‘Sir, we really need to get you to the hospital. That arm needs to be set.’
The paramedic stepped towards us and I nodded, not wanting to prolong Jesse’s pain.
‘I love you too,’ Jesse said, his gaze on mine, watching as I absorbed the words. ‘I can’t wait to make up for the weeks we missed.’
I smiled, understanding everything included within that.
‘I’ll be there, at the hospital,’ I replied, glancing at the paramedic as I stepped back. He took over as Jesse tried to smile back at me, others moving in to help him into the ambulance. I turned and headed back towards Lottie.
‘Where’s Chrissy?’ I asked, glancing around before noticing the sly smile on Lottie’s lips.
She shrugged.
‘No idea. She took one look at you guys kissing and stalked off. I mean, I did say that if she didn’t take the hint and fuck off, you would likely go full psycho, and ripped shirts would be the least of her problems.’
I laughed, the sound of it surprising us both after everything that had passed today.
‘You’re so sexy when you fuck with people,’ I said, looping my arm through hers. We turned back to the ambulance, watching them close the back doors.
‘They’ll be going up to the Peak Memorial hospital,’ she said, glancing at her phone. ‘I messaged Cole. He’s been there himself before. Says the food’s pretty good.’
I shook my head. ‘Fucking cowboys.’
And so the waiting began. An hour or so into it, surrounded by coffee and snacks, I looked up as someone approached.
‘I knew you’d come back.’
Clara held her arms out as I got up, giving her a long squeeze.
‘Your brother is a pain in my ass,’ I sighed, smiling as she chuckled.
‘Tell me about it,’ she agreed, turning to shake Lottie’s hand as I introduced them. ‘And I want you to know that I filled him in on Chrissy’s little game earlier.’ She shook her head in disgust. ‘That girl always did have a snaky side. Been that way since high school. She’s been waiting for a chance to get back with Jesse ever since he dumped her the first time.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, glancing over to the doorway as a doctor emerged, heading for us as he recognized Clara.
‘Are you Jesse Bennington’s family?’ he asked, looking between us as Clara nodded. ‘Well, he’s doing all right considering, but he’s going to need surgery on his right arm. Maybe even a plate in his shoulder. It’s pretty routine, nothing to worry about – but I’m going to need you to fill in some forms for us, for the insurance. If he has it?’
Lottie stepped forward then, nodding, offering her help as the one that dealt with payroll and benefits at the ranch.
‘I totally forgot that you have to pay for everything here,’ I said to Clara, rapidly realizing the financial implications of an injury like this.
She nodded grimly, frowning.
‘Yeah, it’s tough,’ she said, watching as Lottie went over to the administration area. ‘Even when you win. He did, by the way – I don’t know if you checked.’
‘Oh shit, he did?’ I gasped, wondering why she wasn’t mirroring the surge of relief in her expression. ‘Isn’t that good? Doesn’t it help to pay for everything?’
She pursed her lips, considering it.
‘I mean, I don’t know the full extent yet, but I’d be surprised if this whole thing doesn’t cost the best part of twenty thousand dollars, maybe thirty. Depends how long he stays, how complex the surgery is. Then there’s physio afterwards . . . I doubt his insurance will cover all of it. It’s gonna eat right into that money.’
My mouth popped open in disbelief. ‘That’s – holy shit. It’s so much,’ I replied, shaking my head.
‘Yeah,’ she agreed, sinking into the seat behind her. I followed suit, my mind whirring with the injustice of it. ‘His insurance might cover some of it, but the rest will have to come from the winnings. It’s a good job it was a decent payout this time. That’s why you end up with so many people having to use things like crowdfunding to try and prevent getting into debt. The amount of times I’ve donated for different people is crazy. Our system is so fucked.’
I nodded, turning over the implications.
‘Do you know what he was planning to do with the money?’ I asked tentatively, not wanting to pry, but trying to gauge how big of a disaster this was.
