A fresh pot of coffee sat on the stand like it was ready for me, and I poured a big cup as I thought about the last time I’d been here. It’d been around the same time I’d stopped calling to check on Reid, something that made me feel guilty, though it had been at the request of his family. I could feel the note he’d given me before he went back for surgery burning a hole in my pocket, its words taunting me even now. Never did I leave the house without the folded piece of paper, and I felt conflicted even carrying it around when I hadn’t exactly kept my promise.
“Excuse me.” As an arm reached across me to place a travel mug under the latte spout, my entire body went still. I didn’t even breathe.
I didn’t have to look over to know it was him. I’d recognize his voice anywhere, know the scent of his shampoo mixed in with the light spray of cologne even from across a crowded room. But Reid wasn’t across a room. He was standing beside me, and I’d been too caught up in my thoughts to notice his approach.
Just being near him again sent a flutter of excited butterflies through my stomach, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at him. He almost took my breath away, he was so fucking handsome. His dark, almost black hair was still cut short, and he was as put together as ever in a pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt. God, it’d been so long since I’d seen him, touched him, and my hands itched to reach for him, to pull him into my arms and hold him there. Being so close made me ache for him so badly it hurt.
As if he felt my gaze on him, Reid looked up, and I quickly turned away.
“Hey,” he said, “I know you.”
Wait, what?“You do?”
“Yeah…” As his eyes narrowed, I held my breath. “You brought flowers to my hospital room, right?”
Heat flooded my face as I lowered my head and focused on stirring my coffee. “Uh, yeah, I think I might’ve dropped them by…for someone.”
Wow. All the time we’ve spent together and I’m the flower delivery boy. Fuck me.
“Hey, Ollie,” Mike shouted, and I glanced up to see him round the corner with a bag of chips in his hand. “Look, I found—Oh shit.” He stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide as dinner plates, as he looked between Reid and me, and then he cleared his throat and thumbed toward the door. “I’ll be in the rig…whenever…” He shot me an apologetic look and then hightailed it away.
Thanks a lot, asshole.
Reid cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips as he looked at me curiously. “Your name’s Ollie?” His gaze dropped to my name etched on my shirt. “Oliver?”
“Yes. Both, but my friends call me Ollie.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
He chewed on his lip for a moment, and then slowly shook his head. “Nothing.”
As he reached across me again for his mug, I wondered what that look had meant. But I didn’t have time to think about it for long, because Joe caught wind of his long-lost customer and came barreling down the aisle, as fast as his limping gait could take him.
“Reid,” Joe said, holding on to Reid’s shoulders as he smiled at him. “What a treat, all three of my boys in the same day. Ollie and I were just talking about you. It’s good to see you upright.”
“Thank you. Good to be upright,” Reid said.
“We’ve been prayin’ for you every day. You know who I am, right?”
“Yes, I know who you are, Joe.”
Joe beamed. “I tell ya, nothin’ makes me happier than you rememberin’ little ole me.”
Ouch.He didn’t mean any harm by his words, I knew that, but the fact that Reid knew who Joe was—Joe, of all people—but had no idea who I was other than some random flower delivery guy? Jesus, that hurt more than I cared to admit. I needed to get out of there before any more of my heart or ego got crushed.
“You saw the new latte machine, right?” Joe said to him, as I capped my coffee.
“I did. It’s awfully fancy.”
“Nothing but top of the line for the Grab ’N Go, I tell ya.” Joe wrapped an arm around Reid’s shoulders and pointed at the machine with his cane. “Did you see all the features on this one? It’s even got a frother…”
Joe’s spiel gave me the out I needed to sneak down the aisle before Reid was able to ask any other questions about why I’d really been in his hospital room, or why my job description as a paramedic, as evidenced on my shirt, wasn’t exactly a position that worked inside the hospital, like I’d said. After paying for my drink, I snuck one last look at Reid.
He was here. He was okay. And even if he didn’t remember me, he was alive. That was enough, right?
As soon as I opened the passenger door to Big Bertha, Mike let out a stream of apologies.