We step into the shower and take our time washing each other. As usual, I can’t look away. I watch as the soapy water runs over her body as she rinses off. Her soft moans when I wash her hair do nothing to calm the erection I’ve been trying to tame since we stepped in here. But I really, really don’t want every second we have alone to be about sex, so I ignore my throbbing dick, even as she takes her turn and washes me.
When we step out, I pass her a bath towel before taking one for myself. It’s as if we’ve done it a hundred times, not just on the few stolen nights we managed to have. A certain four-word phrase pops into my head, but I shove it away. I would be crazy to ask her something like that. Sure, we’ve known each other for several years, but this is new.
“Where’d you go?” Miranda’s voice brings me back to her and out of my head.
“I’m right here,” I respond with a crooked smile. “I was just thinking.”
“Oh? About what?”
I open my mouth to respond, but the buzzing of my phone as it vibrates on the floor somewhere distracts me. I laugh, realizing I have no idea where it is after we stripped off our clothes on the way to my bedroom.
“I was thinking how good you look in my house.”
Wrapping a towel around myself, I head out of the bedroom to begin picking up our discarded clothes, hoping to find my phone along the way. Miranda’s laughter rings out from behind me as she does the same, and I hear my phone vibrate again.
The back-to-back phone calls cause my blood to run cold. I don’t get many actual phone calls anyway, and the fact that someone is clearly trying hard to reach me puts me on high alert. When I pick up my jeans, my phone falls to the floor face-up, and fear turns to dread when I see Melanie’s name lit up across the screen.
“What’s wrong?” I answer, without bothering to greet her.
“We were on an evening trail ride, the horse spooked, and Sierra fell. We’re at the hospital—”
Chapter 45
Miranda
I’ve never been more terrified than I am right now as Hayden speeds down the country roads toward the hospital. He ended the call as soon as my mother said they were at the hospital. We threw on clothes and ran out the door without a word or a second thought. And without our phones. My only focus was on getting to Sierra when I picked up my purse, and I didn’t bother making sure I had everything.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” I say as I give his jean-clad thigh a supportive squeeze.
He says nothing but covers my hand with his as he continues down the road. My eyes burn with tears, but I keep them at bay. I need to be strong for Hayden because I know he’s hanging on by a thread. Guilt is practically radiating off him, and I know he thinks this is his fault.
He barely gets the truck in park in front of the emergency entrance before we both leap out and rush to the doors.
“Sierra Johnson,” he barks to the poor receptionist at the front desk.
Seemingly unfazed, she gives him a bored appraisal. “Are you family?”
“Yes. I’m her dad.” His voice comes out choked, and I take his hand in mine.
I will do whatever I can to take some of his pain away. In my heart, I believe Sierra is okay, but until we know for sure, there’s no escaping the panic that looms over us.
“Emergency department. Room six.”
The words are barely out of her mouth before we disappear down the long corridor, following the red arrows marked “Emergency”. As soon as we round the corner, I spot my dad standing outside the door, and for the first time, cold panic truly grips my heart.
“Dad?”
Relief crosses his expression as he steps forward, giving us both a kind smile. “I’ve been trying to reach you both. Good grief. She’s fine. Melanie is just inside, helping her get dressed.”
Hayden sags against the wall and lets out an audible sigh of relief. “Jesus. I thought—”
I run my free hand up and down Hayden’s arm while continuing to grip it with the other. My dad steps closer and pats Hayden on his shoulder. “You hung up before Melanie could finish her sentence. And then neither of you answered yourphones. She has a broken wrist, but it doesn’t need surgery, and she should be out of the cast in six weeks.”
“Oh, thank God,” I breathe. “Hayden heard ‘hospital’, and we literally dropped everything to get here. I grabbed my purse at least but didn’t realize my phone wasn’t inside.”
I don’t mention why I have no idea where my phone is. Or explain that Hayden tossed his phone aside so we could throw our clothes on to rush out the door. The way my dad looks between the two of us, I get the feeling he can guess what took him so long to answer the phone. And why we’re so out of sorts. My face heats under his scrutiny, and I’m desperate to return the attention back to Sierra.
“Can we go in?” I ask.
