Divine Charity(Divine Creek Ranch 18)(63)

“Did they offer any hope?” Even a little hope? A slight chance? A chance to finally tell him…

James cleared his throat again. “They were giving him drugs trying to reduce the swelling and they may know more in the morning. They didn’t sound hopeful though.”

“Can you take me to him?” I wish I’d gone to him sooner. To all three of them. I should’ve said something sooner.

“Of course, honey.”

Rising from the chair, feeling as though she’d aged fifty years, she removed her purse from her desk and walked down to the bookkeeping office, her legs feeling like blocks of wood.

Evelyn looked up and her eyes widened as she went to Leah. “Oh dear. What happened?” She glanced at James and Vincent and frowned as though she noticed Patterson was missing from the trio.

“Evelyn, I have to leave on an emergency. Patterson has been hurt. I’ll be at the hospital. I’ll need you to close the store and open in the morning.”

Evelyn patted her forearm. “Of course, sweetheart. You go see to Patterson. I’ll keep him in my prayers. Presley Ann will help me and it’ll be fine.” She whispered something to James and Vincent but her words didn’t register with Leah as she turned and walked down the hall. She was fishing her car keys from her purse when they caught up with her and James said, “No, honey. I don’t think you should drive. You’re coming with us.”

“Okay,” she whispered, still holding the keys in her hand as she walked with them to the front doors.

“Leah? Are you leaving? We were going to eat supper and talk, remember?” Presley Ann said as she approached from the prom headquarters.

“Not now, Presley Ann,” Leah said, without even looking at her. “Help Evelyn get the store closed and please help her open in the morning.”

“But I have an appointment—”

You selfish brat. A man I love may be dying and all you can think about is your own self-centered world. You can get your hair or your nails done another time.

“Reschedule it. For once, I need you to come through for me. Deal with it.”

“Okay.”

In other circumstances, Presley Ann’s compliance would’ve surprised Leah, but at that moment it barely registered.

At the hospital, they led Leah to the intensive care unit and told the nurse on duty that she was family. Patterson lay on a hospital bed with IVs and wires connected to him. Machines whirred on either side of his bed, and she recognized the up-and-down motion of a ventilator.

“He’s not breathing on his own?” Her voice sounded hoarse.

Vincent shook his head and pulled a chair close to the bed for her. Neither man said anything else. “We’ll give you some time alone if you’d like,” Vincent whispered to her.

She nodded and they left the room. She looked around at all the intimidating equipment working to keep Patterson alive while they waited to see if the anti-inflammatory drugs would help him.

His head was wrapped in gauze and the ventilator tube kept his mouth propped open. His sexy full lips were slack and nothing at all like the teasing devilish grin she secretly loved. He’d taken her by surprise when he’d backed her into her door, invaded her space, and pressed those lips to hers. Minutes after he’d left, her lips had still tingled with his gentle touch and her resolve to hold him and his brothers at arms’ length had begun to seriously crumble. Now here he was, so seriously injured. There was a cut across the bridge of his nose which had been carefully taped shut and bruises darkened his cheeks and one side of his jaw.

When she laid her hand over his, she pulled back at first because it felt so hot. Then she realized her hands were cold as ice. He had no reaction as she reached out to him again and she wrapped both her hands around his, feeling warmed by it. She scooted closer to the bed and looked down at his blanket-covered body. His big feet stuck up at the very end of the bed. She reached out to touch his leg and wondered if he was warm enough.

She put her hands back in her lap when a nurse came in to hook a new bag to his IV pole and change out the empty one. She smiled at Leah, compassion in her eyes, and said, “Talk to him. He may be able to hear you.”

Leah nodded and sat immobile until the nurse finished and left the room. Leah heard the soft whoosh of the glass door sliding closed behind her.

Wrapping her hands around his again, she stroked the calluses on his palm and fingers, smiling as she really looked at his hand. She’d always admired his sexy, hardworking man hands. She stroked the rolling veins that crisscrossed the top as tears began to fall on it.

“Please come back to me, Patterson. I’ll swallow my fear and tell you what you want to hear. Please fight. I’m not nearly through sassing and exasperating you. Please come back.”