Page 40 of Flint

Ridge nods. “I know you’re scared, but right now, I need you to come with me.”

I look past his shoulders and see dozens of other people here now. How did they all get here so fast? How long were we in the water? Was it long? It felt like five seconds and five hours. I didn’t know time could stretch like that.

One of the guys steps forward. He’s wearing a uniform for the Courage County Fire and Rescue. I recognize him from the bar photo. “You’re Camden, right? The bull testicles guy. You rescue people! I need you to find Flint. He’s really tall, and I have a photo on my phone.”

I pat my pocket but there’s no pocket and no clothes. Where did I put my phone? Is it in the truck?

Camden glances at Ridge then back at me. “We need to go to the hospital. If you come with me, they can bring Flint right behind us, okay?”

“But I need him, and I don’t need anybody.”

Ridge is beside me, wrapping me in the chip wrapper again. “I won’t leave you until he’s back by your side. I promise.”

The next few hours are a blur. I don't remember how I got to the hospital in Asheville. It’s a big fancy one that has a good reputation for pregnant women. The first thing they do is the ultrasound to check on the baby.

Mira is by me, holding my hand.

The moment the whoosh of the baby’s heartbeat fills the room, I start crying again. Our baby is safe, but he should be here. Flint should be the one holding my hand and crying with me.

She must be reading my mind because she says, “He’ll be here soon.”

Before I can answer her, there’s a knock on the door and Ridge opens it. He’s stayed with me through everything though he kept his gaze carefully trained on the floor during my exams.

I watched his facial expressions though. He has medical training, and he hasn’t once looked alarmed while the doctors are talking. I think that means I’m okay, and the baby is okay.

My grandma rushes into the room, enveloping me in a tight hug that has tears springing to my eyes. The one person who has always been my steady rock is here, and I sob against her chest, letting all of my fear and sadness out.

“The baby?” She asks softly, and I realize what she must be thinking.

I gesture to the monitor above my bed that’s making a very quiet whooshing noise. “The baby is safe. I’m okay. The baby’s okay. I just need Flint. He’s been so brave. He loves me. Did you know that? He wants to get married. I need him to know I love him.”

I reach for the brown envelope on the side table. At least, I try to. My grandma hands it to me and I dump out the personal effects on the blanket. I reach for my necklace, still amazed that it stayed on my body. It was the only thing the water didn’t rip away from me, and that alone has to be a sign.

I slip the ring off the necklace and onto my finger. “I’m an engaged woman. I’m marrying the love of my life soon.”

“Yeah, you are,” grandma agrees. “And I’m catching your bouquet and dancing the cha-cha at your reception.”

“Okay, we have a plan,” I murmur, feeling better. Flint is coming back to me. He’s coming back to me, and he’s going to marry me, and we’ll keep raising beautiful babies on the ranch.

There’s another knock and Mira says quietly, “The boys are here.”

Ridge ushers them in, and they rush to the bed, looking alarmed. “Are you sick? Did you keep barfing? Can you come home? We could make yucky chicken soup for you.”

“Come here,” I pat the bed and Mira helps the boys onto it. They instantly cuddle up with me, and I hate this. I know there was no way to spare them what happened today. They don’t know what went wrong, only that something happened. Mira said they were with the other cowboys when the call came through, and everyone sprang into action.

“Your mom is fine. She went swimming with Flint and needed to go to the doctor after,” I reassure them, trying to help them understand.

They exchange a worried look and Brock blinks. Branson nudges him and before I know it, they’re both crying. “Did Flint go on a boat?”

I blink back tears of my own. “You look at me. Your dad is not the leaving kind. He’ll be here. He fell into the water, and his friends are going to get him and bring him here. We just have to wait.”

“No boat?”

“He’s a cowboy, and everyone knows there are no horses on boats,” I point out.

They talk tearfully for a minute about boats, discussing this in-depth because no one fact-checks you like a couple of five year olds who have seen everything. I can tell when they’ve decided I’m right because both relax into me, stretching out quietly.

“When is he coming?”