Amber stepped into the room a moment later. “The Westons are here,” she said. “All but Kelsi. They’d like to see you, if you want to come out to the waiting room. The nurses won’t let them all in here at once.”
When Gwen walked into the waiting room, she was greeted by a giant hug from Wade, then all the other Westons one at a time. Dani looked exhausted.
“The helicopter is in bits,” she told Gwen. “We need to be looking at this as a giant miracle, not a disaster. If Mr. Grant were going to die, he most likely would have done it by now—the fact that he’s still alive is incredible, and now it’s just a matter of his recovery. And I can’t believe Frank got off with just a broken arm.”
“You’re right—I need to be thinking positively,” Gwen replied. “I just wish Gabe would hurry and wake up, you know?”
Will put his arm around Gwen’s shoulders. “Hang in there. Everything’s going to work out.”
“Thank you all for what you’ve done today,” Gwen told them. “You really went above and beyond.”
Wes shrugged. “You know how we are—never happy unless we’ve got some sort of adventure to go on.”
“I could do without helicopters crashing into our mountains,” Wade inserted.
“And honey, you’re not going to want to hear this, but the chopper crashed into the cabin on Sunrise Ridge,” Wes said, turning toward Amber apologetically.
“Oh, no! Can it be fixed?” she asked.
“More like rebuilt,” he replied.
That was a shame. Wes had constructed a cabin on his very favorite spot on the mountain, and he and Amber had honeymooned there. It was now a sought-after feature of the ranch, and Gwen was so glad it hadn’t been occupied for a few days. She couldn’t even imagine how terrible it would be to have guests staying there when the crash happened.
Each of the Westons talked to Gwen and made sure she was all right, and then Wade spoke for the group. “I hope it’s all right with you if we head back and get some sleep—it’s been a fairly hard day.”
“Of course,” Gwen replied. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t dead on your feet.”
Wes gave Amber a kiss. “I’ll see you when you get home.”
“Thanks, hon.”
Wyatt turned to Gwen. “If you want me to bring anything from home, I’m happy to.”
That was a sweet gesture. “Thanks, Wyatt. I appreciate that. I’ll let you know.”
He gave a nod. “Just text me.”
Once everyone had left, it seemed so much quieter. Amber gave Gwen a smile. “You all right?”
“I’m okay. Thank you so much for staying—I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“Hey, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gabe had been asleep for two days. Wyatt had brought a bag for both Amber and Gwen and then disappeared as quietly as he came.
“I didn’t give anyone my key,” Gwen said, looking at her bag curiously. “I should have sent it home with Wyatt when he offered, but I wasn’t thinking.”
“The things in the bag are mine,” Amber explained. “I had Kelsi go through and pick out some things for you to borrow. The underwear is new, by the way. I’d just bought some and hadn’t even taken it out of the package.”
Now, having showered and wearing her fortunate new underwear and Amber’s gray fleece loungewear, Gwen stared at Gabe’s face, looking for any sign of change. “Does he look a little perkier to you than he did earlier?”
Amber studied his face critically. “His left eyebrow was slightly quirked then, but now I see a definite lift in his mouth.”
Gwen stood up and walked over to the window. “I’m being crazy—I know I am, getting all excited about every little muscle twitch. Honestly, who does that?”
“Someone who really, really wants their loved one to get better.”
“I really, really do.” Gwen fingered her pendant. “Relationships are the only thing that matter, aren’t they? All this other stuff—jobs, politics, economics—it’s just so unimportant in comparison.”
“That’s why I left Oklahoma City and moved to River’s End Ranch,” Amber said. “Wes came into my life like a bolt of lightning and made everything bright and fun and meaningful. The very idea of trying to survive without that—it was unthinkable. And now I’m happier than I ever thought was possible.”
“You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you?”
“I’m about as subtle as a wheelbarrow full of bricks, aren’t I?” Amber laughed. “Yes, I am trying to tell you something, in my own clumsy way. Love is worth fighting for. It’s worth anything and everything you can give it. If you’re both totally invested, if you both feel true, genuine love for each other, the sacrifices are worth it.”
“Why does it always seem to be the woman who gives up everything for the man?” Gwen asked. “Why can’t the man give up everything for the woman?”
“It happens,” Amber replied. “We’ve seen it happen. It’s just not as common. I don’t know—probably a female sentimentality thing.”
“You’re probably right. We get all goopy and watery-eyed and go running off to be with our Prince Charmings whatever the cost.” Gwen looked back over at the bed. “Why do we do that?”
“Well, in the first place, they kiss really well,” Amber replied. “In the second place, they woo us with their ice-blue eyes.”
Gabe didn’t have ice-blue eyes—Wes did. Gwen laughed. “We’re talking about me right now.”
Amber blinked. “Oh, that’s right. We were. Sorry—I got distracted.”
Just then, Gabe let out a moan, and both women rushed to his side. Gwen picked up his hand. “Gabe, are you waking up? Can you hear me?”
He groaned again, and then slowly, one eye opened, and then the other. He blinked several times, looking around. “Where am I?” he mumbled. “What happened?”
“You were in a helicopter accident,” Gwen explained. “You’re at the hospital. Frank’s all right, and you’ll be fine too.”
“Oh.” He closed his eyes and then opened them again. “Where am I? What happened?”
***
The doctor had Amber and Gwen sit in the waiting room while he examined Gabe. Gwen understood the reasons why—the doctor wanted to see Gabe’s reactions to things and what he remembered without the distraction of friends and family, but the wait was excruciating.
“How long does it take to do a mental evaluation, anyway?” she grumbled.
“Do you want me to run and grab some food?” Amber asked. “You haven’t eaten much today.”
“No, I’m fine. And I’m really tired of what’s available to us here. I want to go home and sleep in my bed and shower in my shower and wear my own clothes and take Gabe home too.” Gwen knew she was starting to throw a little bit of a tantrum, but she wasn’t sure how to stop herself. Her emotions had been roiling at a full boil for a few days now, and things were bound to bubble over from time to time.
“I understand. I really do.” Amber gave her a sympathetic look, and Gwen immediately felt stupid.
“I’m so sorry—you’re probably just as tired of being here as I am. You really didn’t have to stay, but you know what, I’m glad you did.”
“Hey, this hasn’t been a waste of time for me,” Amber replied. “I’ve beaten fourteen levels of my computer game, and I’ve been able to study using ebooks on my Kindle app. I’ve gotten more studying done here than I have at home in weeks. I should just come and hang out at the hospital whenever I have some work that needs to be done.”
“And that wouldn’t be odd?” Gwen asked.
“Of course not. Not even a tiny little bit.”
They both jumped to their feet when Dr. Pierce came in the room. “How is he?” Gwen asked.
He motioned for them to sit back down, then took a seat across from them. “He’s doing quite well as far as his attitude and his overall general health. He’s a little bit confused about what’s going on in
the here and now, but that’s actually normal in cases like these. He’s literally lost a few days of his life, and that’s hard for some patients to process. The good news is that he has all his fine motor skills, language skills—all the things we worry about with a brain injury. It’s just his memory that seems to be in question.”
“And just how bad is it?” Gwen asked. “If . . . if I go in there, will he remember me?”
“He should,” Dr. Pierce said, “but I really can’t guarantee anything. The brain is so complex, and I have to be honest and tell you that I’m not an expert in it. I’d like him to see a specialist as soon as possible.”
That set off a warning bell for Gwen. Gabe should recognize her? That almost sounded more like a moral imperative rather than a medical possibility. Of course he should recognize her, and she should do the laundry she’d been putting off. She wanted a definite answer, but the only way to get one would be to go in there, talk to him, and see how it went.
“Thank you, Doctor. I’d like to go in for a minute, if you’re done with the exam,” Gwen said.
“By all means. I hope it’s all right with you if I eavesdrop a little and see how he reacts to you,” Dr. Pierce said.
“Or you could just come in with me. A little less cloak and dagger.”
Dr. Pierce shook his head. “I’d like to gauge his reaction to you without him knowing that he’s being observed.”
The more he talked, the more concerned Gwen became. He was making this sound like a science experiment. “Okay.” There was only one way to find out what was really going on, and that was to go in, talk to Gabe, and see it for herself.
She steeled herself before entering the room. She wished she knew what to prepare for. From the way Dr. Pierce was talking, she almost expected Gabe to be crouched on all fours or pretending to be a butterfly, but he was sitting up calmly in bed, sipping from his water cup.
He set it down on the tray as soon as he saw her. “Gwen! I’m so glad you’re here.”
That was such a relief—he knew who she was, and he was happy to see her. Excellent first step. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Like I was in a helicopter crash.” He laughed and then shook his head. “It was awful. It really was awful.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He remembered the crash? That was even more good news. She wasn’t sure what had the doctor’s knickers in a knot.
“Yeah, I imagine I’ll be doing a lot of sleeping until I recover. And I can’t believe you came to see me—that’s so nice of you. It’s been what—ten years or so?”
His words slammed into her chest. “Ten years since what?” she asked slowly.
“Since we saw each other last,” he replied as though he was surprised at her question.
“I . . . guess.” How was she supposed to answer that? Should she play along, or should she correct him?
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been good,” she replied. “I’m working at a place called River’s End Ranch.” Maybe that would jog something loose in his memory.
“That sounds nice,” he replied. Well, so much for that theory.
She glanced over her shoulder at the doctor, who was lurking in the hallway, and lifted her hands in a helpless gesture. He came in the room. “Hello again, Mr. Grant. Do you remember me?”
“Of course I do, Dr. Pierce. You were just in here. And I’m glad you came back—I have a question.”
“What’s that, Mr. Grant?”
“What was I doing in a helicopter?”
Chapter Sixteen
“He knows what year it is, but not that he’s been staying on the ranch,” Gwen told Amber as they drove back to River’s End. Dr. Pierce had strongly encouraged Gwen to go home and get some rest. Gabe was out of danger, and as his memory of their relationship hadn’t returned, he wouldn’t miss her for a little while. It was imperative that Gwen take care of her own health or she wouldn’t be of any use to Gabe. She reluctantly agreed, so they were taking a breather until the next day or so.
“When do his memories end?” Amber asked.
“From what Dr. Pierce can tell, about a week before he left Oklahoma City,” Gwen replied. “He doesn’t remember the last case he saw before he left—Dr. Pierse has been talking to his office to get some of those last-minute details.”
“That’s something else.” Amber shook her head. “How does the brain pick and choose like that?”
“I wish I understood it.” Gwen stared out her window for a minute. “You don’t think that he regrets coming to the ranch and so his brain chose to dump that information, do you? I mean, I’ve heard that some trauma survivors segment things away in their brains when they’re too hard to deal with.”
“That’s not it at all, silly. That man’s in love with you—why would he choose to forget you?”
“Maybe because he knows he’s getting ready to leave, and he doesn’t want to deal with it.”
Amber sighed. “That imagination of yours needs to take a chill pill, woman. I’m totally positive that there’s no deep, hidden meaning to this. He just whacked the part of his brain that remembers recent events. That’s all.”
“Well, it was a crummy part of the brain to whack.”
“I agree.” Amber pulled up in front of Gwen’s apartment. “Now, listen. You get in there and go to bed. Don’t do a single other thing first.”
“What if I need to use the bathroom?”
Amber rolled her eyes. “Fine, use the bathroom. But no checking your email or watching a movie—you’re going to sleep. Got it? And you sleep until you’re done sleeping. You’re going to get sick if you keep this up.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gwen climbed out of the car, then turned around and leaned back in. “Thank you, Amber. You’ve been amazing.”
“I know.” Amber gave her a wink. “Now I’m going to go find my awesome husband. And then I think I’ll need to sleep for about a week too.”
Gwen watched Amber drive away, then turned and walked into her apartment. Her legs were so heavy, they felt like lead.
And when she fell down on the bed, she didn’t move again for a long, long time.
***
Natasha looked up in surprise when Gwen walked into the bunkhouse the next day. “Gwen! How are you? How is Mr. Grant?”
“He still doesn’t remember the last two weeks, according to what the doctor told me on the phone this morning, but physically, he’s doing great,” Gwen replied. “And as for me, well, we won’t worry about that.”
Natasha came around the counter and gave her a big hug. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “This has to be the most frustrating thing ever.”
“It really has been—waiting to see if he’ll get his memory back, wishing I could do more . . .” Gwen shook her head. If she dwelled on it too much, it became overwhelming. “So, catch me up. What’s been going on here?”
“Kaitlyn’s doing great, so we’ve had her doing rooms by herself—we figured you’d approve. All the guests are happy right now, and we’re taking turns on the desk. Kevin’s worked several hours, and I told him to make sure Wade knows so he’ll get paid for them, but I have a suspicion that Kevin doesn’t report everything he does around here. It’s that whole helpful pastor thing.” Natasha shrugged like she just didn’t get it. “And that’s about it.”
“Great. Thanks, Natasha.” Gwen tucked her purse under the counter and glanced around. The lobby looked tidy, the carpet was freshly vacuumed—she couldn’t see anything that needed to be done.
“And we got a new shipment of Frank’s Fudge in from Wyoming for the baskets,” Natasha added.
“Oh, good. We were running low.” Gwen leaned up against the counter. “It looks like you don’t really need me.”
“I’d say it’s more like, we’re surviving all right in your absence.”
“That’s a little better, but only slightly.” Gwen’s head hurt—it actually hadn’t stopped since the day before. “If it’s all right with you,
I think I’ll go back home and take another nap. Maybe I’ll be up to snuff tomorrow.”
“I think that sounds like a good idea. We’re fine here. We miss you, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
Gwen nodded. “Thanks, Natasha. You’re the best.”
As she drove home, she wondered just what being up to snuff even meant. She’d have to Google it.
***
The next morning, Gwen was awakened by a phone call. She hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, so she’d watched both Father of the Bride and Father’s Little Dividend. Now she felt like she had a movie hangover.
“Hello?” she mumbled into the receiver.
“Gwen, this is Dr. Pierce. Mr. Grant was just asking about you, and I thought you might like to come back for another visit.”
She blinked several times to chase the sleep out of her eyes. “Was he asking like he remembered me, or just general curiosity?”
“I’m not sure. I think you’d be the best one to help us determine that.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Gwen jumped into the shower, pulled her hair into a ponytail while it was still wet, and used speech to text on her phone as she walked out to her car. “Heading back to the hospital to see Gabe,” she told Amber. “I’m fine going by myself, but I’ll keep you updated.”
When she walked into Gabe’s room, she was just as nervous as she’d been right after he woke up. How much progress would he have made since the other day?
“Hey, Gwen,” he said, reaching out to take her hand. “How have you been?”
“Good. How about you? How are you feeling?”
“I’ve got a massive headache, but I’m okay. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” She sat down on the chair next to the bed. “What can I do for you?”
“I just keep having little flashes of memories, and the doctor says maybe you can help me sort through them. I’d like to get out of here, but he says until I can make more sense of what’s going on in my head, he wants me to stick around.”
“What kinds of memories?” she asked.
Welcome Wagon (River's End Ranch Book 13) Page 9