His eyes remained on the road. “You’re Chase’s woman. Until he’s back on his feet, I’ll be looking after you. That’s what friends do.”
She started to tell him she wasn’t “Chase’s woman,” never really had been, but she was too exhausted to argue. And she was grateful to have a man as obviously competent as Jason Maddox willing to protect her.
When they reached the hospital, Chase was being treated in a curtained-off area of the emergency room. A nurse brought her a set of scrubs to wear, and they were told to sit in an area out in front. While they were waiting for news, the fire captain phoned to explain the damages her town house had suffered. She wouldn’t be moving back in anytime soon.
The thought depressed her, but it didn’t compare to the worry she felt for Chase.
“He’s gonna be okay,” Maddox said, jolting her back to the present. “The medics arrived right away, and the ambulance got him here quickly.”
Tonight was the first time she and Maddox had met, but he had been a rock, a true friend to Chase and to her.
She sighed. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Tonight men tried to abduct me. A few weeks back, my brother was kidnapped. Who’s behind it? What do they want?”
Before Maddox could answer, a black-haired doctor in scrubs walked out of the back, where Chase had been taken.
“I’m Dr. Zamora. You’re Mrs. Garrett?”
“I’m Harper Win—”
“She’s Chase’s wife,” Jason interrupted, casting her a do-not-argue glance. “I’m his brother-in-law.”
“Your husband is going to be fine, Mrs. Garrett. He lost some blood, but we’re taking care of that. He was lucky. The bullet went into his chest just below his collarbone and traveled all the way through. We didn’t need to operate, just clean the wound and stitch him up. There’s always a chance of infection, but we’re hoping that won’t happen. If he does well tonight, he’ll be released sometime tomorrow.”
The tension ebbed from her body. “Thank you, Dr. Zamora. May I see him?”
“We’ve given him a sedative. He’s been moved to a private room on the second floor. I’m afraid he’s sleeping now.”
“Is it all right if I sit with him?”
“I don’t see why not.” The doctor looked at Maddox.
“She wants to stay,” he said. “That means I’ll be staying, too.”
Zamora nodded. “I’ll let the nurses know.” The doctor turned and walked back down the hall, his baggy green scrubs flapping around his legs.
Harper felt a little guilty keeping Maddox up all night, but mostly she was worried about Chase. She had known she loved him. Until tonight, she hadn’t known how much.
It complicated everything. And considering what had just happened, things were already complicated enough.
Chapter Thirty-Six
After very little rest—thanks to the nurses checking on Chase’s progress every few hours throughout what was left of the night—Harper finally fell asleep in the chair beside his hospital bed. She awoke to bright sun streaming through the windows and noises in the room that sounded oddly familiar.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Chase swinging his long legs to the side of the bed. A white bandage around his chest and shoulder showed where the hospital gown had slipped off. A faint groan escaped as he tried to sit up.
Harper leaped up and ran to him. “What on earth are you doing? You’ve been shot! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
“I’m all right. It was a through and through. I’ll be sore for a while, but I’ll be okay.”
She tried to push him back down, but it was like pressing against a wall. Beside the bed, an IV dripped fluid from a clear plastic bag into a needle taped to the inside of his arm. A heart monitor beeped rhythmically, a nice steady pattern on the screen she was relieved to see.
“You need to get back in bed,” she argued, trying again to dissuade him. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. They’re still putting fluids into you. You can’t just leave!”
A faint smile tugged at his lips. “I’m glad you’re so worried about me. I was beginning to wonder if you still cared.”
“For heaven’s sake, Chase. Of course I care! Please get back in bed and let the nurses take care of you.”
“Not gonna happen, angel. Too much going on.”
