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“I know it’s scary riding in an ambulance. I did it once. Remember? I had such a bad cough and my asthma got all crazy.” Luke’s small hand pinching his shoulder now just about choked Dakota up. “And you told me, ‘Sometimes adventure guys have to take it easy for a little while so they can enjoy more adventures.’ Remember?”
Shit.He did remember. The kid had gotten it word for word.
He wanted to tell Luke maybe he shouldn’t listen so closely to every word he said. Perhaps he was full of bullshit and was in no position to be giving a sponge-like boy like Luke advice on any matter. Possibly he didn’t know the first thing about being an adventure guy because he broke his fucking arm hanging goddamn yellow streamers for an old lady’s birthday party. Shouldn’t he be tougher than this?
Of course he didn’t say any of that. “I do remember, Luke. Thanks for reminding me, buddy.”
Luke beamed a smile and Dakota felt like a jerk for almost shattering the kid’s notions of what an adventure guy was supposed to be.
Close one.
The EMTs got him situated on the gurney and Jacy volunteered to ride in the ambulance with him, which didn’t thrill Noah because now he was down several decorating draftees.
“Hey, I’d stay and keep decorating. I’ve got one good arm still,” Dakota yelled as they wheeled him out of the hall, “but you guys insist on this hospital visit.”
“See if you can give him something to shut him down for a couple days,” Krista said as she followed them to the doors. “I could use some peace and quiet at Birch Peak Adventures.”
Dakota held up his left arm, clenching a fist at her.
Her laughter followed them to the ambulance. “Maybe I’ll ride all the ATVs until they have no gas in them. Set all the canoes adrift. Snip the zipline…”
“Krista!” Noah called from inside. “Get your ass in here! We’re in crisis mode!”
Dakota waved his good hand. “Run along, Krista. Run along.”
“Seriously, guys,” she said to the EMTs. “If you don’t knock him out for a few days, he won’t sit still.”
“We know,” both EMTs said together.
And they did know. Because everyone in this town knew how active Dakota was.
On the ride to the hospital, all he could think about was Leah. It didn’t help any that Jacy asked him questions about why she’d locked up like that.
“She’s has a thing about losing people,” he’d said, hoping to avoid spilling all the details to Jacy, not that she’d tell the whole town. As much as his sisters busted his chops, if he told them to keep mum about something, they would.
“A thing?”
“I think she freaked, thinking I was more seriously hurt.”
“Like dead?”
“Possibly.”
“Jesus.” She knocked her knuckles against his forehead. “It’ll take more than a tumble off a ladder to cash in your ticket.”
“Yes, it will.”
“So… you must be pretty important to her if she’s afraid of losing you.”
After last night and this morning, he’d tend to agree because Leah was becoming pretty important to him as well.
“Can you text Dena?” he asked. “See if she got a hold of Carter. See if Leah is all right.”
“On it.”
He was thankful Jacy was in a compliant mood. She was the more difficult twin. He loved her to pieces, but she had a streak in her that you didn’t want to cross sometimes. Maybe the fact that he’d busted his arm was making her more compassionate than usual.
Jacy tapped her phone then leveled her gaze on him. “I’m glad you and Leah are together. She’s good for you.”
