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Once the man was out of sight, Eve turned to her grandfather. “Who exactly is that?”
“Ed Barker heads the board of directors for the hospital.”
She should have known. “So everything is fine now?”
The Governor looked to her, then Jared. “So far.”
That she didn’t like.
“You have any connections with social services?” Jared’s tone was almost teasing.
The Governor’s lopsided I-know-something-you-don’t grin appeared again. “Working on it.”
And this was just one of the reasons that Eve worked so many charities. There were perks to being a Baron in this world, perks that not everyone had access to. It was her job to see to it that life went more smoothly for those who didn’t have a former governor for a grandfather.
An orderly appeared with two stackable chairs and a moment later another person appeared with one more. With everyone seated, all they could do now was wait.
In short order, gurney wheels could be heard rolling down the hall. Happy for a reason to stretch her legs, Eve pushed to her feet as Jake was brought into the room. A few more moments for a nurse to hook him up to a small monitor and the kid was settled in.
“How ya feeling?” Jared asked.
“My head hurts.”
“I bet. That was quite a tumble.”
Jake frowned. “I’m sorry. MeeMaw always tells me to be careful.”
“Accidents happen,” Jared reassured him. “We’re just glad you’re all right.”
“MeeMaw told me that climbing wasn’t safe.”
Something in the look in the little boy’s eyes didn’t sit right with Eve, and from the studious glint in Jared’s eye, she’d bet he’d noticed it too.
“You have to be particular about where you choose to climb,” Jared offered. “And how. There’s a ladder to the hayloft that’s much more surefooted than stacks of hay.”
“The kitten made it look so easy.”
Jared shrugged. “Cats are pretty sure footed. They can climb on just about anything, anywhere, and always land on their feet.”
“That’s because they have a righting reflex, partly due to more vertebrae than humans. The reflex allows them to turn midair and right themselves. Of course, it’s also due to their vestibular apparatus in their inner ear that helps them determine up from down and keep their balance even in midair.”
The response made Jared smile. When he turned to face Eve, she knew they were both thinking the same thing. Neither of them needed the results of the CAT scan to know the kid really was going to be okay. Though she wouldn’t mind knowing what that disturbed look was in his eyes a moment ago.
“Excuse me.” Cook knocked on the doorframe. “That nice man said I could come see for myself that our young man is fit as a fiddle.”
Jake’s eyes sparkled. Apparently, the little boy was as attached to Cook as he was to his own grandmother.
“My, don’t you look good.” Cook smothered him in an awkward hug and gingerly kissed the uninjured side of his head. “How many stitches?”
Jake muttered, “Twenty-four.”
Cook’s jaw dropped wide open. “Oh, dear. This is why your grandmother doesn’t like you wandering around the ranch. It’s a dangerous place for a little boy.”
The words pinged around in Jared’s mind. No wonder the boy was always in the kitchen or with his grandmother. It was clear to any idiot that the child was off the charts intelligent, at least for a kid his age, but now his lack of interest in the things that would appeal to an average little boy made more sense. Not only was he book smart, but in her desire to protect the last of her family, his grandmother had reeled in his boyhood curiosity.
“Wow, we do have a crowd.” The doctor glanced at all the people scattered about the small space.
“Is there an update?”
