We had a rough start, but he’s doing great now.
How’s Cooper?
Me
Can you give me a call? It’s a lot to text.
Ten seconds later, my phone rang.
TWENTY-TWO
Hollie
Iurged Cade and the girls to hurry as we followed Bea and a nurse down a white-tiled hallway in the ICU. My hair was falling out of my messy bun and my lips were dry—I felt so frazzled from the rush and stress of the last few hours. After my phone call with Jesse, I served the guest breakfast as quickly as I could manage, packed up the kitchen, shoved Bea and the children into my Volvo, and floored it.
The two hour plus drive to get here was tense and emotional, but Bea needed to be with her husband. And I had to help Jesse shuttle Meadowbrook trucks back to the ranch. Because it didn’t look like Tag or Cooper would be leaving the intensive care unit any time soon.
The waiting area for friends and family had maroon carpet that offset the beige walls and soft lighting. It was much more cozy compared to the rest of the hospital—a mercy for the souls forced to sit here and wait for news of their loved ones.
Upon seeing Jesse, Cade tore off ahead of us, throwing himself into his dad’s embrace.Then the automatic doors behind reception whirred open and out came Tag. Bea quickened her pace until herbody slammed into Tag’s arms. Instantly, he tucked his face into the side of her neck. So far, she’d kept her tears controlled, but that union opened her flood gates.
Tag’s too.
Her face twisted as his shoulders started to shake.
A lump rose in my throat, knotted and painful.
Miracles still happened on occasion, right? My mind’s eye brought back the memories of my family begging for a miracle in Peter’s fight against leukemia.
And he got his.
Maybe Cooper would too.
I was the last person here that spoke to him. Wondering what had happened was driving me insane. What I wouldn’t give to go back and crawl inside his head on Saturday morning. Maybe I could’ve done or said something differently. If I had known then what I knew now, maybe this could’ve been prevented.
“Hollie.” I startled out of my memories, coming face to face with Jesse.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” Today, his vibrance flickered. Grey circles had formed beneath his dull eyes, and his brow was etched with worry. He also looked so…normal? He didn’t have his hat on, so his red brown waves were disheveled and free—could honestly use a brush and a shower. His untucked olive green t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes made him look like the most regular guy on the planet.
For a second we stood there, a couple feet apart. Under the circumstances, I wondered if a hug would be appropriate. But I hung back, unwilling to breach the unseen barrier between us.
I finally managed, “How are you?”
“Exhausted.” His eyes quickly took me in, head to toe, taking stock of my wellbeing. “You?”
“I’m fine. What did the doctor say?”
“A lot.” He nodded toward the corridor leading away from the ICU. “Care for a walk? I could use one.”
“Sure.” We called the children along and made our way back down the hall.
“Mom!” Izzy huffed impatiently beside me. “I thought we were going to see Cooper!”
“Honey, we might have to wait a while. Cooper needs a lot of help right now, and we would only be in the way.”
“What happened to him?” Izzy had asked me a hundred times, but I didn’t know how to answer that question yet. When I didn’t immediately answer, she turned to Jesse. “Mr. Jesse, can you tell me what happened?”
