Page 24

Harlee

We were directed to a cafeteria, the only room in the hospital that was big enough to hold everyone.

My eyes scanned the room for Tatum.

When I didn’t see her, I worried.

I had tried calling her earlier, but it went straight to voicemail.

And all the texts I’d sent her were left on sent. Not delivered. Not read.

Every eye in the room was on the man in dark blue scrubs as he walked with another man who had a black collar over his black shirt with that little tab of white on it.

Everyone knew what that meant.

Breaths halted.

The room quieted.

They walked to the woman who had introduced herself as the Director of Family Services. They spoke quietly for a brief moment, her shoulders sagged, her eyes softened, yes, she was a good person.

Then she scanned the room and pointed to a table that was five away from us and to the right.

The doctor and the priest walked over to the table, and spoke softly to an older woman, an older man, and two young little girls, and I knew.

Those kids were only left with their grandparents.

Sobs filled the room.

Gut-wrenching sobs.

And sadly, that was how the next seven hours played out.

Different doctors.

Different colored scrubs.

But the priest never wavered. Offering his support in any way that he could.

The room emptied as it did so.

When there were thirty-eight families, including ours, left waiting, another doctor appeared, spoke to the woman, and then my breath caught as she pointed directly to us.

My hand was tagged by Misty; Frank shifted in his seat and wrapped his arm around her.

The doctor made his way to us and then took a chair beside us.

“You are the family of Carter Griggs?” he asked.

Misty and Frank nodded their heads.

Then he looked at me, “Are you, his Darling?”

The tears I had been holding back with a sheer force of will I had no idea where it had come from, suddenly vaporized, and I didn’t even try to hold them back.

I nodded, and smiled a shaky smile, “How is he?”

“He was conscious when they brought him in; therefore, he was able to tell us what had happened. But before I tell you how things played out, as he was on my table.” He smiled at me, “He asked me to tell you, his Darling, that he loves you. That he won’t leave your side.

No ifs nor buts about it. Those were his words. ”

I chuckled softly, “Yeah, that’s my Carter.”

Then he proceeded to tell us everything that had happened.

Thankfully, he had pulled through surgery from a ruptured spleen, and they said that he suffered second-degree burns.

Misty’s hand had tightened so hard at one point over mine that I winced but didn’t say anything. Yes, he was the love of my life, but he would always be her son.

She was the first woman to love him, and I would be the last.

The rest of the family arrived shortly after.

Once we told them all that we knew, a nurse came and got us, but they only allowed one person at a time in the ICU.

Before I could offer Misty or Frank that option, they both had shaken their heads.

Misty wrapped me in her arms and whispered, “No more of this Misty nonsense. You hear. I’m Mama or Mama G. Just choose one of those. I loved him first, but you’re going to love him last. Go be with your heart, precious.”

Hugs were given.

Cheeks were kissed.

Frank and Misty got a hotel room along with the rest of the family.

Then I was led to the room that Carter was in.

Nothing could have prepared me to see him lying in that hospital bed.

Wrapped up in bandages. Connected to machines. Tubes attached to his body.

A comfortable chair was pulled up beside Carter’s bedside, and there I stayed.

My small hand was wrapped around Carter’s strong hand.

“I love you, Carter Griggs. And I can’t wait to be your wife, but it would seem that I already am. Usually, you ask a woman before you give her that title. Or in my case, that honor. Because I would be honored to be your wife. Forever and always.”

As the minutes trickled by, I kept talking to him.

Hours had passed, and my voice was getting raspy when Misty and Frank walked in,

“How is he?” Misty asked.

I shook my head, “No change.”

Misty nodded, and I sensed that she wanted a few minutes alone with him, but her heart wouldn’t allow her to say it.

Smiling to myself, I stood and then asked, “Okay if I run to the hotel and get a shower, and change my clothes?”

I gestured at myself, as I was still in the same clothes from three days ago. Yeah, that was totally fine.

She smiled as her shoulders dropped slightly.

“Come on, sweet girl. Take you there.” Frank said to me, as he moved to his wife, and pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering something.

She smiled up at him and winked.

Then she looked at me, “Knew the moment he came into this world he was going to give me gray hairs, and look,” she said as she pointed to her gray strands mixed in with her blonde hair, “knew I would love him unlike anything I’ve ever loved before.

And I knew that once he had fallen in love with someone, it would be the forever kind of love.

Deep. Rooted in, and I was right. Because everyone came to me when they realized who we were and shared that you were all he had talked about. For years.”

I felt tears prick my eyes. Jesus, how many tears could one being shed in a short time frame?

“No one else I’d ever think was good enough for my boy, but you. We all love you, Harlee. Now I love Melanie with all my heart, but she’s older. So, get on getting me another grandbaby, alright, daughter-in-law?” she winked.

I was smiling and shaking my head as Frank wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the room.

***

As the hot water cascaded over my body, loosening my shoulders, unable to help it, I dropped to my knees and let my tears fall unheeded down my cheeks

Then I got myself together because Carter needed me.

I got dressed in the clean clothes I had packed, and then I headed back to the hospital. With Frank at my side.

I was going to remain at his bedside.

I knew what I was going to say to him the moment he opened his eyes.

The only thing I didn’t know... was how to tell him the other news I had.

***

Five days had passed, and we were still staying vigilant. Since he was past the forty-eight-hour mark, he was moved to another room to free up that bed.

And thankfully, the entire family was able to come in and sit, to be with him.

Garrick had been trolling the channels, the family saying yay or nay to what he stopped on.

And when he stopped on Top Gun, the entire room said yay.

While the movie played and we watched, saying lines that we knew by heart, nurses came in, his doctor came in, and all the while, my hand was wrapped in Carter’s.

And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Iceman spoke... the most glorious sound in the entire world sounded.

“You can be my wingman any time,” I heard rasped out.

My eyes shot to his to see his gorgeous oceanlike-colored eyes already looking at me.

His hand tightened on mine, I squeezed

“How long have you loved me?” I asked.

“Love you forever if you bring me your lips,” he said.

And tears, once again, crawled down my cheeks.

But I did it.

I rose up, leaned over him, careful of his bandages, and pressed a kiss to his lips just as his undamaged arm came up, and his hand fisted in my hair, holding me in place.

To say we forgot about the rest of his family in the room would be an understatement.

Until the sound of a throat clearing, I lifted my head and then smiled down at him.

His fingers left my hair, then he used his thumb to brush my tears away, as he whispered, “Since the night of your prom. I fell, right then and there.”

Garrick headed out of the room to let the doctor know he was awake.

Frank and Misty, hugged him, Misty buried her face in his shoulder and softly wept.

Talia followed.

Ethan hugged him.

Garrick hugged him.

Alec freaking fist bumped him.

We were all asked to leave the room as they checked him over.

However, we all heard Carter snap, “Don’t you ask her to leave ever again.”

That caused all of us to chuckle, as Garrick said, “Yeah. He’s going to be just fine.”

Alec nodded, “Still can’t believe I never saw it.”

“Because you had your dick up in anything that moved,” Garrick said dryly.

And that caused us all to start chuckling even harder, which turned into laughter.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and before we moved to go back into the room, the nurse looked at me and said, “He would like you to come in first.” Then she looked at the rest of them and said, “He asked y’all to give him fifteen minutes or so.”

They nodded, then said they would go grab food for all of us and bring it back.

I headed back into the room and did something I’ve needed.

He apparently needed it to, because he opened his arms, and his other arm, which was bandaged, came up slowly.

Carefully, I lowered myself next to him and gingerly wrapped my arms around him.

Breathing him in, with my eyes closed.

Tilting my head, I placed a kiss over his bandage that was over his heart.

And then.... I heard words I had always wanted to hear from him.

“Marry me,” he asked.

I felt the breath in my lungs catch, “What?”

He whispered, “Marry me. Did they give you my stuff?”

I nodded then pointed to the little armoire thing, or whatever it was called, and said, “It’s all in there.”

He nodded, “Go and get it for me, please.”

With that, I pressed another kiss over his heart, followed by him pressing one to the top of my head, then I got up and went and got his things.

“Black backpack.” He said.

I tagged it and brought it to the bed.

Then he pointed at a zipper on the side of it and said, “Open that.”

Once I had it opened, he reached in and pulled out a tiny light blue box.

I tried to fight the tears once again, and just barely.

The moment he had the lid opened, the stunning ring that was nestled in a silk fabric.

I looked from the ring to him and asked, “Carter, how long have you had this?”

He winked, “Can’t tell you the feeling I had. The instant drive to go and look. And when I found that one, I don’t know. But I’m sure as fucking glad I listened to whatever it was about, bought it.”

And there, in Parkwood Memorial Hospital, I smiled as he slid the beautiful ring on my finger.

I stared at it and whispered, “I’m going to love saying that my name is Mrs. Carter Griggs.”

He winked, “Always referred to you in my head as Harlee Belle Griggs. That okay with you?”

I nodded.

And then sobered.

Not wanting to ruin any of this, but he needed to know.

He knew me.

He asked in a worried tone, “What is it?”

I sat down in my chair, and wrapped my hands around his, bringing his hand to my mouth, I pressed a kiss on one of his knuckles, then I whispered, “How much do you remember?”

I hadn’t found this out until Caulson came and told me.

“Mostly all of it. Why?” he asked.

“Do you remember being thrown off Solace and into the ocean?” I asked.

His brows furrowed, and then I watched as his eyes widened, “No.”

Sadly, I nodded my head, tears I had held back came down my cheeks once again, “Yeah. He didn’t get off the rig in time.”

And then I sat there, trying to absorb the pain Carter was in emotionally as I watched a few tears trail down his cheeks.

Softly, he whispered, “Remember. Granger told me if it was his time, he wouldn’t mind going, only so he could make sure I made it back to you.”

I leaned my head down and pressed it into our grasped hands.

Frank, Misty, Garrick, Ethan, Melanie, Alec, Talia, Dominik, Bronson, and Tatum walked into the room.

At the sight of my ring finger, I watched as everyone slowly had smiles forming on their faces.

It was Garrick who asked, “Finally asked her, huh?”

“According to everyone else, they were already married,” Tatum said with a soft chuckle.

At the sight of her, Carter looked at me and asked me without words.

I winked at him and nodded, “Come on, let’s give Tatum and Carter a few minutes alone.”