Page 115 of The Very Naughty List

The weather is intensifying and there’s a winter storm coming in, the kind of storm that would be perfect if I was curled up near the fireplace surrounded by the Cooper brothers.

I drive faster, just wanting to get there and get back to their arms where I feel safe and protected. I want to be cocooned in their embrace and listen to Reid tell me that everything is going to be fine as Sebastian strokes my hair with the broad palm of his hand.

I’m not even looking at the speedometer when I feel the car spin out from beneath me.

Here in Montana, it’s the black ice that is the most dangerous. They call it that because the ice blends in with the black of the pavement, making it impossible to see until it’s too late.

In the instantaneous moments that I lose control of the car and feel it spinning out from beneath me, I try to remember what to do. There’s some sort of rule to follow in order to counteract the movement—is it to turn into the direction of the spin, or out of it?

I can’t remember because my head is too filled with other nonsense and my mind and body are both panicking. The car careens off the road and tumbles over itself as it falls into a deep ditch.

I black out almost as soon as the hood hits the giant wall of snow that forms the side wall of the ditch and feels as if it’s made of bricks instead of snow.

It all happens so fast that I can’t even dissect the seconds leading up to the crash. And when the car smashes to a halt, I don’t even feel anything.

I don’t feel cold or pain or even scared.

For a second, not even enough time to comprehend, there’s a blur of images that play across the inside of my eyelids. Maybe this is what it’s like when they talk about our life flashing before your eyes right before you die. I’ve read about it before, and they say that you see the things that mean the most to you in your final moments before you leave this earth. I guess that explains why I see a momentary flash of Sebastian, Nick, and Reid’s faces all staring back at me before everything goes black.

39

HAILEY

When I wake up,my eyelids feel heavy, and for a few minutes, I just let them stay closed.

There’s a dull ache in my head, and my muscles feel stiff. Then I start to remember what happened.

I pull my eyelids slowly open and have to squint to block out the bright fluorescent lights above me. I’m groggy and disoriented, and waking up inside what looks like a hospital room doesn’t do anything to ease my stress.

I get ready to look around for a button to call the nurse, but then I hear deep voices calling my name from down the hall.

It’s the triplets, and from the sound of urgency in their tones, they are all demanding to be let in to see me. They sound panicked as they argue with the nurse outside my closed hospital room door.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go in. Only immediate family members are allowed into the room to see her. She still hasn’t woken up and?—”

The nurse’s frustrated explanation is interrupted by the sound of Nick’s gruff voice.

“I’m a firefighter and in line to be fire chief someday. I’m here at this hospital every time there’s a fire or ambulance run, savinglives and working with your staff on a daily basis. And if you don’t let us into that room right now to see Hailey Bennett, I’ll?—”

“But sir, this has nothing to do with your role as a firefighter, or emergency services. It’s a standard hospital rule that only immediate family members are allowed inside the room of a patient who is still unconscious. When she wakes up, I will be happy to ask her if she would like visitors.”

“Not good enough.” Sebastian’s voice is harsh. “We need to see hernow.”

I quickly gather my voice and call out of the room before the guys wind up doing something that will get them in trouble.

“I’m awake! It’s okay, you can let them in. I’m awake now!”

There’s a slight sound of confusion and some shuffling around outside my door, and I really hope that Sebastian hasn’t knocked the nurse down and caused a scene.

When the door opens, I’m relieved to see all three of them standing in the doorway right behind the nurse, who thankfully still looks to be in one piece.

“Ah, Hailey.” She smiles at me through tight lips. I can tell that the Cooper brothers have been a thorn in her side, and something flickers through my chest at the realization that they would’ve done anything to get to me. “You gave everyone quite a scare, but you’re going to be just fine. The doctor will be in to see you soon. Are you feeling up for any visitors? These three men have beenreallywanting to see you.”

I nod my head eagerly, ignoring the fact that it still aches.

Without waiting for her to move out of the way, the guys push past her from both sides and surround my hospital bed. Their gazes are a bit wild and panicked as they scan me up and down to make sure I’m okay.

Reid bends down and places a gentle kiss to my cheek while Sebastian takes one of my hands to hold in his. Nick looks overall of the medical charts hanging on a hook at the foot of my bed, clearly trying to decipher what the doctor’s notes say.

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