hadn’t realized he was crying until Josh swept a tear off his cheek and Brian choked through the emotion tightening his throat.
“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” he asked Brian.
“Yeah. More than I knew.”
“Let’s get there so you can tell her that.”
Brian nodded. Josh escorted him to the car and held the door for him. “Give me your keys. I’ll lock everything up for you.”
Brian handed them over. “Josh,” he began numbly. “Turn on her front door light. She hates when it’s off at night.”
“You got it.”
Brian couldn’t even begin to explain the relief he felt when Mrs. Jackson’s light flicked on. Josh locked the door, jogged over to Brian’s and double checked it too. Brian’s heart seemed to swell behind his sternum as he watched the man he’d fallen in love with jog back to the car and slide in.
“Thank you,” Brian whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Josh linked their fingers, and drove off in pursuit of the ambulance. “You send good thoughts for her. I’ll look after you.”
Brian rested his head against the seat, staring out the window as the scenery sped past. He let go of everything else but his concern for Mrs. Jackson. He didn’t have to worry about the rest of it. Josh would be there to catch it.
He squeezed Josh’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me and you came anyway.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
* * * *
Josh couldn’t stand to see Brian hurting. Mrs. Jackson had been rushed to the intensive care unit. The doctors were bandying about the word ‘stroke.’ He’d just as soon not have them say anything than to guess. Brian was a nervous wreck. He sat in one of the waiting room chairs, elbows on his thighs, hands in his hair, and staring at the floor.
Josh paced. Other than bad hospital coffee, Brian hadn’t wanted anything, and Josh was at his wit’s end about what to do to help. He liked the old lady, but he’d only met her twice. Brian had been her neighbor for years and was closer to her than Josh had realized.
He walked to him and ran his fingers through Brian’s hair, offering comfort where he could. His cell phone buzzed and Josh jumped. He’d forgotten to turn it off. The screen read that it was from the chief. Josh squatted down so that Brian wouldn’t have to lift his head much to look at him.
“I have to take a call. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” Brian said through a sigh. He looked up and offered a weak smile. “I’ll let you know if the doctors say anything.”
Josh pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be right back. Do you need anything while I’m gone?”
“No. Thank you. You’ve been great.”
“Hey,” he waited until Brian’s gaze met his. “I’m not done being great. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Josh got to his feet and went for the nearest exit. He hit redial as he cleared the sliding doors to the parking lot.
“Chief, it’s Severn.”
“Suspension is over. You’re cleared with a warning and one week’s pay. We need you clocked in tonight.”
Josh ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t do that, sir. My boyfriend needs me. There’s been an emergency.”
“I’m sure your boyfriend will understand.”
“I’m sure he will, sir, but I won’t ask him to. I’m staying with him at the hospital as long as he needs me. Tell the board to handle that however they see fit,” Josh informed him bluntly.
The chief didn’t sound pleased. “Relax. It’s okay. If you’d told me you were at the hospital to begin with, I would have let you off the hook. Stay with him, but check in tomorrow.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, sir.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good thing you’re cleared or this could have blown up in your face.” The chief hung up.
Josh took the first deep breath he’d had in a long time. He turned on his heel, powered down his phone, and strode through the automated doors. He wanted nothing more than to be at Brian’s side. Emergency or no, that’s
“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” he asked Brian.
“Yeah. More than I knew.”
“Let’s get there so you can tell her that.”
Brian nodded. Josh escorted him to the car and held the door for him. “Give me your keys. I’ll lock everything up for you.”
Brian handed them over. “Josh,” he began numbly. “Turn on her front door light. She hates when it’s off at night.”
“You got it.”
Brian couldn’t even begin to explain the relief he felt when Mrs. Jackson’s light flicked on. Josh locked the door, jogged over to Brian’s and double checked it too. Brian’s heart seemed to swell behind his sternum as he watched the man he’d fallen in love with jog back to the car and slide in.
“Thank you,” Brian whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Josh linked their fingers, and drove off in pursuit of the ambulance. “You send good thoughts for her. I’ll look after you.”
Brian rested his head against the seat, staring out the window as the scenery sped past. He let go of everything else but his concern for Mrs. Jackson. He didn’t have to worry about the rest of it. Josh would be there to catch it.
He squeezed Josh’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me and you came anyway.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
* * * *
Josh couldn’t stand to see Brian hurting. Mrs. Jackson had been rushed to the intensive care unit. The doctors were bandying about the word ‘stroke.’ He’d just as soon not have them say anything than to guess. Brian was a nervous wreck. He sat in one of the waiting room chairs, elbows on his thighs, hands in his hair, and staring at the floor.
Josh paced. Other than bad hospital coffee, Brian hadn’t wanted anything, and Josh was at his wit’s end about what to do to help. He liked the old lady, but he’d only met her twice. Brian had been her neighbor for years and was closer to her than Josh had realized.
He walked to him and ran his fingers through Brian’s hair, offering comfort where he could. His cell phone buzzed and Josh jumped. He’d forgotten to turn it off. The screen read that it was from the chief. Josh squatted down so that Brian wouldn’t have to lift his head much to look at him.
“I have to take a call. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” Brian said through a sigh. He looked up and offered a weak smile. “I’ll let you know if the doctors say anything.”
Josh pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be right back. Do you need anything while I’m gone?”
“No. Thank you. You’ve been great.”
“Hey,” he waited until Brian’s gaze met his. “I’m not done being great. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Josh got to his feet and went for the nearest exit. He hit redial as he cleared the sliding doors to the parking lot.
“Chief, it’s Severn.”
“Suspension is over. You’re cleared with a warning and one week’s pay. We need you clocked in tonight.”
Josh ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t do that, sir. My boyfriend needs me. There’s been an emergency.”
“I’m sure your boyfriend will understand.”
“I’m sure he will, sir, but I won’t ask him to. I’m staying with him at the hospital as long as he needs me. Tell the board to handle that however they see fit,” Josh informed him bluntly.
The chief didn’t sound pleased. “Relax. It’s okay. If you’d told me you were at the hospital to begin with, I would have let you off the hook. Stay with him, but check in tomorrow.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, sir.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good thing you’re cleared or this could have blown up in your face.” The chief hung up.
Josh took the first deep breath he’d had in a long time. He turned on his heel, powered down his phone, and strode through the automated doors. He wanted nothing more than to be at Brian’s side. Emergency or no, that’s
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