Page 135 of Wish You Were Mine

“News?” I asked, bolting upright when he trudged wearily into the room.

“Prognosis is good, but gut shots are complicated. We won’t know for sure until she’s out.”

I groaned and dragged my hand down my face. “How long will that be?”

He grimaced. “Anywhere up to two hours would be my guess.”

63

SUMMER

I floated in and out of consciousness, dreams catching me and tugging me under, only for a dull throb to bring me back to the present. Sometimes I could hear people around me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t open my eyes.

Finally, the dreams faded, and I woke up in a warm bed. I blinked and started to sit up, but pain shot through my midsection, and I returned my head to the pillow.

Where was I?

The last I could recall, I was lying on the ground, in the snow, while Asher fought Robert for his gun.

Asher.

Was he all right?

He’d said he loved me. Surely, the universe wouldn’t be cruel enough to steal him away from me now.

“Easy, Summer.”

I smiled. Even as confused as I was, I recognized that voice. “You’re okay.”

I turned my head. Asher sat on a chair beside the bed. Some kind of medical equipment was set up beside him, but he didn’t seem injured.

“I’m fine,” he said, taking my hand and clasping it gently. “But don’t ever do that to me again. I was so scared I was going to lose you.”

A laugh burst from me, and I winced. “How is this my fault?”

He grimaced. “You’re right. I’m so sorry I’ve caused you so many problems. If I’d just stayed away from you, you’d be safe at home right now.”

I tried to squeeze his hand, but I wasn’t sure whether it worked or not. “It’s not your fault either. That guy, whoever he was, had gone over the edge. No one else can be blamed for what he did. Besides, if you’d stayed away from me, I’d be miserable. We chose each other. No having second thoughts now.”

“I’m not.” He stroked the back of my hand. “I promise. I’ll always want you. I just hate seeing you hurt.”

No doubt he worried my family would blame him too.

“Good.” I closed my eyes, my entire body weary just from speaking a few sentences, but then forced them open again. “What happened after…?”

Asher pursed his lips and looked as if he was debating how much to tell me.

“I can handle it,” I said.

He looked doubtful but nodded. “I wasn’t able to take the gun from him. He was holding me at gunpoint when Connor snuck up behind him and bashed him over the head with a tree branch.”

I frowned. “Why was Connor there?”

His throat bobbled. “He was worried because he’d seen evidence that someone else had tried to get to the cabin, so he came out as early as he could to check on us. He discovered that the tree that fell across the road had been cut.”

My lips parted. Did that mean Robert had been hiding among the trees while we’d checked the cabin? I’d thought I’d heard something, but I’d believed Asher’s suggestion that it was an animal. After all, who would linger in the forest during a storm?

But if he’d heard or seen us coming, or somehow known we’d be there, it made sense that he’d have hidden. Or perhaps he’d been coming back from dropping Marcy off behind the information center.

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