Mason and the Dog Wrangler Read online

  I nodded and kissed her cheek.

  An EMT checked us over, but I insisted I was fine and refused treatment. I did, though, sign a Consent to Treat before my sweet pea went to the hospital by ambulance. My heart broke, hearing her cries as the paramedics lifted her into the vehicle and drove away.

  More paramedics from a second ambulance were working over Jeremy in a frenzy. Before he left, I hobbled over to his gurney and smoothed his blood-matted hair from his face. I leaned over and brushed my lips against his pale cheek, whispering into his ear, “Thank you for saving my Nik.”

  “We gotta go, sir,” the second ambulance driver said.

  I squeezed his hand once and backed away as he was hoisted into the waiting ambulance. Policemen asked questions for what seemed like hours until they had documented everyone’s account of the accident. Around me, the crowd dispersed, since there was nothing left to see.

  Cinco required my attention before I could follow Nik. Poor pup trembled as much as me when I picked him up. I hurried to set out food and water for him then locked him in the backyard with his new bed, hoping it comforted him until I returned with Nik. Before I left out the door, I grabbed Winston.

  It wasn’t easy ignoring the throbbing pain of my ankle now that the adrenaline was wearing off. I used just one foot for the gas and brake as I drove.

  I limped into the ER and asked at the desk where I’d find the doctor treating my daughter. The clerk said to take a seat and wait for a nurse to triage me.

  “What? No, I must see my child, Nicole Marie Caldwell. An ambulance brought her in about forty-five minutes ago.”

  “Oh, sorry. I noticed you favoring your foot, and you’re bleeding.”

  “Bleeding? Where?”

  “Your elbow and arm. Let me get you a towel.”

  “But I have to find Nik. She’s only four and needs me.”

  “I’ll just be a moment.” She disappeared through an unmarked door, leaving me standing at the desk. My mind raced, and I was sure I heard Nik calling for me.

  “Here you go, sir. Roberto here will take you to your daughter.”

  “Thank you.” I took the towel she offered and wrapped it around my bleeding elbow. Roberto patiently waited for me to follow him.

  “Shall I get you a wheelchair?” he asked, after we had to stop for the third time for me to catch my breath. Now that I’d soon see Nik, I realized my ankle was more injured than I’d thought.

  “Please. That would be great.”

  “Perhaps the doc will check it for you while you’re here,” he said, holding the chair and waiting for me to sit.

  “Thanks. I’ll listen to what he says about my daughter first. Can we hurry? I hear her crying.”

  Finally, I got to Nik’s cubicle. She appeared smaller than her age, lying in the bed with an IV in one arm and a blood-pressure cuff on the other. She had wires connected to her chest and a tube in her little nose. The skin around her eyes was puffy from her tears. On her left cheek, a bruise was forming and turning blue. Someone had put a bandage on her forehead. She’d never looked so good.

  “Hi, Sweet Pea!”

  “Papa! I hate it here! I want to go home. Please.”

  “We have to talk to the doctor before we can leave, and if he says it’s okay, then I’ll take you home.” I thanked the aide who had sat with Nik until I could get here. I assured her I’d not leave my girl by herself. “Look what I brought you.”

  “Winston!” Nik hugged the bear and nuzzled her face against the worn fur. I looked up at the knock on the door.

  “Hello. I’m Dr. Jaworski. Are you the father?”

  “Y-Yes. Mason Ford.”

  “How do you feel, Nicole?”

  “Okay.”

  “She wants to go home,” I clarified.

  “I don’t blame her, but first let’s get a picture and make sure there’s nothing broken. How does that sound, Miss Nicole?”

  “Okay.”

  Dr. Jaworski listened to her heart, lungs and stomach, which made her giggle. He smiled at her and she hid her face behind Winston.

  “I’m sending her for a CT scan,” he said, facing me. “Her vitals are normal, and from what I understand, she didn’t lose consciousness. I’m optimistic, but with an automobile involved, I want to check for internal injuries.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I was at a loss as to whether I needed to ask any more questions. The scare had worn me out, and the pain in my ankle kept me from forming a coherent thought. I rubbed my face and groaned.

  “Are you doing okay there, Mr. Ford?”

  “Papa?”

  “I’m all right. When I saw Nik running toward the street, I chased after her and tripped over the dog. That’s why my elbow’s bleeding. I twisted an ankle is all.”

  “Let me take a peek.” The doctor squatted and lifted my pant leg. He removed my shoe and sock, and each time he touched me, I winced. “Hmm. It would be wise to get an X-ray. It appears sprained, but you may have fractured it. I’ll call the front desk and have them check you in, then you can accompany your daughter to imaging and we’ll go from there.”

  True to his word, Dr. Jaworski had someone come and sign me in as a patient, complete with wrist band and vital signs. Nik thought it was cool that we wore matching bracelets.

  “Papa, is Jermy okay, too?”

  “I don’t know, Sweet Pea. I hope so. When we return from getting our pictures taken, I’ll ask someone.” I hoped I could get information on our hero, since we weren’t related.

  The trip through the cold halls for my X-ray and Nik’s CT scan was a short one. In no time, we were back in the cubicle and waiting. Her doctor gave us the good news that Nik was one-hundred percent okay. I, on the other hand, had a badly sprained ankle and would leave the hospital in a soft cast, accompanied by crutches and painkillers.

  “Dr. Jaworski, do you know anything about our friend Jeremy Coulter? He came in the same time as Nik. He pushed her from the car’s path and it struck him instead of her.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have any news. He’s not here in this unit, but perhaps you’ll find him at the trauma center. When you check out, ask for their number. Then, you can inquire about him.”

  I did as Dr. Jaworski suggested, but when I called, just as I’d thought, I couldn’t get any information. When I told Nik, she wouldn’t stop crying, so with her holding on to Winston and me on crutches, we walked the short distance to the trauma unit. We waited for the harried clerk to acknowledge us.

  “Excuse me. I’d like to ask how Jeremy Coulter is fairing.”

  “Are you family?”

  “Umm, no. I’m Mason Ford. Jeremy saved my daughter, otherwise she’d have been hit by a car. I don’t need specifics, but we have to know he’s still with us.”

  “Please, mister. Jermy is my friend and Cinco’s. My daddy is his garden angel.” Her frightened brown eyes seemed to occupy most of her face, reminding me of a lost waif.

  “You can see how important he is to our little family. I beg you.”

  “Let me see what I can do,” he said, picking up his phone and talking into the mouthpiece. “A nurse will be right out. Please have a seat in the waiting room.”

  “Thank you.”

  I sat on a worn vinyl chair, leaning the crutches—which were fast becoming a nuisance—against the wall. Nik crawled onto my lap and rested her head on my chest. Love for my girl swelled when I recounted how close I’d come today to losing her. Thank God Jeremy had reached her in time, otherwise… No, I didn’t want to think about what might have happened. I leaned back and closed my eyes.

  “Mr. Ford?” I blinked at the woman standing in front of me, embarrassed at having fallen asleep. “Are you Jeremy Coulter’s friend?”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Guilt had replaced fear in my heart, and I felt responsible for Jeremy’s being here. “I’m Camilla Brown. Will you come with me?”

  I helped Nik off my lap and she handed me my crutches, which I’d forgotten about in my concern over Jeremy. I realized I didn’t have my other shoe, having left it in the cubicle where Nik had been treated. “How is he?”

  “Here. Please sit, and I’ll share with you what I can.” She’d shown us into a conference room and my heart sped up, terrified she’d tell me Jeremy had died.

  “How well are you acquainted with Mr. Coulter?”

  “I’ll gladly answer your questions, but right now Nik and I need to know if Jeremy is still living. Last time we saw him, someone was breathing for him, and he was white as my sheets.”

  “Yes, of course. Mr. Coulter is alive.”

  “Thank you.” I hugged Nik, whose wary smile broke my heart. “We don’t know him very well. We only met him yesterday.”

  “I see. I was hoping you were better acquainted. We haven’t been able to contact his next of kin.”

  “He lived with his grandmother and his mother was in the Navy. I’m not certain she’s still alive, though I have no reason to believe otherwise. He works at Awesome Animals and volunteers with their veterinarian. I’m afraid that’s all I know, other than he is a good man who risked his life for Nik.”

  “Thank you. Jeremy has a long road ahead of him. He’s having tests completed and will spend the night in the ICU. I suggest you go home and rest. Perhaps we’ll know more tomorrow. I’ll keep trying to get in contact with the grandmother, and in the morning, Social Services will work on notifying his mother.”

  “Do you think we could visit him? I don’t mean tonight, but when he’s out of intensive care.”

  “If he’s alert, I’ll ask him before we send him to ICU. Here, give me your number, and I’ll call you either way.” Camilla pulled a notepad from her pocket and wrote down my digits before tucking it away again. I had to nudge Nik awake for us to leave. Today had worn her out, and I was running on leftover adrenaline.

  We arrived at the house, and though Nik begged me to carry her upstairs, I made her walk, not trusting myself to hold on to her. I let Cinco in, who sniffed the hospital smells on me before he ran up to Nik’s room. I left his bed outside, knowing there was no need to bring it in. Sure enough…when I checked in on Nik, she was sleeping with one arm around Cinco, who rested his head on Winston. I kissed her forehead, thanking God and Pete, her guardian angel, for watching over her today. I fell into bed, praying they kept Jeremy safe through the night.

  * * * *

  The sun rose much too swiftly for my liking, although I’d slept through the night. I let the dog out before taking a quick shower. While I drank my coffee, I listened to the message left on my phone.

  “Hi, Mr. Ford. It’s Camilla, the nurse for Mr. Coulter. His tests came back, and except for a punctured lung, three broken ribs and a fractured arm and leg, he’s doing remarkably well. He’s alert and very glad to know your daughter is okay. He said he would love for you to visit and has authorized us to share any information you request. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I’m so happy your friend’s going to be okay.”

  I replayed the recording twice more. “Thank you. Thank you,” I repeated over and over before I began talking to Pete. “He saved her, love. Our sweet girl would have died if not for Jeremy. He nearly sacrificed his life for hers. That’s a debt I’ll never fully repay, but I’m going to try.”

  “Papa? Is Jermy okay?” Nik stood in the doorway, hugging Winston. Me talking out loud to Pete was an everyday occurrence, so she wasn’t concerned to discover me having one-sided conversation with her daddy.

  “He will be, Sweet Pea. He has a broken arm and leg, but Nurse Camilla said he is doing very well.”

  “I knew Daddy would be a good garden angel.”

  “You mean ‘guardian angel’ and, yes, he made an excellent one.” Cinco scratched at the back door upon hearing Nik’s voice. She ran to let him in, and while I fixed their breakfasts, they ran upstairs. When they came down to eat, she was dressed and ready to start her day. She frowned at me when I mentioned that after she ate, she needed a bath, since she hadn’t gotten one the previous night. She washed, and I shampooed her hair, putting it into a braid once she’d dried off.

  While she dressed, I called the hospital for an update on Jeremy’s condition. The nurse said he was moving to a room on the fifth floor. When I wanted to know why, she assured me he no longer needed the ICU. I whooped with joy then apologized for hurting her ear. She laughed and said not to worry because it happened all the time. I said we’d come visit him that afternoon, and she reminded me of his fractures and to not be surprised if he slept through our visit. The pain medicine would make him groggy. I thanked her and hung up.

  I didn’t mind if Jeremy slept through our visit. I just needed reassurance he was okay, and the only way to get that was to see and touch him. After lunch, we headed back to the hospital—crutches, Nik and Winston. We took the elevator to the fifth floor and found Jeremy asleep in his room.

  “Papa, will Jermy wake up? I have to tell him I’m not mad that he pushed me,” Nik whispered, trying her best not to wake him. “He’s hurt because I ran into the street.”

  I had no idea she thought he would believe she was angry with him. Does she not understand that he saved her life? Of course not… Nobody explained to her why he ran after her and shoved her out of harm’s way.

  “Sweet Pea, he knows you’re not angry. Jeremy’s our hero—our own superhero. When he pushed you onto the sidewalk, it was to save you from being hit by the car. He saved your life.”

  “Ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts,” a garbled mumble came from the bruised man in the bed. I glanced at Jeremy, but his eyes remained closed. He wore a frown, and he was frantically pushing something he held in his hand. I moment later, he smoothed out his wrinkled brow and smiled. “Better. No mad, no ghosts.” I recognized the self-controlled pain medication pump. I’d used one when I’d had my appendix removed a decade before.

  “Jermy? Are you awake?” Nik could no longer stay quiet now that she’d heard his ramblings. He had grabbed her attention and now she demanded his.

  “Are you okay, baby?” He spoke to Nik but watched me with a dreamy expression and goofy grin. I returned the smile because he was so damn cute on his morphine high.

  “I’m not a baby. I’m four. Look. I brought you my Winston,” Nik protested, ignorant of the by-play between us. Before I could stop her, she climbed on the chair next to his bed and set it on his chest. She petted his face, giggling at the brush of his stubble. “You tickle. Papa had a beard once upon a time, but his princess—that’s me—didn’t like it, so he—”

  “Be careful. Jeremy is hurt and needs his rest,” I cautioned, moving closer to the bed and keeping my gaze glued to his.

  “S’kay. Why is her cheek bruised? She’s not hurt, is she?” Jeremy asked.

  “Thanks to you, she’s alive and well.”

  “What happened? I feel like I’ve been run over by a train.”

  “No. I’m pretty sure it was a Chevy.”

  At his puzzled, adorable and drug-altered expression, I told Jeremy how his heroics had saved Nik. Before long, he closed his eyelids and fell asleep but not before mumbling something about ghosts, garden angels and having to save the princess to win the prince. I straightened his blanket, sneaking a kiss, then loosened Winston from his grasp and handed him to Nik. She hugged the bear and took my hand, promising Jeremy we’d come back the next day.

  And we returned the next afternoon and the one after that—and the following one, too. Nik looked forward to visiting him and telling him stories about Winston and how her daddy saved him. I learned his grandmother had gone on a cruise for two weeks with her bridge club, which was why Camilla couldn’t reach her. The social worker had located his mom on a ship in the Persian Gulf. She’d opted not to come to Jeremy because tensions were high in the area, and what could she do besides sit around and make sure he took his medicine? I seriously wanted to strangle the woman.

  “What has you looking so fierce?” Jeremy interrupted my murderous thoughts. I looked up from my chair by the window to see he and Nik staring at me. I’d thought they were involved with a book Nik had brought for him.

  “I was just thinking.”

  “If it’s that painful, then you shouldn’t do it.”

  “Ha, ha, funny guy. You’re feeling better, I see.”

  “Won’t be running any marathons or playing tennis anytime soon, but yeah, I am coming around. Just don’t make me laugh, because my ribs hurt like a mo—”

  “Careful… Little ears,” I said, nodding toward Nik. “I’m sure getting the anesthetic and the narcotics out of your system has helped.” Jeremy had undergone surgery to repair his leg the first night, then a plaster cast had been put on his arm a couple of days later.

  “You’re likely right. That first day you came by, I was higher than a kite. I didn’t say anything dumb, did I?”

  “Like what?”

  “I didn’t ask you to marry me or have my baby? You know, something totally inappropriate.”

  “Men can’t have babies, silly,” Nik said, giggling and looking to me for confirmation.

  “She’s right, you know. There’s always a mother, even if only for nine months.”

  “Yeah, my mommy gave me to Daddy and Papa, cuz she loved them and me so very much that she wanted us to be a family.”

  “So, there you go,” I said, loving how my little girl took everything in stride. I understood the day rapidly approached where she’d demand a more detailed account of her mom, but for now, she was happy with her papa. “Now, back to your original question. No, you didn’t say anything dumb, unless you count your courage around ghosts as ‘dumb’. I, myself, find it endearing.”

  “You’re just trying to distract me from my earlier observation.”

  “No, it’s true. Hearing you proclaim your ghostbusting prowess is intriguing and flattering. I can’t wait for you to get out of here, so we can spend more time together.”

  “Is that why you were frowning earlier?”

  “Sort of. I was angry because your mother didn’t take leave to be here with you when you need her help. You’re leaving the hospital in the next couple of days. How will you manage with your sore ribs, a broken leg and your arm in a cast?”