Addison (The Mitchell/Healy Family #6)(8)

“I get it Joe. Sorry for making you talk about it.”

I went to climb out of the car, but he pulled me back inside. “Wait. Is that all you wanted to know?”

“I was trying to follow up for the hospital. It’s important to be able to put someone down as a contact for him. It wasn’t listed. They thought you brought him in after picking him up. No one knew it was personal.”

“I want it to stay that way. Please don’t tell anyone, especially Sammy. You know how she talks.”

“Yeah, I sure do. It’s fine. I won’t tell her.” This wasn’t for the hospital anyway. It was for me. Now more than before, I knew I’d be the only person checking up on Cole. As good of a man as Joe was, he wasn’t equipped to understand someone like Cole. He’d been sheltered from it, and as far as he was concerned anyone on drugs was a criminal. Why he put me on a pedestal I’ll never know. “I better get going.”

“Are you ever going to have dinner with me?”

I leaned back in the car. “Maybe some day. I’ll let you know.”



My next stop was to the hospital. He’d told me to come back. I was trying to help him, because if I could do it for other people I’d feel like my life was worth something.

Cole had better color to him when I walked in the room. His curtains were pulled open, and he was searching through the channels on the television. I assume he thought I was a nurse checking on him, because he never turned to address me coming in. I got up to his bed before he noticed who I was. He shuffled in his bed, seemingly uncomfortable that it was me instead of a medical worker. “You told me to come back.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d listen.” He looked down to my hands and then back up to me. “Yesterday you had paperwork.”

“That’s because today is a courtesy visit. I’m not on the clock.”

He snickered loud enough to sound amused. “I know I didn’t make a good impression yesterday, so unless you have a sick fetish with needy men, you’re going to have to enlighten me.”

I pulled up a chair and sat down. Then I extended my hand to him. “We met at the meeting, but let’s make it official. I’m Addison Mitchell.”

He did a double take, like all of a sudden my being there was shocking. “Come again? Did you just say your last name is Mitchell, as in the Mitchell Ranch? That family?”

I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“You need to turn around and leave. Just pretend you never met me.”

“What? Why?” It wasn’t a shock that he recognized the name. My family even donated money to this hospital. I suppose we were sort of famous in these parts.

“Trust me. You need to forget you ever saw me. If you see me on the road turn around and walk the other way.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Let me be clear. I don’t know why you’d tell me to do that, and I don’t care. Whatever your beef is with my family has nothing at all to do with me. I’m a grown woman. I can make my own decisions. Now, with that being said, I’m here for a reason. I don’t do this often, so I’d appreciate it if you give me a chance. Can you do that, Cole?”

He crossed his arms like I had mine, almost mocking me. His smile was contagious. I had to turn my head to avoid him seeing me blush. My heart was racing, and I knew it was from being so outspoken. I wasn’t an aggressive person. Usually I was the person avoiding confrontations.

“I’ve never been good at turning a beautiful woman down.”

I tried to ignore his comment. “Good.” I crossed my legs and loosened my posture up a bit. “So tell me about you. What brought you here? How did it get to this point?”

He sighed. “You don’t let up do you?”

“Not really.”

He shook his head. “Fine, I’ll play along. Some might say I had a rough upbringing. My mom abandoned me.”

“I know that much. Tell me what made you give up?”

“Why would you think I have?”

“Because you’re here.”

“I haven’t given up. I’m trying to change, but it’s hard when everything is against you. Take my foster family for instance. They’re all I have, but they treat me like I’m an alien. Nothing I’ve ever done is good enough.”

After talking to Joe, I knew Cole was probably telling the truth. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

He pointed toward me. “Take you for instance. You come from a huge family. You’re seen in public together, and everyone is always smiling. I’m the kid in the Christmas picture that’s hiding behind someone. You want to know me, that’s all I’ve got to offer you.”

“So you started using to compensate the life you thought you were missing out on?’

He let out an air-filled laugh. “No. I messed around with drugs in high school for fun. When I joined the Army I had to give it all up. I was clean, happy even.”

“So what happened?” I practically interrupted while on the edge of my seat with interest.

“I met a woman, isn’t that always the case? Love?”

I smirked. “I’m guessing it doesn’t end well.”

“For starters I didn’t know she was married, especially to my commanding officer. I didn’t find out until a couple months into the relationship, after I’d grown to have strong feelings. We used to sit for hours and I’d listen to her tell me how bad her husband treated her. He would cut her down and leave marks on her body. So many nights she called me crying, wishing she could find a way out. After a few months I decided to move off base so she could come with me. We had our whole future planned out, down to the wedding.”