Love Found in California (The Washington Triplets) Read Online Free PDF

town. After he hits end, he stays by my side as we wait for the ambulance.
    “You’re doing great, Mikaela … Take a deep breath … Shhhh, there you go … Okay, they’re here.” His genuine kindness and concern calms me for the time being. Then he steps away to let in one of the paramedics and I realize I don’t have his name or anything.
    “I’m so sorry, sir. Sir!” I yell hoping he can hear me, but he’s already talking to an officer, explaining the details of the crash. As they wheel me away, I’m grateful for his fatherly demeanor and that he didn’t let his anger control the situation.
    ***
    Lying stiff on a long orange board over the stretcher in the emergency room, I wait for them to take me to X-ray before they’ll let me bend my limbs again. Even my head is strapped to the board. When the nurses come in to ask questions, I can’t even turn my head to the side to look at them. Things hurt all over my body, but I honestly have no inclination if anything is actually broken.
    All I can think of is Ryan and how I’ll have to handle this all on my own. I have no family or really any friends that I can call. Well, except Carrie. She’d come down here in a heartbeat, but she’d probably over react. I’ll wait to have them call her until I know more.
    God, I don’t even know how Ryan will handle this. We’ve never even had so much as a cold around each other in the short time we’ve been together. What if he’s mad at me for not being more cautious? What if I’ve totaled my car and he won’t help me until I can get another one? What if I’m really hurt and he won’t let me take off work? What if he doesn’t want to help take care of me? My mind races away with all the what if’s until I hear his deep voice cracking …
    “Mik, shit … I’m here, it’s me love,” Ryan says and then hugs me as best he can around the stiff orange board. When his lips press into my cheek and I smell his cologne, I close my eyes, holding in the tears. In an instant, the worry flees and my husband’s sweet words comfort me.
    ***
    Hours later I sit in a wheel chair with a nurse just outside the emergency room doors. Ryan’s silver sporty Infinity slows as it approaches the doors and my eyes zero in on the shiny rims of his wheels spinning. The dread I feel to be alone with him overtakes all thoughts, even the reminisce of pain left in me fades further away. I start to stand, but the nurse’s hand covers my shoulder to gently hold me in place. She wheels me further out and Ryan races out to me.
    Ryan’s hand extends out to mine, our fingers hold onto each other and for a brief moment I’m reminded of all the reasons I said yes. “Thank you,” he says to the nurse and then plants his eyes on mine as he says, “I’ve got you. Hold on to me tight.” His free hand moves around my waist as he guides me upward out of the wheelchair.
    “Thank you for everything,” I tell the nurse who was with me most of my time in the emergency room, and then bend to get into Ryan’s car. Once inside, Ryan pulls my seatbelt across me and snaps it in, just like my mom used to when I was a kid. His lips come to mine soft and tender, holding in place until we both hear the strum of another car pulling up behind us. When he releases my lips, he moves his to my forehead for a quick peck. I’d love to sink myself deep into his miracle-working lips and forget all about this and everything else that looms around in my head.

THREE DAYS LATER, AFTER BEING waited on hand and foot by Ryan, I’m finally feeling quite a bit better ... A little bruised and sore, but other than that, not too bad. Ryan set up the spare room as an office to do all of his work. I kept insisting he could go to the office, but he refused every time, and firmly too. Every hour, maybe even minutes, I waited for Ryan to blow up or snap at me, but it never happened. He didn’t care one bit about the cost of the accident and was pushing even more than before to