Aidan: Loyal Cowboy: Aidan: Loyal CowboyThe Family Plan

by Cathy McDavid

  “All set.” At the signal, the EMTs lifted Mandy and started carrying her down the mountain to the waiting helicopter.

  Chase walked beside Mandy, still holding on to her hand. Jolyn followed, leading Sinbad. The posse members had led Matilda down the mountain earlier and were waiting several hundred feet up the road. Their horses stared at the helicopter in fear and distrust. Only their riders’ firm grip on the reins kept them from galloping off.

  Finally, the rescue party reached level ground and approached the helicopter. Jolyn tied Sinbad to a tree.

  There was so much she wanted to say to Chase, so many things in the last day she wished she hadn’t said to him. Scant seconds remained before the EMTs finished loading Mandy, and Chase flew with them to the hospital in Pineville.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Chase interrupted her.

  “Would you see to it Matilda gets home?”

  “Absolutely. Anything else?”

  “No.” He squeezed her arm. “Thank you again for finding Mandy. If we hadn’t been there when that ledge gave way…” He stopped, composed himself.

  “We were there.”

  He nodded, unable to answer her.

  She reached a tentative hand to him and when he opened his arms, she threw herself into his embrace. “I love you,” she whispered, doubting Chase heard her over the roar of the helicopter’s engine.

  “We have to go,” one of the EMTs shouted.

  Chase extracted himself from Jolyn’s hold and, with the EMTs’ help, crawled through the helicopter’s small opening. The pilot motioned Jolyn away.

  She stepped out of range of the whirling blades. Wind blasted her, nearly knocking her off balance. Shielding her face against flying debris with her forearm, she stared as the helicopter ascended. For a brief instant, Chase appeared in a window.

  Jolyn raced up the road to meet the waiting men. She was in a hurry to get to Pineville. Everything that mattered to her was waiting there—her family, the man she wanted to build her future with and a little girl who’d found a big place in Jolyn’s heart.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jolyn arrived at Pineville General Hospital and went straight to outpatient services, where she met her father and brother. She’d learned through several phone calls to Chase’s relatives that Mandy was in surgery and nothing specific was known yet about her condition. She longed to be with him but also wanted to check on her mother. She’d decided to stay a few minutes with her family and then find Chase outside the O.R.

  “How’s Mom?” she asked after hugging her father and brother.

  “She’s in recovery,” her father said. “The doctor came out a little while ago and told us everything went well.”

  “What did he find?”

  “Don’t know. He’s going to talk to all four of us as soon as your mother’s more alert.”

  “What about Mandy?” It was Steven who asked the question. “Did they find her yet?”

  “Yes. A couple of hours ago. She’s here now.”

  “At the hospital?”

  “She’s having surgery.”

  “Oh, jeez. For what?”

  Jolyn filled them in, her agitation increasing with each passing minute. “I’d like to go sit with Chase if you think Mom’s going to be okay. He’s got to be a wreck. You can have me paged when the doctor’s ready to talk to us.”

  At that moment a nurse called their name. She motioned for them to accompany her to the recovery area. Jolyn’s mother lay in a hospital bed, tubes and wires still attached to her and looking very much out of it, though she did greet them with a weak smile.

  “How are you doing, sweetheart?” Jolyn’s father bent and kissed her mother on the forehead.

  “I’ve felt better.”

  Dottie’s doctor stepped around the privacy curtain. “Good. You’re all here.” He closed the curtain behind him.

  Jolyn’s father sat in the only chair, his hand resting protectively atop her mother’s.

  “We’ll start with the bad news first,” the doctor said, “and then get to the good news. And that, people, is what I want you to focus on.” He looked at each of them before continuing. “The lumps definitely aren’t cysts.”

  “Do I have cancer?” Dottie asked in a scratchy voice.

  “We won’t know for sure until the biopsy results come back. I can tell you if you do have cancer, we’ve caught it early. The tumors were small. May even be benign, let’s not jump to conclusions. And based on when you told me you discovered them, they were growing at a very slow rate. We removed them to be on the safe side.”

  “What’s next?” Milt asked, his eyes red and watery.

  The doctor briefly explained the various treatment courses, all of which would depend on the biopsy results. “We’ll talk more at the end of the week. But again—” he patted Dottie’s shoulder “—I’m optimistic. You need to be, too.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Jolyn said, remembering the coin she’d tossed into the fountain at Pineville Medical Center. It looked as if her wish might just come true.

  The doctor shook hands with everyone and then left. A nurse immediately came in to take Dottie’s vitals. “She can leave soon if you want to wait.”

  “I’d like to go see Chase,” Jolyn said.

  “Chase?” her mother said around the thermometer in her mouth.

  “Mandy’s been hurt.”

  “Hurt! How?”

  “Dad and Steven can tell you all about it.”

  “We’ll come find you before we leave,” her father said.

  “Wait.” Dottie struggled to sit up.

  It was Steven who paved the way for Jolyn’s escape. “Let her go, Mom. She should be with Chase right now.”

  Jolyn hadn’t told her brother about her new relationship, but the look he gave her showed that he understood and approved.

  She smiled at him and said, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

  * * *

  EACH TIME ONE of the doors flew open or footsteps sounded in the hallway, Chase leaped from his seat only to sit back down, rest his elbows on his knees and stare at the floor.

  What was taking so long? Mandy had been in surgery for an hour. Or was it two? He couldn’t remember when exactly they’d arrived at the hospital. The helicopter ride had been a big blur.

  More footsteps in the hall. He sprang to his feet again just as Jolyn entered the waiting area.

  He crossed the room to her. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Any news?”

  “Not yet.” His chest constricted painfully.

  He and Jolyn took a seat together. She said hello to his aunt and uncle. Both of his cousins were due to arrive shortly.

  “You’re here.” SherryAnne stared at Jolyn, eyes narrowing when she saw how Chase gripped Jolyn’s hand as if it were a lifeline.

  Jolyn didn’t wilt under SherryAnne’s scrutiny. “I am. My mother had a procedure done this morning.”

  “How is she?” Chase asked.

  “All right. We still have to wait for the biopsy results but the doctor sounded pretty optimistic.”

  “Is she sick?” Susan asked.

  Jolyn apparently decided it was time to put the rumors to rest. “She found some lumps in her breasts.”

  “Oh, dear.” Susan’s expression softened. “If there’s anything we can do, let us know.”

  “Where’s that damn doctor?” SherryAnne got up and began pacing the waiting area. />
  Chase didn’t blame her. Until Jolyn arrived, he’d felt ready to explode. But her presence had calmed his frayed nerves and eased the tension tearing him apart.

  Another hour passed before the double doors burst open and the surgeon who’d operated on Mandy emerged, still wearing his scrubs. Everyone was instantly on their feet. Chase let go of Jolyn’s hand and rushed to meet the surgeon. SherryAnne was right beside him.

  “She’s made it through, and very well under the circumstances,” the surgeon said. “But she’s not out of danger yet. She suffered internal injuries in the fall and was hemorrhaging severely when she arrived. We had to remove her spleen and we’ll be keeping a very close watch on her kidneys, particularly her right one. She also suffered a broken collarbone and a dislocated elbow. Those injuries, however, are minor compared to her internal ones.”

  “Is she going to live?” SherryAnne cried.

  “She’s stable for the moment. The next few hours are very important. She lost a lot of blood. We had only one unit on hand to give her. There was a five-car wreck on the freeway yesterday and we used most of our supply. We put in a request with blood services for replacements. Unfortunately, the shipment won’t arrive for a few hours. Possibly not until this evening.”

  “Can we donate blood?” Chase asked.

  The surgeon frowned. “Donor blood has to be processed before it can be used.” He nodded curtly. “However, we’re a small hospital in a small community. And I’m not against having a backup plan when a life’s on the line.” His glance went from Chase to SherryAnne. “Do you know your blood type?”

  “No,” they said in unison.

  “Not a problem. The lab can type you. I’ll call down and make arrangements. One of you is bound to be compatible.”

  Chase didn’t care who, him or SherryAnne.

  “Someone will check with you shortly, let you know how your daughter’s doing.”

  “Thank you,” Chase said to the surgeon’s retreating back.

  “Just a minute!”

  Everyone turned to see an unsteady Dottie Sutherland enter the waiting area, assisted by her husband. Steven stood behind her, and Chase felt the familiar tightening in his gut.

  “What are you doing here?” Jolyn asked in surprise and alarm.

  “Let Steven donate, too,” Dottie said.

  “No!” Jolyn took a step toward her mother.

  “He could be a match for Mandy.”

  “Mom,” Steven warned her, “this isn’t your concern.”

  “That little girl needs blood. And she could be your daughter. My granddaughter.”

  “She’s not.”

  Milt tried to propel Dottie to a chair. “You said we were just stopping by to talk to Jolyn.”

  “It’s all right.” Chase was surprised to hear his own voice. “Steven should donate, too.”

  “Chase.” Jolyn was instantly next to him, laying a soothing hand on his arm. “You don’t have to.”

  “I do.” He smiled down at her, suddenly filled with certainty that he was doing the right thing. “What matters the most is Mandy. If she needs blood to live, I want her to have it. And I don’t care who the donor is.”

  She stood on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight.

  He lowered his mouth and nuzzled her ear. “I heard you before.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I love you, too,” he whispered.

  She gasped slightly.

  “Come with me to the lab. We can talk while they draw my blood.”

  * * *

  “THEY’LL LET YOU KNOW as soon as we have the results,” the lab technician said crisply.

  Jolyn waited for Chase to finish up. The entire procedure of donating blood hadn’t taken long, thank goodness. She knew he was anxious to get back upstairs and see if there was any word on Mandy’s progress.

  SherryAnne had gone last and was only just then sitting up and drinking from a juice box. Steven was also done but Jolyn suspected he was stalling until Chase left. The two of them stuck in an elevator together would make for some very cramped quarters.

  The ride from the lower-level lab to the O.R. on the second floor seemed to take hours rather than a couple of minutes. Chase practically dragged Jolyn out of the elevator the instant the doors slid open.

  “What’s the latest?” he asked his aunt and uncle.

  “Someone came by about ten minutes ago,” Susan answered. “Said Mandy was holding her own.”

  Not worse, Jolyn thought with relief. She went over to where her parents were sitting. “Maybe you should go home, Mom. You look beat.”

  “I want to stay. At least until we have more news on Mandy. Steven invited us to spend another night at his house.”

  “Okay.” Jolyn wondered if the news her mother anxiously awaited was regarding a compatible donor.

  “I’m not trying to be mean,” Dottie said with sincerity. “I really do love Mandy and want her to recover with all my heart.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Chase answered before Jolyn could. He approached and put an arm around her shoulders. “Because Jolyn and I are getting married.”

  “We are?” she said in unison with everyone else in the room. SherryAnne’s voice was the loudest. She and Steven had only just returned from the lab.

  “As soon as Mandy’s better.” Chase kissed Jolyn lightly on the lips. “That is, if you’re willing to make an honest man out of me.”

  “I am. Oh, I am.” She wrapped her arms around him. “But what if—”

  “Shh.” He silenced her with another kiss. “Nothing is important but me, Mandy and you. The rest will fall into place.”

  He was right. Everything would fall into place. Sutherland Construction, his new clinic, her mother’s health, Mandy’s recovery. It would all work out perfectly. It had to.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Raintree?” In all the commotion, no one had heard Mandy’s surgeon come into the waiting area.

  Chase and SherryAnne both spun around. “Yes?” From opposite ends of the room they converged and then bore down on him.

  “I have an update on your daughter.”

  Everyone went utterly still.

  “Her vitals are good and improving steadily.” The surgeon’s tone and expression remained neutral despite his heartening words. “We should be moving her into the ICU shortly. If she continues to improve I’ll upgrade her condition from critical to guarded.”

  The room let out a collective sigh of relief.

  “She’s one very lucky girl,” the surgeon said. “It’s fortunate you found her when you did.”

  “Yes, it is.” Chase sought out Jolyn’s eyes and the look he gave her expressed his love and gratitude.

  “I don’t think we’ll need to give Mandy another transfusion at this point,” the surgeon continued. “But in a worst-case scenario, I understand one of you is a compatible donor.” He consulted the clipboard he carried. “Mr. Raintree. It’s you.”

  “No one else?” Jolyn’s mother asked from her chair.

  The surgeon shook his head. “Only Mr. Raintree. But I’m fairly certain we won’t be needing any blood. Mandy’s a fighter. I think she’s going to pull through just fine.”

  SherryAnne broke into sobs the second the surgeon left and clung to Chase. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry about everything. I’ve been a lousy mother lately.”

  “So change,” he said, gently disengaging himself. “Mandy loves you. She’ll forget the last
two years.”

  “I was always sure you were her father.” SherryAnne sniffed and wiped her nose. “I wouldn’t have left her with you if I hadn’t been.”

  “You’re welcome to visit anytime, SherryAnne.”

  “What would you say if I quit rodeoing and moved back?”

  “I’d say Mandy would be very happy.”

  “And what about you?”

  Chase reached for Jolyn and pulled her to his side. “I’d be happy for Mandy.”

  “You two really are going to get married?” SherryAnne asked.

  “Yes, we are,” Jolyn replied, her arm around Chase’s waist. “As soon as Mandy’s up and about.”

  SherryAnne laughed and threw Jolyn for a loop by giving her a big hug. “Congratulations. To both of you.”

  “I hear I’m about to become a brother-in-law.” Steven approached Chase and Jolyn. Rather than hugging her as she expected, he extended his hand to Chase. “I couldn’t be more glad.”

  Chase took her brother’s outstretched hand with no hesitation, and it seemed to Jolyn that the animosity between the two men was well on the way to disappearing.

  “Welcome to the family,” Steven said.

  An O.R. nurse came through the double doors. “You can see your daughter. But only for a few minutes.”

  Jolyn felt Chase tense, then go slack with relief.

  SherryAnne pressed her fingers to her lips and looked as if she might burst into fresh tears.

  “How many can go at one time?” Chase asked.

  “Two.” The nurse winked broadly. “Three, if you sweet-talk me.”

  “SherryAnne, take Aunt Susan. I’ll wait and go with Jolyn.”

  “You sure?”

  “Hurry. Before I change my mind.”

  SherryAnne didn’t have to be told twice. She and his aunt followed the nurse out of the waiting area.

  “Chase, why didn’t you go with her?” Jolyn asked when he walked over to her. “I’d have waited.”

  “Because Mandy can only have three visitors at a time.” His gaze went to Dottie. “And I want my future mother-in-law to come with us.”