She was angry now, every inch of her radiating temper. It was better than seeing her broken. He could take anything but that. “Maybe you should go for more of a father figure. Someone older, probably divorced and looking for wifey number two. You can try to work out some of the daddy issues you’re too scared to face with your real father.”
“Low blow, Sheriff,” she said on a hiss of breath. “And rich coming from the man who hasn’t talked to his twin brother in years. I’m not the only one who’s messed up around here.”
“You have no idea, sweetheart,” he agreed. Somehow Sienna had worked her way past his defenses, and it scared the hell out of him how much her happiness mattered. If only he had something real to offer her. “Unlike you, I’m content with my mess. You came here to fix yours. Do you have the guts to do it?”
“You’re a terrible man.” She grabbed the clipboard and rose from the table. “You might be excellent in bed, but dealing with your head games is not worth the effort.”
He followed as she stalked from the cafeteria. “You’re moving,” he told her, “toward the waiting room.”
“Because you’re a manipulative, jerky...jerk.”
He kept his features schooled when she glanced over at him. “I’ll take that.”
“They don’t want me here,” she whispered as they drew closer to the hospital’s main entrance.
“You’re stronger than you realize, Sienna, even when you have to be bullied into admitting it.”
“I’m not going to thank you for being mean,” she said under her breath.
“Will you go out with me on a real date to make it up to you?”
She stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “First you’re rude and now you’re trying to distract me before I go in front of the firing squad?”
“Or I’m just asking you out,” he suggested with a wink.
“Definitely distraction,” she agreed, then walked toward Emily and Noah.
* * *
“Any news on Declan?” Sienna kept her shoulders straight as she looked from Emily to Noah, proud her voice didn’t falter.
“Where have you been?” Emily demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’ve been here almost an hour and haven’t seen you once.”
“I needed some time to collect myself.” There was no point in trying to act like she hadn’t been deeply affected by watching her father almost die.
She’d started CPR immediately and the EMTs had arrived within minutes. They’d used a defibrillator to shock his heart into beating normally again, but he hadn’t regained consciousness during the ambulance ride. No one would answer any of her questions about his condition and he’d been whisked behind the large metal doors that separated the exam and operating rooms from the public part of the hospital.
She’d been left standing in front of the reception desk, alone and scared half out of her mind. A woman had shoved the clipboard of paperwork into her hands and Sienna had rushed off to the women’s restroom, shutting herself in a stall while she sucked in gasping breaths, fear and guilt and adrenaline pumping through her veins.
Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die.
That was the refrain in her head, even though she hadn’t spoken the words out loud. She hadn’t trusted her voice, hadn’t wanted to admit—even to herself—how much she couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.
Yes, she’d been angry and about to walk out, but she still cared. Far too much. She always had.
“The last we heard,” Noah said gently, as if he understood how difficult this was for her, “your father is stable.”
“Thanks for calling Jase right away,” Emily added, pulling her purse off the chair next to her. “Have a seat. It makes the baby nervous to have you looming over her like that.”
“I wasn’t exactly looming.”
Cole gave her a small nod as she sat down. “I’m going to see if I can get more information.”
“I’ll go with you,” Noah said and jumped out of his chair like he thought his sister and Sienna might get into a catfight right there in the middle of the hospital waiting room.
“He has to be okay,” Sienna whispered when she and Emily were alone.
“Yes,” Emily agreed. She reached for the clipboard. “Want me to work on the information you didn’t know?”
