While they ate, Natalie told Cole about the area. Having grown up in Arizona, she knew just about everything there was to know about the state, including its history. Angel was afraid she was boring him, but Cole seemed truly interested. Even asking her questions now and then.
Natalie looked at the clock. “You better hurry if you’re going back up to the hospital tonight.”
“We are,” Angel replied.
Cole wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it on his plate. “I’m ready when you are.”
She took their plates to the sink.
Cole stood and pushed his chair in. “That was delicious, ma’am. Thank you,” he complimented Natalie.
“Why, you’re welcome, Cole. It does my heart good to see a man eat.”
“Come on. I’ll drive,” Angel said, grabbing her purse off the counter.
“We’ll save the pie for when you get back,” Natalie called after them.
Cole followed Angel out to the driveway. She climbed into an older model SUV. Cole got in the passenger seat. She backed out and headed down the street.
“Not exactly the type of vehicle I pictured you driving,” Cole remarked.
Angel turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean considering your job selling high-end imports—”
She cut him off. “I had a company car, but I lost that job.”
He looked over at her. “What? Why?”
“They said I missed too much time off work. They’re probably right. Between Melissa’s treatments, and hospitalizations, and flying out to California—”
“What a bunch of assholes. Your kid’s fucking sick. Don’t they even give a shit?”
“Well—”
Cole continued on, “Can they even do that? Isn’t there some kind of protection against an employer doing that?”
Angel shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t have the time or money to fight them right now. I have to concentrate on Melissa and getting her through this. I can’t deal with anything else.”
“What about your health insurance?” he asked.
“Well, I had to pick up the full premium to continue it. It’s gonna run my savings down pretty quick. Between that and the medical bills that I already owe, I’ll probably have to declare bankruptcy.”
“Damn, baby. That sucks.”
“But this is a happy day,” she said, turning to look at him. “You’re here, and Melissa is going to get her transplant tomorrow.”
He nodded.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. Angel parked in the parking garage, and they headed toward the skywalk that would take them across the street to the hospital. Cole stopped before they left the open air parking deck.
“Can you give me a minute?” he asked Angel. She turned to look at him. She hoped he wasn’t changing his mind now.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just don’t like hospitals. Never have.” He lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag off it.
Angel crossed her arms. “You have got to be kidding me?”
He shook his head.
“Your daughter has been through more crap and been so brave about it, and the big bad biker can’t even walk in the building?”
He took a hit off his cigarette. “Thanks for making me feel like a complete jerk.”
“Get over it.”
He looked at her and took another hit off his cigarette.
“We have a saying out here, ‘cowboy up’. Know what it means?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
“Well?”
He tossed the cigarette down. “Yeah. Okay.”
She led the way.
He followed her through the maze of hallways and nurse’s stations, amazed that she could remember where to go. He couldn’t have found the room with a map and a GPS. They took an elevator, and he found himself on the pediatric floor. Everything was painted in bright colors, and there were cartoon drawings on the walls. Angel stopped in front of a door that had pictures of kittens taped to it.
“Ready?” she asked.
He nodded. She opened the door and walked in. He followed behind her, taking in the room. There were two beds in the room. Angel walked to the second bed.
A small, practically bald child turned to look. Cole could see where her hair had started to grow back after the treatments had ended. He understood she was now in remission and was only back in the hospital for the preparatory treatments needed for the transplant. Her head was covered in a blonde, downy softness that reminded him of a baby chick. He watched as her face lit up in a smile when she saw her mommy. Her thin little arms lifted up, reaching for her.
“Hi, baby girl. Mommy’s here,” she said, bending down to hug her tight.
Cole looked around at the IV’s and monitors surrounding the bed.