Page 43 of When The Dust Settles

“And?” He prodded me.

“And I might come visit the Red a bit more often.”

He looked so very pleased with his scrunched up eyes and lips pressed tight together and clasped hands.

“It’s a work in progress, right?”

“Yes. Good. I’m so glad.”

“You like putting the Holloways back together, don’t you, Stef.” He’d done it with Tyler and his family.

“I do,” he admitted. “Your father and you, Rand, and Zach are next on my list.”

I would not hold my breath.

IT WAS early the next morning, just after visiting hours began, as I knew it would be, when my bed was jostled and there were whispers of “shut the fuck up,” and “you’re gonna wake him up,” before I did, in fact, open my eyes.

The room was crowded with people—way more than I was sure was allowed—and ten or so of them surrounding the bed so I couldn’t even see the door of my room. “Shit,” I grumbled, squinting up at all of them. “Why aren’t you guys gettin’ ready to open The Bronc? Sunday’s one of our busiest days.”

A wall of noise came at me, everyone speaking at once, each voice trying to be louder than the last.

“Stop,” I half yelled before turning to look at Josie, who was closest to me, both of her hands on my right forearm, squeezing tight as she sucked in breath after breath. Only when I studied her face did I notice that her eyes were red and puffy.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, you can see I’m fine.”

She sniffled. “You were hurt. When Mr. Joss called the restaurant and Kev took the call, it scared the hell out of all of us.”

Which had been Stef’s intent. He was going straight to hell if he didn’t watch it.

“We were all really worried,” Callie said tightly, and I watched her bite her bottom lip.

“You’ve never passed out before,” Kevin explained, coming around the girls to stand on my left and touch the bandage there. “And you never had to be taken nowhere in an ambulance.”

“I’ve done both of those things many, many times,” I corrected. “Y’all just never knew me when I was working the ranch.”

“Your doctor said you lost a lotta blood,” Shawnee chimed in from where she was at my feet, ignoring my comments entirely. “Your doctor told Bailey that between the stitches in your side and the stab wound, you had to stay here a couple days.”

“Which means I’ll be out first thing tomorrow morning,” I explained.

Lots of exhaling and smiles, they were all visibly relieved and happy.

“How did you talk to my doctor?” I asked Shawnee.

“Oh, I didn’t, Bailey did. You know how persuasive she can be when she wants something.”

I was well aware. She looked all sweet and soft on the outside, but inside she was all tiger. “Is that who’s at the restaurant?” I asked, turning to Kevin. “Bail?”

“Yeah, it’s her and Jamal, Sandy, Esteban, Marco, Deshaun, Kelly, and oh, we might have a problem.”

“What’s that?”

Callie and Kevin exchanged worried glances.

“What?”

Callie took a quick breath. “Well, it turns out that the resort is being sued for racial discrimination.”

“Okay, and? What does that have to do with us? You already told me that our staff should be in an ad for—what is it?”