Page 44 of Wild Hearts

“Seriously, it’s no big deal. I just thought you should know.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

I hang up and push down a little harder on the gas pedal.

“What the hell were you doing, Shane?” I mutter under my breath.

* * *

Shane

I lay backin the hospital bed, drugged to high heaven.

In layman’s terms, you shattered your foot. You need surgery.

“How you doing over there?” Jake asks from across the room.

“I’m great. Just great,” I sigh.

“Great, huh?”

“I can’t feel a thing,” I sigh, eyes welling up with tears. “I want Mick.”

“Oh shit.” Jake shifts uncomfortably. “You know I don’t do tears, Shane.”

“Which is bullshit, you have a sister!” I cry out.

Jake shifts uncomfortably again. “They so owe me.”

“I want Mick,” I say sadly. “He makes me happy. Just like these drugs.”

“Yeah, no. Those drugs bring you down,” he mutters.

There’s a knock on the door.

“About fucking time,” Jake grumbles, opening the door.

“Mick!” I screech, sitting forward.

“Keep that ass in bed, baby girl,” he warns, stomping toward me.

I hold out my arms, wanting him to hold me. Mick sits on the edge of the bed and pulls me into him.

Home.

“What the hell did you do, Shane?”

“She broke her foot and has to have pins and needles put in it,” Jake tells him.

“What in the hell were you doing?”

“I was on the four-wheeler, driving through tall grass and hit a buffalo wallow.” I shrug.

“Hit?” Jake scoffs. “Try you found it going a little too fast and flipped the four-wheeler. Hit your foot on the handlebars so hard you shattered your foot.”

“Seriously?” Mick grumbles.

“Accidents happen.” I shrug again, snuggling deeper into his hold.

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