Page 11 of Montana Freedom

“We won’t leave her,” I said.

Everything Dr. Gold said was true. But the desperation in this woman’s voice when she’d begged me not to take her to the hospital was still so vivid in my mind, I couldn’t escape it.

I glanced at Kate, who said nothing. I seriously hoped I was making the right decision.

Dr. Gold already had her phone to her ear as she walked out the door.

As soon as she was gone, I picked up the woman’s limp wrist and felt her pulse. It was a little slower but still felt as fast as a hummingbird’s. She made a sound, moving a little, and I looked at Kate. “Water?”

She was back in under a minute with a glass of water. I squeezed the wrist I was holding gently. “Can you hear me?”

She didn’t give a direct response, but she seemed to be surfacing. I wished she could stay unconscious since she was clearly in pain, but this would help her. “If you can hear me, can you open your eyes? We need to give you some medicine to help you.”

She made a sound, something like a moan, and her eyelids fluttered. But then, nothing.

“I know it’s hard.” I took her hand. “If you think you could swallow some pills, just squeeze my hand.”

She did. It was brief and weak, but distinct.

“Good. Okay, that’s good.” I took the water from Kate. “We’ll do one at a time.”

Leaning forward, I scooped my hand under her head, lifting her gently so she was more upright. I couldn’t do everything, holding her like this. “Kate, the pills.”

She was already there, and it was agonizing. One pill and then another, letting enough water into her mouth for her to swallow, and watching to make sure it all made it down. When all of them were safely taken, I felt like I could breathe a little easier. The antibiotics would start to work on whatever had injured her side, and the rest would begin to lower her temperature.

I eased her back down onto the bed and heard the slam of a car door. “Will you stay with her?”

“Of course.”

Noah and Liam were back, Jude and Lucas in tow. I pulled out my phone and dialed Harlan. “Someone call Grant.”

Jude called him, and soon all seven of us were there in one way or another. “Fill us in?” Noah asked.

“Yeah.” I was still reeling, but I told them everything. I told them about the dreams too, though not in quite as much detail as I’d given Liam. But I needed to explain how I’d recognized her so immediately.

Everything.

I finished, and the guys with me were watching me carefully. Jude leaned back against the porch railing. “What can we do?”

“Dr. Gold will hopefully be back soon. As long as this woman’s here, she can’t be alone. Even once she’s conscious, I think I want someone here on the porch so she doesn’t run without us knowing she’s up to it. And I just…” I sighed. “I want to make sure she’s okay. You know enough about why.”

Noah inclined his head. “Yes. Can’t say I disagree. But we need to be careful, too. If having her here will draw the Riders’ attention.”

“Maybe that’s why she didn’t want to go to the hospital,” Grant said through the phone.

I’d had the same thought. “We’ll stay alert. Thank you, guys. I’ll be the one to stay with her for a while. I don’t think I could make myself stay away anyway.”

Noah smiled, and it was a knowing smile. He’d felt the same way about Kate, and now Kate was a part of the family. But it wasn’t the same. Was it?

“I’ll come back later,” Liam said. “So you can sleep.”

“Thanks.”

I went back inside. “I’ll stay with her now. Noah is outside.”

“Okay. Let me know how she is?” Kate asked.

“I will.”

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