“Yes, he is.” Jenna’s legs wobbled so badly they nearly gave out as they headed down the hallway.
Moments later they entered the room and found Tyson sitting up in bed, looking safe and healthy. Except for the nasal cannula and sooty face, he could’ve been home on his sofa, watching a Braves game instead of receiving emergency medical care in the hospital.
“Honey, we were so worried.” Ronda gathered her son awkwardly into her arms.
Rick patted his arm. “Your mom’s been squeezing my hand so hard, it’s lost circulation.”
“Sorry about the scare. As you can see, I’m fine.” Over his mom’s shoulder Ty’s gaze found Jenna.
She averted her eyes. She didn’t want him seeing the fear that paralyzed her. What was wrong with her? She should be over by his bed, offering comfort like his parents. But instead she was stuck in her own head, her feet rooted to the floor. She had to actually think about drawing a breath.
I could’ve lost him. Oh God, I could’ve lost him.
Tyson caught them up on the medical side of things, coughing intermittently. He asked about the teenage girl, who they’d heard was doing well and also about to be discharged.
“Good, good. I’m so glad.” Ty’s voice was hoarse, but he did seem fine otherwise.
His gaze suddenly sharpened on Jenna and something flickered in his eyes. He held out his hand. “Come here.”
She eased her way over to the bed.
“Your hand is freezing,” he said after he’d taken it in his.
“The waiting room was cold.” Or was it? She couldn’t remember. All that panic sluicing through her had consumed her. And now that the good news had been delivered, she was in some kind of freefall.The aftermath of the adrenaline rush? Whatever it was, it left her body heavy and sluggish, her brain foggy.
His parents were talking, his dad getting all the details of the fire, and Jenna tuned them out. She didn’t want to hear about the blaze Tyson had been in or a play-by-play of his accident.
Because it turned out that even though the emergency had passed, the panic had not.
Chapter 41
Jenna awoke groggy and weighted by the sound of rain pattering the roof. She noticed the suitcases by the door and her stomach sank.
She hadn’t gotten to bed until after three. Ty’s parents had settled him in their house where they could keep close watch on him. When Jenna got home her mom was awake, and Jenna filled in the details missing from her texts.
She rolled over in bed, trying to wake up. It was now going on ten. She was supposed to have been on the road to Alexandria by now. Her new job started the next morning, and she’d wanted time to settle into her apartment and mentally prepare. She was keeping the apartment until the lease expired at the end of August—already had her eye on a more economical option.
But it was hard to focus on any of that right now. Across the street Tyson lay recovering from a head and lung injury. He’d been knocked unconscious during a fully involved blaze.
And now that she was removed from the emergency, the chatter from the firefighters the night before was slowly sinking in. Tyson had defied orders to exit the structure. The chief deemed the building unsafe, and while the other firefighters headed to safety, Tyson went back for the teenager, endangering his own life. On top of that, he’d given the girl his oxygen. If Riggs and Novak hadn’t noticed him missing and turned back, this could’ve ended very differently.
The girl and her parents were no doubt grateful beyond measure for his actions. TheEastern Shore Postwould certainly declare him heroic when the paper released Friday.
But all Jenna could think was,I could’ve lost him.
It had been so brave of him. Tyson would always do the courageous thing, even if that put him in jeopardy. The thought put that familiar pinch in her chest. The one she had when she remembered the painful loss of her dad. And this summer she’d let herself fall in love with a firefighter.
It had been a terrible mistake.
She’d allowed herself to go down a road that could lead to the same horrible heartache she’d spent her life avoiding. And now she couldn’t bear to do anything but put space between them. Protect her heart from what could happen. No amount of therapy could help her if she just wasn’t strong enough to suffer another loss like that.
But she also couldn’t admit her feelings to Ty. Not now. She had to put them on the back burner until he healed.
Her phone alerted her to an incoming text, and her arm felt heavy as she retrieved it. Tyson.
You up?
Her mouth felt dry and that pinch grew stronger.Yeah. Just woke up.
