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“Thanks.”
“What about you?” asked Smoke. “Are you going to stay?”
Cameron shrugged. “I want to, but I’m supposed to be in Phoenix tomorrow. I’m going to try to reschedule, but I haven’t heard anything back yet.”
“Is that a good idea?” asked Chelsea.
“It’s not going to go down to well. I’ve been promising to get out there for months, but this can’t be helped.”
“I think you should go,” said Chelsea. “I’m going to be here; it’s not like we’re just abandoning them. Plus, Gene would be mad if he thought you blew off those negotiations because of him.”
Cameron pursed his lips. Piper could tell he was torn. He wanted to be here for Gene, but he wanted to do what was right for the company, too.
Smoke put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be okay. There’s really nothing you can do here. You should go.”
“I know I should, but I don’t want to—and how would I even get there?”
Smoke smiled at Piper. “That’s where you come in, right?”
She nodded. She hadn’t realized it until now, but of course, it was. “I can fly you wherever you need to go.” She’d assumed that Smoke had needed her to come to get the Hamilton plane back home. But since they were now down a pilot, she was happy to step up and fill in.
Cameron smiled at her gratefully. “Thanks.”
Rita popped her head around the door. The pinched look was gone from her face. Piper smiled. Rita knew her husband was going to be okay. That was wonderful. “Do you all want to come in a minute? He wants to say thank you.”
They all crowded into the room, and Gene smiled up at them from the bed. He didn’t look like Piper’s mom had. Cameron was right; it hadn’t been a major heart attack. Piper knew what that looked like.
“Hey, kids. I’m sorry you’ve all had to go out of your way for me.”
Chelsea scowled at him. “Don’t be so silly. We all love you.”
Gene grinned at Smoke. “Even if you didn’t know it till now.”
Piper had to smile at Smoke’s response. “I’ve always known it. It’s just sad that it takes something like this before any of us will admit it.”
“Aww.” Rita dabbed at her eyes, and Piper feels tears prick, too. She smiled when Gene turned to her. “I guess you’re going to be filling in for me?”
She nodded, surprised that he’d assumed that immediately. It hadn’t occurred to her until Smoke said it.
Gene grinned. “Then I’ve got no worries. I can just lie here and relax till they get done poking at me.”
He reached out and took hold of Chelsea’s hand. “Thanks for coming.”
Chelsea brought his hand up and kissed the back of it. “I had to be here. I want to be with you and with Rita.”
Rita patted her hand. “And I’m glad you are.”
The door opened, and a nurse frowned around at them. “We prefer to keep it to a maximum of two visitors at a time.”
Gene smiled. “They were just leaving.”
Once they were back outside in the corridor, Cameron looked around at them all. “Okay. Rita, I got you a room booked at the hotel next door. Just go to the front desk when you’re ready; they’ll be expecting you. Chelsea, I’ll get you one as well.”
“Thanks.”
He looked at Smoke. “Are you sticking around?”
Smoke shook his head. “No. Now I know he’s okay and you guys have everything under control, I need to get home. I’m going to have some shuffling to do with the roster for next week.”
