Prove Me Wrong

by Gemma Hart

  “Does this hospital have a helipad?” Jason asked, his expression clearly focused on some kind of plan that was still beyond Kat.

  The doctor nodded. “We’ve notified Roseton. They are three hours south of us but they have a much larger hospital and a very well-respected oncology specialist is also there. We think Dillon will have the best fighting chance there.”

  Kat looked up between the doctor and Jason. “What?” she said, trying to whip her wits together. “Helipad?”

  Jason nodded. “They can helicopter Dillon to the bigger hospital. It’ll be faster than driving,” he explained in a steady voice. He seemed to know just what kind of whirlwind she was experiencing.

  Kat looked at Dillon’s pale face, so thin and gaunt against the white and blue hospital sheets. Dillon was almost as tall as Malcolm, certainly taller than her, but in the bed, he looked so frail and small.

  “Is it safe to helicopter him in his condition?” she asked.

  “It’s the best hope he has for a real fighting chance,” Dr. Saunders replied.

  Kat stared at her baby brother. She remembered when he had been born. She remembered holding his tiny swaddled baby body in his arms, falling madly in love with this tiny creature. She had changed his diapers, bandaged his scraped knees, and had been the one to rent him his prom tux.

  This was her little Dill.

  She couldn’t lose him. Not after losing mom. And she had never had her dad. And she had just lost her beloved Uncle Do.

  She couldn’t lose Dillon.

  She looked up at Jason, her eyes shining with her fierce love.

  “You won’t,” he said firmly. “You’re not going to lose Dillon.” He gave her the benefit of a good hard look that somehow gave her spine a little more courage. “You won’t.”

  Kat drew in a shaky breath.

  Finally she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “And how do I get to the Roseton?”

  “With me,” Jason answered immediately. “I’ll drive you. We’ll follow right behind the chopper.”

  Kat gave Dillon’s hand another good squeeze. “Be brave, Dilly,” she whispered. “You’re going to get better. I know it. Just be brave for a little longer.”

  And after giving him a soft kiss on the forehead, Kat stood up and followed Dr. Saunders so she could sign the forms to give consent to have Dillon moved to Roseton.

  Chapter Twenty One

  The entire drive to Roseton had been a quiet one. Although the roads had been relatively free of traffic and Jason had done the driving, Kat felt like she had just run a marathon. By the time she reached the large hospital, her legs felt like jello and her shoulders were aching from being too tense.

  And all the while, Jason had driven with precise speed. He hadn’t been reckless but he hadn’t dawdled either. He made sure they made it to the hospital in record time. Sporadically through the drive, a soft buzzing sound echoed from Jason’s pocket.

  His phone.

  Kat wanted to tell him to take the calls. It was probably his workers needing his input on something. But Jason ignored every call and instead focused completely on driving as quickly as he could to Roseton.

  Throughout the drive, Kat had stared out the window, not seeing anything that passed by. Her hands were fisted on her lap, her fingers so numb, she could hardly feel them.

  Jason reached over and had enveloped one of her cold fists with his large warm hand. He gave her a small squeeze while keeping his eyes on the road. Nothing was said but no words had been needed.

  She knew he was there.

  And that was all she needed to know.

  ***

  Car parked, Kat had rushed into the emergency room.

  “Ryans, Dillon,” Kat had blurted out to the first nurse she saw. “I’m looking for Dillon Ryans. He was brought here by helicopter from Peytonville General.”

  Jason and Kat were soon led to the Roseton ICU and were introduced to Dr. Greene, a man in his late fifties with dark gray hair and frameless glasses.

  After Kat made sure Dillon had been properly situated in his new hospital bed, she followed the doctor out into the wide and sterile hospital hallway.

  “Miss Ryan, I want to assure you that we’re going to do everything possible to fight this infection,” Dr. Greene said. He was not a smiling man but she could tell he was a compassionate man. His words held a true conviction of a doctor hell bent on making sure his patients get the best care.

  “How long…” Kat swallowed, not letting her eyes stray towards the ICU door. “How long before he will wake up?”

  Dr. Greene pressed his lips together, thinking. “Well, I’m sure Dr. Saunders has told you that the coma was his body’s own defense mechanism kicking in. We need to help him fight this infection so his own immunity can restore his bodily functions.”

  Kat nodded, understanding yet not comprehending. Adrenaline was still coursing through her.

  “What can we do in the meanwhile then, doctor?” Jason asked, taking up the questioning. Kat felt grateful that he was able to ask the truly important question she knew she had wanted to ask but her mind had seemed incapable of asking.

  The soft buzzing came again from Jason’s pocket. Kat looked down at his pocket, where a dim light shone through his jeans and then looked up at him, eyes questioning why he wasn’t picking up.

  Dr. Greene had heard it too but Jason gave his head a quick shake, indicating he was not interested in any calls right now.

  “Right now, your support and love is the best thing for Dillon,” Dr. Greene said in a quiet but warm voice. “I know it’s hard standing by but you’re doing so much for his health by letting him know he is loved and worried over. You’d be surprised how much that kind of knowledge in a patient helps his recovery. He’s in a coma but that doesn’t mean he can’t hear.” He paused and gave Kat a serious look that meant for her to believe him. “He knows you’re here.”

  Kat felt hot tears fall at his words.

  The doctor gave her a rundown of the medication they would be giving Dillon. Right now, they had to watch him carefully since his immunity was already weakened by his chemotherapy. This treatment would be a balancing act between medication to fight off his infection and sterility in keeping his compromised immunity safe.

  “Thank you, doctor,” she said.

  Dr. Greene gave her a warm handshake before quickly heading down the hall towards his next patient and his next case.

  Jason and Kat went back into the ICU. The hushed room was full of soft shuffling nurses and cold, mechanical whirs and beeps.

  Kat took a seat next to Dillon’s bed, immediately reaching for her brother’s hand. She kissed the back of his hand and whispered, “Hey, Dill. I’m here.”

  She waited for a moment, knowing it was impossible that he could reply but half hoping he would.

  But all she heard was the steady beeping of his heart monitor and the whirs of his intubation.

  Kat turned towards Jason who stood behind her. “Jason, you don’t have to stay,” she said. “Thank you for driving me but I can’t keep you from—”

  “You think I’m going to leave you and Dillon in a hospital miles away from home?” he replied, brow raised as if daring her to think so. “I’m not leaving this hospital until I’ve seen Dillon give you a good whine about missing the experience of riding a helicopter.”

  Kat’s lips trembled as she smiled. She had wanted him to stay. God, she had wanted him to stay but she couldn’t ask more from this man when he had already done so much. He had almost singlehandedly saved her town, for heaven’s sake! Could she really ask more from him?

  “He really will be disappointed about that, won’t he?” she asked, thankful to be talking about his recovery as if it was an inevitability.

  Jason grinned. “Pissed, more like,” he said.

  Kat gave a shaky laugh, something the walls of the ICU ward very rarely heard.

  A soft buzzing echoed again.

  Kat looked at his glowing pocket. “You should ta
ke it,” she said. “It could be the guys at Doughy’s.”

  Jason’s lips pressed together as if debating whether he should in fact take the call or not. Kat was surprised. He was usually a very diligent boss and was always on hand for his men.

  He finally nodded. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  He pressed a kiss on her forehead before stepping out into the hall.

  Kat turned back to Dillon.

  “Wake up,” she bribed, “and I promise you can ride the helicopter back to Peytonville.”

  Kat closed her eyes, imagining Dillon fighting valiantly against the invading germs to win that chopper ride.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  “They can send the contract over immediately,” Al said over the phone. “All you need to do is sign and you’re good to go.”

  “That was fast,” Jason said, not entirely pleased.

  “Well they heard the work you did in Peytonville,” Al said, sounding just as disappointed. “They heard you worked on remodeling an entire town and are now quite keen to have Brothers on their project.”

  Jason didn’t respond, unsure what he should even say.

  Al took the moment to express his own thoughts, which he no problems speaking out. “This is a mistake,” he said bluntly.

  Jason breathed out harshly, making the line crackle but Al pressed forward. “You’ve made a home for yourself in Peytonville. You’ve got friends. You’ve got a family. You’ve got a girl. You don’t need this contract.”

  There was a huge development project for a new suburb in Kentucky. Somehow the developers there had heard about Brothers Construction. They had immediately gotten in contact with Jason. They had offered a lucrative contract with very generous terms.

  All Jason had to do was sign.

  He had gotten the offer a few days ago but had been putting it off. He could feel that his heart had already run away from him. It belonged completely and totally to Kat.

  But his mind had not taken leave of its senses yet. He knew that if he truly loved that beautiful, wonderful woman, he would do right by her. And doing right by her didn’t necessarily mean staying with her. That had been the plan from the start.

  He had come to town to help Kat. And that was it.

  Except now, his heart had grown greedy. He wasn’t satisfied and wanted more. He wanted her.

  Jason sighed. “Al,” he started. “You know why I can’t stay. Why I shouldn’t stay.”

  “Because you think you’re not fit for decent people?” Al demanded. “Because you think you’re too damaged and too deranged? Keep exiling yourself and you really will be.” It was Al’s turn to sigh. “Listen, kid. The universe gave you the ultimate gift. They gave you an angel on earth. They want you to know that broken men like us might still be worth a damn.”

  But Al had never married. He hadn’t had anything resembling a relationship in nearly a decade. And before then, all his relationships had been volatile and crazy with someone always being hurt.

  How was Jason any different from Al?

  “You’re not as looney as me, pal,” Al said, interrupting Jason’s thoughts. “So don’t get any clever ideas of trying to seem more pathetic.” He gave a dry snort. “Listen, I never had the strength you did. That’s the god’s honest truth. A few years ago, I never would’ve admitted that. Hell, maybe a few months ago, I still wouldn’t have. But seeing you about to throw away the best thing that will ever happen in your life has made me an honest man.” He paused. “To an extent.”

  “Jesus, Al, you know that—”

  “You want to learn how to sleep without a gun under your pillow or a knife by your side? You want to learn how to shower without your shoulders hunched? How to open a door without your neck as tight as a twig?” Al demanded, clearly more than familiar with the lifestyle of a haunted soldier. “You give that girl, that miraculous and brave girl, a chance at your heart.”

  Jason leaned an arm against a wall. “You think it’s that simple? One girl can heal everything?” He hadn’t meant to sound so cynical but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t going to risk Kat’s heart and possibly safety just for his own selfish needs.

  “No, asshole,” Al returned. “Just like you can’t heal every wound she has in her heart. But you can support each other, ease the pain and the weight. Why do they throw two men in a foxhole? So there’s always someone looking out for you, watching your back. We’re meant to be paired. And you can’t find a better partner to be in a foxhole with than that girl.”

  Jason squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to plug his ears and jam his heart against Al’s words.

  Of course he wanted to stay. But he was no fool. He’d had years to learn as to the extent of his damage. His brokenness. And just how dangerous all of that was.

  Sure, it sounded good—so damn good—to stay with Kat in Peytonville. But what kind of life would he be condemning her to if he stayed? What kind of sleepless and dangerous life?

  “Have them send the contract,” Jason finally said. “Tell them we can be in Kansas within their timeline.”

  He heard Al give frustrated sigh before hanging up.

  Jason ran a hand roughly through his hair as he told himself he was doing the right thing.

  As he turned around to rejoin Kat, he found her standing by the corner, two paper cups of coffee in her hands and a look of wounded shock on her face.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  “You’re leaving?” she said, her voice sounding hollow.

  Jason bit his lip, looking unsure as to whether to confirm or deny the call. “Not for awhile,” he finally said.

  She gave a sharp release of breath, as if she had just remembered to exhale.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she finally asked. “Why didn’t you tell me you were planning to—”

  She stopped. But he had. Neighborhood repairman, remember? He had told her that he would only be in town to work and then would be moving on out.

  But after all that had happened, Kat had forgotten that part. She had assumed that he had grown just as fond of Peytonville and of her as she had of him.

  Jason ran his hand again through his hair, clearing trying to untangle whatever thoughts were running through his head.

  “The job was offered just recently. I hadn’t known for long,” he said.

  Kat stared at him, feeling ridiculous with the two coffees in her hands. “But you knew last night?” she said, the question spoken as more of a statement.

  Jason stared at her. “Yes,” he admitted quietly.

  He had known he would be leaving when they had finally made love together. Kat could hardly believe what she was hearing. She could not have been the only one feeling their connection. It had been so strong, so undeniable for it to have been one sided.

  Jason took a step forward. “Kat, why don’t we talk about this later. We should go back—”

  Kat took a step back, shaking her head as she looked at Jason with the most profound look of betrayal. “No. No, we need to talk about this now,” she said. “If you’re going to leave, I want to talk about this right now.”

  Jason looked at Kat helplessly. “This isn’t just for me, the new job, I mean. This is…This is something that I think is the best for both of us,” he finished lamely, clearly unable to voice his thoughts in a convincing manner.

  Kat squinted in confusion. “What does that even mean? What is the best for both of us?”

  “Distance,” he answered abruptly, surprising himself and clearly surprising Kat.

  “You want distance,” Kat replied, her voice soft and hollow.

  Jason grimaced at how horribly wrong the words sounded coming from her. He looked at her almost pleadingly as he said, “As asshole-ish as this is going to sound, the distance is to keep you safe.”

  Kat shook her head. “Safe from what?” she demanded.

  “From me.”

  Kat stared at the man in front of her. This was the man that had so charmed her with his fierceness a
nd naiveté two years ago. This was the man that had also saved her town two years later, remembering how much it meant to her. He was also the man that had won over her brothers, transformed Doughy Pop’s, and had so completely and fully entered her heart.

  “You’re not dangerous,” she whispered, meaning it.

  Jason gave a caustic huff of a laugh as he shook his head, looking as if he wished her words were true.