“We should have been paying better attention to our phones.” His voice was escalating too, along with his tension, but he couldn’t stop his frustration, mainly aimed at himself for not being available, for not checking his phone sooner, for getting so distracted with Kinsey.
She didn’t respond. They had reached the bathhouse, and she could hardly make it in fast enough. They hurried through their changing. He hustled out of the men’s room, in the shorts and T-shirt he’d worn earlier in the day for their hike, and she’d changed into her shorts and T-shirt too.
He didn’t bother going to the house. Instead, he directed the Jeep toward the mountain pass that would take them to Colorado Springs. The drive was usually over an hour, depending on the traffic near Pike’s Peak. Thankfully, at the late hour, they didn’t have that to worry about. Even so, there was no way to speed up traveling the mountain passes.
They spent the majority of the drive on the phone talking to his mom and siblings. By the time they reached the hospitalparking lot, it was close to midnight, and they were even more on edge.
They rushed into the ER and found everyone in the private waiting room they’d used earlier in May when they’d brought Dad to the hospital for the first time. Kinsey wasted no time in tracking down a nurse, explaining who she was, and then getting an official update. She learned that his pain was under control, and they were doing all kinds of testing.
No one would say what everyone was thinking—that the cancer had multiplied and spread and was causing the pain again. Kinsey asked the nurse to order more tests that would detect complications from pancreatic cancer including diabetes, insufficiency of pancreatic enzymes, or an obstruction.
As they sat together in the waiting room, Kinsey kept busy checking with the ER staff and doctors. She was also on the phone with her agency and one of the doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester who was on duty at the early morning hour. She held his mom’s hand and talked with her for a while. Then she called another specialist and ordered more tests.
Tyler’s own worry kept him pacing the waiting room just as it had the last time they’d been here. Once again, he felt as though he didn’t know what to do or how to help anyone.
When the doctor finally came into the waiting room, they learned that Dad had an obstruction in the duodenum of the small intestine and that in the morning, he would have surgery to insert a stent to keep the area open. The doctor assured them it was a common occurrence for those suffering from pancreatic cancer but also very treatable.
They drank lots of coffee throughout the morning as they waited while Dad was in surgery. When they finally got the news that the procedure was done and had been successful, they rested more easily. Kade spread out on one of the couches in the surgical waiting area and promptly fell asleep. Emberly offeredto drive the Jeep back to the ranch so that Tyler could ride back with Kade in the helicopter. And Mom was allowed to go to Dad’s bedside and sit with him.
Tyler only caught glimpses of Kinsey from time to time as she continued to advocate for Dad’s care, demanding only the best. He was glad she was so strong and knowledgeable and helpful. But as the morning passed into the afternoon, he missed being with her more than he wanted to admit.
Finally, as she stepped into the waiting area with box lunches for him and Kade, he stood and reached for her hand the way he’d wanted to all night and all morning. He just hadn’t been ready to make his feelings for her public, especially around his family, and especially at a time like this.
“Sit with me,” he whispered, casting a glance at Kade to make sure he was asleep.
His brother was still sprawled out, his arm draped across his eyes.
Just the touch of her fingers against his set his insides on fire, and the sight of her in front of him eased the ache in his chest. At some point she’d changed into scrubs and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. Even with a crinkled forehead and dark circles under her eyes, she was gorgeous.
He’d noticed the way the doctors and other male staff looked at her every time she was near. Their eyes followed her and lit with appreciation at not only her beauty but her engaging personality. She was friendly and personable while being direct about what she wanted, and she was able to get her way with most things because of it.
Regardless, his muscles had stiffened every time he’d seen her talking to another man, and he’d wanted to go over and claim her, maybe even put a sign on her that said she belonged to him.
Except that she didn’t belong to him. At least, not yet.
He wasn’t sure exactly how to move forward with her, wasn’t sure of anything at this point…except that he knew without a doubt that he loved her and wanted her.
“I can’t sit, Tyler.” She tugged her hand loose and took a step back.
“You have to eat too.”
“I’m not hungry.” There was something in her eyes. Sorrow? Frustration? Fear?
He didn’t know what it was, but it set him on edge. “At least rest for a little bit.”
“I will later, once T.W. is awake and I know he’s okay.”
Tyler glanced around to gauge his level of privacy. Kade hadn’t moved. No one else was nearby.
Tyler closed the distance between them and this time touched her chin lightly. “I miss you.”
She didn’t move except to lift her eyes up to him. The blue-green was the color of a forest of blue spruce and just as vast. For a moment, they were wide open and revealed her feelings for him—at least, he thought he was seeing a softening of affection there.
But she shook her head and lowered her gaze, shuttering her eyes with her long lashes. “I’ve got to go, Tyler.”
Then before he could stop her, she spun and wove through the chairs, out of his reach. He fought against the urge to chase after her and find out what was wrong, because something wasn’t right.
When she disappeared past the doors of the surgical recovery unit, he expelled a taut breath, then plopped into his chair.
