He tried not to worry over the unnatural paleness of her skin. He sat back, resting his head against the wall of the ambulance, finding his own comfort in holding her hand.
Chapter Twelve
Bailee’s room was blissfully quiet, except an occasional chirping from one of the monitors she was connected to. The fluorescent lights had been dimmed to give her relief from the brightness. The thin sheet and hospital blanket were tucked in around her, keeping her warm in the air-conditioned room. She kept her eyes closed to the persistent pain in her head.
She didn’t hear a sound, didn’t hear the door open, didn’t hear a footfall on the tile floor. But there was a shift in the room, subtle but palpable. She sensed a presence that hadn’t always been there. Slowly, she allowed her lids to flutter open, her pupils adjusting to the dim lighting until they focused on Easton.
He smiled. “Hey.”
She tried to return his smile, but her body felt too weak to comply. “Hey.”
“How are you feeling?”
Bailee grimaced. “Like shit. I want to go home, but I don’t think I can move from this bed.”
He stepped closer to her bedside, his hands resting on the bed railing. “Then it’s probably good that the doctor wants to keep you overnight.”
“Good is not the word I would use.” She braced her hands against the mattress to adjust her position, but the pain and weakness invading her body made her give up instantly.
“Here. Let me help.”
Easton slid his strong hands under her arms, his touch gentle and warm. Delicious heat spread through her body as he pulled her up, propping a pillow behind her for support.
“Thanks.” She tried to ignore the feeling of loss that rose in her chest when he pulled his hands away. “Where’s Gran?”
Darby Anne had arrived at the hospital with Becky while Bailee was still in the Emergency Room. Bailee had managed to fight unconsciousness during the ambulance ride, but once they moved her inside and onto a bed, the pain in her head and the nausea caused by the concussion overwhelmed her. She’d felt the darkness encroaching, and then next thing she knew, Gran was waking her because the doctor had come in with a prognosis.
“She’s going with Becky to her house to rest. We convinced her you’d probably sleep through the night and that you’d need her at her best when you’re released tomorrow. I assured her I’d stay just in case anything changes.”
Bailee tilted her head as she regarded him. “You don’t have to stay. The nurses are keeping an eye on me, and the doctor only wanted to admit me as a precaution.”
“I thought we could talk if you’re up for it.”
“Sure, but I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep midsentence. I feel pretty weak right now.”
Easton smiled. “That’s to be expected because you lost a lot of blood from the head wound. It’ll pass the more you rest and your body heals.”
He pulled the one chair in the room closer to her bedside and settled his long frame on it. He leaned closer to her, and she absurdly expected him to reach for her hand. Instead he rested his arms on his knees and pierced her with the intense dark eyes that saw more than she was comfortable with.
“Chief Tatum wants to come by and get a statement from you. He’s taking charge of the investigation, and he wanted to talk to you while the attack was fresh on your mind. I assured him though that with your background, you might remember more specific details if you had some time to collect your thoughts.”
“Thanks. I wish I could write down everything. My head hurts too much, and my hand is a little shaky.”
“So talk it through with me, and let me write down anything you want to tell Tater.”
Bailee raised a brow. “I’m sorry. Tater?”
Easton chuckled. “Yeah. Chief Tatum’s nickname is Tater. He’s had it for longer than I’ve known him, and it kind of fits.”
“What’s he like?” Bailee shouldn’t care, but after her experiences, she needed to know the type of cop the Chief was if she had to trust him as an ally.
“Old school, but a good cop. Good investigator. Tough, but fair. Not ego driven. Not concerned with his image. You can trust him.”
She sighed. “Okay. That’s good to know. Let’s do this. Do you want to ask me something or what?”
His hand covered hers. “Relax, Bailee. Just start talking through what happened.”
Her eyes focused on their joined hands, and her mind took her back to the bar. She’d been hesitant about joining Reagan and Melody for a girls’ night when she didn’t know them well, but Gran insisted she spend an evening out. She shouldn’t have worried. The women were fun and easy to connect with. She remembered dancing and laughing and feeling more carefree than she had in a while.
