Page 34 of Sexy Summer Flings (Bear Mountain Rescue 2)

When she got there, she was escorted to the waiting room, which was filled with the firefighters who weren’t needed at the scene and several girls Trent had dated in the short time he’d lived here. Apparently, there were no hard feelings between them, or they wouldn’t have been sitting there crying their eyes out.

Darynda Martin, one of the other firefighters, waved Penny over. Penny took the empty seat next to her, relieved to see a familiar face. Darynda and Penny had gone to high school together. Darynda had left to join the air force, but when she’d come back to Bear Mountain, their friendship hadn’t seemed to change.

“Have you heard anything yet?” Penny asked.

“Not besides the initial reports. He fell through the roof when he was getting Virginia Dorman and her daughter to safety, and now he’s suffering burns and a possible broken leg.”

Penny released a shaky breath, a tear sliding down her cheek. Hunter had told Mike to tell her he would be fine, but things happened.

Please, please let him be alright.

Darynda took her hand with a squeeze. “I wouldn’t worry about Trent. He’s too tough to let a few bumps and bruises get him down.”

Penny laughed a little, but when Allie came into the room to hug her, Penny’s silent crying turned to sobs.

“Hunter’s got him. You know how good he is.”

Penny did know. If anyone could put Trent back together, it was Hunter.

Hunter walked down the hallway to the waiting room and the first thing he spotted as he stepped inside was Penny, who had her head buried in Allie’s neck while she was holding Darynda’s hand.

His heart shattered into a million pieces at the sight. It felt as though someone had come up and throat punched him.

“Doc, what’s the word?” Darynda asked, drawing every eye in the room to him.

Hunter cleared his throat, trying to fight past the pain. “He’s stable. He’s got some second- and third-degree burns and he broke his left leg, but he should recover with only a few scars.”

“Thank goodness,” one of the firefighters said. Relief eased throughout the room.

“Can we see him?” Penny asked.

Hunter met her gaze, and nodded slowly. “In a few hours. I’ll have one of the nurses let you know.”

People were slapping him on the back and thanking him, but he couldn’t seem to look away from Penny, who was hugging Allie and Darynda. Was she relieved because her friend was okay?

Or had she realized Trent meant more?

Chapter 19

Finally, Penny followed Nurse Matthews into Trent’s hospital room a few hours later. The minute he saw her, he gave her a groggy smile.

“Well, hey there, kitten. Come to make sure I’m still kicking?”

“Among other things.” She sat down next to the bed and took his hand in hers. “You scared a lot of people.”

“Yeah? Who showed up? Any women who wanted to make me feel better?”

Penny rolled her eyes. “Please don’t make me hit you in your weakened state.”

“Hey, give me six to eight weeks and I’ll give you all the satisfaction you could want.”

“Will you shut up?” She wiped at her wet cheeks with one hand, sniffling. “This is serious. If I’m going to stay here, I’m going to need you around to annoy me and occasionally give me really good advice. So you need to take better care of yourself.”

“I give good advice? Like what?”

“Well, you’re the one who said I should give you a chance, and look? I got to see what an amazing guy you are.”

“That sounds a lot like I’ve been friend zoned.”

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