Authors: Audrey Carlan
Her eyes widened. “Hmmm, well, I think my duties are officially over.” She looked over the dance floor and saw Aspen and Hank forehead to forehead, swaying with the music, completely oblivious to everyone watching them. Good for them. They deserved to be happy. But another part of me really wanted to reconnect with my mate. And soon.
“Well, fancy a lift to my hotel, Ms. Kelley?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” she joked. “Let me get my suitcase from the guest room and tell Aspen and Hank.”
“I’ll check in with Emma and Nathaniel.”
When I looked around for my siblings, I caught a sight I would not have expected in a million years. Emma was leaning against a wall looking dazedly into the eyes of a man. The man had his hand on her hip and the other on the wall, caging my baby sister in a very intimate position. That man was none other than Tripp Cocksucker Devereux. Before I could make my way over to them, Nathaniel stopped me.
“Whoa, hold up brother mine. You about to go ape-shit on Emma and Tripp?”
I gritted my teeth and nodded.
“Nope, not going to happen. She’s a big girl. The sooner she gets over that daft prick, Evan, the better. This is just one in the line of many flings she’ll likely have to get over the smarmy bastard. Let it go. Besides, I’m here. I won’t let her leave with him. No worries, mate.”
“Fine. Don’t let him fucking touch one hair on her head. I mean it. He’s no good for her!”
“Actually I know him a lot better than you and she could do a great deal worse. That slimy husband of hers is a hundred times worse.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like it.”
“You never like any man dating our baby sister. What’s the difference between the who?”
“It just is. Okay?”
“Fine, fine. Whatever. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get out of hand with her. I’ll keep an eye on things. Go, you’ve got a raven haired beauty hovering behind you, waiting. Lucky sod!”
I turned to see he was right. London was standing next to her case, ready to go, a wrap of some sort over her shoulders.
“I’m going to take the car. Will you and Em catch a ride with Dean and Oliver?”
“Sure thing. No worries, mate. Go. Make up with your beautiful American girl. See you tomorrow.”
“Hey Nate.” I used his nickname because I wanted him to know I was serious.
“Yeah, brother mine?”
“You deserve to be happy, too.” He nodded and took a long drink of his beer then looked off into the distance before meeting my gaze.
“I am happy. What more could I possibly need?”
“I’ll let it go for now. Just know that I’m rooting for you to find the one.”
“All you blokes who fall in love are always trying to get us single mates married. Piss off. Go shag your girl and stuff it!”
I laughed and put my arm around London’s shoulders. She hugged me and smiled up at me. “This, Nathaniel, is what you’re missing out on. The best thing ever.” I left it at that, turned my girl around and led her to the car.
It was pitch dark, leaving Hank’s ranch and driving on country roads. The second we were on the open road, that thing between London and I popped and cracked making it hard to focus on the road ahead. It was a long stretch of nothing, all the way to the small hotel about fifteen minutes off the beaten path from Hank’s ranch. I was eternally grateful.
London’s hand crept up my leg as she nuzzled into my neck. “God, I want you. Do you feel it the same way I do?” she asked as she cupped and massaged my hardening package. Her hands were straight from heaven. When they were on me, I could barely focus on anything else.
“Beauty, you have no idea. But seriously, we have to make it back to the hotel first.” I nipped at her lips. She pulled away and moved to sit back, then buckled her seatbelt. As I turned my head to say something filthy, her eyes widened and she braced herself on the dash in front. Her mouth opened on a scream.
It happened so fast.
I turned my head back to the road just in time to see that I was about to hit a ginormous black and white cow standing stock still in the middle of the road. In a split second I knew if I hit the cow we’d be in a world of hurt. I swerved left. London’s scream pierced my eardrums a second before we plowed through a wooden fence. The car bumped and scraped along the rocky terrain.
“London!” I yelled as I lost control of the car and fishtailed. In a blink of an eye, we were barreling toward a huge Oak tree, too fast for me to correct the car’s trajectory. I reached out to grasp London’s hand. Her warm embrace was the last thing I felt as I heard her blood curdling scream. Then the world went black.
Chapter - 17
This is not happening. Not happening. It can’t be. Not my life. A dream.
“You are in a dream, sweetie pie.”
I stood and twirled around. The hospital room was dark, aside from the small nightlight above Collier’s head, but not so dark I didn’t see him standing there. Alive. In front of me, as real as the day I’d married him eight years ago.
“James.” My voice broke and I was unable to form additional words.
“Yes sweetie pie, it’s me.”
“But…b-but…you’re…“
“Dead. Yes, I know. But you’re not and neither is he.” He pointed to the bed where Collier lay unmoving. My heart broke, seeing him there, completely still. His head was bandaged from slamming into the window. Had we been driving a more sophisticated vehicle, side airbags would have prevented the swelling in his brain from the impact, possibly eliminating his comatose state.
“Are you here to take him?” I could barely form the words but I had to know.
“Right now, no. I’m here for you.”
“Me?”
His smile spread and reminded me of so many happy days, long ago, that I’d never have again.
“Yes. I’ve watched you these past years. Wanted so badly to help you through your destructive path. I’m here now though, to make sure you make good on your promise.”
“My promise?”
“At my deathbed, you promised you’d love again. You’ve done nothing but push his love away. He’s the only one since I left who has been worthy of your love. And now, here he lays, not knowing your feelings for him. Withholding your love from him is an unbearable torture.”
“But…you. I loved you so much. With everything I had. When you died, that part of me died, too.”
“No it didn’t. You just lost it for a while. He’s bringing it back to you. If he makes it through this tragedy, you must tell him.”
“If? You don’t know?”
“Oh sweetie, all things get worse before they get better.” He used an old saying that used to piss me off. Mostly because it always seemed to be true.
“I can’t lose him. I already lost you!”
James shook his head and his form flickered.
“Don’t go!” I screamed.
“I’m sorry. I only get to do this once. Those are the rules. I love you, London. Always have and always will. Please, don’t keep your love to yourself. It’s the most precious thing in the world to share. He deserves it.“
“Will I see you again?”
He shook his head. “No sweetie, but I’m never far.”
“James, I love you.”
He winked, a gesture he’d done a thousand times before. It warmed my heart and made me feel loved.
Then I blinked awake, still sitting in the chair next to Collier’s bed. I looked around. The room was shrouded in darkness and the only sound was the beeping coming from Collier’s heart monitor.
I set my broken arm on his bed and took his scratched up hand in mine. Exhausted, I laid my head on his hand, praying, hoping against hope that he’d wake up. That I could keep my promise to James and finally tell Collier what I should have said. What he needed to hear. Fear and love. The only two things in the world that can break you and I’d let one prevent me from enjoying the other. I closed my eyes and prayed.
A warm hand rubbed along my back.
“Bridge baby, wake up!”
Oh, Thank God! It was all a sick dream. I was home in my bed and Tripp was waking me up for coffee and a morning chat. When I opened my eyes, the ease I’d felt in the dream was obliterated. I was still in the hospital, clutching the hand of an unmoving man, one who I’d recently admitted I loved. One I never told. And now, I may never get to.
Tripp hauled me out of my seated position and into his arms. “I got here as quickly as I could. My phone was on silent. I called everyone else. They should be here any minute. None of us knew. God, are you okay? Your arm is in a cast!” His eyes filled with tears.
“Yes, I’m fine. Well pretty much. A few bruised ribs, bumps, and scrapes, a conk to the head.”
Tripp rubbed his finger lightly over the egg shaped bump on my forehead, then over each scrape on my face and the cut down the side of my lip. “Collier took the brunt of the accident.”
Tripp looked at my sleeping Englishman. “I can see that. He’s been through the ringer for sure. What’s his prognosis?”
Before I could respond, Aspen, Hank, Oliver, Dean, Emma and Nathaniel all came to the doors of the ICU. The walls were glass and I could see them yelling for an orderly even though I couldn’t hear them. Aspen put her hand to the glass as if reaching for me. Tears poured down my face as I stood and silently connected with my big sister. Nathaniel pounded the glass like a mad man, which prompted me into action.
I made it to where they were waiting. Aspen hugged me and I winced as the several bruised ribs screeched in protest to her embrace. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of my bruised face and broken arm.
“What’s going on? What happened?” She asked. Hank put his arm around her and waited. Nathaniel didn’t.
“What’s wrong with my brother?”
“We need to see him!” Emma practically yelled.
“Guys, I don’t know everything. I woke from the accident a couple hours ago. All the night nurse could tell me was that he was in a coma.”
Emma started to cry and Nate pulled her into his chest. “What happened?” Nate asked again.
I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, feeling nauseous and woozy from the pain meds. Hank brought a chair and helped me to settle.
“We were driving back to the hotel. It was really dark. Pitch black. Then, out of nowhere, standing in the middle of the road was this huge cow. It stood there unmoving and Collier swerved and we missed the cow but went through a fence. It was so dark…“ Tears leaked down my cheeks and Dean handed me a handkerchief. “Then all of a sudden, there was a tree. Collier grabbed my hand and everything went black. I woke up here a couple hours ago with this.” I gestured to my arm. “Then I left my bed and found Collier here. The night nurse told me he was in a coma. That’s all I know.” Tears poured down my face, wetting the hospital gown I wore.
“There you are!” A nurse ran over. “We’ve been looking all over for you. With that knot on your head, you shouldn’t be up and about. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m not going anywhere until the doctor tells me what’s wrong with Collier Stone.”
A man in a long white coat approached us. “I’m Doctor Johnson.”
Hank jumped in. “What can you tell us about Mr. Stone? He’s a friend of ours.”
“Friend?” The doctor asked.
“Brother,” both Emma and Nate answered.
“Can I speak with the two of you in private?”
“No. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of them. We’re all close. This is his girlfriend. She was in the accident with him.”
I stood shakily and the Doctor eyed me, probably assessing my wounds. He didn’t seem to like the look of the one on my head. He came and inspected it. “You should be in bed. Have you had an MRI yet?”
I swatted his hands away. “I don’t care about me. Tell me about Collier.”
“I’m not going to sugar coat things. His internal organs have experienced great trauma. He has several broken ribs, a broken clavicle, a dislocated shoulder and some issues with his kidney.”
“That’s all fixable. Why is he in a coma?”
The group mumbled all in sidebar conversations but Emma was a wreck. She dropped to her knees and cried out. “No, no, no if he dies it’s my fault!” she screamed. Nate immediately helped his sister find her legs and embraced her.
“Mr. Stone only has one kidney. Due to the accident it has completely shut down. He’s going to need a transplant and soon. We’ve got him in a medically induced coma while we assess how to best treat him until a donor match can be found.”
The words “transplant” and “donor match” were like a knife shoved directly into my heart. I backed away, not capable of hearing more until I hit the wall and slid down into a crouch. My ribs and broken arm screamed in pain, but it was nothing compared to the hell that ravished my mind. Aspen came and tried her best to comfort me as the doctor continued.
“We’ve got him on a donor list, but in times like these, when siblings are accessible, they tend to be the best possible match.”
“But we’re only half. Ten years ago, Collier donated his kidney to Emma here. That’s why he only has one. I wasn’t a blood type match for her, but Collier was. Does that matter?” Emma shook and sobbed into his chest as I stood against the wall, listening to my worst nightmare, one I’d lived through already, come back to haunt me again.
The doctor’s eyes slid down, then closed. “Yes, it does. I’m sorry. If you’re not a blood match, you can’t donate an organ. Is there anyone else in your family?”
Hope sprang as Nate’s eyes filled. He shook his head and that glimmer of hope plummeted. “No. Collier and Em. Let me make some calls, see what we can find with extended family. There’s got to be someone, somewhere willing to save my brother’s life. Whatever the cost. We’ll pay!” Nate’s strength broke and tears slid down his scruffy cheeks.
“Me, test me!” I asked.
The doctor nodded. “First, we’ll see about blood matches and let you know. I’ll have someone brought over to schedule the tests.”
Over the next few hours, I sat by Collier’s side. The nurse informed me that I was not a match. She might as well have told me the sun was gone and the moon would forever light the earth because without Collier, I would be in perpetual darkness. Collier had B- blood. In the US, only two percent of the population shared that blood type. Organ donation by a live donor was rare. With a percentage that low, the odds of a deceased donor were small also.