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Monty is cool and levelheaded as he speaks to Phoenix at the desk, and the kid immediately picks up the phone to order the stretcher. I start to head back outside and go with the rescue team, but Monty catches my arm gently and pulls me back.
“You’d better let them handle it.” For once, he doesn’t sound like a total patronizing ass. “You and I will just be in the way.”
He’s right—and I hate him for it. Flor is my family, practically my sister, and she’s just out there, hurt and scared. But there really is nothing I can do, so I let him lead me into the lounge, and I don’t put up a fight when he orders me a drink.
It appears a second later, clear and fizzy with lime, and when I take a drink, my mouth is flooded with the earthy taste of gin. I swallow a few mouthfuls, then sigh and look up at him. “Thanks for that. I think I was about to lose my mind.”
He shakes his head. “My brother was in a pretty bad riding accident. Not on a trail ride,” he clarifies when I feel my face go a little pale. “He was a stunt rider for movies. I was on set watching him when it happened.” He’s quiet for a long moment, then shrugs. “He lived.”
I wonder if there’s more to the story, but Monty doesn’t seem very keen on sharing, and honestly, a tragic backstory doesn’t excuse how shitty he’s been to everyone around him—especially the staff.
He’s holding a manhattan in his right hand, and I watch as his smirk returns. I try not to sigh, but I’m not sure I’m entirely successful because he raises a brow at me. “So, Eden. Flor talked a lot about you, but she didn’t say what you do.”
“I work in admin at Palmer Architecture and Design,” I tell him. It’s the most boring job ever—and also one of the busiest. “It’s a lot of mundane work and late hours.”
“Sounds like you need to cut loose a bit,” he says with a wink.
I ignore it. “There’s not enough hours in the week, trust me.”
He shrugs and finishes off his drink, then snap his fingers for more, which makes me cringe. “Trustme, I’m a man who knows how to find extra time. And I don’t mind a busy woman.”
Ew. “I’m sure women everywhere appreciate it.”
“Only the good ones,” he says, then sips his new drink that seems to appear as if by magic. “My ex was a real bitch and didn’t appreciate what she had.”
My nose wrinkles. “Charming.”
“I just call it like I see it,” he says with a shrug. “People struggle with my honesty.”
I don’t think honesty is his problem, but I don’t bother calling him on it. All I can do is watch the door for signs that Flor and Sage are back and that she’s okay.
After a beat, he touches my arm, and it startles me out of my thoughts. “That guy said he’s a trained EMT. He’s not going to let anything happen to her,” he says, once again uncharacteristically kind.
I shrug and thumb the rim of my glass. “I know. Just… she’s my family.”
“She’s in good hands,” he says. He hesitates, then sighs. “She’s probably going to need to stay at the hospital tonight, and that’s all the way in town. Why don’t you let me drive you back tomorrow?” I open my mouth to protest, and it’s probably obvious on my face because he holds up his hands in surrender. “I mean this as a friend, okay? Let Sage take care of her, and things will be more calm tomorrow morning when you see her.”
It seems like a fair compromise. Sage doesn’t need me pacing the hospital hallways and having panic attacks all over the place. He needs to focus on Flor and make sure she’s okay. I can pace my room all night and then ride back to town with Monty.
“Alright,” I agree.
“And to seal the deal, let me take you to dinner tonight,” he adds. “We can eat down here and try to relax.”
It sounds innocuous enough. And while normally I’d say no because I probably won’t be able to eat at all, I think his obnoxious attitude will take my mind off Flor’s accident.
“Okay,” I tell him.
He looks triumphant, but I ignore it as I sip the rest of my drink and wait on edge for the sight of my best friend.
