“I saw her today,” Scarlett told him. “Hannah fears failure as much as what happens when she leaves the room.”
“Can’t Dr. Meyers or Kassie help her? I’m at my wits’ end trying to come up with a plan,” he said, discouraged.
Scarlett set her cup on the table. “What did you say?”
“I’m at my wits?—”
‘No, before that,” she interrupted.
“I asked if Kassie or Dr. Meyers might help her with this,” he repeated.
Scarlett’s face lit up. She pulled out the phone Bear programmed for her and dialed Kassie’s number.
“Kassie Winters speaking,” she answered.
“It’s Scarlett. Can I come over and talk to you and Dr. Meyers? I have an idea,” she blurted out.
“I’m feeding the babies. Can you give me half an hour? I’ll call Dr. Meyers,” she offered.
“Perfect. I’ll see you then,” Scarlett said before replacing her phone on her hip.
“Can you gather the men?” she asked.
“Yeah? What do you want us to do?” he asked, surprised by her abrupt actions.
“First, I need you to take me to the hospital. Then, I want the guys to meet us here. Call Ty and ask him to bring the team lunch and include the wives around 1300. Tell him no staff, only him. Ask Leo if we can bring Hannah here.”
“Only employees can enter the facility without permission. I can ask him if we can meet outside in the dog play area with the picnic area,” Cole said as he stood, chugging down the rest of the water.
Scarlett rose and reached out, feeling his arm, and then punched him hard. “Stop acting like a ninny. We have work to do. Do you want to help Hannah or not?”
“Yeah. Of course,” he argued. “What do you have planned?”
“Come on, I have to ask Kassie and Dr. Meyers first. I’ll call you as soon as I get their permission. In the meantime, call Ty and tell him I said pretty please and I’ll ask our horse, Hank, to take us to the lake,” she said, taking her cup to the dishwasher and starting down the hall.
“I don’t understand what a horse going to the lake has to do with Hannah,” he grumbled.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and muttered, “Men.”
He escorted her to his truck and then settled Brody and Ice. Cole didn’t know what Scarlett planned, but he hoped with all his might she found a key to unlock Hannah’s prison. He spent the night going over every scenario in his head, and they all ended in disaster. Without speaking, Hannah won over his heart and he desperately wanted to release hers and see where it led.
CHAPTER 19
Hannah played with her food,despite the bacon aroma on the grilled cheese sandwich. She poked it with a fork, stabbing it and pretending it represented her frustrations.
“What did Randy’s grilled sandwiches ever do to you?” A woman with black hair teased, walking into her room. “I’m Tess, Taco’s wife.”
More women followed her inside Hannah’s space.
Scarlett finally entered. “Since you won’t come out of this room, I brought these women to meet you. You know Kassie, Dr. Meyers, and now, Tess. May I introduce you to Samantha, Avie, Victoria, Gabby, and Catherine?”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she murmured, awed by such a force.
Dr. Meyers stepped forward. “Today, I’m not here as your physician. Please call me, Claire. When we’re not in session, feel free to call me by my first name.”
Kassie led Scarlett closer to Hannah. She knelt beside her chair. “Here’s the deal. All of us have spent time in your shoes at one point or another. Our circumstances may differ, but we share the same fears and worries. We got past it by having each other’s six. You’re one of us, Hannah. We won’t let you fail. If you stumble, we’ll pick you up. If you slow, we’ll walk beside you.We will surround you with love and support because we want you to win.”
“They don’t know me,” Hannah whispered, daunted by Scarlett’s promises.
