I nodded, content now that the no-good drunk wasn’t going to get away. Buck had lived in Kirby Falls his whole life. His wife, Jolly, had finally divorced his ass a few years ago, and the town had thrown her a party. He’d caused scenes and had been drunk at every bar in the county. Jolly had used all her money trying to put him through rehab multiple times, but it never stuck. Up until now, he’d been a cautionary tale and sob story in my hometown. I knew the manneeded help, but I couldn’t see it right now. Not when he’d been driving drunk and had endangered the man I?—
“Brady,” I breathed, spinning out of Jamie’s hold.
“They’re getting him now.”
And the deputy was right. I watched as the firemen used some kind of crowbar to wedge the passenger door open. The metal groaned, but they made enough space to get inside to Brady.
“You wanna tell me what happened, Mac?”
Without looking away from what was going on in the cab’s interior, I told Jamie exactly what I’d witnessed. Brady moving through the intersection. Buck coming out of nowhere and slamming into him.
While Jamie asked me questions and confirmed details, the ambulance arrived. I could see Brady moving and talking, but the clawing fear in my belly hadn’t gone anywhere.
He was out of the truck now, loaded onto a backboard. They weren’t letting him walk. Thank Christ. Because his movements were all wrong. Something must have been broken or hurt.
Jamie passed me a tissue, and I swallowed painfully.
The sirens were off, but blue and red lights flashed everywhere. A tow truck waited patiently behind my Jeep, where it sat, still running, with the door flung open.
The firefighters were still gathered nearby while the two EMTs worked to secure Brady. I saw his lips move, and then everyone standing around laughed. Because, of course, the idiot had almost died and was cracking jokes.
I left Deputy Matthews when they’d loaded Brady in the back of the ambulance, approaching a woman in a navy-blue uniform.
“Louisa,” I hissed as she started to shut the doors.
Brady looked pale through the opening, his eyes closed.
“Mac,” she greeted. “You okay? Were you involved?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. Is he— Is Brady okay?”
Her dark eyes took me in. “Yeah. Rattled his cage a little. Probably a mild concussion, but we’ll bring him in and have him evaluated.”
“Can I—can I ride with him?”
Louisa sighed. “No, I’m sorry. You’re not family. And we need to get going.”
“Please, Lou,” I tried. And then I decided to fight dirty. “Remember that time junior year? You went to that college party and had me cover for you? I swear I will call your mother right this minute and tell her you didn’t actually stay at my house that weekend.”
“Mac, come on,” she groaned. “You cannot seriously be trying to blackmail me right now.”
I’d known Louisa Hernandez Cortez since she moved to Kirby Falls in fourth grade. We’d played soccer together and been good friends since we were little girls. She came out to Abby’s bonfire at least once a month, and I ate at her parents’ restaurant all the time. But I was not above using our history and friendship to get in the back of that ambulance with Brady.
“I’ll do it,” I warned.
“Let’s go, Lou!” came a shout from the side of the vehicle.
“Listen,” she said quickly, “drive to the hospital and meet us there. He’s going to need someone to bring him home after he’s checked out. He’ll probably need concussion protocol and someone to stay with him for twelve to twenty-four hours. Meet us at the doors to the ER, and I’ll make sure you get inside with him.”
“Fine,” I gritted out.
Before I could turn, Louisa gripped my arm. “He’s going to be okay.”
I nodded and fled when I felt another tear stupidly well up in my right eye.
I probably shouldn’t have driven. I couldn’t recall the path we took to the hospital, which was just over a mile away. I simply followed the flashing lights ahead of me.
As they worked to unload Brady at the bay doors, I found a parking spot and hustled over to where Louisa waited for me. She said we’d need to hold on for a bit while he was examined. Then she would take me back.
