Page 30 of The Truth

Fear settled in his stomach instantly as he listened. “We’ll be right there.”

Ayla was just looking at him. “That was Hala. Greer was with George and Ronnie.”

Fear for his sister, for her baby… his brother and Ronnie… their unborn baby… filled him. Had him saying a quick prayer as he helped Ayla get to her feet quickly.

“We’ll get to them as soon as we can.” He filled Charlie in on what was happening. Charlie would call anyone else that needed to be called—including Ronnie’s brother, who worked in the TSP unit with Charlie. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

All thoughts of his plan were gone. He just needed to get to his brother and sister-in-law and his sister. His family needed him.

A small hand wrapping around his for just one second seared him to his very soul.

Hewas the one used to offering comfort.

Gunn couldn’t stop himself. He wrapped his arms around her as gently as he could, and just held her close for one long moment.

But it was enough.

21

Less than an hourinto themwaitingat the hospital, and Ayla realized all she needed to know about Gunn Kendrick Hiller. Who he was as aman,who he was as a son and a brother. And an uncle and a friend.

He fascinated her.

He held little Mari Lynn now. His niece was a beautiful carbon copy of her mama. And she was afraid—too little to understand what was happening, but sensing something waswrong,and scary. She kept wanting her daddy to hold her, but George just physically couldn’t. He was out of it, from pain medication. The cast was still drying on his arm. And he had a concussion.

He kept asking to get back there with his wife. He’d tried a few times, too. Until one of Ronnie’s brothers—a big burly blond doctor—threatened to sit on him if needed. Since Ronnie’s brother was bigger than George, it had worked. For a little while.

Genny kept telling him he couldn’t go back in, that the operating room had to be kept sterile for his wife’s sake. Ayla couldn’t imagine how much George was hurting right now—physically and emotionally. He adored his wife. All anyone hadto do was see them in the same vicinity and it was obvious. Hiller men knew how tolove.

It made a woman gooey to see it. And Ayla had absolutely no doubt that Gunn’s brother loved her own sister now, either. It made Ayla want to cry, thinking about it. Aubrey deserved that kind of love. The forever, the world tilts, kind of love.

Aubrey had gone into the operating room with Gunn’s sister-in-law; she’d promised Ronnie she was staying right beside her, no matter what. Aubrey and Genny had been on the highway and witnessed the accident. Poor Genny, she’d known it was her brother and his wife in that truck. She had had toseeeverything as it happened.

Ayla could just imagine how terrified Genny must have been in that moment, trying to get to herfamily.

What could have been lost was very clear to Ayla. They hadn’t even caught the guy who had done it yet. But they would. Ayla knew that.

Ronnie’s other big brother—a veryhotblond cop dude named Murdoch Ayla had met before when he’d taken their statement after their house had been vandalized—was rumbling about going looking for the guy himself. She really liked Murdoch; he had come to her and Aubrey’s house to tell them they thought they had the one responsible for vandalizing their house already a few days later. He hadn’t wanted them to be afraid.

Sheriff Addy was trying to calm Murdoch down. So was Murdoch’s wife, and his brother-in-law, Caine. Caine was Aubrey’s boss here. Murdoch seemed to listen to Caine, at least.

Ayla had always thought Caine was a beautiful man. But Reverend Gunn Hiller eclipsed that. It was the way he just tried to take care of everyone he loved. And even those he didn’t know at all.

He’d even checked on her repeatedly, making sure she was okay.

Ayla was sitting there inhissweatshirt he’d brought in from his truck for her, when she’d said the air conditioning was a bit too cold for her.

She’d never had a man fuss over her in her life. Ayla liked it. But… while he was fussing over everyone else, just who was fussing over him?

That was something that needed further investigation.

Someonehad to take care of him, too, right? It was something all humans benefited from. Social support, loving families—she’d studied it countless times.

Who took care of Gunn when he needed it?

That was something she thought about as she sat there.

And sat there.

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