Page 13 of One Kind Soul

“The hospital? You can’t yank that out of there and sew me up?”

The EMT shook his head. “Afraid not. This requires a doctor, my friend. We can give you a ride though.”

But he was supposed to be Nicole’s ride to Vermont. He guessed he didn’t have a choice though. He couldn’t drive with glass in his leg and get blood everywhere.

Hell, he didn’t even have a truck to drive.

The female EMT came over. “Your sweetheart is fine. A small contusion on her head that isn’t bleeding anymore.”

“Okay,” the male EMT said. “This guy has a bit more than a contusion.”

“Can you walk?” the female EMT asked. “Or shall I grab the stretcher?”

“I can walk,” Christian said, because no way was he doing the whole victim-in-a-stretcher thing.

The EMTs each took position on either side of him and with hands on his elbows, they guided him to the ambulance where Nicole sat on the edge of the open back, drinking water from a bottle. She jumped down when Christian reached her.

“Are you all right?” Her brows were creased with concern.

“He’ll be okay,” the male EMT said. “We need to patch him up a bit at the hospital.”

Nicole nodded. “I’m coming with you.”

“That’s fine,” the female EMT said.

“You don’t have to,” Christian said at the same time.

Nicole motioned to the wrecked pickup truck. “Umm . . . your truck looks like that.” She waved to his leg. “Your leg looks like that.” She angled her hand at herself. “And I’m totally fine because of you. If you think I’m going to be stuck in this city without my lucky charm, you are sadly mistaken. I’m sticking with you, Chrissy.” She marched toward her suitcase still on the sidewalk then stopped beside one of the firefighters by the truck. “Any way one of you boys can grab my purse in there.” She knocked her knuckles on the truck’s roof.

“I can try,” a fighter volunteered.

Christian didn’t miss the way that fighter let his gaze comb down the length of Nicole.

My chick. The words filled his head though they weren’t true.

“Let’s get you inside,” the female EMT said to him and Christian was forced to tear his gaze from Nicole.

And that firefighter.

With the EMTs’ help, he climbed up into the ambulance and took a seat on the gurney, but they made him stretch out on his stomach so his leg could be elevated and the glass still sticking out of it wouldn’t bang into anything.

A few moments later, Nicole appeared and the male EMT lifted her suitcase and bag into the ambulance. Then she climbed up and sat across from Christian which allowed him to breathe again.

“I definitely owe you road trip snacks now,” Nicole said. “I promise all the cheese curls you can eat if you don’t cry while getting stitches.” She patted his shoulder as the male EMT chuckled.

“I’ve seen guys cry getting stitches,” the EMT said as his partner started the ambulance.

“This is not the first time I’ve had to get stitches,” Christian said.

“Have other near-death experiences, Chrissy?” Nicole’s eyebrow arched.

“No. That was the first near-death one, but I’ve sliced open my arm falling off a dock when I was in middle school.” He held up his arm to show her the four-inch scar on his right forearm, near his elbow. “Then I also tore open my left heel tubing on Lake Brenton when I was in high school.” He pointed to the underside of his chin. “Skiing incident landed me stitches here too.”

“Wow,” Nicole said. “You’ve been stitched more than a patchwork quilt.”

“At least this time, it wasn’t my fault. All the other times, I can admit to doing something stupid.”

“Nothing stupid about saving our lives.” Nicole wrapped her arms around herself, her