Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(15)

And he didn’t want to be that—didn’t want to be another person in her life she had to sacrifice for because she loved them. He wanted to be

the person she needed. The person she could lean on. Count on.

But … She hadn’t called.

Exhaling, he punched in another number.

“Perry?” Holiday James, Burnett’s wife and owner of the Shadow Falls Academy, answered immediately. While he’d always looked up to Burnett

like a big brother—Holiday had taken on a different role.

Emotion swelled in his chest from hearing her voice. She’d been the closest thing to a mother he’d ever had. Like Miranda, she infused in

others the need to be the best they could be. No one wanted to let Holiday down.

He suddenly felt stupid for panicking—as if his crazy thoughts could actual mean something. “Hey … I just … wanted to talk to someone from

home. I tried to call Burnett and it went to voicemail. That’s strange, right?”

She didn’t offer up reassurance like she always did. That was kind of strange, too. He glanced back again, to confirm it was safe to talk. His

heart did another lap around his chest, thoughts of Miranda driving its speed.

“Holiday?” he asked.

“Uh … he’s in the middle of something. I’m sure he’ll call you back. He told me you were supposed to be back here yesterday. He stayed up

late last night waiting on you. He’s been worried and didn’t want to call you in case … it caused trouble.”

“I told him not to worry. What’s he in the middle of?” Perry went to rake a hand through his hair, then dropped it when he recalled seeing

his dad do the same. If there was a man he wanted to emulate it was Burnett. Not his real father.

“He said what you were doing could be dangerous, Perry. You need to step away.”

“I can’t leave just yet. But I didn’t call about that. Is Miranda okay?”

“How did you … Who called you?” she asked.

“No one. I just … I had a feeling. What is it?”

“What kind of feeling?” she asked.

“Is something wrong? Is she okay?” Please be okay, Miranda. Please!

The sound of a twig snapping sounded behind him, pulling his heart from one problem to another. Someone was there. He racked his brain to

remember if he’d said anything terribly incriminating.

“Who the hell are you talking to?” The voice, angry and tight, sounded behind him.

*

“Please be okay, Miranda.”

A hand touched her good arm stirring her awake, but the voice she heard seemed to come from somewhere else.

Miranda tried to open her eyes, but they felt so heavy. Probably the drugs. When setting her arm, the doctor, after Miranda had let out a good

moan, had given her a pill to help her relax.

“Tell me you’re okay?” The tone whispered tenderness and something so genuine that her soul trembled. Sometimes just knowing someone cared

that much could almost hurt.

She worked to identify the deep male voice. Perry. Had he come here? Had he heard she was hurt and come running home for the first time in

months?

Her chest felt like it opened up in a way that it hadn’t since he left. Something like relief, a special kind of joy, a Perry kind of joy

filled her heart.

“You came.” She finally opened her eyes.

“Of course I did.”

Miranda blinked. Once. Twice.

On the third time the face came into focus. And so did her heart.

Not Perry.

Shawn.

Sweet. Warm. Kind. All of it defined Shawn.

“You couldn’t keep me away.” He leaned down and pressed a soft and gentle kiss to her lips. One that spoke of just the kind of guy he was.

When he pulled back, the emotions in his eyes echoed the same sentiment and told her how much he cared.

And she cared back. She did. She really did. Pushing thoughts of Perry from her mind, she felt her chest tighten.

“You scared me to death!” He looked at her cast and winced as if her pain was his. “Are you hurting?”

“No, not now.” She looked around, unsure how long she’d been asleep. “Have you heard anything about Tabitha?”

“No. I came right to your room.”

“Where’s Burnett?”

“He’s arguing with police about something. I just got here. I don’t know what’s going on, but I talked your nurse into letting me sneak

back.”

“They think I’m a drug dealer.”

“What?” Shock filled his blue eyes.

“The house that blew up—”

“A house blew up?” His mouth hung open.“What house?”

“The witch’s house.” She tried to sit up but her ribs still hurt, so she slumped back on the bed.

“What witch?” His brow tightened in puzzlement.

“The fortune-teller with the armadillo.”

He stared at her, his eyes filling with a new kind of worry. “Are … you okay?”

And by okay, she was pretty sure he meant mentally. “Burnett didn’t tell you?”

He still hesitated before answering. “He said you and Tabitha were in an accident. I thought car.”