“Is this who you’re looking for?” the uniformed security guard asked.
Sawyer’s face nearly split in two from grinning so big. “That’s her.”
The guard let him go, and he ran to her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
He didn’t bother with those minor details. He grabbed her face and kissed her long and hard. He kissed her in a way that would make it clear why he was there. He had come to tell her he was in love with her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
PIPER NEEDED TO come up for air, but the way Sawyer kissed her in the middle of that loud, crowded hospital waiting room must have given her superpowers.
As the kisses got slower, Piper let herself get lost in the feeling of his strong hands holding her face firmly in place, contrasted with the soft and gentle way his lips moved against hers. When he ended the kiss, he kept his face close. His nose brushed hers.
“You’re safe,” he said as if he had doubted it the moment before.
“Of course I am.” She didn’t care that she wasn’t supposed to be this close to him anymore. She kissed him again, her fingers tracing the hard line of his jaw. She loved his jawline.
He pulled back. “I was so scared. The thought of anything bad happening to you or the baby made me lose my mind.”
The love haze she was under began to lift. The reason for her being there came back to the front of her mind. “I’m fine. It was Hunter. He’s been hurt…bad.”
Sawyer released her and his face fell. “Hunter?”
Piper grabbed the clipboard of forms she had been filling out before a ranting and raving Sawyer was dragged out by security.
“I don’t know any of his information. I’ve been trying to call you, but it kept going to voice mail.”
Sawyer took the clipboard from her and scanned the first sheet. “I can fill most of this out. What happened?”
“He was fooling around on the golf cart with Milo and they flipped it. I think Milo might have broken his leg, and Hunter hit his head. He was unconscious when the ambulance first got there. I didn’t want him to come here alone.”
Sawyer kissed her again. “Thank you for being so sweet.”
Between the two of them, they were able to fill out Hunter’s registration forms and get ahold of his family. Sawyer was frustrated with his careless friend. At the beginning of the tour, he and Hunter had been out of sync, but since the wedding had been called off, Hunter had proved to be the friend Sawyer knew he was. Hopefully his injuries weren’t as serious as they seemed.
After Hunter had a CT scan, Piper and Sawyer were allowed to go back and sit with him. The doctor quickly assuaged Sawyer’s fears.
“Six stitches, a broken arm and a mild concussion. He should be able to head out as soon as we get that arm in a cast.”
“My life is over,” Hunter complained.
“I think you’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” Sawyer said.
“Lucky? How am I going to play the drums with only one arm?”
“Wasn’t there a one-armed drummer in some ’90s rock band?” Piper asked.
“He had a special drum kit. Looks like I’m off the tour,” Hunter lamented. “Just when I was this close to getting a date with Darla.”
“Too bad Piper didn’t ask for those drum lessons earlier. She could’ve been in my band.” Sawyer put his hand on her knee.
“Thanks for staying with me, Piper. You are way cooler than I gave you credit for. I’ve never met a famous person who’s so down-to-earth. I mean, I’m nobody, and you’re Piper Starling.”
“You’re not nobody. You’re a member of Sawyer’s band and his best friend.”
“I haven’t been very fair to you. I’ve spent this whole tour trying to convince this guy he’s better off without you. I was jealous and I’m sorry. I think karma paid me back.”
Piper seemed to appreciate his apology. Sawyer did, as well.
“I’m glad you realize how amazing she is. One, because she deserves it, and two, because I’m in love with her and you’re going to have to be the best man at the next wedding we have.”
Hunter began to laugh and pointed at Piper. “I’m not surprised, but it sure looks like someone else is.”