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She wasn’t allowed to ride in the chopper, and Aaron pulled her from the room, promising to drive her himself. Her emotions nearly exploded when he’d made a stop at his house, but once she spotted her blood-soaked reflection in the mirror, she understood.
Aaron’s wife lent her some clothes, and she’d never showered faster in her life. They were on the road again in less than twenty minutes, and had been sitting in the Boulder Community Hospital for the past three hours.
Watching the clock.
Waiting for news.
Casey and Jayne had arrived with Ryan Wagner at some point. After giving her hugs, the men moved off to the side to talk to Aaron. As Jayne sat with her, she listened to the guys and gathered that Randy had been shot twice; once by Joel and once by Casey. He’d also been flown to the trauma unit for surgery and it seemed surreal that doctors were fighting side by side to save the man she loved and the man who’d tried to kill him.
Beside her, Jayne made a few attempts to talk, but Britt shook her head and stared at the wall on the opposite side of the room. A water color painting of spring flowers in a mountain meadow hung there, slightly crooked. The colors all blended together, creating a warm, peaceful effect. She wanted to rip it from the wall as the second hand of the clock ticked in its muted, maddening, never-ending circle.
A short while later, Gina entered the waiting room. From the corner of her eye, Britt saw Jayne shake her head. Gina didn’t speak a word; she simply sat down beside her and laid her hand on Britt’s back as night fell outside the windows. She was grateful her friends seemed to understand. Not that she didn’t appreciate their support, but she was so numb at the moment, she only had the energy for those five little words.
Please, God, let him live.
A thought occurred to her out of the blue and she straightened, startling the others. “Did anyone call his dad?”
Ryan nodded and started to speak, but Britt’s attention shifted as a doctor in scrubs came around the corner. She shot to her feet and hurried forward.
“Are you all here for Joel Mor—”
“Yes,” she blurted before he could finish.
“Are any of you immediate family?”
She swallowed hard as Ryan stepped up beside her. “No, we’re friends. His father is on his way from Montana but won’t be here for a few hours yet.”
The man nodded, swept his calm gaze over the group that included a uniformed sheriff and park ranger, then settled back on Britt. Her heart thudded hard in the agonizing seconds before he spoke again. “He made it through the surgery just fine.”
Relief weakened her knees and thankfully, someone offered her support from behind.
“He was very lucky—if the bullet had gone just a few inches lower, I don't know that he would’ve m
ade it to the hospital. Right now, he’s being transferred to a room in ICU. I’m not sure how long it’ll take for him to wake up, but you’re welcome to sit with him while you wait. I can take you up there if you’d like?”
“Yes, please.”
Now she turned to the others, feeling like she should explain. Gina pulled her in for a quick hug. “Go. Don’t worry about us.”
“Thank you.”
Aaron went with her as she followed the doctor. He put a hand on her shoulder when they entered the room. Joel’s eyes were closed, and his dark hair stood out against the white sheets. Beside the bed, a heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm while tubes and wires snaked from his body to various other machines.
At the sight of him lying so still, tears rushed forward to blur her vision. She blinked furiously, and dashed the moisture away as she stepped forward to reach for his hand.
Aaron squeezed her shoulder. “He’ll make it through this.”
“I know.” But her smile was tremulous at best. She should’ve told him she loved him last night.
God, was it only last night? It felt like a lifetime had passed in the last twenty-four hours.
A nurse entered and spoke quietly to Aaron. He glanced outside the room, then turned back to Britt. “Sounds like Randy also made it through surgery, so I have to sort some things out with his arrest and arrange to get him transferred to a prison hospital as soon as he can be transported. Will you be okay here by yourself?”
She hated being in the same hospital as the man who’d done this to Joel. “I’m fine. Just get him out of here as soon as you can.”
He pulled her in for a quick hug. “He’ll be under twenty-four hour guard if I have to sit there myself.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
