She smiles, much more content with that arrangement.
“Well.” A nurse pops her head in and gets some hand sanitizer. “It looks like we will be able to get you out of here soon. I’m June. How are you feeling today, Miss Winnie?”
“I need to go to camp,” Winnie tells her.
“You, my little friend, are not going to camp today. We need to make sure you’re ready to head back on Monday.” Then she narrows her eyes playfully at Winnie. “As long as you promise not to try anybody else’s snack again.”
Winnie agrees as June comes over and checks her temperature and her rash. “You’re looking great. Let’s check your breathing.” She takes the hot pink stethoscope from around her neck and presses it to Winnie’s back. “Take a deep breath for me.”
“If I breathe good, can I go to camp?” she asks and June laughs.
“Not today kiddo. Another big deep breath.”
Winnie follows her orders then blows it out.
“Everything is sounding great. We will have the doctor check her chart and get those discharge papers ready.”
“You don’t have your car here,” Tanner says to me now. “How about I go swap my truck for your van before they discharge her.”
“You don’t mind?” I ask, handing him my keys.
“Hannah.” He tips his head with mock annoyance, then points at Winnie before leaving. “Be ready for us to bust you out of here once I get back. Got it?”
“Got it,” she echoes.
When Tanner comes back, he brings back Winnie’s drawstring bag, and it’s stuffed full.
“I figured she would want clean clothes.” He hands me the bag, almost looking bashful. “I wasn’t sure what she would want, but her Cubs T-shirt that she loves is in there.”
I feel my heart skip over itself. “You didn’t have—” I start to argue, but I stop myself. “Thank you.”
“Is my purple skirt in there?” Winnie leans over.
“Yup. I’ll go pull the van up while you guys get ready.”
I shuffle through the backpack, and I spot a dress for me. And clean underwear too. A comfortable pair.
“Your husband is a good man,” June says when she returns with the paperwork.
“Oh he’s—” I begin to argue but the truth dies on my lips and Winnie only smiles. “Thank you. He is.”
Once I slip on my clean dress and get Winnie into her purple skirt and Cubs T-shirt, June wheels Winnie down in the wheelchair. The wheelchair she is now asking to keep. Outside we find Tanner waiting at the curb, with his arms crossed over his chest.
It shouldn’t make me feel the way it does seeing him posted up against the van, but damn. Then an image of bringing home a brand-new baby with Tanner flashes through my mind and it nearly sends me into a tailspin.
“Come on, Mom. It’s hot out.” Winnie tugs me toward him when I realize I stopped walking. I clear my throat and shove the thought away.
“Beautiful,” Tanner whispers in my ear as I shuffle next to him. He opens the door for Winnie and then motions for me to go around to the passenger side. “Factually, beautiful.”
“I can drive.” I shake the blush from my cheeks and reach for the keys.
“No ma’am. You got less sleep than she did.” He motionsover his shoulder to Winnie in the back seat who playing with her sheep. “Hop in.”
I buckle in and let Tanner’s hand find mine, or maybe mine found his.
“Nice dress,” he says, placing our hands in my lap, his thumb running over my thigh.
I shake my head, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my laughter. “Thank you. Myhusbandpicked it out.”
