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“Hi, blue eyes.”
“Hi,” I replied.
“What’s up?”
“I need to see you. Please. Can you go to Grand Junction with me tonight?”
“I’ve had a rough day, blue eyes. Why do you need to go to the city tonight?”
“I’m so sorry you had a bad day. I truly am. But I need you. My mother… She’s been in an accident. She’s at Valleycrest Hospital in Grand Junction. In surgery. I’ve been told it’s not looking good. That’s all I know.”
“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. Of course I’ll come with you.”
My heart leaped. “I can drive to the ranch and pick you up.”
“No, I’ll come and get you. I don’t want you driving when you’re upset. I’ll be there in about a half hour.”
“What about Roger?” I asked, referring to Talon’s cute little mutt. “Marj is in the city tonight too.”
“I’ll text Ry to let him out in the morning. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”
“Talon, thank you so much. Thank you,” I whispered into the phone, my body numb.
I sniffed, my eyes moistening, but couldn’t yet bring myself to cry for a mother I didn’t even love but who still meant something to me.
“You okay, blue eyes?”
I sniffed again. “Yeah.”
“Everything will be all right. Now you stay put. I’ll be there before you know it.” Silence. Then, “And I love you.”
My heart doubled in size. “I love you too, Talon.”
* * *
We hadn’t said a lot during our drive to the city. As we pulled into the hospital parking lot, Talon dropped me off at the entrance. “Go and see what’s going on. I’ll find a space and be right in.”
I shot from the car, walking briskly in. I stopped at the registration desk. “I need to find my mother. Brooke Bailey.”
The woman typed into her computer. “I’m not seeing anything.”
“She was in an accident.”
“Then you have to check with the ER.”
“But she’s in surgery! Surely you must—”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. You need to check with the ER. Down the hall to your right.”
Could she have been any ruder? I turned quickly and nearly ran down the hallway.
The ER was full, of course. I had to wait in a fucking line of people. If my mother had been admitted, why didn’t the hospital have a record of it?
Talon arrived about ten minutes later, when I was finally the next in line to talk to the receptionist.
“Anything yet?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I’m still waiting to find out what’s going on.”
