by Dani Pettrey
Cole dropped to his knees, the breath whooshing from his body. Piper.
47
Bailey stood numb as the paramedics loaded Piper into the ambulance.
Cole insisted on riding with his sister, despite the fact that he required treatment as well. “Slidell will take you home,” he instructed as he climbed in beside Piper’s stretcher.
As the ambulance doors shut, she bit her bottom lip and remained rooted in place, her feet sinking into the sodden earth as the ambulance pulled away, red lights swirling eerily through the dense fog.
Slidell draped a jacket across her shoulders. “Let’s get you home.”
“I’m not going home. Take me to the hospital.”
“You need warm clothes and rest.”
“I need to be with Cole and his family.”
Everyone moved as if in a dream—doctors meeting the gurney at the sliding emergency-room doors, running with it, shouting orders as they determined what needed to be done.
Cole clasped Piper’s hand. “Hang in there, kid.”
Her wide brown eyes stared up at him in disbelief. She choked whenever she struggled to speak. An oxygen mask covered her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. Gauze bandages swaddled her head, but blood continued to seep through, turning the once white cloth bright red.
“Is she going to be okay?” Landon asked from somewhere behind him.
The doctor continued barking orders as Cole ran with the gurney into the operating room.
“Is she going to be all right?” Gage asked as a second set of doors swung open.
Two nurses crowded the operating room entrance, and Cole could hear Gage and Landon fighting the blockade.
“Sugar.” A hand landed on his shoulder.
Cole looked up into the worried eyes of Peggy Wilson. “I’m going to need you to come with me.”
He shook his head, unable to form the words.
“You’re hurt. You need medical attention.”
He shook his head again.
“I need him out of here,” Dr. Graham shouted.
“You can’t be in the OR,” Peggy said, her voice full of compassion. “Please don’t make this any harder on us. She needs surgery. You can’t be in here.”
Cole blinked, trying to clear his vision. Tears flooded his gaze. He took Peggy’s outstretched hand. She led him back through the double doors to find Landon, Gage, and Kayden standing on the other side.
“She needs surgery to remove the bullet. I will keep you posted,” Peggy said. “In the meantime, let’s get Cole into a room.”
“I don’t need a room. I need to stay right here.”
“You’ve been shot too. You won’t do Piper any good not tending to yourself.”
“She’s right.”
Cole looked past his siblings to Bailey, still barefoot—her legs splattered with mud, her T-shirt still clinging to her. Slidell’s coat hung over her shoulders.
He moved to her. “What are you doing here?” He surveyed her for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I wanted to be here for Piper, for you.”
It meant the world to him, but she was in no condition to be there. “You need a hot shower, dry clothes, food, water, and sleep.”
“You need to let them take a look at your arm.”
“I will if you will.”
“Let them look at your arm first, and then we’ll see.”
“Bay.” He cupped her face with his good arm. “Please. I need to know you are safe and warm in your bed.”
“I am safe. I’m here with you.”
“She can shower in the nurse’s changing room, and I’m sure we’ve got an extra set of scrubs lying around,” Peggy suggested.
“I’m not leaving,” Bailey said before he could argue.
“Okay. You go get warm and I’ll go have my arm looked at. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Cole’s jaw clenched as they rooted the bullet out of his arm. He’d refused sedation, wanting to be fully alert for Piper. So they’d given him a nominal local that barely eased the pain.
“You are lucky. Very little tissue damage,” Dr. Miller said as he stitched Cole up.
He prayed the same would be true for Piper.
“You should regain full use of your arm. You just have to be diligent with the antibiotics I prescribe and the cleansing I’ll explain. We don’t want infection setting in.”
“We’ll make sure he follows orders,” Bailey said from the doorway. Her skin radiated a freshly washed glow, and the oversized purple scrubs nearly swallowed her slender frame.
“Hey.”
“Hey back,” she said, shuffling toward him—blue fuzzy socks peeking out with each step.
“You feel better?”
“Now that I hear you’re going to be okay.”
“He’s going to be fine.” Dr. Miller stood and dropped the surgical needle into the metal tray with a clang. “Good as new before you know it.” He pulled off his latex gloves, balled them up, and tossed them in the trash. “Peggy will be in with your antibiotics and instruction sheet shortly.”
“Any word on Piper?”
He smiled that “It’s too soon, but I’ll check anyway” smile. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thank you, Dr. Miller.”
“You can thank me by keeping that wound clean. No diving until it’s fully healed.”
“You got it.”
Dr. Miller looked at Bailey.
“I’ll hold him to it,” she said.
“Does that mean you’ll be sticking around?” he asked as Dr. Miller left.
She wound her fingers through his. “For a while.”
Not the answer he was hoping for, but he’d take it. The longer she stayed, the longer he had to convince her that she was exactly where she belonged.
Shafts of early dawn’s light speared through the blinds in the hospital waiting room. Bailey craned her neck to check the time.
“It’s five,” Gage said, ripping another piece of Styrofoam off his coffee cup. He had quite the pile built up beside him.
“It can’t be much longer,” Kayden said, pacing. She hadn’t sat for more than five minutes all night, but at least she’d tried a few times. Landon refused to sit, wearing a path down the tile hallway outside of the OR door.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered as he stalked past. “Can’t they at least tell us something?”
Gage glanced at his watch. “It’s about time for another update.”
Peggy Wilson had been faithful to report every half hour since Piper’s surgery commenced, but she was beginning to sound like a broken record. “Still in surgery. Vitals are stable.”
What did that mean? Was Piper going to pull through? Was everything okay? Why was it taking so long?
“Doc,” Landon said in a flurry as Dr. Graham finally exited the operating room. “How is she?”
Bailey, Landon, and Jake followed the McKennas into the hall.
Dr. Graham slipped the green surgical cap from his head and clasped it in his hand. He looked exhausted. “She’s resting now, and her vitals are stable. Unfortunately the bullet shattered upon impact, causing extensive damage. We stopped the bleeding and removed all the fragments.” He exhaled. “Now it’s just a waiting game.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” Landon asked, horror dulling his eyes. “Could she die?”
“I believe her prognosis is favorable.”
Landon gripped him by the shirt, faded green material bunching beneath his knuckles. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I’ve done all I can do. It’s up to Piper now.”
“She’s a fighter,” Kayden said.
“Good.” Dr. Graham stepped back as Landon released him. “Then my hope is not unfounded.”
Bailey handed Cole a cup of coffee. “You need to drink something, eat something.”
He wasn’t hungry, wasn’t thirsty, wasn’t anything but terrified. He rubbed Piper’s cold hand.
He wasn’t leaving. Not until he knew Piper would be okay. The doctor said it was critical that she regain consciousness in the first twenty-four hours. He looked at the clock. Only an hour to go and no sign of stirring on Piper’s part. What would they do without her?
“Cole,” Kayden said.
“I’m fine.”
“I give up.” Kayden shifted, resting her head on Gage’s shoulder. “He’s impossible.”
“There’ll be time to eat later,” Gage said softly. “Right now Cole needs to be here. We all do.”
Cole watched as Kayden’s gaze shifted to Jake, huddled against the back wall.
“Any movement?” Peggy asked, shuffling in.
“None.” The word alone hurt.
Kayden glanced at the clock and then back to Piper. “She’ll pull through; I just know it.”
Cole wished he did. He couldn’t remember ever praying more than he had in the last thirty-six hours. First Bailey nearly ripped from his life, and now Piper.
Peggy swapped out the IV bag and jotted down the readings blipping across the machine.
Bailey rubbed his shoulder, her presence the only thing holding him together.
Time passed faster than any of them would have wished.
Landon stalked like a madman up and down the hall. He blamed himself, Cole knew it. He could see it in Landon’s eyes, in his wild, grief-stricken countenance.
It wasn’t Landon’s fault. Piper had chosen to enter the fray against their orders. And Grigor had set the whole thing in motion. But Landon would never accept that consolation, even if Piper pulled through. It would haunt him.
“Cole.” Bailey squeezed his shoulder. She pointed at Piper.
His eyes roamed over his sister, searching for what had caught Bailey’s attention. It took a moment before he saw it—the flicker of her eyelids, the stirring of her hand. He rushed to her side—they all did, swarming around Piper’s hospital bed.
“Piper,” he said, clasping her hand.
Her eyelids continued to flutter.
“I’m here, kid. We all are.”
A moan rose in her chest, and after what seemed an eternity, she opened her eyes. Cole dropped to his knees in gratitude. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight.
48
Bailey climbed the front porch steps of Cole’s cabin.
Kayden opened the door before she could knock. “Hey, Bailey. Come on in.”
Hewn pine planks covered the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. Recessed lighting brought out the warm honey hues in the wood. “Is Cole awake?” she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him. Piper wasn’t the only one recovering from a bullet wound.
“Yeah, right here on the couch,” he called from the rear of the cabin. “Come on in.”
She moved down the hallway and into the main living space of the house. The open kitchen, dining area, and family room all had window-to-floor views of the forest. He’d done a nice job decorating the place. Hunter green and deep blues accented the pine beautifully. Photographs of moose and whales, and underwater shots of Alaska’s famed coral dotted the walls. The decorating looked so well put together she wondered if his sisters hadn’t played a role in it.
Cole angled his head back with a smile. “Hey, gorgeous.” Wearing his red-and-white Scuba Cowboy T-shirt and faded cargo shorts, he looked perfectly at ease.
“You look like you’re feeling better.”
“What can I say—you bring out the best in me.”
Heat flushed her cheeks.
Kayden jingled her keys. “I’m gonna head out.”
Cole lifted the bowl in his hand. “Thanks for the soup.”
“I’ll drop by later.”
“I’m really okay. You can stop fussing.”
“Piper insisted. You think I’m bad, wait until she gets released.”
“Have they given her a date?” Bailey asked.
“Doc says if she keeps healing at this rate, she’ll be home next week.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“She’s a strong kid,” Kayden said with pride.
“Takes after her sister.” Cole winked.
Kayden smiled. “Catch you guys later.”
The door shut, and Cole set the soup bowl down. “I thought she’d never leave.”
“Cole!”
“No. It’s not how it sounds. I love seeing Kayden, just not her soup. She was hovering over me to make sure I ate it.”
“That bad?”
“You have no idea.”
Bailey chuckled and reached for the bowl. “I’ll pour it out for you.”
“Nah. I can do that later. Right now, I want you to sit here.” He tugged her onto his lap.
“Cole.”
“We need to talk, and I need to be sure you stay put for the length of it.”
“I don’t think”—she wriggled as if to escape his clutches—“this is necessary.”
“Probably not, but I’m not complaining.”
She laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“Determined,” he corrected. “Determined to tell you I love you.”
“I know you think you love me.” But he couldn’t possibly.
“I don’t think . . . I know I love you. Question is, do you love me too?”
She did with all her heart. “I’m not right for you.”
He clasped her hand, intertwining their fingers. “You’re perfect for me.”
“How can you say that? After all I’ve done.”
“Done. As in the past.”
“Don’t you know—‘The past isn’t forgotten. In fact, it isn’t even past.’ ” Faulkner had it right.
“Bailey . . .” He said her name with so much love, her heart nearly broke. “You’re a new creation. Your sins are forgiven. Why carry a burden Christ died to relieve you of?”
She exhaled, trying to pull away, but he held her tight. “It’s not that simple, Cole.”
“Yes it is. Come with me.” He clasped her hand and led her to a full-length mirror at the base of the landing. Positioning her in front of him, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “What do you see when you look in the mirror?”
Filthy rags. The woman who deserved to be stoned.
“You need to start seeing yourself through God’s eyes.”
But what He sees is the same. She was flawed and undeserving.
“When God looks at you He sees His beloved child.”
“Not me. You’re wrong.”
“No. I’m not.”
“How can you sound so certain?”
“Because I know He loves you.”
“How?”
“Because He died for you.”
Her lip quivered. “But I am so unworthy.”
“We all are. That’s the beauty of God’s grace and the depth of Christ’s love. God loves you.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing against her cheek. “And so do I.”
“But you deserve better.” He was respected, looked up to in the community. She couldn’t destroy that, couldn’t cast a black smudge on his family name, not when they’d all been so kind and selfless toward her.
He tipped her chin up. “There could be nobody better for me than you.”
How could he love her after all she’d done, after how she’d treated him? She’d never even apologized. Steeling her courage, she turned to face him. “This is something I should have done years ago, but I was too prideful.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Yes it is. I need to tell you how sorry I am about how I treated you. It wasn’t because you weren’t special to me. It was because I was so screwed up. I thought I needed guys like Tom’s approval to have value. But even more than that . . .” Here comes the hard part. “Truth is I was terrified. Terrified you’d discover I wasn’t worthy of your friendship and affection, terrified you’d . . .�
�� Abandon me like my parents.
“Bailey.” Cole clasped her hands. “I forgive you and I love you.”
“But I’m still such a mess.”
“We all are. We don’t instantly become like Jesus the moment we’re saved. It’s a journey.” He cupped her face. “A journey I’d like to share with you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want to spend my life with you.”
Her head spun. How could a man—a wonderful, kind man like Cole—forgive her so easily and love her so deeply in spite of her flaws? She studied him a moment, searching his eyes, finding only truth and love. If a human being could love and forgive her like that, then maybe God could too.
The breath left her body in a whoosh as His truth seeped into her soul.
Christ had not only saved her from her sins, but He loved her. Not based on how she measured up, but because she was His.
It was unfathomable, but true.
49
Cole dropped by Bailey’s on the way to the hospital.
She opened the door with a smile. “Good morning. What are you doing here?”
“Can’t a guy visit his gal just to say he loves her?”
Her cheeks tinged pink. “Always.”
“I do believe you are blushing, Miss Craig.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She smelled of sugar and blueberries. “Making pancakes again?”
“Mabel says it’s the last batch of the season. You up for some?”
“I wish I could, but I promised Piper I’d be by. I’m bringing Rori as a surprise.”
Bailey looked past him at the truck. “They let dogs in the hospital?”
He smiled. “Not usually, but Dr. Graham’s making an exception. He delivered Piper, so he’s got a soft spot for her.”
“She’ll love it.”
“Doc says she’ll be home day after tomorrow.”
“That’s great.”
Cole gripped her tighter. “A lot of great things are happening. Piper’s going to be fine, you’re staying in Yancey . . .”
“Well, I think it’s only right I continue in Agnes’s footsteps. I’ve always loved the shop and it’s about time I settled down.”