Here With Me (7 page)

He cautiously reached through the railings of the hospital bed and took her hand.  It was soft and warm, just as she remembered when she’d held it earlier.  His eyes drifted down to their hands and then looked back up.

“I felt you squeeze my hand earlier,” he confessed.

“How’d you know it was me?  You were still asleep,” she said, not bothering to deny it.

“I was coming in and out and then I felt someone holding my hand.  I remembered holding your hand on the beach and I knew it was you.”

“You have a good memory,” she said, squeezing his hand again.

Chapter Nine

“I know I work here and all, but I also know the food sucks,” Mallory whispered, setting a brown paper bag on Ryan’s tray.  He pushed the plate of hospital food aside and opened the sack, pulling out a small Styrofoam c
up and a cellophane wrapped roll.

“What do we have here?” Ryan asked, smiling up to Mallory.  It had been three days since he’d been brought into the hospital and he was looking better.  If not for the bandage on his left shoulder, one would be hard pressed to believe he’d been shot only a few days before. 

“Clam chowder and a lobster roll,” she said, pulling the chair up beside his bed.  It was her day off, but she came by to visit him anyway.  She hated to think of him being in the hospital alone, with only sporadic visits from Nate.  She didn’t want to be presumptuous, but she thought Ryan looked forward to her visits.  Savannah told her Ryan would ask about her schedule and that made her think he wanted to see her. 

“You didn’t have to do this,” he said as he opened the lid of the chowder, steam spilling into the air. 

“I know, but I figured you might like some real food.”

“Thanks.  I appreciate it.”  He took his spoon and scooped up some chowder, blowing on it before putting it in his mouth. “This is
good.”

“It’s from the Clam Shack.  It’s kind of a landmark around here.”

“I can see why.”

“How’s the pain today
?” she asked as he ate.

“A lot better.”

“Have you spoken to your dad or your brother at all?” she asked and then wondered if she was being too personal.

“
I finally called my dad last night.  I hate to worry him, so I didn’t want to scare him unnecessarily.  Philip called last night too, after my dad told him what had happened.”

“I’ll bet they were relieved you’re going to be okay.”

“They were.  Philip offered to come visit, but I told him no.”

“That would’ve been nice to see your brother,” she hinted.

“I’m not gonna make a big deal out of this.  This is just a minor setback.  I’ll be fine in no time.” 

The door opened then and they both turned their heads to see Nate walking in.  He wasn’t wearing his uptight suit.  Instead, he looked like the Nate she remembered from the beach in a pair of long khaki shorts, white shirt and flip-flops. 

“You’re looking better,” Nate said, pulling the other chair in the room to the opposite side of Ryan’s bed.

“I’m gettin
g there,” Ryan said, taking a bite of the lobster roll. 

“So, when’re they letting you out of this place?  President Bush has been asking about you.”

“Tomorrow.”

“And when will you be coming back to work?”

“Tomorrow,” Ryan answered and then Nate looked over to Mallory for the truth.

“He needs to rest for a while, at least a few weeks,” she said, giving him a serious look.
“Nothing rigorous, unless you want to injure it worse.  Just lay low for a while.”

“I know what I’m capable of,” Ryan said, finishing up his chowder. “I can’t just sit around though.”

“You can if you want to heal properly,” she shot back and then she turned to Nate. “Make sure he doesn’t overdue it.”

“I’ll try, but he doesn’t listen to me.  You may need to stick around to help me out,” Nate said as he eased himself out of the chair. “Sorry I’ve
gotta run, but I have to get back.  I just wanted to check in real quick.  I’ll be back tomorrow once you’re ready to leave.”

“Alright, thanks, man,” Ryan said.

“Later.” Nate waved to them and left the room.

Mallory looked over and noticed he was taking the last bite of his lobster roll. 

“All done with that?” Ryan nodded and she gathered up the Styrofoam cup and cellophane, turning to throw it into the trash can.

“Thanks again.  That was the best meal I’ve had since I got here.”

“Sure.  No problem,” she said, pushing the chair back against the wall where she’d found it.

“What time do you think they’ll discharge me tomorrow?”

“Probably around eleven o’clock, kinda like a hotel,” she answered and then Ryan looked up.  He seemed nervous, but perhaps she was reading into it and she was the one who was nervous.

“Will you be here tomorrow when I leave?”

“It’s my day off.”

“Oh,” he nodded. “I was kind of hoping you’d be here.” She felt her cheeks flush when his eyes met hers.

“I can…I can be here…if you want me to be,” she stammered.

“I’d like that.  Maybe you can help me get settled back at my place.  I am an invalid after all.” She knew her face was flaming red now. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Mallory,” Ryan said quickly. 

“You didn’t.” She was lying and she knew he knew that too. “And I’ll be here tomorrow when you leave.  I’ll take you home and get you settled.  I mean…you don’t have anyone here, except for Nate.”

“Thank you.”  He smiled appreciatively.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

“Thanks again.”  She just smiled and walked out.

Chapter Ten

Her nerves took over when she walked through the hospital doors the next morning.  She told herself there was no reason to be nervous, but that didn’t stop her heart from beating a little bit faster and the butterflies in her stomach to flap a little harder as she got closer to Ryan’s room.  It hadn’t been that long since he’d blown her off and now she was about to take him home and help him recuperate.  He’d been so sure they’d had no future, but now she wasn’t sure he still felt that way.

She shook her head.  She was being ridiculous.  They were only friends.  Not even friends.  More like acquaintances.  A twist of fate had brought him back into her life, but it was only until he was settled and it was only temporary.

“Is the patient in 213 ready to be discharged?” she asked, stopping at the nurse’s station.               

Savannah was working and she pulled up his chart.

“Dr. Shaver signed his release papers a few minutes ago,” Savannah said with a pout. “We’re going to miss him.”

“Thank
s,” she said and quickly left before Savannah could ask any questions.

Ryan was busy packing his duffel bag when she walked in.  He looked up and smiled. 

“You actually showed up?”

“Of course.
  I said I would.”

“I can’t wait to get outta this place,” he said, zipping his bag.

“We can go whenever you’re ready.”

“Let’s go then.”  He started to lift the bag before Mallory walked over quickly and took it from him.  

“You shouldn’t be lifting things,” she said, pulling the bag over her shoulder.

“I can handle a bag of clothes.”

“No, you can’t.  Not yet.  Now don’t argue,” she said, turning towards the door.  She heard him laugh, but he followed her. 

****

“So, where do you live?” she asked as she started the car.

“Head towards the Bush estate.”

“Are you serious?” she asked, her mouth agape.

“Yes.” He was staring ahead like it was no big deal.

She just shook her head and turned out of the parking lot. 

They were quiet as she drove past the grand houses of Ocean Avenue.  Cole’s house came into view.  She hadn’t told him about what was happening with Ryan.  She knew he wouldn’t approve, but she didn’t care.

When they came to the top of the hill, the most famous house in Kennebunkport appeared.  It wasn’t the most beautiful house in town, but it commanded attention as the brown gables rose into the gray sky from the rocky peninsula.  The American, Maine and Texas flags blew in the breeze and she slowed the car as they passed the small parking area where a few tourists had stopped to take pictures. 

“Pull into the gates,” Ryan said a moment later and Mallory felt herself slam on the brakes, causing them both to lurch forward.  She saw Ryan wince in pain.

“I’m sorry about that,” she grimaced.

“And you’re the one who told me to take it easy.  Now you’re trying to kill me,” he laughed, rubbing his shoulder. “Now just turn here.”

“Are you serious?” she gasped.

“Yes.  This is where I live.”  Again, his nonchalant attitude surprised her.

“I can’t just turn in there, Ryan!” she exclaimed. “It’s off limits.” She was pointing at the
No Trespassing
sign and Ryan laughed lightly.

“You’re right.  It’s off limits…to the public.  I work for the Secret Service or did you forget that little tidbit?”

“No, of course I didn’t forget that.  You just don’t get how weird this is.  I’ve driven past here a million times and never once have I even dreamed of turning down this road.”

“I get that, but today you get to turn down this road.” He was grinning and she just sighed, making the right turn towards the estate.

“There’s a security guard up there,” she said nervously, slowing the car even more.

“Just relax.  They know you’re coming so everything’s fine.”

“They do?”

“Yes.  When I told Nate you’d be helping me get settled, he got everything worked out.  You cleared the background check so everything’s good.”

“Background check?  What background check?” she asked quickly.

“All of our guests have to undergo background checks.”

“I don’t recall giving my permission to have a background check done,” she said, her voice laced with annoyance.

“I’m sorry, Mallory, but it was the only way.”

She just shook her head as they approached the guard shack.

The security guard looked intimidating in his black suit.  He had an ear piece in and his mouth was formed into a firm line.  She eased the car to a stop and rolled down the window.  The guard bent over so he was staring inside.  Her heart was pounding and her throat felt dry.

“Hey, Scott!” The guard’s mouth turned into a smile as he looked at Ryan. “You’re alive!”

“Hey,
Fletcher.”

“You gonna live?” the guard asked, leaning further into the car and Mallory felt as if she were drowning in his cologne.

“Yeah.  I’m gonna survive.”

“Glad to hear that, man.  Is this Mallory Leyton?” the guard asked as his eyes focused on her and Ryan nodded. “I’ll need to see some ID.”

Mallory reached into her purse for her wallet and as she pulled it out, she realized she was trembling.  Nervously, she handed the guard her license and he walked back to the small building.  He seemed to be going over it with a fine toothed comb.

“What’s going on?  What’s he doing?” She didn’t know why she was whispering.  It’s not like Fletcher could hear her, but something told her she should whisper.

“Relax.  It’s just standard procedure.”

Relaxing was impossible though and
she nervously tapped the steering wheel until Fletcher came back and returned her ID, which she quickly slid it into her wallet.

“Alright.
  You guys are all set.”

“Thanks, Fletch,” Ryan said. 

“Take it easy, man.” Fletcher tapped the door twice before Mallory slowly pulled away.

“See, nothing to worry about,” Ryan said a few moments later, but Mallory was still trying to get her heartbeat back to normal.

“Easy for you to say,” she mumbled.

“Just turn in here.” Ryan was pointing to a group of small houses and she pulled into the parking lot.

“So you don’t live in the main house?” she asked, turning the car off.

“No.  These are for the agents.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Seven, right now.  It varies though.”

Nodding, she got out of the car and walked quickly over to Ryan’s side where he was struggling to get out.

“See.  Things aren’t so easy, are they?” She was grinning at him with
an
I told you so
look.  He just smirked as she reached out her hand and helped him out of the car.

“I could’ve done it myself.  It might’ve just taken a little longer,”
he said once he was on his feet and she just looked at him skeptically.

After getting his bag from the backseat, she
followed him to one of the houses.  He fumbled in his pocket for his keys and when he finally managed to pull them out, he turned to her with a mischievous grin. 

“What?  No help with finding my keys?”

Her face burned from embarrassment and she quickly looked away.  Ryan just laughed and opened the door.

It was small, yet cozy inside.  The kitchen and living room connected and when Mallory looked down a short hallway, she saw a bathroom and a closed door, which she assumed opened to a bedroom. 

“Welcome to my mansion,” Ryan said, closing the door.

“It’s nice.”

“It could be worse.” Ryan shrugged.

“Where do you want your bag?”

“You can just set it on the couch.”

She made the few short steps over to the simple brown leath
er couch and set the bag down before turning to Ryan, who was looking through the cupboards in the kitchen.

“I feel like
I haven’t been here forever.  I’m just checking what I’ve got to eat.  It’s not looking promising though,” he said, closing the pantry door.

“Do you want me to go to the grocery store and restock your cupboards?”

“
We
can go,” Ryan said, returning to the living room.

“No. 
There is no
we
going to the grocery store. 
You
need to rest.  I can go pick up a few things to tide you over till you’re well enough to go out.”

“I’ve
been cooped up in that hospital for four days.  I want to get out.  I think I can handle a quick trip to the store.”

“
Ya know,” she said, grinning at him. “You asked me here to help you get settled while you recuperate.  You are not being a very good patient.”

“I guess not, but my nurse is being ridiculous.  She doesn’t think I can do anything.”

“No, she doesn’t think that.  She’s just trying to watch out for you to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“A
trip to the grocery store is hardly stupid,” he shot back. “I promise not to lift any rump roasts.”

She just glared at him, but she couldn’t hold the stern expression for long as he looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

“Fine.  As long as you don’t lift any rump roasts like you promised.”

“Cross my heart,” he said, raising his injured arm and then wincing.

“See, you can’t even cross your heart.  You’re totally going to overdo it,” she laughed. 

“I am not.  Now, let’s go.”

****

“Do all Secret Service agents start their day with Cinnamon Toast Crunch?” she asked, eyeing the box of cereal he’d just placed in the carriage. 

“Yes, it’s a requirement.”

“
Haha, you’re so funny.”

“I know,” he grinned.

She was surprised at how easy it was to stroll down the aisles of the grocery store with Ryan.  He’d filled the cart with mostly microwavable food and she couldn’t help think how pathetic the contents of the cart looked.

“When was the last time you ate something that wasn’t nuked or ordered from a restaurant?”

“I honestly can’t recall.  I don’t exactly have time to cook and even if I did, I probably wouldn’t.  I’m not known for my culinary skills.”

“What if I made you dinner tonight?”  He stopped, causing her to stop beside him.  He was looking at her curiously, with one eyebrow raised.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I don’t know.  I guess I feel sorry for you,” she said, gesturing towards the cart.

“You don’t need to feel sorry for me.  You forget I was raised by a single father.  The microwave and drive-thrus were our main source of sustenance.”

“You’re missing out then,” she grinned. “Now, what do you say to me cooking you dinner tonight?”

“Is it gonna be some weird New England dish I’ve never heard of?” he asked skeptically.

“Not unless you’ve never heard of spaghetti.”

“Spaghetti?  Not from a can?” He had a smile on his face.

“I assure you it won’t be from a can.”

“Then I say definitely.”

****

“Would you please go sit down?” Mallory asked, shooing Ryan out of the kitchen. “I can put the groceries away myself.”

“You don’t know where everything goes,” he complained, as he took a soup can out of a paper bag.

“I think I can figure it out.  You don’t exactly have a difficult organizational scheme going on here.  Seriously, go sit down and relax.  I know you think you don’t need to take it easy, but you really do.  You had a bullet removed from your shoulder four days ago.  You need to let it heal.”

“I’m not an invalid.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.  She could tell he was trying to hold back the grimace that wanted to spread over his face from the pain.

“Actually, I recall you referring to yourself as an invalid yesterday when you begged me to bring you home from the hospital.  And you can’t even cross your arms without being in pain, so I guess you are an invalid.  Now, I’m ordering you to sit your butt down on that couch and relax.”

“And to think you almost had me fooled?” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“I remember that night
when I said Kenna was the assertive one.”

“You shouldn’t have discounted me.”

“I guess not.” He smiled again and she smiled back, feeling the chemistry flow between them, just as it had that night on the beach.  Her mind drifted to when he’d kissed her and she realized how much she wanted to feel that again.  She stared back at him longer than she probably should have before a voice screamed in her head.
You’re friends!  Just friends!  He already dumped you!  Get over it!