“Me either,” Jewel admitted. “Here we are.”
The door was partially open. Jewel pushed inside, glad to see the room was lit.
Colton was sitting up in bed.
“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” she chided. “It’s four-thirty in the morning.”
“Jewel.” His look seared her, even across the room. His face was bruised, but the only thing bandaged was his right arm. “I was worried about you.”
Unable to speak for the tightness in her throat, Jewel nodded.
“She was worried about you, too, mister.” Jolene wrapped her arm around Jewel’s shoulders. “We thought she might go after that Buick’s driver with her bare hands.”
Because the other waitress was uncomfortably close, Jewel moved away from her, toward the bed. Toward Colton.
He held out his good arm.
She moved into him, struck by the oddest urge to weep.
“Shhh,” he murmured, smoothing her hair away from her forehead, as if he knew.
From the doorway, Jolene made a sound of approval.
Jewel didn’t care. “What happened to you? Is your arm broken?”
“No.” He lifted the bandage. “I had some cuts and bruises. That’s all. I was lucky. The table blocked me from serious injury.”
“I thought you were…” She couldn’t finish. Clearing her throat, she tried again, reaching for the utterly banal. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Frowning, Jolene shook her head. “Tell him how you really feel.”
Both Colton and Jewel gave her identical looks.
“I am glad he’s all right,” Jewel repeated.
“Okaaaay.” Jolene threw up her hands. “I’ll shut up now.”
Colton ignored her. “I want out of here.”
Jewel pulled back, remembering how he’d helped her leave this same hospital when she’d felt the same. “Are you sure you should?”
“I’m fine. They already told me. I have a mild concussion, nothing more.”
Unable to stop touching him, she glanced over her shoulder at Jolene, still standing in the doorway watching. “I had to get a ride…”
“I can take you home.” Jolene shrugged, grinning. “It does my heart good to see the two of you. It’s been so long since I’ve been around two people in love.” She waved away Jewel’s attempt to protest. “I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll wait out here in the waiting room. You two take your time. I saw a new copy ofPeoplemagazine I want to read.” She bustled away.
Feeling her cheeks heat, Jewel turned back toward Colton. “This is my fault. Leo hurt you and destroyed the restaurant just to get to me.”
“Maybe.” He planted a fierce kiss on her mouth, stunning her. “Or maybe not. Accidents do happen, you know. It might have simply been some drunken idiot, ramming into the building because he hit the accelerator instead of the brake.”
Desire flared. Completely inappropriate and, even more shocking, without her having gone through a failed change first. This so stunned her, she bit off the comment she’d been about to make.
“Did they ever find the driver?” Colton’s question brought her back to reality.
“No. They never found him,” she said quietly, pulling away. “Why don’t you get dressed, and we’ll let Jolene take us home?” Without waiting to hear his answer, she took off for the waiting area. Instinctively, she reached for her silver wolf necklace, the one she never removed. It was gone.
That necklace had been the one thing Leo couldn’t take from her, and now he had. She must have lost it in the confusion at work.
