“He’ll put his back out again,” Matthew half joked, as they watched Paul hug his wife and explain what had happened.
Jenny burst into tears.
“Oh, hell,” Matthew muttered. “Dad hates it when mom starts crying. He gets all choked up and doesn’t know what to do. We’d better go and help.”
Another truck pulled up beside them and Sean ran toward his parents. “Looks like you’re too late.” Before Amy had unclipped her seatbelt, Matthew shot out of the truck and joined his family. The circle of hugs got wider, with Alex joining in for good measure.
Amy sat inside the cab, watching the snow fall on a family that meant so much to her. When she’d been sixteen, Jenny and Paul had given her more than a roof over her head. They’d opened up their hearts, shown her another way to live. Another way to love.
Some of the Gray men’s mule-headedness must have rubbed off on her. Nine years was way too long to work out what it all meant.
Amy jumped as a hand tapped on the window beside her face.
“Are you ready to join the party?”
Brett Forster stared down at her, a grin spreading across his face. Amy zipped her jacket up and opened her door.
“Are you okay?”
Amy nodded. “Better now that I’m here.”
“I came straight to the ranch when we got the call to help look for Nathan. I volunteer with the County Search and Rescue Team. One of the other guys brought the four-wheeler back so I gave Sean and Alex a ride.
Jenny walked toward Amy and gave her a big hug. “I’ve done nothing but bake since you left to find Nathan. Go inside and have something to eat. You too, Brett. Paul’s organizing one of the ranch hands to look after Chan and then we’re going to the hospital. Do you want to wake Catherine up and come with us, Amy?”
She wanted to see Nathan, but after everything that had happened she needed to look after her sister. “I’ll stay with Catherine.” She told herself Nathan was in the best possible place. That he’d only be allowed a few people in the room at a time. That he probably wouldn’t even know she wasn’t there.
It didn’t make it any easier. “I’ll see him tomorrow. Give me a call and let me know how he is.”
“I’ll do that. Now go inside and enjoy the warmth. And tell Matthew that Alex decided to go home while the roads are still open.” Jenny gave Amy one last kiss before leaving.
Amy walked across the yard with Brett, stomping her feet on the door mat before walking inside. The house was warm and smelled like chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon, all rolled into one delicious cookie. With a sigh she sat down on the bench in the hallway, leaning her head against the wall. Her eyes drifted shut. She could hear Matthew and Sean in the kitchen, the wind howling outside.
“Hey, sleepyhead. Come and get something to eat.”
Amy pried her eyes open, smiling at Brett. “I don’t know if I can make it into the kitchen.”
“There’s one way to fix that.”
Before Amy could figure out what he meant, he’d hoisted her over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift. “Put me down. I can walk.”
“That’s not what you told me two seconds ago,” he puffed. “You’re heavier than you look.”
Amy stopped wiggling long enough to pinch his back.
“You’ll have to try harder than that to dent my ego. I’ve still got four layers of clothes on.”
Brett rolled her off his shoulder and into a chair in the kitchen. Matthew and Sean stared at them with stunned expressions on their faces.
Amy looked between the brothers. “What?”
Sean cleared his throat. “Nothing. Have mom and dad gone to the hospital?”
“They left a few minutes ago.”
Matthew put a bowl of stew in front of her. “Mom had this cooking in the oven. The garlic bread’s on the table.”
Amy couldn’t believe the number of dishes sitting in front of her, each filled with all kinds of sweet and savory treats. “Your mom wasn’t kidding when she said she’d been baking. There’s enough food here to feed an army.”
“Mom brought us up with old fashioned values,” Matthew said with a scowl directed at Brett. “Family, food and friendship. As long as people don’t overstay their welcome it’s a good combination.”
Brett put the plate he was holding on the table. “Are you telling me I’ve overstayed my welcome?”
“Of course he isn’t.” Amy kept a watchful eye on Matthew. He’d puffed his chest out like a rooster looking for a good fight. “You can sit beside me, Brett.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll take a rain check on dinner. Take care of yourself.”
Amy glared at Matthew before following Brett out of the room. “You don’t have to go.”
He pushed his feet into his boots. “I think I do. Try and get plenty of sleep. I guarantee you’ll feel better in the morning.”
She watched in silence as Brett pulled on his jacket. “I’m sorry about Sean and Matthew. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.”
“They’re protecting what’s theirs.”
“That’s silly. I’m not theirs.”
“No, but family is family. Can I ask you a question?”
Amy picked up Brett’s hat and passed it to him. “As long as it’s not too difficult, you can ask me anything.” He nodded, taking his time to form the words she could see mulling around his head.
“The thing is...I got the impression Nathan wasn’t impressed seeing me in the café the other day. Are you two seeing each other?”
“Seeing each other?” Amy echoed. She doubted what she felt for Nathan could be summed up so easily. For years she’d made sure she saw as little as possible of him. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
“It’s complicated.”
“The best things usually are,” Brett said. He lifted his hat to his head and straightened the brim. “If Nathan’s half as bright as he keeps telling me, he’ll make things less complicated real fast. This doesn’t change our bet for the race on Saturday, though. I’ll find you at the finish line to collect my twenty bucks.”
Amy held the front door open. “Dream on, cowboy. Our team’s going to beat the socks off yours.”
“We’ll see.” Brett smiled as he stepped onto the porch. “If I find any chickens lying on the side of the road I’ll come and rescue you.”
“Turkeys,” Amy yelled down the steps after him. “We’ll be dressed as turkeys.”
She closed the door and leaned against the old wood, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Nothing about today had been normal. From the minute she’d stepped into the meeting room with her mom, her whole world had turned topsy-turvy.
“I’m sorry.” Matthew stood in the hallway with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“It’s not me who deserves an apology.”
“This is ridiculous.” Matthew said quickly. “I thought you and Nathan had finally realized you’re meant for each other. Even Sean thought something was going on and he’s about as perceptive as a dried prune. So what’s going on with Brett? He keeps turning up and making himself at home.”
“He does not,” Amy spluttered. “And even if he did, he’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, but he’s not your guy. Or have you given up on my brother?”
Amy unzipped her jacket and pushed it over the hook on the wall. She sat down on the seat, too tired to even scowl at Matthew. “I haven’t given up on anyone.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Sean stuck his head around the edge of the doorframe. “Have you apologized yet? My dinner’s getting cold and I can’t eat on an upset stomach.”
Matthew pushed his hands into his pockets. “Nothing gets in the way of your stomach and mom’s home cooking.”
“Except your smart mouth,” Sean said. “Amy has had a tough day, so leave her alone.” He glanced across at Amy with a sad look in his eyes. “Sally told me what happened. I’m sorry your mom left.”
Matth
ew looked between Sean and Amy. “What are you talking about?”
“Amy’s mom went back to California. She doesn’t want Catherine.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Matthew asked.
“Jeez, little brother. You can be so thick sometimes. How would you feel if mom decided she wanted nothing to do with you?”
“For the record I’m only five minutes younger than you are and I’d feel stink.” He sunk down on the seat beside Amy. “I’m sorry your mom left.”
Tears welled in Amy’s eyes.
“Oh man,” Sean moaned. “Look what you’ve done now. You’ve made her cry.”
“Shut up,” Matthew hissed. “You’re not helping.” A big paw of a hand rested on Amy’s shoulder, patting her like a lost puppy. “Everything will be alright.”
“You don’t know that,” Amy said softly, wiping at the tears streaming down her face. “First mom rejects us, then Nathan goes missing, and then I figure out I love him. And he loves me. And he could have died. And we wouldn’t have gotten married and had babies. My life’s a complete mess.”
Matthew pulled her into his chest, wrapping her shaking body in warmth. “You’re exhausted. Nathan’s as tough as old nails and won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.”
He looked over her shoulder at Sean. “Don’t just stand there. Get Amy something to drink.”
Amy didn’t hear Sean leave or see the glare he directed at Matthew. All she knew was that everything had suddenly become too hard on her own. She held onto Matthew and for the first time in her life cried until there were no tears left.
“Sit up and have a drink. It’ll make you feel better.” Matthew lifted Amy off his chest, handing her a rose patterned tea cup. He sniffed the cup before letting go and frowned at Sean. “This isn’t tea. You’ll get her drunk on this much whiskey.”
“At least she’ll get a good night’s sleep.”
Amy yawned so wide that she felt her jaw click. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
“Come on then,” Matthew said as he pulled her to her feet. “Food and then sleep. Sean and I will look after the whiskey.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Amy stood in the doorway of room 210. Nathan was gazing out the window over the snow covered grounds of the hospital. His left arm rested in a sling and the side of his face looked battered and bruised. She took a deep breath and blinked back the sheen of tears filling her eyes.
All night she’d tried not to think about what would come next. With the same certainty that turned night to day, she knew Nathan would avoid any mention of loving her. He could have died last night. Desperation, gratitude and coming face to face with your own mortality made people say things they regretted later. Things that seemed important at the time, but became an embarrassment in the calm of everyday life.
“Hi, stranger,” Amy whispered.
Nathan turned his head, his blue eyes flaring with a rush of emotion that froze her in the middle of the room.
He waited, a frown deepening across his face. “You can come closer. I’m not contagious.”
Amy took another step forward, and then another, stopping at the foot of the bed. His eyes never left her face, never gave her time to compose her features into anything other than the truth. She was scared. Scared and hopelessly in love.
“You’ve grazed your chin.”
Amy lifted her hand to her face before she realized what she was doing. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt much.”
Nathan moved, his grunt of pain bringing Amy to his side. “I want to raise my bed so I can see you properly. Can you pass me the button? I can’t reach it.”
She moved across to a small wooden table and handed the plastic control to Nathan. His fingers brushed her hand and she nearly leapt out of her skin. “How...how are you feeling?”
Nathan looked disappointed. “A lot better than last night. The doctors were able to realign my nose without surgery. My ribs and left shoulder took a bit of a hammering, but they’ll be alright in a few months.” He pushed the red button and half the bed began to rise, sitting him upright against his pillows. He leaned forward, reaching behind him with his good arm to move a pillow.
“I can do that for you,” Amy said. “Do you want me to take it away completely?”
Nathan nodded. “When do you start work?”
Amy glanced down at the ID card pinned to her white coat. “In about fifteen minutes. I thought I’d come and see you first.” She moved to the foot of the bed and picked up his chart, slipping into the role of doctor before he got a chance to say he was sorry. That he hadn’t meant what he’d said last night. That he didn’t want to get involved with a commitment phobic woman with an eleven month old sister and a less than perfect past.
“How’s your back?” she asked.
“Bruised but fine. Doc Johnson came and saw me this morning and told me I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck. With any luck I’ll be home tomorrow. I heard you had a rough time with your mom yesterday.”
The wall she’d started building came crashing down. Amy closed the chart and dropped it into its holder. “She’s gone home to San Francisco.” She grabbed hold of the metal rail, holding on tight. “I didn’t even know she’d moved. How sad is that?”
“I’d say it was normal for your mom.”
“I guess you’re right,” Amy sighed. “She’s signed a court order giving up her parental rights to Catherine. In a few months I’ll be Catherine’s legal guardian.”
“How does that make you feel?”
“Relieved.”
“And?”
Amy bit the inside of her lip to stop it from trembling. “Hurt.”
Nathan moved to the edge of the bed, wincing as his shoulders settled against the sheets. He held his hand out. “Come and sit beside me.”
Amy wiped her eyes, then slowly moved around the bed. Nathan patted the mattress, holding her hand as she sat beside him.
“Why are you hurting? You want Catherine to live permanently with you.”
Amy looked down at their hands, still linked together. “I thought mom would at least want to keep in contact with us. I’m twenty-seven-years-old and I still expect her to change. I want her to be a part of my life.” She let go of Nathan’s hand and pulled a tissue out of her pocket. “And now it’s all over. When the judge signs the court papers we won’t see her again for a long time. Maybe never.”
“Catherine loves you. You’ll build a life with her that doesn’t leave room for regret.”
Nathan’s hand lifted a strand of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear with a gentleness that tore at her heart. She blew her nose and took a deep breath. “I want you to know that I appreciate what you said last night about...well...the fact that you care about me.” Amy’s voice petered out to a quiet whisper in the hospital room. “I like you too, but I know that traumatic situations make people say things they don’t mean.”
“Traumatic situations?” Nathan’s eyebrows shot so far north that she wondered what kept them plastered to the top of his head. “I fell off my horse.”
“You could have died,” Amy spluttered, furious that he didn’t realize how lucky he was to be alive. “If Chan hadn’t stayed at the top of the bank, Alex and Sean wouldn’t have found you.”
“If it hadn’t been for Chan, I wouldn’t be here.”
Amy jumped off the bed. “You’re blaming a horse?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Of all the lame brain excuses she’d ever heard, that just about topped the lot. “What about riding out there in the first place? Most people would have stayed at home in the middle of a storm, especially when they’re still recovering from a serious injury.”
“There wasn’t a storm when I started out. And it’s been nine months since the fire. Mom and dad are leaving soon and I still can’t do everything I need to do.”
“You don’t need to do everything.” Amy threw her arms wide. “That’s what family’s for. You’re just too stubborn to ask for help.�
��
Nathan clutched his chest. “I’m in pain. It’s my heart...”
Amy leapt forward, dropping the bed flat with the flick of a lever.
“Ow,” Nathan roared, “My shoulder.”
Amy leaned forward, shoving her stethoscope into her ears and placing the cold chest piece against the hospital gown. “Be quiet and tell me where it hurts.”
“Higher,” Nathan moaned.
Amy moved the stethoscope half an inch higher, listening to Nathan’s rapid heartbeat.
“Higher.”
If she went much higher she wouldn’t be anywhere near his heart. She lifted her gaze to Nathan’s face and frowned at the dimple in his cheek.
“You might need to kiss me better.”
She blinked, looked down at the stethoscope, then back at Nathan’s face. “You lied?”
He lifted his hand to her mouth, running the tip of his finger along her bottom lip. “I’ve got a serious case of heartache. And there’s only one person that can help.”
Amy pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and left it on top of the bed. “Do you know how corny that sounds?”
The dimple in Nathan’s cheek deepened. “It’s the best I could come up with.” His smile turned to a scowl. “Remind me not to smile. My lip feels like it’s going to split open again.”
“No kisses for Nathan.”
“We could try,” he said with a hopeful note in his voice.
Amy leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “We’ll see.” She reached for the red control button and lifted the bed into a sitting position.
“I don’t want you to like me, Amy.” Brown eyes locked with blue.
“You don’t?” She didn’t trust the gleam in his eye, or the half-smile that lifted the corner of his mouth into something a girl should step carefully around.
“I want to know that you love me as much as I love you.”
“Oh.” Amy sat on the bed before her knees gave out.
“That’s not what I was hoping to hear.”
Forever in Love (Montana Brides) Page 22