her toes.  “I know it’s crazy and you’ll probably throw me out for admitting this, but I’ve fallen in love with you Raleigh.”

He kissed her with more want and pulled her tight into his chest.

“Owe...”  Raleigh drew in a deep breath as pain shot through her.

“Oh God, I’m sorry!  I hurt you.”  Mike pulled back and rested his hands on her sides. 

Raleigh didn’t say a word in response to his admission of love.

He loves me?  He said he loves me...Aiden was right....

“I shouldn’t have made that last confession.”  Mike said let down.

“I love you too.”  She ran her hands through his cropped hair.  So soft.  “And want to see what we have.”
 

Mike smiled overjoyed that she
’d returned his sentiment.

“
But you live in Maine.  I live on the road.  And when I’m not on the road, I live on the opposite end of the eastern seaboard.  How can we be any more than pen pals?  I’m not giving up racing.  You love being a warden and I know you wouldn’t give that up.  I don’t expect you to.  So where does that leave us?”

Mike’s happiness instantly drained.  “You’re jumping too far ahead.”

“Why set ourselves up for pain?”

“So that’s it?”

“How else can it be?” She kissed him sweetly, not wanting the words she’d spoken to be true.  Mike wished he had an answer.

“I don’t know, but I don’t like that option.”  He cradled the sides of her neck.

“If you have a different option, I’m more than open to it.”

Mike could come up with none.

“Lay down with me.”  The way she was sitting caused her pain.  Mike kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed with her.  He exhaled deeply and brought his hand to her lower back.  She melted into his side.