Page 172 of Love Undiscovered
“He’s coming out of surgery now and can have very limited visitation once he wakes. Immediate family only. Wife, parents, maybe a sibling or two. But I can’t stress enough the importance of rest right now.”
“We understand.” Brian nods.
“I’ll have the nurse get you once he’s awake,” the doctor tells Brian.
Annalise clutches my arm as we return to our seats.
“Now, don’t you worry, Remi, dear. Chancey is a strong boy. It’s not his time yet. He still has to give me Bauer-named grandbabies.” She pats me on the back as she says that. It’s all I can do to halt my sputter at the idea. I’m barely used to the idea of a relationship. Babies are nowhere on my radar.
Kat comes to sit on the other side of me. She pulls my head down to her shoulder and smooths my hair back.
“Have you heard from Brad?” I ask.
She nods. “He and Ethan are good. And the Rainbow Park fire is eighty-five percent contained.”
“That’s fantastic,” I say. She nods.
“Wow. You okay?” I ask her.
She nods again. “Just blows my mind sometimes when I think about what Brad does for a living.”
“He would never put himself in harm’s way,” I say.
“I know,” she says. “But sometimes harm has a mysterious way of finding you.”
“Kat,” I say. “I didn’t come all this way in my little love journey, that you practically forced me into I might add, just to have you be single again. Not happening. We’re going to be in this relationship shit together. For a long time. I need you to help me navigate. How else will I survive?”
“You always know how to straighten a girl right up, Rem,” she says. “You just make it all about you instead of her.” She smiles. I smile back.
The nurse approaches. “Chance Bauer family?”
“Yes,” I say, at the same time Brian says, “We’re right here.”
“I can take you back now,” she says to the three of us. “He’s asking for Remi, I’m guessing that’s you?” she says just to me.
I nod. Relieved to hear that he’s asking for me. That’s got to be a good sign. Right?
Still, we reach his room, and I pause. Why the hell am I here with his parents? His sisters should be here. Or someone else. Hell, even Kat deserves to be here more than I do.
“He asked for you, dear,” Annalise says quietly, as if recognizing my hesitation.
I steel my shoulders and walk in.
Nothing could have prepared me for Chance in a hospital bed. Somehow, this big hulk of a man looks frail. With the IV in his arm, bandages and an oxygen mask covering his face, machines beeping all around him, and his wounded leg elevated slightly.
I make my way to his side, slowly, not sure if I should touch him. I lean down and kiss his hand. His eyes flutter open and he slowly pulls the mask from his face.
“You’re here,” he sighs. “You okay?” His voice is all gravel and rough.
Tears stream down my cheeks at a rapid rate. “I’m good, great,” I sob.
“Not crying,” he rasps with a hint of a smile.
“I’m not crying,” I say, wiping at my eyes.
“Beautiful,” he whispers. I lean down and kiss him softly. His lips one of the only areas on his face that don’t appear cut up and scraped. He looks beyond me, seeing his parents.
“Ma.”
