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“What’re you doing here?” Katie finally asks Loretta.
“Well, honey, I knew Brittany was up to something, so I did some investigating. When I saw Noah and this young man leave so quickly, I knew something was going on, so I followed them. When I saw Brittany had a gun, I didn't know what else to do. I had to protect you,” Loretta says, then she meets my eyes. “I owe you both as much,” she admits, and I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone.
“Thank you,” Katie says and then immediately bends over and empties her stomach on the gravel.
“Are you okay?” I ask, noticing her cheeks are still red from where the duct tape was and see scratches on her cheeks.
“I think it's all too much. My body’s going into shock,” she admits, and thankfully the ambulance arrives. As she takes a step forward, Katie nearly passes out, so they decide to take her to the hospital to get her checked out. After Brittany is put on another ambulance, the police rope off the area and start asking questions.
Loretta and I have more than enough evidence, and I'm grateful as hell she doesn't hold back. After they've gotten everything they need and get our contact information for later, Eric and I walk to the car. Before we leave, I turn to Loretta and thank her. Something I never thought I'd be doing.
On the way to the hospital, I call my dad and Gemma. I also reach out to Katie's parents and let them know what happened. By the time I arrive, Katie’s already in a room being pumped full of fluids. Her parents arrive with Owen, who's immediately upset to see his mom lying in a hospital bed.
“I'm fine,” she coos, trying to calm him. “Mama's gonna be okay.”
Owen leans across the bed and lays his head on her stomach. The stress of it all has gotten to him, and it's written all over his face, but he keeps it tucked inside. A typical Reid reaction.
I move closer to him and place my hand on his shoulder. “I wasn't gonna let anything happen,” I admit. Owen turns around and gives me a hug. I squeeze him tight, wanting to protect him just as much.
Katie smiles as she watches us, and I see a twinkle in her eyes. Her mom fills the empty space with a rundown of how the rest of the celebration went. My old friend guilt visits again when I realize I've thrown another wrench in Gemma and Tyler's happiness.
Before I can say anything, my dad and Gemma rush through the door with panic written on their faces.
“Oh thank God,” Gemma says when she sees Katie and me. “I was worried sick.”
Dad greets the Walkers, then pulls me into a hug. “You had me worried, kid.”
“I know. Hopefully, this won’t be an issue anymore,” I admit.
“What the hell happened?” Gemma finally turns and asks me. “One minute, you're searching for Katie, and the next, she's in the hospital.”
“It's a long story,” Katie says, giving everyone a very brief summary of what happened, without all the detail because Owen's in the room. I can tell she's being careful with her words, but Gemma gets the gist of it.
“Loretta?” Gemma whispers, then looks at Dad and me.
“Forgiveness heals the heart,” Katie's mother finally says. “She did the right thing.”
I nod, keeping my opinions to myself.
Eventually, we're told Katie will be kept a few more hours because she was so dehydrated. Everyone says their goodbyes. Her parents offer to take Owen with them, so I stay with her. Eric’s doing recon in the hospital, keeping tabs on Brittany, and texting me when he learns something new. Apparently, a police officer has been stationed outside her door to keep guard. As soon as she's released from medical care, she'll go straight into police custody.
I pull my chair next to the bed, wanting to be as close to Katie as I can.
“The thought of losing you nearly destroyed me,” I admit. “I wouldn't have been able to continue without you.”
Her soft eyes meet mine. “I felt the same. I thought...” She chokes up again. “I thought you were dead, and for that ten minutes, I didn't want to be alive either.”
I stand and lean over the bed, needing to brush my lips against hers. Before the kiss can deepen, the door opens, and the doctor enters. He smiles and stands at the end of the bed.
“Katie Reid?”
“Yes,” she confirms.
“We've gone over all the test results, and once you get the rest of those fluids in you, we'll release you. Your vitals are stable.”
She lets out a relieved breath.
“Oh, and the ultrasound showed the babies are fine too.”
