“Claire is friendly to everyone, but she seemed even more interested in Jason. He’s quite…intense. I thought you might have seen him at Fletcher Security.”
“Do you want me to ask John about him?”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “No, don’t do that. Claire will be horrified if she thinks I’m interfering in her life.”
“What if she doesn’t find out?”
His heart rate kicked up a notch when Hannah smiled.
“As much as I like the way your mind works, the answer is still no.” Hannah took their plates across to the table. “Before we have our pancakes, there’s one thing I’d like to do.”
Brett rubbed his eyes. “That’s fine, but you’d better make it quick. I’m ready to fall asleep on my feet.”
“This won’t take long.” Hannah stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I know how much Ida and Pat mean to you. I hope Ida gets better soon.”
He looked into her eyes. A calm peace that he hadn’t felt in a long while washed over him. He pulled Hannah close, letting her warmth fill the empty space inside his heart. “Thank you.”
Her arms tightened. “You’re welcome. Any time you need a hug, you know where to find me.”
He wasn’t so sure about that. If she went to Vancouver, he might never see her again.
With a sigh, he stepped away. “Let’s have breakfast. I promised Pat I’d be back at the hospital by lunchtime.”
Hannah looked disappointed, but she sat at the table. They talked about the events she was organizing and what Brett was doing on the ranch. But not once, during their entire breakfast, did either of them mention what was happening between them.
***
Hannah pushed the first-floor elevator button at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Instead of sharing a ride into town with Brett, they’d decided to drive Claire’s truck to the hospital. Brett hadn’t been too happy but, so far, it had worked out fine.
“Did you check the visiting times for the Intensive Care Unit?” Claire asked.
“No, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t see Ida. I want to make sure Pat is okay, too.” Hannah adjusted her grip on the picnic basket they’d brought with them. “If Pat isn’t here, I’ll leave the basket with the nurses.”
Their two business meetings had gone without a hitch. Hannah was trying not to get too excited about the events people were booking for the following year. She still wasn’t sure whether she would be in Bozeman, but by next week she would be one step closer to making a decision.
From the landing, the Intensive Care Unit looked like any other ward. It wasn’t until you opened the first set of doors, that you realized just how different it was. Hannah sat on a chair while Claire went to the nurses’ station to see if they could visit Ida.
When Claire returned, she shook her head. “It’s family visiting only. But Pat’s inside. The nurse is going to bring him to us.”
Hannah nearly cried when she saw Pat’s tired face. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. “You look exhausted.”
“It’s been a stressful time. I hear you had an interesting night as well.”
“It worked out okay in the end.” Hannah gave Pat the picnic basket. “This is from Mrs. Bennett. Brett said the hospital found you a small room in their emergency accommodation wing.”
Pat nodded. “I slept there for a couple of hours this morning. It was better than using the chair beside Ida’s bed.”
Claire rubbed Pat’s arm. “We’re all thinking about you and Mrs. McConachie.”
“Thank you, Claire. Ida is holding her own at the moment, so we’re taking that as a good sign. Brett should be here soon. He went into town to pick up some supplies.”
Hannah was worried about Pat. He looked so pale she thought he was going to faint. “Do you want to sit with us? We don’t have to go far from Ida.”
“I could get everyone a drink,” Claire said. “The nurse told me there’s a coffee machine at the end of the hallway.”
Pat took a deep breath. “A few minutes away from the Intensive Care Unit would be good. It’s a difficult place to be in for any length of time.”
Hannah led Pat across to a chair and left the picnic hamper beside him. “Mrs. Bennett started baking at six o’clock this morning. She made your favorite muffins and sandwiches.”
