Page 95 of Taking the Pitch
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m right here,” he whispers, bringing his forehead to mine. I close my eyes at the contact, releasing his wrists and easing myself into his arms. Wrapping his arms around me, he picks me up and turns us around until he’s sitting in the chair, and I’m curled up in his lap, face pressed into his chest.
He makes slow, soothing circles up and down my back, until I feel myself start to relax. I must drift off because the next thing I know, I’m waking up to the sound of two people talking.
I jolt awake, sitting up in Judd’s lap. “Bruno?” I ask, ignoring the pounding in my head and the intense throbbing in my shoulder.
Bruno’s vet nods and smiles. “He made it through surgery. He was lucky, and the knife missed all the major vessels. I’d like to keep him overnight for observation, but he should be fine to go home tomorrow.”
My body slouches back into Judd with relief. “Can we see him?”
She nods. “Of course. Follow me back.”
I stand from Judd’s lap and hold my hand out to him. “Come with me?”
He takes my hand and follows me through the doors leading to the back. Bruno’s laying in one of the large steel kennels on a pile of blankets, sleeping. There’s a large ace bandage wrapped around his shoulder, chest, and neck.
Sinking to my knees, not caring about the pain, I softly stroke the top of Bruno’s head. His big brown and blue eyes open and he softly whines when he sees me.
“I know, baby. But you’re going to be okay. You just have to stay here for the night and then you’ll be home tomorrow.” Leaning forward, I place a kiss on Bruno’s head. “I love you so much, Bruno. Thank you for saving me,” I whisper. His eyes close again and I take that as our cue to leave.
Judd kneels down when I stand, taking my spot. He whispers something into Bruno’s ear, then gives him a kiss and a pet before getting to his feet. He takes my hand, and we leave the back, making a stop at the desk to make sure they have both our numbers in case anything happens overnight.
I collapse into the passenger seat once we get to the Jeep. Exhaustion overwhelming me. Judd shuts my door and jogs around to his side, climbing in. Turning to me, he takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Ready to get checked out?”
I roll my head in his direction, face scrunched. “I’m fine,” I lie. All I want to do is go home and sleep.
“Amelia, you look like you went three rounds with a Tasmanian devil. There are scratches all over your hands and face. Your clothes are torn and bloody. And your face–” He pauses, gently touching my chin, turning it one way, then theother. The muscles in my neck scream in pain, making me wince. “See? You’re in pain.”
“I’m fine,” I tell him, brushing his worry off with my hand.
“We’re going to the ER.”
“Judd, I’m fine. It’s nothing rest and some ibuprofen can’t fix.” Lots and lots of ibuprofen, maybe a hot bath.
“It’s not up for discussion, Shortcake. Besides, an officer called while you were sleeping. He’s meeting us at the ER to get a statement and take pictures of your injuries.”
My pulse ticks up, making the pounding in my head increase. The last time I was at the ER was when my depression took a turn for the worst. Judd’s hand slides into mine, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. “I’ll be there with you the whole time.”
I nod, squeezing his hand tighter to hide the shake in mine, praying the panic attacks stay at bay.
CHAPTER THIRTY
judd
Amelia hasn’t uttered a word,other than giving the lady at the registration desk her information, since leaving the clinic. She’s been fidgeting in her seat, bouncing her leg up and down for the past ten minutes. “You doing okay, Shortcake?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’ll be fine. It’s fine,” she says, sounding like she’s trying to convince herself.
I open my mouth to ask her if she wants anything to drink when a nurse comes through the door and calls her back. Her body freezes and her hand tightens around mine.
“Do you want me to go back with you?”
Amelia nods her head jerkily. I stand, gently tugging on her to follow me. The nurse leads us back to an empty area with a bed and medical equipment. It’s not really a room, just a space with two walls on either side and a curtain that can close to give the resemblance of some privacy.
“Go ahead and take a seat on the bed, honey. We’ll get your vitals and then have you change into a gown so we can see the extent of your injuries.”
Amelia climbs onto the bed, laying back. Her dark bruises look worse against the stark white sheet. I move to the opposite side from where the nurse is working, squeezing between the bed and equipment to be at Amelia’s side. She immediately takes my hand, gripping it tightly.
“150/94,” the nurse says, taking the blood pressure cuff off. “That’s pretty high. But from what I can see of your injuries so far, understandable.” The nurse’s eyes flick to me. “Sir, can you step outside for a few minutes? I have to ask her some questions and then she can change into a gown.”
