Page 66 of Cassidy

She was sure he didn’t mean it, especially since he still wore that goofy grin. The one that made her wonder if he’d popped some pain pills while they weren’t looking. Stepping back, she gave the paramedics room to work.

But Gabe’s words echoed in her mind long after they were wheeling him back out to the waiting chopper.

“I love you too,” she whispered, wishing she could fly back to Milwaukee with him in the chopper. Not possible since the Lifeline helicopter had a weight limit. And she and the rest of the team had a crime scene to process.

Soon, she silently promised. She’d be there soon. And if she had her way, she wouldn’t leave until he was able to walk out of there on his own two feet.

ChapterFifteen

Despite the medical staff surrounding him in the emergency department, Gabe’s heart was full. He felt at peace knowing he’d told Cassidy how much he loved her.

He’d been poked, prodded, and taken for scans. He’d lost track of the time; he may have been there for one hour or twelve. The bright lights overhead hurt his head, so he closed his eyes and pictured Cassidy’s concerned features. Just imagining her beautiful face helped him to relax. He didn’t like knowing she was likely upset with him for leaving without her, but she and the rest of the team had come through for him. And for Travis.

He’d saved his younger brother. And that was all that mattered.

Feeling the sharp poke of a needle made him frown. It wasn’t nearly as painful as the ache in his head and the pain spreading across his chest with every breath, but still. Wasn’t he on the precipice of being welcomed into heaven by Jesus?

“Can you open your eyes?” a voice asked.

He did so, squinting against the light. A pretty face loomed over him, and he thought she looked familiar.

“I’m Dr. Finnegan, and you’re at Trinity Medical Center,” she said. “Can you tell me your name?”

That’s right, she was Colin Finnegan’s wife. Rhy’s sister-in-law. Faye? Yes, Faye Finnegan. He remembered thinking that his boss was related to half the first responders in the city. “Gabe Melrose.”

Dr. Finnegan nodded. “Great. And how are you feeling?”

That was an odd question to ask someone who was dying. “Like I was hit in the chest with a bullet.”

“Yes, and you have quite the bruise to show for it. We’re monitoring your heart closely to make sure you don’t suffer an acute myocardial injury. You’ve had some irregular heartbeats, but nothing that requires additional treatment at this time.”

What was she saying? His heart was bruised, but he wasn’t dying? “I don’t understand. I thought...” He let his voice trail off.

Faye rested a hand on his arm. “You’re going to be fine, Gabe. We have done CT scans of your head and your chest. There’s no internal bleeding, which is a relief, as we heard you have had two head injuries recently.” She arched a brow as if he’d done it on purpose.

“Yeah. My head still hurts,” he admitted. “So does my chest.”

“I’m sure they do,” Faye said with a nod. “We have the cardiology team involved in your care. They’ll keep an eye on your heart for the next twenty-four hours, but if things continue to look good, you’ll be discharged home to rest.” Her expression turned stern. “And I mean rest. Not work. I know you’re the technical backbone for Rhy’s team, but you’ll need to take it easy for a while.”

“Okay.” Discharged. He was shocked to hear that he’d be home soon. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Faye’s smile was kind. She had red hair, too, but wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Cassidy.

He winced and shifted on the cot, realizing he’d told Cassidy he loved her because he thought he was dying. Now he wasn’t, and he felt ridiculous for blurting out the truth like that.

Yet he couldn’t regret his actions. Maybe she’d chalk it up to his being shot. He knew Cassidy only viewed him as a friend.

Although, hadn’t she kissed him?

“Gabe?” Another beautiful face loomed over him, and this time he recognized Rhy’s sister Alanna Carmichael. At least his memory was back, which was a minor miracle in itself. “We’re going to move you to a private room, okay?”

“Yeah. Sure.” He was in no position to argue, and a moment later, he found himself being wheeled through the hallway.

They hadn’t gotten far when Cassidy rushed forward, grabbing the cart’s side rails. “Gabe! You’re okay?”

He couldn’t help smiling up at her. She was so beautiful his heart ached. Not with pain, but in a good way. “I’m fine. Going home soon.”

“Home!” Cassidy looked shocked.

---