“What made you cry? You were talking in your sleep.”
Good Lord, no wonder the man was so successful. His motto had to be “Let Nothing Go. Ever.”
When her sisters touched her legs, questioning, Rowan couldn’t lie. “Mom and Dad. I dreamed they were here. I promise to tell you guys about it later. Okay?” They both nodded. “You too, Nan.” Her grandma nodded, equally as moved.
A harried-looking doctor entered her room before Rowan could ask any more questions. He was handsome in a mid-forties, vacation needed ASAP, kind of way. His nurse was an older woman who followed the doctor into the room. One more body, and the walls would pop at the seams.
Her sisters and Nan backed away from the bed so that the doctor could approach. “Miss Byrne,” he smiled. “I’m Dr. Trenton, and this is my favorite nurse, Terese.”
Terese grinned, patting her salt and pepper bun “I’m only his favorite, because I bring him donuts every week.”
“Hey, not true, T,” Dr. Trenton denied. In a stage whisper, he added, “But if I were to be bribed, donuts are the way to go. I’m the one who took care of you in surgery, by the way.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Hopefully, I’m well enough to get out of your hair sooner rather than later.”
“I want to take a look at your incision and poke about your chest in a painful way to check that everything is healing as it should,” he chuckled. “Seriously, though, you’ll probably want to hit me before this is over.”
Rowan didn’t laugh because her chest and shoulder area were starting to fuss at her. Laughing would have been a big no-no. “I don’t mind. The sooner you say I’m okay, the sooner I can check out of this lovely white box.”
Dr. Trenton began to untie her gown, and her sisters crowded the bed, uncaring that the doctor might need room to do his job.
“Boys, leave the room. Now.” Hugh demanded.
What in the hell was Hugh going on about now? It’s not like Bran and Patrick would try to sneak peeks at her breast. Jesus! Raven and River raised their brows at Rowan and then told their spouses that they would call them back when the doctor had finished his exam. Bran and Patrick smiled at Rowan before leaving the room.
Hugh was still staring at Rowan, or more specifically, the doctor currently peeling her gown aside to get to her bandages. Most of her left breast was exposed now. Dr. Trenton immediately started removing the tape and gauze.
“Luckily, the bullet passed between the ribs below your breast here,” The doctor explained as he touched a spot below her breast that she couldn’t see. “It got hung up between the bones in your back. One rib in the front was cracked and two in the back. With patience, you should feel fine in a few months with only a bit of lingering tenderness.”
Hugh came closer to the bed, standing directly behind the doctor. If Dr. Trenton was uncomfortable with a berserker breathing down his neck, he never let on.
Trenton wasall business as he discarded the bandages on a tray the nurse had placed next to him on the bed. All Hugh could think about was how close he’d come to losing Rowan, and now, how close another man was to Rowan. Doctor or not, he didn’t like it. He was irrationally obsessed with the need to hold her and assure himself that she truly was going to be okay.
He hadn’t slept or left her side since she’d gotten out of surgery. None of them had, except when Bran and Raven would take moments to spend time with their son, and Patrick would force River to take a quick nap on his lap in the waiting room. Even Devlen, Bébhinn’s fiancé, insisted she sleep at her apartment last night.
Getting that call, Christ. He went mad with rage. He wanted to hug her gently to his chest and tell her...he couldn’t tell her how he felt, but fuck him, he wanted to.
“Hey, Row,” River began, “at least your boob tattoo was on the other side.”
He’d seen that particular tattoo and a lot more than that.
Jo, Nan, and Raven all laughed at River’s joke. He wanted to laugh too. He wanted to pretend he wasn’t falling apart. He couldn’t. His chest felt tight every time he relived MacGregor’s call, telling him that Rowan had been shot. Had she not made it…Hugh wasn’t sure if he could have recovered.
Jo excused herself to check on MacGregor and his man, Peter. Rowan’s gaze met his. Something in his face must have alerted her to his distress because she raised her brow in question. Hugh could only shrug and shake his head. He crossedhis arms over his chest and tried to pay attention to what Dr. Trenton said about her recovery and eventual physical therapy.
“Hugh. Come here, please.”
His head jerked to Rowan’s face. She was holding her right hand out toward him.
“Rave, make room for Hugh, please.”
He wanted to go to her. He wanted to only go to her. He needed to touch her and assure himself she was whole. Raven stood and moved back, giving him room to walk up and take Rowan’s hand. Clasp her delicate fingers between his own, much larger ones.
He could take her hand in front of her family.
He could claim her as his.
He took one step forward, his eyes never wavering from hers. He stopped.
