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“She’s going to be okay, Hal. I promise.” Zoey wrapped her fingers around Haldyn’s left hand. And held. While the nurses settled Hope in.
Haldyn just laid there, tears on her cheeks. She looked at the woman who had come in with Hope. Zoey’s aunt Bonnie. Hope’s mom. “Is she going to be okay?”
The woman stepped up to the side of Haldyn’s bed. Her hand wrapped around Haldyn’s. “She’s going to be just fine, sweetie. She had open-heart surgery. But my baby girl is a fighter. We all know that. We’ll take care of her. She’s not going to be doing much for about three months. I am going to have my hands full keeping her still, but…she’s going to be fine. I don’t want you to worry about her, okay? She’s back where she belongs with the people who love her, and so are you. Everything will be ok now.”
Zoey leaned forward, from the other side of the bed. Two women looked down at her, from eyes the exact same shape and shade. There was no denying they were related. “You are both going to be okay, Hal. I promise.”
“I second that. I am making it my job to make sure that happens.”
Haldyn turned at the familiar voice. There he was. In the door. He looked horrible. He obviously hadn’t slept. His eyes were red and bloodshot. “Jarrod. You’re here.”
“Hey, little rabbit. You’re awake.” And then he was there, his hand wrapping around hers. His other hand brushed the hair on her forehead. Out of her eyes.
He had been there. There had been gunfire. She checked him quickly. But he didn’t look hurt. “You okay?”
“I am now. You scared me out there. You have to stop doing that. I’m old and set in my ways. I don’t like excitement.”
Big blue eyes stared into his. Jarrod studied her for a long moment. She was pale, and the eyes were cloudy. That perfect pink mouth was trembling. She blinked up at him. Stealing his soul again. “It just sort of happened. We… Kimball… we found Detective Naylor, then we went looking for Hope and Mads. Detective Costovia was trying to hurt Madison. Detective Kimball shot him. Killed him. Then… we heard Hope screaming.”
“Hallie, are you ready to give a statement now?” a quiet voice asked from behind Jarrod. Jarrod turned. Daniel. Of course.
He finally thought he understood the relationship between them. It had the feel of first love, but now, Daniel would kill for her. Because he loved her.
Jarrod damned well knew the truth. Jarrod loved her, too. But he would never do anything to jeopardize the relationship she had with the other man. Daniel had protected her in the moments she’d needed it most.
But going forward, that was going to be Jarrod’s job.
As long as she’d let it.
“I think so. I want this over. I have… other… things I want to focus on now.” Her eyes met Jarrod’s again. Her bony fingers tightened on his. “I want to know that everyone is okay. Is Heather’s twin? I can’t remember. Was she hurt?”
“She was grazed, nothing but stitches,” Jarrod said.
“And Wilson?”
Jarrod hesitated. He would never forgive that bastard for what he had done. But he wanted him to live—and face the consequences of his actions. And Wilson… had information. Information they needed to bring down the ones ultimately responsible. “We don’t know yet. He took one to the head, and two to the torso, but he was alive as of this morning.”
“I see. I hate that man. I hate him so much. And Kimball?”
“He’s hanging on, somehow. But it doesn’t look good,” Daniel said as Hope’s mom spoke quietly with the nurse who was hooking Hope up to the monitors. “We have people at his place now. Looking for connections to Wichita Falls.”
Daniel leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Jarrod pushed him gently. “Hey, like Beck always tells you, you no kisses my Hal.”
“Is she your Hal, though?” Daniel looked at her. “Do you want to be? If you don’t, I’ll just pitch him out the window and take his place.”
Jarrod waited, barely able to breathe.
“I am. I want to be. You okay with that?” she asked so quietly. Jarrod just kept his mouth shut for a moment. This was for them. He would have his moment with her in a little while.
“I have to be, don’t I? He’d better treat you the way you deserve, sweetheart, or I’m going to steal you back.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’ll never get the chance,” Jarrod said. “I’m never letting her go.”
Haldyn blinked up at him. Reached for him. His fingers wrapped around hers again. Just like she knew they would. Trusted they would. “Promise?”
