Page 42 of Her Honorable Hero

8

Three Years Earlier

“Mom’s awake.”

Griff jerked at the feel of his Nick Hales’s big hand on his shoulder. Before he acknowledged his friend’s words, he soaked in Miranda’s still form in the hospital bed. He couldn’t believe how much worse she looked after surgery. Her face was swollen, and her eyes looked like she had been in a bar fight. Seeing the rise and fall of her breathing calmed him down.

He stroked her lower left arm, which was all that was available to him to touch and hold. Her hand had a clip to monitor her pulse clamped to it, and there were so many IV’s and wires attached everywhere else, she seemed like some kind of science experiment. Finally he turned to glance over his shoulder at Josiah Hale’s son.

“How’s your mom doing?” Griff asked. As much as he worried for Miranda, he knew that Scarlett had been in critical condition.

“Good. They had to take out her spleen. Dad said that without Liam organizing your team on-site, she wouldn’t have made it.”

Nick paused and looked at Miranda. “How’s Miranda doing?” he asked solemnly.

“They say the surgery went well. Now is the time for waiting.”

“And you hate waiting.”

Griff nodded.

Both men’s eyes turned to the door before it even opened. Griff had recognized the sound of Shelly’s footsteps prior to her coming inside the room.

She nodded a smile at Nick, then turned to Griff.

“Griff, you heard what the doctors said, Miranda’s not going to wake up for a couple of days. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?”

He looked up into the eyes of the kind nurse. She’d been on duty since Miranda had been brought into ICU. Griff knew that she was newly-married, and was planning on having a dozen children.

“I just can’t stand the idea of her waking up without a friendly face around.”

“Are you saying my face isn’t friendly?” Shelly asked, her hands on her hips. Griff gave a wan smile.

“You’re beautiful, Shel,” but his eyes darted back to Miranda. He couldn’t help it. He needed to keep her in his sights. “Can she hear me?” he asked.

“Ah Honey, I believe she can.”

Griffin stood up and bent over the bed. He brushed a kiss against her swollen cheek and whispered in her ear. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, Miranda Slade. I can’t wait to see your blue eyes again.”

“Griff, you really need to get out of here and get some rest,” Shelly said gently.

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can,” Nick inserted. “I hate to tell you this, but you’re smelling kind of ripe. Now, unless you’re thinking that some kind of body odor aromatherapy is going to bring her around, do the girl a favor and shower before she wakes up.”

“But she doesn’t have anyone else. All of her friends are back East or on some film location, and her parents are dead.”

“We’ve got you covered,” a deep voice said. This time Griff was taken by surprise as he turned to the opened hospital room door. He spun around to see his former teammate, Jack Preston, and his fiancée, Beth Hidalgo standing beside him.

Griff swallowed twice, then he went over and thrust out his hand. Jack pulled him in for a hug instead.

“How’d you know to be here?” Griff asked Jack. He had no memory of him being at the crash site.

“There can only be two visitors at one time in the ICU,” Shelly said.

“Griff, Nick and I are just leaving,” Jack said. “Beth, come with us into the hallway for a moment, so we can fill Griff in on our plan.”

“Did Gray tell you?” Griff asked, referring to his lieutenant of the Black Dawn SEAL team.