Page 17 of The Mountain Man's Bride

I swing open my door, surprised when he does the same. He follows me wordlessly into the hospital.

My best friend is there in the surgery waiting room. Iris is juggling her three kids and looking about as frazzled as I feel.

“Oh, good. You’re here.” She lets out a soft sigh and bounces her six-month-old son in her arms.

“How is he?” I ask when she’s given me a hug.

Iris glances toward Crew but thankfully she doesn’t ask any questions. “He’s good. He fell getting out of bed last night and broke his hip. The doctor had to wait to do the surgery until this morning. But they gave him the good meds and he’s been chill. He just went back so it’ll be a few more hours before they come to get you.”

“Thanks for waiting with him,” I say as the tiredness on her face finally registers with me. “Have you been here all night?”

“I knew you wouldn’t want him to be alone and besides, the boys had fun.” She nods to where her two toddlers are happily coloring at a kids’ table.

“You should go. I’ll be fine.” I give her shoulder a squeeze. “Take the boys home and get some rest.”

She eyes Crew one more time, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll come right back.”

When she leaves, I settle into the waiting room chair she vacated. I know I should probably start making phone calls, letting everyone know where I am and that I’m safe. But I don’t have the energy. I’m too worried about my grandfather.

Crew takes a seat beside me, training his gaze on the TV in the corner of the room.

Even though he’s not saying anything, his presence is still somehow comforting. Like he’s the rock I can lean on. I just wish he could be the one that’s always there for me.

Hours pass quietly then Crew is shaking me awake. I lift my head from his shoulder, already missing the solidness and warmth he offered.

The surgeon tells me that my grandfather pulled through the operation just fine and is expected to make a complete recovery with time and physical therapy. I can visit him in a little while when he’s moved into a room. But for now, it’s just more waiting.

I breathe a sigh of relief when the doctor leaves. Just knowing that my grandfather is out of surgery has lifted a weight from my shoulders. It’ll be a long road from here, but I’ll do whatever it takes to help him through it.

“You haven’t eaten all day. How about I grab you some food?” Crew offers quietly. He starts to reach for a strand of my hair but drops his hand before he can touch me.

“That would be nice.” I doubt I’ll be able to eat anything given how tied up in knots I am over this mountain man, but I want him to stick around for a while longer.

He turns and retreats down a long hall toward the vending machine room we passed on our way in. When he returns a few minutes later, he’s loaded down with every kind of sugary treat I could possibly imagine.

“Probably not as good as yours,” he mutters as he passes me a package of cookies. During the past few days at Crew’s cabin, I made every kind of cookie imaginable. It didn’t take him long to figure out I’m a cookie addict. But he doesn’t know my other secret, that I only bake when I’m incredibly happy.

I start to open the package then stop when I spot a familiar figure coming toward me. My heart sinks as soon as I realize it’s Sebastian.

“What are you doing here?” I ask when he’s close enough.

“Who are you?” Crew looks between the two of us.

They look so different that it’s almost comical. Crew with his days-old stubble and worn flannel shirt towering over Sebastian in his expensive suit and his carefully styled hair. How could I have thought he was attractive even for one minute? He pales in comparison beside my gruff mountain man.

“I’m her fiancé.” Sebastian’s chest puffs out but all it does is remind me of a Chihuahua trying to look fierce in front of a bigger dog.

“He’s not,” I quickly protest. The last thing I want is to give Crew the wrong idea.

“It looks like you have your hands full here,” Crew says, giving me a nod. He turns and heads down the hallway before I can stop him.

Sebastian glares at me. “I’m willing to take you back if—”

“I’m not interested,” I mutter before turning in the direction that Crew went. I don’t know why it’s so important, but I have to see him again. I don’t want this to have been our final conversation.

Sebastian grabs my arm in a bruising grip. “Listen here, you ungrateful bitch—”

“Stop it. Ouch, you’re hurting me,” I say loudly. I try to jerk my arm away, but his grip is surprisingly strong.

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