Page 139 of Things I Read About

“Nate?” She’s worried about me. Of course, she is. “Shep, get him his water.”

“I can.” I reach for the water jug.

Shep beats me to it.

The water is exactly what I need. I suck it down.

“There ya go. Don’t be a hero, man. Well, I mean, you are a hero.” I groan into the straw at Shep’s commentary. “That’s rightNathaniel,you’re our big knightin shining armor now and the longer you’re in here the more we’ll fawn all over you and make you hella uncomfortable. So, you better just chill so you can recover and get out of here.”

“Out.”

He smiles at me. “Yes, eventually. But I get a week to torture you, at least.”

“No, you get out. Please, everybody out.” As I say it, I start to move.

“Oh hell, Nate you can’t—” The sound of alarms cuts him off as I rip off monitors.

Canton One gasps and Two, Sadie, takes charge. “You heard him, maybe if we give them a minute he’ll get back in bed and stay there.”

“Have you met him?” Shep mutters.

“Stop! Nate!” Sally squeaks my name a few times.

I have to get closer. I’m too far away over here in this bulky bed with rails, feet from her bed that also has little walls up between us on the sides.

The pain is severe as I get up, pull everything off and out but I don’t care.

I focus on getting out of the bed as everyone files out. Finally, I’m standing. And someone has turned all the beeping off.

“Nate,” Sally pleads with me. “You’re going to pass out again and there’s no one in here to catch you, You’ll hit your head, or send yourself right back into the operating room.”

I stumble the two feet that separate us and then grip the side of her bed.

Look at her. Damn it. How did I ever say no?

“I won’t pass out. Not until I’ve talked to you, anyway.”

She looks down. “Nate, I know you think—”

“It wasn’t adrenaline, Sally. I’m not in shock. I’m not hyped up from the action. I’m not feeling a sense of duty. I’m not angry and I’m not confused. I’m just completely and totally in love with you.”

She’s shaking her head no, but she can’t get any words out.

Good, I’ll keep going.

“I’m the liar. I said our time in the mountains meant nothing to me; it meant everything. I thought about you every single day, Sally. Every minute. Since you mooed at that bear.” I reach out and grab her tiny hand.

She doesn’t pull away. Another good sign.

“Listen to me, I went crazy trying to find you. No one has watched more video of women and girls playing piano concertos than me. The FBI probably has me flagged. When I actually saw you again my brain short circuited, something you can probably explain to me in detail, but you had Joe.” I steady myself, growing woozy with anger. “He called you babe. His girl. Everyone said you were theirs.Mygirl, watchourgirl, theirgirl. You’re mine, Sally. You’re meant forme,and I’ll prove it to you.”

She’s crying, but she looks up at me with those big, gorgeous eyes, still not pulling away.Thank God.

“You asked me what I thought about God. Well, I wasn’t even supposed to take that job in Park City. Then, I happened to be closest for this job in Dallas. I think… I think He brought me to you, baby. Twice. The months of searching, the goats, the bullet, I’d do it all again. When I was standing there, bleeding out, I thought”—my voice is cracking, but I’ve got to keep talking—“I thought I was dying but that it was the right way to go. Holding you.”

“Nate.” It’s a sob out of her mouth.

“Yes. Shhhh, what baby?”