He's alive.
I follow Charming down the hallway, half in a daze, chasing the one person I thought I’d lost forever.
thirty-six
Trouble
“Well,” Mama says, lowering herself beside me like she’s holding back a flood of tears, “you really outdid yourself this time. Nearly died and took your poor mama out with you. My heart just ain’t built for this kind of thing. Almost gave out.”
“I keep tellin’ y’all,” I say with a grin, “I only took the bullet ‘cause I heard it gets you outta ranch work.”
My nephew snorts from the foot of the bed, slurping his juice box like it’s popcorn night on Disney+. “You think you’ll get a cool scar? Like… pirate cool?”
“Not cooler than yours,” I tease, tapping him on his forehead where he got a stitch last summer.
Fisher’s eyes go wide, and his hand flies up to touch it. “I forgot I even had that scar.”
“What’d I tell you about scars?”
He grins with pride. “That they make us look cooler for the ladies.”
“Damn right.”
Mama smacks my arm—gently. “Lord help me, even with a hole in your chest, you’re still a cocky little shit.”
“Runs in the family.” I grin.
Fisher sits up straight like he’s been waiting for the perfect moment to stir the pot. “Speakin’ of our family… Does Sawyer know Charming’s the one who kissed her best friend yet?”
Mama’s head snaps his way. “And how do you know about this?”
“I see everything,” Fisher says, proud as can be. “I was just enjoying my popcorn at the fair, saw Trouble pay all that money to kiss Sawyer, saw Charming drop medium money to kiss her friend… but my money’s on the fact no one knows it was Charming.”
“Ain’t your piggybank about out yet?” Mama asks him, never surprised by the things he says anymore.
“I can’t disclose the amount,” he shrugs, finishin’ off that juice box of his.
Mama and I both laugh—and fuck, it hurts.
But then I glance toward the door. Then down at the little stuffed horse I won Sawyer at the fair—the same one I found in my arms when I came to. The grin slips right off my face.
“She comin’?” I ask, softer than I mean to.
Mama lifts her eyes, and there’s that little smile she gives when she knows something I don’t. “I’m sure she’ll be here any moment. She hasn’t left your side since they brought you in. Nurse said she only went home after they pressured her to get out for a bit, take a shower.”
“Where’s everyone else?” I ask, needing the distraction.
“They’ve been in and out. Danger and Knox are fixin’ the mess those Kennedy boys made. Got everything returnedthat was taken. And Knox…” She gives me a pointed look. “He’s been takin’ it hard.”
“As he should. He should’ve told me what was goin’ on.”
“He made a mistake. We all do sometimes. Maybe go a little easy on him.”
“We’ll see,” I exhale, not ready to make promises.
She gives me one of those soft looks only mamas have—like she’s known me since before I was tough. “Could be your brother-in-law one day, you know.”
I huff a breath through my nose, not quite a laugh. “Don’t start.”
