Cosmo stared at her, then blinked and went back to sleep. Her flight was at eight a.m. She hesitated, phone in hand, then called Ryan. “I’ll need a ride from Kalispell when I get there,” she said, her voice catching. “It's Rawley.” As Ryan's sympathetic voice filled her ear, Skylar's stomach twisted. What if she arrived and it was too late?
By four she'd be in Clifton. By four-thirty, the hospital. She hung up, grateful for her best friend. Otherwise she’d have to rent a vehicle and with her hands shaking the way they were, she wouldn’t be able to drive.
****
Rawley shifted on the stiff hospital bed and swore through clenched teeth when a searing pain shot through his bruised chest like a lightning bolt. He looked under the thin cotton hospital gown and saw a white bandage wrapped around his chest. Damn, every breath felt like knives between his ribs.
“Relax,” came a trembling voice.
He turned his head to see his mother perched on the edge of a vinyl chair, her knuckles white around her purse strap, while his father stood against the sterile white wall, arms crossed tightly over his chest as if holding himself together. Their faces were ashen, drained of color.
“Mom,” he croaked, his throat sandpaper dry.
“Just stay calm, honey. You’ll be alright. The doctor inserted a small tube to remove the air between the lungs and chest wall. He said you’ll be fine but very sore for a while. You also have two cracked ribs,” his mother whispered as a single tear carved a glistening path down her weathered cheek. “Would you like some water?”
“Please.”
She stood, picked up the Styrofoam cup with a bent straw and held it for him to take a sip.
“Damn, this pain,” he murmured, each syllable an effort.
“I’ll get a nurse,” his father announced, his usually commanding voice now brittle as he strode from the room.
His mother’s fingers enveloped his hand, squeezing gently. “You scared us to death.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just glad I had my vest on.” He wheezed out as he traced his fingertips over the rough fabric of the gown, remembering the weight of the Kevlar that had saved his life.
“I am too,” she breathed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
His father returned, followed by a nurse in purple scrubs. She approached with a syringe in her hand. “On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst pain imaginable, where would you rate yourself?” she asked.
“Twenty,” he said without hesitation.
“I’ll give you something for the pain.” The nurse inserted a syringe into his IV port, the clear liquid disappearing into the tube. “That should help within minutes.” Her lips curved into a smile as she pivoted on her white sneakers and disappeared through the doorway.
“You’re going to have to stay with us for a while. The doctor said it could take one to two weeks to recover. You’ll need someone to help you get around,” his mother said, her voice tight with worry as she smoothed the starched hospital blanket over his legs.
Rawley shook his head. “I have someone,” he said between breaths.
“You do? Who?” His mother’s eyebrows arched in surprise.
“Me.” The familiar voice drew his gaze to the doorway where Skylar stood, sunlight from the hall window catching in her hair.She stepped into the room, her stride belying the concern in her eyes. “Hello, I’m Skylar McCoy and even though he’s one of the most stubborn men I’ve ever met, I’ll make sure he does what he should and not do what he shouldn’t.”
Rawley’s father chuckled, crow’s feet deepening around his eyes. “Looks like she has you pegged,” he said, then extended his hand to Skylar. “I’m J.B. Bowman, Rawley’s father. This is his mother and my wife, Darla. We’re happy to meet you.”
Skylar shook his hand, then Darla’s, before crossing to the bed and lightly kissed his lips. The plastic hospital chair squeaked as she pulled it closer and took Rawley’s hand, her thumb tracing small circles on his skin.
“You’re staying with me,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
He shook his head. “I want to be at my house.”
“I don’t think you should climb stairs,” she countered, one eyebrow raised.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.” His jaw set stubbornly.
Skylar’s lips curved into a knowing smile as she glanced at his parents. “See? Stubborn man.”
His parents laughed, the tension in the room easing slightly.
