Page 37 of Edge of Unbroken

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. Sweetheart, Ronan misses you more than I could possibly put into words.”

“I miss him so much,” I say again, my eyes stinging. I don’t even care that I’m surrounded by people as I anxiously wait to hear Ronan’s voice. “Do you feel he’s getting better?”

I understand, of course, that Frank gets updates and Steve always keeps me apprised of the latest with Ronan. But I feel as though hearing Saoirse’s thoughts could give me an even better idea of how Ronan is healing since she’s with him day in and day out.

“He’s certainly better than he was when he got here,” she says. “I couldn’t get him out of bed in the beginning,” she sighs. “He just slept all the time. There was no will or strength left in him. But he’s moving more now, and sometimes I even see little glimmers of his spirit. He’s still not the boy we knew, but I can tell he’s trying to come back to us. He’s a fighter, that one,” she says, then lowers her voice to a hush. “Okay, give me a second.”

I listen to her open a door, then walk across more hardwood.

“Baby boy,” she says quietly. “Can you wake up for me? I have someone on the phone who’s desperate to hear your voice for a minute.”

She must have handed Ronan the phone, because a fraction of a second later his raspy voice comes through. “Hello?”

“Hey sweet boy,” I say, my heart doing somersaults in my chest.

“Cat!” Ronan says, immediately more awake. “Hey baby!”

“Five minutes,” I hear Saoirse say in the background, her voice receding. She’s clearly giving Ronan privacy.

“Are you okay?” he asks me.

“Yeah, I’m just here with everyone celebrating New Year’s and we’re playing truth or dare and, of course, Vada dared me to call you,” I tell him with a giggle.

“Yeah, of course she would,” Ronan chuckles. “That sounds exactly like Vada.”

“You know, just making sure you each get a fix once in a while,” Vada says loudly.

“Oh, shit, I’m on speaker?” Ronan asks.

“You sure are,” Shane answers in my stead, grinning from ear to ear.

“Fuck, hey guys!” Ronan says, and I smile at how happy he seems to be. “God, I miss you guys so damn much. Is everyone doing alright?”

“Yeah, we’re fine, but we’d be better if we knew you’re okay,” Shane says.

“I’m alright,” Ronan says. “What are you all up to?”

“Oh, you know, just watching about two hundred people get absolutely shit-faced,” Steve says.

“Hey dude,” Ronan chuckles at hearing his brother’s voice. “Shit, I swear, it’s so damn good to hear you all. I wish I was home,” he sighs. “Hey, Vada, is Zack with you guys?”

“Sure is,” she shouts.

“Happy birthday, guys,” Ronan says, a smile in his voice. He sounds even better tonight than when we spoke last. Maybe this means he’s improving? Like, truly getting better?

“Thanks, man,” Zack says loudly so Ronan can hear him.

Tori leans toward the phone in my outstretched hand. “So, what are you up to tonight?”

Ronan laughs. “Nothing at all. I was asleep.”

“There’s really nothing going on at the ranch,” Steve says with a nod.

“So, how are you feeling?” Shane asks, his eyes closed as he focuses on his conversation with Ronan. “How’s your knee?”

“Better,” Ronan says. “No more crutches. It’s still being a little bitch when I do too much, but we’re getting there.”

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