“Coop made it to ops. Bean said his legs gave out when he heard you went out. And when Smooth came in….” Josh’s voice cracked.
“Harper, she seemed to shut off. I think she’s done that before. She sat with the baby and helped feed the triplets. She sat with Chantal, and she prayed with Raven. Hunt…he pulled in too and put her to work. Around 0400, folks started showing up. They saw our lights. We worked your prediction they’d come and used your color codes. Harper babysat Stinger, who wanted to go looking for you. Hunt assigned him to watch her. Raven said it was a sign. Two girls asked about the man who gave them life jackets and they saw face down floating away,” Josh sighed.
“You…” Kip closed his eyes and shook his head. “She thought I was dead.”
“Knock, knock. I’ve got some peppermint tea.” Kyle’s voice was childlike as he set a cup in front of Kip.
Kip sipped the warm brew. “Josh is filling me in.”
Kyle pulled up a chair. “I hope you didn’t tell him we’ve been having parties in his office.”
“If there are stains on my new carpet…” Kip’s eyes crinkled. “Well, maybe it’s better than where Fabiana died. Josh, put that on the list.”
Kyle shot Josh a look. “What list?”
“A grocery list… A list…ops,” Kip coughed.
“Stone, get Jamie,” Kyle snapped.
“I’m fine.” He coughed more and took another sip of tea.
Jamie walked in. “You two have medical training. We pulled the tube four hours ago, and you’re pushing him. And you? Do you want to get well enough to get out of this bed?”
“I’m fine. I—” He went into a coughing fit.
“Deep breath, try to hold it, let it go. Sip tea,” Jamie coached as he placed a nasal cannula on at a low oxygen setting. “Thank you for listening. It’s a helluva lot better than when they found you.” Jamie listened to his chest. “That’s it. Slow breaths.”
“Boss, you fought off Wes,” Josh said.
Kip started to laugh. “Stop…”cough…cough…
“Stone, out!” Jamie started a nebulizer. “Slow breaths.”
Kip locked onto his friend’s anguished eyes, then pulled the nebulizer from between his lips. In between coughs, he said, “I’m sorry. It’s not my job anymore.”
“I don’t think that family or those two girls would be alive without you. If you promise to listen, I’ll fill in the gaps.” Jamie crossed his arms over his chest, and Kip nodded.
“Kieran called in a favor. Coast Guard, on a fly-by, kept watch as they cataloged the damage. The storm was down to a Cat 3. He told them about your Breitling watch. All the transponders failed. They spotted you floating two minutes to Bingo and dropped smoke. By the time Wes and the crew got you to the building, you were combative. Hypothermia and hypoxia.
“I’m telling you, if you don’t make an honest girl out of her… You were filthy, and she bathed you. You did your stuff; she cleaned you, wet you down to help lower your fever. And when you couldn’t breathe, she held on to you until the drugs took you under for Jamie to put a tube down your throat,” Kyle said.
Kip grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and swiped his eyes as he was overcome with the understanding. His friends and the beautiful, strong, sexy Harper. They were his world, and he almost tossed it all away. He told herI love you, but now he understood.
Jamie eased him back. “Time to rest.”
Kyle grabbed his hand. “I’ll see you later.”
* * *
Harper sleptin the lounger beside him. He lay still and watched her, the soft easy rise of her chest. The wisps of her hair across her cheek. The peace on her face. Kip swallowed, and a soft cough fell from his lips.
Her blue eyes opened. “Hi.” She got up to sit beside him.
“Come here.” When he held open his arms, Harper sighed and rested into his embrace. “Harper, my beautiful Harper.”Cough…
“Don’t talk. You’ll cough more.” She kissed his nose.
“I love you.”
