‘When?’
I didn’t want to tell him, but only because I didn’t want to admit it to myself. ‘Today.’
Dax sucked in a breath. ‘Want me to help? Can be good back up in a fight.’
I snorted. ‘He’s not going to fight me. He’ll be angry at me, and probably Nash. But he cares about us both. It’ll take time for him to adjust.’
Dax made a soft humming noise of support in the back of his throat. ‘If you need me, I’m here.’
‘Champ-you,’ I signed and grinned.Then I lifted my hand to thank him when my phone began to buzz on the table. I held up a finger, asking him to wait a second. I looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number, but it was local. And something in my gut told me to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hi. I’m looking for Forest Brockway.”
“Speaking.” My voice was trembling.
“Hello. I’m D’arcy Brandt. I’m a nurse over at Kentfield Hospital. Your husband was in an accident, and he was brought in.”
All the blood in my body pooled at my feet and my head began to swim. My ears were ringing, but I strained to hear her as I asked, “Is he okay?”
“He’s currently in surgery, but since you’re his emergency contact, it might be a good idea if you can get here as quickly as possible.”
I didn’t realize I’d dropped the phone until it hit the table with a clatter. Dax was waving at me frantically. I blinked at him slowly, my head fuzzy.
‘What happened? Are you going to faint?’
I shook my head and took a breath. ‘I need a ride to the hospital. There’s been an accident. Nash is hurt.’
Dax should’ve become a damn Formula One driver because he managed to get me across town in shitty mid-afternoon traffic in less time than it would have taken me with anyone else. The drive felt like both ten seconds and ten hours had gone by, but before I was really aware of it, we were pulling under the overhang with the ER sign.
‘Want me to come in with you?’
I blinked slowly at him, then reached for my cane that was sitting between my legs. ‘I think I’ll be okay.’
‘If you’re sure… I won’t be able to follow along much, but I want to be here if you need me.’
I let out a puff of air and shook my head. I knew he’d only be uncomfortable waiting around for someone to clue him in on what was going on, and that wasn’t fair. ‘I’ll text you and keep you updated. Promise.’
He dragged me into a hug, then let me go so I could make my way inside. It was by miracle alone that my body wasn’t falling apart as I walked past the sliding doors and into the lobby. Maybe it was a mind-over-matter thing. Or maybe it was my adrenaline.
Either way, I was more than grateful for it because it allowed me to walk up to the nurse’s station and peer at the woman through the window.
“My…my husband was brought in,” I stammered. “Nash Brockway.”
She typed for a moment, then her eyes went soft. Fan-fucking-tastic. That wasn’t a good look. That was a pity look. A very, very bad pity look. “He’s in surgery right now. Let me get you a visitor badge, and then I can buzz you in. If you head to the left, you’ll find the OR waiting room, and I’ll leave a message for the surgeon that you’re here. As soon as he’s out, he’ll come talk to you.”
I swallowed heavily. “Oh. Um. Thanks.”
Her gaze softened even more. “Dr. Fraser does amazing work, okay. Your husband will be right as rain in no time.”
I was still in a fog when she handed me the sticker with my name on it, then buzzed me through, but my body held up as I walked down the short hallway and turned into the waiting room. There were three people inside, and it took me a moment to realize I recognized them.
Tameron was the first on his feet, rushing toward me and yanking me close. “Dayton got the call first,” he murmured against the side of my head. “I was with Bean when he let me know.”
“My brother—” I asked.
Tameron looked over at Bean, then at Dayton. “He knows. He was in San Jose for work, but he’s on his way.”
