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I shrug. “You know me, I’m full of surprises.”
“I’d describe you as reckless, but hey, that’s just me.”
He kneels down beside me. His scowl makes room for concern. He might be angry at me for being reckless, but he’s still my caring brother.
“What happened, and where does it hurt?” Owen asks me.
I explain everything—how I hit a patch of ice, the sickening crunch, the sharp pain shooting up my arm, and the fact that I can’t support my weight on my ankle. Brody listens intently, his expression growing more serious with each detail I tell him and Owen.
Once I finish, Owen and Brody exchange a glance before Owen starts examining my wrist. Then he gently probes the area around my ankle. I try not to wince, but it’s hard.
“Your wrist is broken, but it looks like a clean break, and I think you’ve just sprained your ankle,” Owen says. “We’ll need to stabilize you before we can move you.”
Brody nods in agreement. “I’ll grab the splints from the snowmobile.”
“Thanks, guys,” I say.
“Sure, we like rescuing people who venture off the marked ski trails, despite the numerous warning signs planted all over the area,” Brody remarks.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” It’s the truth, but I know it’s a lame excuse.
Brody returns with the splint. He and Owen stabilize my leg, careful not to add to my pain for which I’m super grateful.
“Hang in there, brother. We’ll get you down the mountain safely,” Brody says, his voice laced with concern as he sees my face contorting with pain.
“Thanks,” I manage to reply.
They carefully lift me onto the stretcher attached to the snowmobile, ensuring that I’m secured in place before they begin the descent down the mountain.
The journey is a bumpy and uncomfortable one, but they get me down the mountain safely. An ambulance is waiting for me in the valley. I hope no one realizes it’s me who’s being wheeled into that rig, or my accident will be all over the news in a matter of hours.
“Good luck, brother,” Brody says before the EMT slams the doors to the ambulance closed.
He’d offered to accompany me to the hospital, but then they got another call to rescue a lost hiker on the other side of the mountain.
When we arrive at the hospital, the EMTs rush me into the emergency room. All kinds of nurses and doctors run around, helping other patients, scribbling notes on charts, and reassuring worried family members.
One face stands out among the crowd, though, and my heart stops for a couple of beats. The ER doctor on call is a girl with warm green eyes and long brown hair—Holly Thompson.
“What do you got for me?” she asks the EMT without so much as glancing at me.
“Holly,” I murmur.
She looks at me in surprise, her eyes wide as saucers as she recognizes me. For a split second, we just stare at each other. Then she gives me a curt nod.
“Flynn,” she says through gritted teeth.
She hands my chart to a nurse. “Could you wheel this patient into exam room A? I’ll be right there.”
Shit. All the warmth has disappeared from her eyes now that she realizes it’s me. She still hasn’t forgiven me for what I did years ago, has she?
Chapter Two
Holly
While Nurse Baker wheels Flynn McAllister into the exam room, I sprint to the bathroom and splash some water in my face. What the hell is he doing here?
Flynn is honestly the last person I expected to see today. Most women would swoon when they’d come face to face with the famous hockey star, but not me. I’ve successfully and purposefully managed to avoid running into him for years now. My winning streak has finally come to an end. It was good while it lasted, I guess.
