“Hey.My arms are really tired.”
“You’re strong.You’ve got this,” he assured me.
Carefully, they eased me out of the hole, put a sling around me, and lowered me between the ladders.All the while, Tommy narrated the whole thing like a documentary.
“How you doing?”Jude’s voice was low.
“I’m okay,” I said, although now that they had carefully freed me from my predicament, I could actually feel the cuts from the boards.
The next few moments were a jumble as they lowered me down.
Once I was on the ground, Tommy eyed my leg and exclaimed, “Whoa, that’s a big gash.”
I looked down and saw the long cut running from just below my knee all the way to my ankle.I couldn’t help but gasp.Travis was licking my face, hurriedly circling me.
“We need to get this cleaned up,” Jude said.“She needs stitches.”
Lincoln interjected, “Maybe not for all of them.But definitely that one.”
“We can—” Jude began, but Haven cut in, “Dude, I know you’re worried about Kendall and you want to take care of all of this completely by yourself, but the best thing is to get her to the hospital where they’ll stitch her up right.It doesn’t look like she got cut by any nails, but she may need a tetanus shot depending on when she last had one.”
Jude’s gaze locked with mine, and my heart squeezed tight in my chest.I tried to keep my breathing slow.I didn’t need to spiral into panic now.I’d stayed calm all the way through this.
“To the hospital,” Jude said.
I took a slow breath as I nodded.“Okay.Should we…?”
“There is zero reason to call an ambulance.All of us are emergency first responders, and we can get you there faster than someone driving out here and back to town,” Haven pointed out.
Jude announced, “I’ll clean her leg.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.Why don’t you just hold her hand and calm the hell down?”Cole said dryly.
I insisted on walking, and Jude was definitely not pleased with that.“Kendall, I can carry you.”
“I know.But it makes me feel better to feel like I have some control over the situation,” I pointed out.I watched his shoulders rise with a deep breath as he nodded reluctantly.
Tommy had a million questions for his uncles and his dad.Lincoln decided to drive, and they loaded me into the back of the double-cab truck.Jude was beside me with Haven on the other side.I stretched my leg out and Haven carefully began cleaning it.
“How bad did it hurt?”Haven asked conversationally.
“It happened so fast.I was more startled than anything.Honestly, just now it’s starting to hurt more.”
“Adrenaline’s a great anesthetic,” he said dryly.
Lincoln, Cole, and Haven talked casually while I leaned against Jude.He pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“How you doing?”he asked, his voice hushed and gruff.
“I’ve been better.But I’m okay now.”
“Who’s got Travis?”I finally thought to ask.
“Tommy’s taking him back to the resort.He’d be fine just running around at the rescue program, but we were worried he was going to chase the truck.He doesn’t like when you’re not with him and he’s alone,” Jude pointed out.
“I know.”
When I glanced up, our gazes locked.“I love you,” he whispered.
