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Rita nodded. “Yes, please.”
“I’m coming with you,” said Chelsea.
Rita gave her a grateful smile, and Mrs. Hamilton stepped forward and hugged her. “Call me when you get there? Let us know how he’s doing?”
“I will.”
They were back up in the air and on their way in less than five minutes. Chelsea was back in the cabin with Rita, and Piper took the right seat while Smoke flew. Once air traffic control had given them a new heading, Smoke turned to her. “Do you mind if I go back there and see how she’s doing?”
“Not at all.” Piper was glad to finally feel useful; she’d felt like a spare part along for the ride until now. She took the controls, and Smoke let himself out of the cockpit. Piper sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gene was going to be okay. He had to be. She felt for Rita. She wanted to go back there and hug her and help her through, but Smoke and Chelsea were doing that. All she could do was get them there safely and as quickly as she could.
It was a short and uneventful flight. Smoke came back in time to land the plane. He gave her a rueful smile as he taxied off the runway and toward the FBO building. “Sorry, I know you could have done that, but I needed to. I need to feel like I’m in control of something. I’ve known Gene my whole life. The thought of him … you know, maybe not still being around. It’s got me all shook up.”
Piper nodded. She understood. “It’s okay. I get it, but I will warn you, hanging around at the hospital is going to have you feeling the same way. It’s a horrible feeling, waiting and hoping, but not knowing. The whole time you’re wishing you could do something, but there’s nothing you can do.”
Smoke brought the plane to a halt and shut down the engines before he looked at her. “I’m sorry. You’re talking about your mom, aren’t you?”
She nodded. She was. This was bringing back the hours she’d spent in the hospital—hours that had felt like days after her mom’s heart attack. She hoped that Gene’s story would have a different ending.
They guys at the FBO were expecting them. Gene and Cameron’s landing earlier had caused quite a stir. They had a car waiting, and one of the guys had volunteered to drive them over to the hospital.
Piper felt a little awkward when they got there. Smoke and Rita went to the reception desk, and she hung back with Chelsea. “Are you okay?”
Chelsea gave her a brave smile. “I’m trying to be. Poor Rita’s holding it together so well. I can’t be the one who crumbles, but …” She sniffed, and Piper wanted to hug her when the tears filled her eyes. “I’m terrified. I love Gene. He’s always been a part of our lives. He’s like family. I can’t believe that he might …” She stopped short as Smoke and Rita came back to join them.
They made their way to the elevators, and Smoke led them down a long corridor. “Here we go.” He stopped outside a doorway and smiled at Rita. “Do you want us to come in, or wait here?”
“Wait. Please.” She pushed the door open, and Piper glimpsed Cameron inside sitting next to the bed.
Smoke smiled at her and Chelsea once the door had closed. “I think he’s going to be fine.”
Chelsea burst into tears and Smoke wrapped her in his arms. “Hey. It’s okay. Come on, Chels, breathe. He’s going to be fine.”
Piper rubbed Chelsea’s arm. She wanted to cry herself. Now that Rita wasn’t around, she felt like she could let it out, but she also felt like she had no right to. She’d only met Gene a couple of times, but still. He was a wonderful man.
The door opened, and they all looked up. Cameron came out and smiled at them. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Chelsea wrapped her arms around him. “I was so worried.”
“Yeah, me too, but they’ve run all kinds of tests on him, and apparently, it wasn’t major. It was more like a warning.”
Smoke nodded. “Thank, God. I’m glad you took that pinch-hitter course. I knew you’d be able to get the plane down if you had to.”
Cameron chuckled. “Gene didn’t have that much faith in me. He held it together till he had us on the ground. He only let me taxi off the runway—and I wasn’t great at that.”
Smoke smiled. “You did as much as you needed to, and you got him here in time.”
“Yeah. He’s going to be here for a while though.”
“What have they said?” asked Chelsea.
“They’re going to keep him for observation and do some more tests in the morning, but it sounds like he’s going to be here for a few days, at least.”
“So, what do you want to do?” asked Smoke.
“I want to stay here with them,” said Chelsea.
“I’ll book you a room,” said Cameron. “I already got one for Rita.
