Joshua Healy (Mitchell Healy Book 10)

by Jennifer Foor

  “Tamsyn. It’s great to see you,” Callie responds while heading in my direction. She kisses me on the cheek and gives me a once over. “I love the hair.”

  “Thanks.” Maybe Josh was right.

  “Does Josh know you’re here?”

  “No. He came by the dealership earlier, but I haven’t heard from him since.”

  “Girl, he’s a train wreck. He mopes constantly. I’m worried about him. It’s not like before either. This is a whole new side of Josh.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, as you know we’ve always been close. Before you he’d go through women like they were going out of style. It was his way of staying single and in control. The moment you came into the picture that way of life went bye bye. He fell hard. None of us saw it coming. The past month has been terrible for him. I’ve never seen him so depressed.”

  “I hate hearing this. It makes me sad that he can’t move on.”

  “Can you? Have you?”

  I shake my head. “No. It hasn’t been easy for me either.”

  “Because you belong together. When you know you know. Ask Cob. We’ve been through it. I wasn’t giving him up, no way, no how.”

  I smirk. “I appreciate you telling me this, Callie. I’m going to find him and see if I can help.”

  “You can. Forgive him. It’s the only thing that will straighten his ass back up.”

  I wave to the rest of the family as I exit the barn and continue looking for Josh. I’m almost to another pole building when I hear screaming. It’s two people arguing and I recognize both of the voices. I quickly duck behind some farm equipment to keep from being seen.

  He’s still in his business suit, standing by his truck and yelling at Livvy.

  “I’d rather drive off a fucking cliff than go anywhere with you, Liv.”

  “Please don’t treat me this way, Josh. I didn’t ask to get pregnant.”

  “No, but you pretty much forced me to fuck you. We had unprotected sex. Come on, do you think I was born yesterday?”

  Livvy is getting more mad by the second, but Josh isn’t holding back. “I wanted you that night; to convince you that we should be together. I was trying to get you back. You admitted you still had feelings for me.”

  “You coerced a drunk man to say what you wanted to hear. I barely remember it. I sure as hell didn’t know what I was saying.”

  I never thought I’d see the day when Olivia Parrish cried because she didn’t get her way.

  Then Josh mentions me, and my heart begins to race. “Because of you I’ve lost Tamsyn and Wes. You expect me to pick up and leave my family so we can be together? This ain’t the olden days. I’m not obligated to be with you for the sake of our child. Get your head out of your ass and wake up. I don’t owe you shit!”

  “You’re right. I just thought you’d at least want to try.”

  He’s getting closer to her and pointing in her face. “You were my first love. We shared a lot of memories together, but we were kids. I can’t do this anymore. I won’t play head games. I. LOVE. HER. Get that through your skull. It’s never going to go away.”

  HE LOVES ME.

  “What if I leave the country and keep you from your child?”

  Josh tosses his hands in the air out of frustration. “At this point, I don’t care anymore. I’m a sperm donor. You’re not going to use a kid as leverage to trap me. You want to keep a piece of me, there you go. It’s all you’re ever going to get.”

  Livvy starts playing hard ball. She’s desperate. “So you’ll have no problem signing over parental rights?”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing him say. “Yeah. I’ll sign the damn papers, after you have a paternity test done when the baby is born.”

  “You know when I got pregnant.”

  “You could have screwed ten people that week. How the hell would I know?”

  “I hope you’re happy with this. If I leave, I’m never coming back.”

  “Thank the fucking lord! Good riddance!”

  I watch her high tail her ass to her nearby parked car. She begins to pull away, so I come out from behind the tractor and call for him. “Josh. Over here.” I’m waving, freaking out a bit, but tired of playing the nice guy when everything I want is there for the taking. He’s made it clear. He knows what he wants, and I’m done keeping it from him. He’s mine and I’m his.

  Then I see the headlights. They’re turning in my direction, and coming full speed. Josh is darting toward me, screaming for me to run but he’s too far away. I can’t get out of the way in time. It’s going to hit me. That bitch is going to run me over. I’m trying to get to a safe place, but I’m in the open. I’m a sitting duck.

  I can hear the vehicle coming up behind me. I’m digging my heels into the gravel to pick up traction. The heat of the headlights hits the back of my legs and I know it’s too late.

  He’s calling my name. I can hear him but he sounds far away. I’m trying to get his attention. The words won’t come out loud enough. He’s fading. Everything goes black.

  Chapter 30

  Joshua

  It all happened so fast. I hear my name being called, see Tamsyn across the way, and then there’s another shout as Liv’s car blows by me headed in the direction of the woman I love. “SHE RUINED MY LIFE!”

  I have mere seconds to yell to Tamsyn so she can escape a direct hit. Liv has lost her mind. She’d rather see Tamsyn dead then in my arms, which is pathetic since we’ve never once been a real couple. She’s delusional, and that mixed with a motor vehicle is a deathtrap.

  I’m running, waving my hands, and desperately trying to prevent this from happening. It’s like slow motion. Tamsyn is running, each time she turns the car following. At first it’s a stalk and when Tamsyn runs out of room to hide Liv attacks.

  I watch Tamsyn’s small frame tumble over the car’s hood and off to the side, while Liv keeps driving, her car crashing into an old garage we keep the four-wheelers in. The horn fires a constant hum as the car remains still, and I don’t know what to do. I’m screaming for someone to help me. My cousins must have heard the commotion, because they’re running toward me at a rapid speed. I point to the car. “Call 9-1-1, check on Liv. Jake and Jax head in that direction, while I scoop down and take in the condition of Tamsyn. Her body lies still in an S shape. It’s all wrong. She’s not responding to anything, so I gently, without moving her in case of injuries, tap on her cheeks. She has a gash in her forehead that’s bleeding, so I immediately put a slight bit of pressure on it. There’s a crowd of people headed in my direction, all while I’m yelling for Tamsyn to hear me and wake up. She’s got a pulse, so I know she’s still alive, and that’s the only thing keeping me from losing my shit.

  I’m in shock as my father arrives, followed by Cammie. She’s already gone into doctor mode, assessing the situation of both scenes, and which she should tend to first. I wave her over, and watch as she begins giving Tamsyn a once over.

  The twins are saying something about an ambulance on the way, but we could be running out of time. Cammie’s asking for space, but I refuse to move. I’m just glad she hasn’t gotten up to check on Liv. At this point, she could die for all I care.

  This unconscious woman on the ground means everything to me. She’s in this condition because of my actions. I’m never leaving her side again.

  Cammie checks her pulse, her airways, and the contusion on her head. She says it’s superficial, but the extreme bleeding is normal in that area. I’m freaking out. My family surrounds us and everything starts to sound mumbled. I’m drunk and high. I can’t comprehend this is really happening. I haven’t even thought about the possibility of Liv and the baby being injured, because I’m so angry I could hurt her myself if given the opportunity.

  She’s attempted to take even more away from me, because she’s psycho. She’s a spoiled rotten little bitch who has always gotten what she wants, all except for my heart. All my love for her left the moment she seduced me.
r />   We have to keep Tamsyn in the same position until paramedics arrive. Cammie is telling me she’s going to go in the ambulance instead of me, and I’m pissed about it, not considering she has the capability to save her life if the situation becomes dire.

  My father is pulling me away from Tamsyn. I’m kicking and yelling, so much that Uncle Colt has to help him hold me back.

  I hear the sirens and then see a few family members waving them into the right place. They hurry out and realize there are two potential victims. One paramedic gets the rundown from my sister, while the others rushes in the direction of still humming vehicle.

  My mom is front of me trying to settle me down, while my dad and uncle keep a tight hold on me. Callie comes my way after being over at the car crash. I already know it’s not a good sign. In the distance I can see Wes over there with his sister. They haven’t moved her from the car. There are more sirens coming into the ranch, so I’m assuming another town has had to respond because there are more people involved.

  Then I hear it; the sound no one at an accident site wants to experience. The bright lights are shining down, looking for a place to land. One of the girls is being airlifted. One of them could be in danger of losing their lives. I’m frantic. I can’t control the emotions my body and mind are trying to comprehend.

  People are running around, paramedics bringing stretchers and apparatus to work on each victim. It’s a fucking catastrophe.

  My eyes meet with Wes’ and for the first time in weeks we’re on the same page, petrified of what could happen, both of us knowing we’re going to need each other to get through this. At least now he believes me. His sister is out of control.

  The next few minutes are chaotic. The helicopter lands and heads in the direction of the garage. I watch Tamsyn being secured on a gurney, her neck put in a special brace to keep her from being able to move during transport. Two medical workers lift her and begin to load her into the back of the ambulance, my sister close behind. She looks at me and nods. “I’ll take good care of her.”

  I trust in her. She knows how much Tamsyn means to me. Cammie will do her damndest to make sure she’s going to be okay.

  As the first ambulance pulls away, I make a beeline toward the car, because obviously Liv is the one in a life threatening position, and I’m about to find out why. The car sits halfway in the old building, and there’s a metal rod going through the windshield. As I get closer I see the gut-wrenching details come into view. Liv is impaled. The metal rod is pinning her into the seat. She’s unconscious. Wes has his hands on the top of his head. His eyes are fixed on the scene. This is his little sister. If it were any of mine I’d be in the same dumbfounded stare. He can’t help her. All he can do is watch and pray she’s okay.

  I say nothing to him as they cut open the roof of the car and proceed to work fast to remove her from the vehicle. They’ve pulled out a saw and proceed to cut the rod so they don’t have to remove it until she’s in an operating room.

  Wes gets closer. “Is she breathing?” No one answers. “Is she breathing. That’s my sister. Tell me she’s breathing.”

  I hold onto the back of him until he concedes and falls against me. He’s crying like a baby. I know how it feels to let it all out, so I lift my arms and hold him. I can’t apologize. I can’t say anything. I don’t even know if there would be the right words to express how awful this is, especially coming from me.

  The ambulance with Tamsyn is taking off. I need to go, but I can’t until Liv is removed and secure in the helicopter. Wes will surely ride with her, and they’ll transport her to a larger facility that can handle this type of injury.

  It feels like it’s taking forever, but they slowly free her from the seatbelt and get her onto a stretcher. Then it’s go time. They almost run to get her into the helicopter. Wes takes off, jumping in at the last minute. I can feel someone pulling on my arm as I watch them lift off. My mom is calling my name. “Josh, we need to go.”

  Then it’s on. We’re running toward my truck, other family members scattering for their vehicles. Everyone wants to get to the hospital.

  My dad drives, because let’s face it, I’m in no condition to be behind the wheel. The truck smells like marijuana, but neither address it. Something is way more important than my bad habits.

  My parents start asking questions before we’re off the ranch. “How did this happen? Was it on purpose?” Dad wants to know.

  “Liv saw Tamsyn and ran her down. It all happened so fast.”

  “Why would she do that? Why was Liv here in the first place? Did you invite her?” Mom inquires.

  “I didn’t invite her. She came to run her mouth, oh and to tell me that she’s thinking about moving to Paris. Apparently she put in for some internship a while back. I guess she got it, or hopes she will, not that it matters now.”

  “Don’t talk like that, Josh. She’s Wes’ sister and the mother of your child.”

  “So we’ve been told. I’m sorry, I just don’t believe it. Frankly, I’m tired of feeling obligated to stand by her. She’s a piece of shit. Look at what she did out of jealousy. If Tamsyn…” I can’t even finish, because saying it makes it possible.

  “She’s going to be okay, Josh. We have the lord on our side,” my mom says.

  I sit in the passenger seat and look forward. We haven’t caught up to the ambulance yet. My nerves are shot. My head is pounding. I need to see Tamsyn; to know she’s going to be okay. I keep running the accident through my mind, trying to figure out if the impact was enough to cause life threatening injuries. I’m unsure. My mind is awry. I’m unable to comprehend it all.

  My mom rubs my shoulder from the seat behind me. “You need to remain calm until we arrive.”

  “What if she wakes up and I’m not there?”

  “You will be there. Let the medical workers do their jobs first, Josh. I know it’s hard to wait, but you need to have faith. Tamsyn is strong and healthy. If anyone can survive something like this it’s her. What you need to do is give me the number to her parents. They need to know she’s been in an accident so they can meet us at the hospital. If I call now they might be there at the same time we arrive.”

  I hand my mom my cell phone. I never keep it locked, so she’s able to navigate to find the number, especially since I have them listed as Tamsyn’s Dad and Tamsyn’s Mom.

  I hear my mom talking. She doesn’t give details, but tells them where the ambulance is taking her. When the call ends she hands me back the device. “They’re going to meet us. Her dad just got home. He said they can be there in ten minutes.”

  Tamsyn’s family lives much closer to town, so in this case I’m glad they can meet us. She’s going to need all of us.

  When we arrive we spot them rushing into the facility. We gather around a triage desk and wait to speak to someone about getting information on Tamsyn. After waiting a few minutes for a response, we’re led to the main waiting room and told someone would come and get us shortly.

  Shortly in a hospital isn’t the same as the meaning in the dictionary. It’s been an hour. We’re pacing. Her parents are crying and holding each other. They’ve come to me for answers, but I kept them vague on account of it being mostly my fault.

  My mom and dad have gone and gotten coffee and sit side by side sipping it, while my aunts and uncles are all here, quietly waiting on some news. Finally my sister comes out from the emergency department. She’s got blood on her shirt, a poised look her face. Her gaze is on mine. “Tamsyn has suffered a head injury. She’s got a broken collarbone and a fractured shoulder with extensive contusions on her thigh and forehead. Right now the doctors are worried about swelling in the brain. It’s common for trauma patients.”

  Her mom cuts in. “Can we see her?”

  “She’s been moved to intensive care. Only family members are permitted.”

  God it’s hurts. All I want to do is see her. I watch her parents being led by my sister, while I sit back down in my seat and sulk.

 
Cammie comes back out as soon as she’s finished showing Tamsyn’s parents where they can find her. I can tell she’s stressed out. “I need someone to give me a ride to the other hospital.”

  Most of us stand up, but I’m the one that speaks. “Did you hear from Wes?”

  She nods.

  “Damn it, Cam, tell us.”

  “She’s still in surgery. He doesn’t know anything yet.”

  “What about the baby?” Mom questions.

  “I have nothing to report. Maybe once I get there I can talk to the nurses. Wes is freaking out. His grandfather won’t answer the phone, and his mom is coming from Maryland.”

  Uncle Ty offers. “We’ll ride you.”

  Cam gives me a hug. “I’m so sorry for this, Josh. I hope she wakes up soon. Keep me posted, okay?”

  As I watch my sister leave the hospital my heart breaks for what she and Wes are going through. There was a time when Liv meant everything to me. I waited years for her to realize I could be everything she needed. Now it all seems foreign and improbable. I’ve wasted too much time on the wrong person, but it doesn’t change the fact that I want her to be okay. She could be carrying my child. This is devastating for my whole family.

  It’s been hours. We’ve heard nothing. Ever since Cammie left, we’ve been sitting around wondering if her parents are going to give us some news. Finally, at nearly two in the morning, I see her father surface. He’s waving in my direction. “Josh, come on back.”

  I don’t worry about the rest of my family. I’m being granted permission to see Tamsyn and nothing is going to stop me. We’re in an elevator when he first begins speaking. “She hasn’t woken up yet. The doctor just came in and said he expects it any time. They’re monitoring her brain activity and so far it’s strong. He says it’s common for head injury victims to take their time waking up.”

  “How did you manage to get me access? They said only family.”

  “The nurse gave us a bag of Tamsyn’s belongings she had on her. There was a ring in a box with a letter.”