“All right. I know you’re worried, but from what she just told you, she’s fine. She was able to call and talk, so she must be doing okay.”
“Maybe. I guess. Get Beth on the phone for me, will you?”
“Sure thing. Why listen to me?”
After talking to Beth the entire ten-minute ride to the airstrip, he felt marginally better. But the fear still ate at him, twisting his gut.
The thought of her in pain. Alone and scared. So scared she’d called him, even after he’d undoubtedly hurt her just as badly with his careless, angry words.
“There’s Vance,” Tony said, pulling his car in.
Matt got out and started toward the plane, then stopped and turned back to his brother. “Thanks, man.”
Tony pulled him into a guy hug. “No problem, little brother.” Tony slapped his shoulder. “Just try not to say anything royally stupid. I don’t know how much more I can take of your girly mood swings.”
Matt strapped into the two-seater and drummed his fingers against his leg while Tony and Vance exchanged words. Come on.
Vance gave up trying to talk after the first five minutes of the flight. Matt couldn’t talk and he couldn’t help the thoughts rising up in his mind even as the bile rose in his throat. What if she’d died? What if he was going to bury her and get the kids? Or bring her body home to Virginia so he could be near her?
What if he hadn’t brought Teddy back to be buried? Would he have kept his promise not to quit if T had lived? Or would he have told his friend they had to live their own lives? Make their own choices? Would Teddy have understood?
Matt and Vance arrived at the Raleigh airstrip in forty minutes, no problems. The guy was a good pilot, even if he didn’t look old enough to drink. He’d barely cut the engines before Matt thanked him and took off to rent a car. Matt reached out to take the keys from the rental agent, but before they landed in his hand, they were snatched by someone else’s.
“I’ll take those.”
Vance. Matt turned to the guy. With mocha skin and a baby face, he stood almost as tall as Matt. “Look, man, I appreciate your help, but I’m in a hurry.”
Vance just smiled. “No can do. I need this job.”
Matt gave him a look like What the hell does that have to do with me?
“Your brother gave me strict orders not to cut you loose until you reached your final destination.”
“Are you fucking serious? What does he think I’m going to do?”
“Probably get to your girl as fast as you can without thought to anything or anyone else.”
Matt strode toward the row of rental cars. He didn’t have time to argue.
“Just think of me as your driver and pretend you’re more important than you really are.”
Matt slammed the passenger door. “Just drive.”
It was probably a good thing Vance was driving. When they hit a traffic snag on the 440, Matt yelled at him to use the gravelly highway shoulder. Vance ignored him, remaining calm and cool all the way to the hospital.
When they got there, Matt hopped out, leaving Vance to park the car. He followed the labyrinth of hallways and corridors, trying to match the colored floor tiles to the color-coded maps hanging intermittently on white cinder-block walls.
“Abby Davis,” he said, when he reached a nurses’ station.
A big woman with gray hair looked up from her computer screen and raised an eyebrow.
Okay. Maybe he spoke a little too loud. “Abby Davis,” he repeated, softening his voice. “Please.”
“I’ll be with you in a minute.”
He drummed his fingers and looked up and down the hall, estimating how long it would take to throw open every door until he found her. He was highly motivated and bet it would take less time than the nurse’s I’ll-get-to-you-when-I-get-to-you minute.
“Ma’am, if you could just check the room number for Abby Davis.”
No answer. Great.
“Excuse me. Did you say Abby Davis?”
Damn it. Should he scream it again? What the hell was wrong with these people? Matt turned to the voice behind him, determined to get answers, and— Shit. Not a doctor. At least not the kind he wanted.
William Stafford looked like a tall, tan surfer dude stuffed into a pink carnation.
He stuck out his manicured hand. “Hi. I’m Dr. Stafford.”
“Yes. I remember.” Matt took his hand, wanting so badly to crush it.
“It’s good that you’re here. Abby was in an accident.”
He was so close to hurting this man. “I know that. What room?”
“She hit her head hard enough to lose consciousness. That was the main concern. When she came to, she had trouble breathing,” William went on. “They’ve kept a close eye on the baby, of course. The biggest concern was oxygen deprivation due to Abby’s stress…”