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“I’ll figure that out when I know more.” Lexie ended the call. She was concerned about Whirlwind, but all she cou
ld do was trust Aaron to do his job. Right now her place was with Shane.
“I couldn’t help overhearing that,” Casey said. “Are you planning to spend the night in the hospital?”
Lexie nodded. “I’m not leaving Shane. If he needs me, I want to be here.”
“Well, he’s not going to need his truck,” Casey said. “He left the keys in the locker room. I could get them and bring it here for you. Then you’d have something to drive.”
“How are you going to manage that? You’re stranded, too, aren’t you?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it figured out,” Casey said. “I don’t plan on staying the night, but I won’t go home without making sure you’re okay.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze flickered toward Brock, who was still talking to the nurse. She lowered her voice. “It’s a long story, but I really don’t want to owe him any more favors.”
“Understood, little sis. I’m on it. But I’ll need to borrow your phone. Mine’s in my locker.”
He took her phone and walked a few paces down the hall. Minutes later he came back and handed her the phone. “I’ll be taking a cab back to the arena. From there, I’ll find a way to get you the truck.” He clasped her shoulder for a moment. “Hang in there, girl. You’re tough, and so is he.”
He walked back outside to wait for the cab. Casey said she was tough. But was she tough enough? The next hours, days, and weeks would tell.
The nurse at the counter was on the phone. She hung up and spoke a few words to Brock. He nodded and turned back to Lexie. “We can see him for a few minutes. I’d like to go first. That way, you can stay longer if you want. I have the room number.”
A nameless fear shot through Lexie as she stood. Whatever the new reality was, she was about to meet it.
Brock gave her a questioning look as she followed him into the hallway. “I’ll wait outside the door,” she said. “That way, I can go in as soon as you leave.”
“Whatever you like.” He lengthened his stride as if determined to leave her behind. Seconds later he disappeared through an open doorway. As the door closed behind him, Lexie leaned against the wall, her heart pounding. This wasn’t about her fear or her nerves or her strength. It was about the man she loved—the man lying shattered on the other side of that door.
* * *
Shane lay in a drug-blurred haze. He knew where he was and what had happened to him. But he didn’t know how badly he was injured. Part of him didn’t want to know.
He tried moving his head to one side, but his neck was in a brace. He blinked his eyes, flexed his fingers, and made fists of his hands. So far so good. But what about his legs? His feet? He tried wiggling his toes. Was anything happening? He couldn’t tell.
The lower part of his body was encased in some kind of brace. Was that what kept him from moving? But he would deal with that later. His head hurt like hell. And now someone had come into the room. A heavy step. A face leaning over him.
“Shane, can you hear me?” The voice brought everything into focus. It was Brock.
He muttered a yes. “How bad . . . ?” He struggled with the question.
“Bad enough. They won’t know till they run some tests. Do you remember what happened?”
“Yeah . . . damn bull was right on me. Couldn’t get away. Did I win?”
“You came in second. Ninety-one points. Fifty thousand dollars. Not bad. But I’m planning to buy that damned bull and put a bullet through his brain.”
“No . . . don’t do it. Wasn’t his fault. I just got in his way. Promise me.”
Brock exhaled. “All right. But what I really came here to say was, you won’t have to worry about money or a place to recover. We can set up a therapy room, hire somebody full-time if you want.”
“I’ll think about it.” Shane could feel the clouds in his brain clearing. His new reality was going to take some getting used to. But one thing was certain. If he went back to Brock’s, he’d never leave.
“Have you seen Lexie?” he asked.
“She’s right outside, waiting for me to go so she can come in.”
Anguish burned its way through Shane’s body, as if he’d swallowed acid. Lexie couldn’t be part of this. She deserved better. She deserved a life. “Damn fool woman,” he muttered. “Tell her I said to walk away and don’t look back.”
