“Not-friends use last names, do they?”
She scrunches up her face at me and a tiny smile pops over her lips. My body relaxes instantly at the sight.
“Hadley?”
“Yeah, Sunshine.”
“Areyouokay?”
“Oh, yeah, only a dislocated knee and some mild ligament damage, a few weeks on crutches and a knee brace and I’ll be back out there.”
Her face loses all emotion.
“Hey, what was that?” I rasp.
Fuck, she’s so far away. Not being able to comfort her when she’s like this is more painful than the stupid knee of mine.
“Live to die another day, I suppose,” she says woodenly.
“Maggie . . .”
“When do they let you go home?”
I’m glad for the change of topic, but the way her face changed will have me up all damn night.
“Tomorrow, actually. It’s my right leg, so I’m okay to drive, but Brades is giving me a lift.”
“So you’re taking it easy when you get home?”
“Maybe. See what needs to be done, I guess.”
“Hadley,” she chides.
“There’s no one else to do it for me, Sunshine. Kayley works long hours and Nia and Gemma are handy, but not ranchers. Mom, she’s...”
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, then.”
I chuckle. “Can’t promise that, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“You really are trouble.” She sucks in a breath. “And Hadley?”
“Yeah?”
“I miss you.”
My smile grows so damn wide it almost hurts more than my knee. “I miss you too, Sunshine.”
The line goes dead and I lay back on the bed, smile still stretching my face. Heart racing the way it always does when Maggie is with me.
“Well, that must have gone well.” Brady tosses a packet of chips on my bed and then throws a soda at my head. I catch it in one hand and curse him out. Gonna have to let that settle before I open it.
“She’s home. Safe and sound.”
“Good. So still want that lift home in the morning?”
“Yeah, thanks, bud.”
“Kayley going to help you out for few weeks now you’re an invalid?” He nods to my braced-up knee.
