lot of Ice’s. Hell, all of his teammates’ women for that matter. Cheyenne had faced what happened to her with courage and she hadn’t panicked. From the first time Dude had seen her backing away from the officers trying to keep them from harm, to the last look he had of her smiling bravely at him as he left her in the ambulance, she’d been grace personified.
He didn’t want to leave her, but Dude knew he had to give his statement to the local cops and get back with his CO. He’d spent a good hour going over what had happened inside the store with Cheyenne and what he’d done and seen. Since Dude wasn’t related to Cheyenne, there was no reason, or really any excuse, for him to go with her to the hospital.
The press had been relentless. Dude knew it was their job, just as it was his job to give a report of what had happened, but this time was different somehow. Each time they asked the police department’s representative probing questions about Cheyenne and where she lived and what she said and what she thought and what she did, Dude just wanted to rail at them and tell them it was none of their damn business and to leave her alone. Cheyenne was a grown woman, she could handle herself…she didn’t need him. But there was something about her that made him want to wrap her in his arms and protect her from the world anyway.
* * *
The taxi pulled up in front of the grocery store. “ Was it just this morning I was here?” Cheyenne thought ruefully . Seriously, it felt like it’d been days since she’d walked into the store intent on buying enough to fill up her pantry so she’d be good to go for a good long while.
Cheyenne painfully eased out of the back seat after paying the driver. As the taxi pulled away, she started walking toward her car. She’d parked near the back of the lot that morning, as was her habit, to try to get a little extra exercise. As she approached her car she heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up behind her.
Feeling extraordinarily cautious after everything that had happened, Cheyenne quickly turned and watched as a huge pickup came to a stop and Faulkner hopped out. Cheyenne looked at him in confusion. What was he doing here? She looked around to see if anyone else was there that he was meeting. There was no one else. The parking lot was deserted, it was only the two of them.
Dude eyed Cheyenne as he neared. She looked perplexed to see him. She also looked tired…and adorably cute. She was wearing blue scrubs from the hospital, no doubt because her clothes were ruined. They were big on her, and it looked like if she moved the wrong way, the pants would fall right off of her. There were dark smudges under her eyes, which made her black eye even more prominent, and both arms were bandaged from wrist to elbow, and probably beyond, but Dude couldn’t see because of the scrubs she was wearing.
“Hi again,” Dude said softly as he came to a halt in front of Cheyenne.
“Um…Hi.” Cheyenne said haltingly. “What are you doing here?”
Dude laughed and looked her in the eye. “I started thinking about how you probably drove to the store today, and since you were taken to the hospital in the ambulance that somehow you’d have to get back here to get your car. I wanted to meet you at the hospital and see how you were doing and give you a ride, but when I called, they told me you’d already been discharged. I’m sorry I missed you.”
Cheyenne looked at the man in front of her in confusion. “You called? Why would you do that?” she asked, not thinking about how rude it sounded until it was too late. “I…I...mean,” she stammered, eager to make sure Faulkner didn’t take offense.
Dude chuckled. “I know what you mean, Shy, and to be honest I’m not sure why…I just wanted to be sure you were okay and to see if I could help you in some way. What did the doctor say?” He gestured at her arms with his chin.
“Uh, okay, well, I’m okay. They just bandaged my arms
He didn’t want to leave her, but Dude knew he had to give his statement to the local cops and get back with his CO. He’d spent a good hour going over what had happened inside the store with Cheyenne and what he’d done and seen. Since Dude wasn’t related to Cheyenne, there was no reason, or really any excuse, for him to go with her to the hospital.
The press had been relentless. Dude knew it was their job, just as it was his job to give a report of what had happened, but this time was different somehow. Each time they asked the police department’s representative probing questions about Cheyenne and where she lived and what she said and what she thought and what she did, Dude just wanted to rail at them and tell them it was none of their damn business and to leave her alone. Cheyenne was a grown woman, she could handle herself…she didn’t need him. But there was something about her that made him want to wrap her in his arms and protect her from the world anyway.
* * *
The taxi pulled up in front of the grocery store. “ Was it just this morning I was here?” Cheyenne thought ruefully . Seriously, it felt like it’d been days since she’d walked into the store intent on buying enough to fill up her pantry so she’d be good to go for a good long while.
Cheyenne painfully eased out of the back seat after paying the driver. As the taxi pulled away, she started walking toward her car. She’d parked near the back of the lot that morning, as was her habit, to try to get a little extra exercise. As she approached her car she heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up behind her.
Feeling extraordinarily cautious after everything that had happened, Cheyenne quickly turned and watched as a huge pickup came to a stop and Faulkner hopped out. Cheyenne looked at him in confusion. What was he doing here? She looked around to see if anyone else was there that he was meeting. There was no one else. The parking lot was deserted, it was only the two of them.
Dude eyed Cheyenne as he neared. She looked perplexed to see him. She also looked tired…and adorably cute. She was wearing blue scrubs from the hospital, no doubt because her clothes were ruined. They were big on her, and it looked like if she moved the wrong way, the pants would fall right off of her. There were dark smudges under her eyes, which made her black eye even more prominent, and both arms were bandaged from wrist to elbow, and probably beyond, but Dude couldn’t see because of the scrubs she was wearing.
“Hi again,” Dude said softly as he came to a halt in front of Cheyenne.
“Um…Hi.” Cheyenne said haltingly. “What are you doing here?”
Dude laughed and looked her in the eye. “I started thinking about how you probably drove to the store today, and since you were taken to the hospital in the ambulance that somehow you’d have to get back here to get your car. I wanted to meet you at the hospital and see how you were doing and give you a ride, but when I called, they told me you’d already been discharged. I’m sorry I missed you.”
Cheyenne looked at the man in front of her in confusion. “You called? Why would you do that?” she asked, not thinking about how rude it sounded until it was too late. “I…I...mean,” she stammered, eager to make sure Faulkner didn’t take offense.
Dude chuckled. “I know what you mean, Shy, and to be honest I’m not sure why…I just wanted to be sure you were okay and to see if I could help you in some way. What did the doctor say?” He gestured at her arms with his chin.
“Uh, okay, well, I’m okay. They just bandaged my arms
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