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“He wasn’t even supposed to be on the road,” she blurted out.
Lanie blinked. “What do you mean?”
“We had plans for dinner, which he canceled.” Rose put her head in her hands. “If I’d been with him, maybe I could have prevented this. Or at least been there when it happened.”
“Don’t think like that.” Lanie slid an arm around Rose’s shoulders. “He’s been working himself sick these last few months. I’d hoped things would calm down for him once the estate was finalized, but instead, he’s working harder than ever. He needs to take it easy, especially with all the stress you both must be under from the wedding.”
The wedding. Will it even happen now? Depending on his injuries, it could take weeks or even months to recover. There would be rehabilitation, physical therapy, and who knew what else ahead of him. Rose had no idea how that might impact their immediate future, let alone their wedding.
It felt silly to even think about that when his life hung in the balance, but somehow, it was all her mind could handle. Canceling the wedding wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it would be heartbreaking nonetheless. They’d been planning it for well over a year, and she would hate for their hard work to go to waste.
Not to mention that she was ready to marry him. She’d known he was the one for her since that first day they’d met in the library, when she’d accidentally knocked over a stack of books and heard a yelp of pain. She closed her eyes as the memory washed over her.
They had unknowingly chosen to sit at the same table to study. She hadn’t been able to see him over the books in her arms. When she’d heard his cry, she’d rushed over to apologize and met the most interesting pair of eyes she’d ever seen—a delicate mixture of green and brown that she wanted to lose herself in. His frown of discomfort quickly morphed into a smile, and he’d brushed off her concern. He’d introduced himself, and the moment their hands touched, a spark shot through her like nothing she’d ever felt before.
A rueful smile pulled at her lips. Even with such a promising first meeting, it had still taken him months to work up the courage to ask her out. They’d met at the library several times and enjoyed each other’s company while studying quietly. Her smile fell. With their busy schedules, their relationship had never been easy, but once they’d set a date for the wedding, she’d thought things were looking up for them.
“Hey.” Lanie gently shook her arm. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Whether or not we’re going to need to cancel the wedding.” Rose raised her head and met Lanie’s eyes. “I know it’s the least of my worries right now, but I can’t help it.”
“I get it. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on what you can control. But I can’t imagine we would need to. Dad and I can pitch in more to help fill the gap if Steven needs to back off the planning.”
“Assuming he survives this.” Rose bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to voice her deepest fears.
“He will survive it. McAllisters are made of stern stuff,” Lanie said, echoing what her father had said earlier.
Rose nodded mutely. She wanted to believe her future sister-in-law, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do so. And if something happened to Steven… If he didn’t make it, she didn’t know what that would do to her.
Chapter Three
Steven woke groggy and in pain. The room around him was unfamiliar with its fluorescent lighting and antiseptic smell. A repetitive beeping sounded near his head, and he swatted at the alarm with his right hand only to groan as something pulled at his skin. His veins seemed to burn with the movement. Raising his arm took effort, and he frowned at the IV sticking out of it.
What on earth? Am I in the hospital? He remembered getting into his car to drive to Rose’s apartment, hoping to surprise her. He recalled the road was slick with rain, then an awful pain had bloomed in his chest. There had been a flash of bright light, but the memory was cut short, as if he’d fallen asleep in the middle of it.
He tried to move his head to search for a call button, but something prevented him from turning it. Breathing became more difficult as he coughed and sputtered. The steady beeping increased in rhythm, matching his heart rate.
A nurse he didn’t recognize rushed in, and her eyes widened. “You’re awake.” She glanced behind him then stepped to his side. “It’s okay. This is disorienting, but I’m going to need you to take deep breaths.” She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled from her mouth in demonstration.
Forcing himself to focus, Steven imitated her, and soon the rapid beeping slowed to a steadier pulse. The panic subsided enough for him to take in more of his surroundings. Lifting his left hand, he attempted to touch his neck, but a brace prevented him from doing so. At least that explained why he couldn’t turn his head.
“I’ll go get the doctor,” the nurse said with a smile before spinning on her heel and leaving the room.
He tried to open his mouth to stop her, to ask what had happened to him, but even his face hurt to move. Frustrated, he settled back against the uncomfortable hospital bed and took an assessment of himself.
His legs were numb with the pins-and-needles sensation he got if he sat on his foot too long. With careful movements, he lifted the blanket draped over him and noted a cast on his left leg. Must have broken it. But it didn’t hurt. Strange. Perhaps they’d given him a great deal of pain medication. If he had to guess, he’d been in an accident. Maybe he’d totaled his car. Ugh, that’s the last thing I need.
Just as he reached for the call button again, the doctor came in. Steven recognized him as one of the doctors Rose worked with, though he couldn’t remember his name.
“Mr. McAllister, you gave us quite a scare. I’m Dr. Myers, though I believe we’ve met before.” He moved a stool over to Steven’s bedside and perched on it. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Steven croaked out.
“Good. And I assume you can understand me as well?”
Why was the doctor treating him like an invalid? He didn’t have brain damage or anything. Unless… How bad was the accident?
“Did you understand what I asked you, Steven?” the doctor asked, prompting Steven to focus.
