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That they did. Far, far too well. “We’ll get her through. And all the others. I need to be with those kids, too. They think I’m their mother. They’ll need me now.”
She felt pulled in a thousand different directions. She wanted to be with Murdoch so much she hurt from it. She wanted to be with Pen just as much. And those two innocent babies…they thought she was their mother. They would be afraid, and they thought she was their mother. Zoey pulled in a deep breath. As she made her decision. “Murdoch has his brother. Pen has every sibling we have here tonight, doesn’t she?”
Nikkie Jean’s eyes met hers. “That she does. And so do you. Those kids do, too. You aren’t doing thisalone,Zo-Zo bird. You never have to do it alone ever again. I promise.”
Just like that. Zoey broke down and cried.
And couldn’t stop.
144
Heather slippedher infant into her carrier and fastened the straps around all seven pounds of her precious baby girl. She had driven back to Bonnie’s house to grab Bonnie and Crispin some clean clothes. They both wanted clean clothes. Norm, Marcia, Cara, Eden, and Summer had left as well, taking all the kids back to Bonnie’s. Bonnie’s place was big enough—there would be plenty of beds for the kids. They had things handled now.
Some of Hope’s friends from the Wichita Falls TSP had agreed to stay outside the house and act as guards. Off the clock. Her sister had a lot of friends there. Far more than Heather did, that was for sure.
Joy had stayed at the hospital. Joy, Samia, and Cashlyn. Cashlyn had somehow arranged things—Bonnie and Crispin were in the same room.
Or they would be. Bonnie was scheduled for surgery first thing in the morning. Her wrist needed surgical repair. There just hadn’t been enough surgeons available the night before. Not with so many multiple shooting victims. But they’d given her something to help take the swelling down. She’d go under the knife in a few hours. Or earlier, if a trauma surgeon became available.
Bonnie had slept most of the night. As had Crispin. They’d both been sedated, but Crispin had woken once or twice to ask about those other girls. And that little boy. Bonnie had barely moved.
Heather hadn’t been able to leave her sister. One of Bonnie’s colleagues had stopped by to see if the family needed anything. She’d brought Heather a basinet from NICU for Ember once she realized the baby was there, too. Heather had slept curled up in the chair, next to her sister’s bed. Her twin had slept in the other chair next to Crispin. Before they’d slept, they’d talked.
Joy would have her own nightmares from tonight to face.
No one had told her familywhythis had happened at all.
But Heather was going to find out.
145
Murdoch Lake wasa man on a mission. He just had to get the man next to him tocooperate,in order to make that happen. It was going to be difficult. The guy always had been extremely stubborn, after all.
Eyes the same color as his own stared at him. Murdoch glared back. This was a game they’d played as children. His mama had called it “Who was the most stubborn.”
Murdoch thought it should be called “the man in charge” or something. Whoever won got their way.
Hell. Most times, scrawny little Anthony would win. Especially when he was determined. He was just so good at being a pain in the…neck. “I don’t want to wear a damned collar. How am I going to track down my woman and look all manly if you don’t get out of my way? Especially wearing a gown and that thing.”
“How are you going to keep the pretty stitches from coming out if you jerk your head or do something stupid?” his twin asked. “Do you want to bleed all over her? That will kill the romance fast.”
He felt like shit. No denying that. He’d taken three bullets—four, if he counted the one that had nicked his vest under his left arm. Eastman’s goons hadn’t been that great at aiming. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s bad enough.” Anthony crossed his arms over his chest. He’d put on a few pounds of muscle lately. Hemightjust be as big as Murdoch now.
Murdoch was still the tallest of the Lake brothers, at least. There was that. That quarter of an inch mattered.
“Tell you what, put more tape on it or something. Mummify me, if you want. But I am not wearing that thing.” He had a woman to find. Well,two,actually. He wanted to check on his pretty nurse Bonnie. Make sure she’d made it back to her family ok.
He’d heard they’d had a bit of trouble finding that wily little woman out there, too. Heard it had gotten a bit scary until Erickson had practically tripped over her or something.
Mostly, he wanted to make certain Bonnie was ok. Ask about her girl, too. That girl had weighed on him as soon as he’d woke in the hospital bed.
Anthony called for a nurse, who showed up. Then fetched and carried for his brother, with a dreamy look in her big eyes.
Anthony was never aware of the impact he had on the opposite sex. Cam and Murdoch had always gotten a kick out of that fact.
A dark-haired doctor came in with the supplies instead. She stopped short when she saw Anthony. “Dr. Lake…Jackie said you requested…I was on my way here to check on your brother.”
