I Hear...Love (A Different Road #2) (20 page)

My eyes go from Cooper to Joss, Nina, Josh, Stephen, then finally to River. His brows soften the second my eyes land on his face, like he knows I’m looking at him. River takes two steps toward me, but Joss slips her hand in River’s and places her other hand over his heart, stopping him. I look to Cooper as a single tear streaks down his face.

He pats Sadie on her side, as tears stream down his face and says, “That’s my good, Sadie.”

He slowly puts one foot in front of the other and stops in front of me. His eyes search mine, then he scans every inch of my body from head to toe.

Nina gasps to breathe through her tears. Josh is quickly at her side and wraps his arms around her.

“What do you see?” River asks Joss.

“I see . . . love,” she replies.

River gasps, then pulls Joss close to his side and she buries her face in his chest.

“I’m going to hug you right now, is that alright?” Cooper whispers, then immediately wraps me in his warm, secure arms ever so gently.

I wrap my shaking arm around him, then my legs give out. Cooper, afraid to squeeze me, gently takes the brunt of the fall and we both fall to the floor. He scoops me up, then places me gently on his lap.

“I’ve got you,” he says.

Sadie walks over and noses her way under my chin.

“Sadie, gently,” Cooper tells her, softly pushing her away.

“It’s OK. Come here, girl,” I tell her, then she gently rests her chin on my thigh.

“You’re bleeding,” Cooper says, looking at my head.

“I’m alright,” I tell him.

“Little missy here is one lucky lady,” says the man from the doorway. “Her dog friend here practically ripped my arm off, dragging me down the dock, back to my boat. I was lucky I made it back to the dock in the first place, after fishing. I don’t know what it was, but I sensed her urgency and against my better judgment, we boarded my little dingy again and we went out into the storm. That dog stood at the bow of my boat and pointed her nose like a beacon where she wanted me to go. I found little missy just as she went under. This brave gal here saved her life,” he says, pointing at Sadie.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” River says, walking toward the door.

“No need. Just glad I was in the right place at the right time,” he says. “She may have a broken arm. You might want to take her to the hospital. She refused to let me take her,” he says, then turns around and leaves.

Cooper gently cradles my battered body in his arms and stands up.

“I’ll bring the car around,” Josh says, then runs out the front door.

“Maddy, can you call the authorities and the Coast Guard, and tell them Kate’s been found and tell them to call off the search?” River says, walking to the door.

“You got her?” River asks Cooper.

“I’ve got her. Let’s go,” he replies.

“Wait, I can walk,” I tell them, determined to show them that I’m alright.

Cooper hesitates, looks me in the eyes then reluctantly sets me down. I turn to River and touch his shoulder. I slide my hand down his arm until I reach his hand. I thread my fingers through his, then hear his distraught intake of breath. I pull him in for a hug, then he gently wraps his arms around me and I feel a million worries leave his body.

“River, I hear it,” I whisper in his ear.

“What do you hear?” he whispers in my ear, gently rubbing the back of my shoulder.

“I hear . . . love,” I whisper.

“You do baby sister, you do,” he replies with a shaky voice.

“Here’s Josh with the car. Let’s get her to the hospital,” Cooper says, urgently.

River releases me, then brings his hand to my face.

“You sure did, little sister,” he whispers, then smiles at me.

Cooper steps closer, wraps his arm around me, and leads me to the car. Josh opens the door, Cooper helps me get in, then he closes the door. He walks around the car to the other door, then gets in. He slides himself over to the middle, then he helps me put my seatbelt on. Josh helps River get in the passenger seat, then he closes the door.

“There’s room for one more,” Josh says, walking around the car. “Who’s coming?”

“You go ahead, Stephen, you should go,” Joss tells him.

“No, I insist. You go. I’ll uh . . . I’ll stay here and help Maddy. Call me and keep me updated on how it goes,” he says, then Joss gets in the back seat next to Cooper.

I hear Sadie bark at me on the other side of my door. I turn my head and look at her, smile, then place my fingertips on the glass. She’s my little savior. I mouth the words,
thank you,
to her. She barks, then Maddy walks up next to her, kneels down, gives her a hug, then blows me a kiss.

I’m just so very tired and every square inch of my body hurts. My limbs feel like they have lead weights attached to them, and I just want to close my eyes and go to sleep.

“I’ve got you,” Cooper says, wrapping his arm around me. “I’m never letting you go. It’s OK, you can close your eyes now.”

I take a painful, deep, cleansing breath, close my eyes, then lean my head on Cooper’s chest. His warm hand comes to my face and he gently presses it protectively into his chest. He places a soft kiss on the top of my head, then Josh drives off.

I’m not quite sure how we got to the hospital. It seems like I just closed my eyes for a second, and the next thing I know my door is open, and I’m lifted out of my seat and placed into a waiting wheelchair.

Once inside, I’m immediately brought back into the emergency room where my clothes are removed, and I’m examined from head to toe. A nurse comes in and cleans the cuts on my hands, and the one on my head, then a doctor comes in and places five stitches just above my hairline by my ear. I’m taken for an x-ray, then brought into a private room.

Mostly, I’m in and out of sleep and unaware of all the things being done, but I’m so thankful to be dry and warm. I do know that Cooper, River, and Joss are glued on either side of my bed. Each one of them grumble when a doctor or a nurse comes into the room and makes them move so they can do their job.

A doctor comes in and tells me that I’m one lucky lady. Thankfully, my injuries aren’t that severe. My arm isn’t broken, but my shoulder is dislocated and I have a slight concussion. After some pain meds, and some pulling and maneuvering, they reset my shoulder back into place. They place it in a sling, snug to my stomach, then finally everyone leaves me alone.

They’re keeping me overnight for observation from the concussion, so I snuggle in the warm bed and close my heavy, tired eyes. Joss turns off the overhead lights, then stands next to River’s side.

“Let’s let them be,” she softly whispers.

“But . . .” he starts.

I open my eyes, his gentle face turns to me, then his hand trails up the side of the bed until he reaches my hand. He threads his warm fingers between mine, and like the magic they are to my soul, all is right.

“We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning to take you home,” he says, then squeezes my hand.

“OK people. The party is over. Everyone out,” a nurse says, walking into the room.

“I’m not leaving,” Cooper tells her.

“It’s hospital policy,” she replies.

“Can I talk to you outside?” River says to the nurse.

Joss takes River’s arm and guides him out to the hallway, closing the door behind them. A few minutes later Joss comes back in, leans in, and kisses me on the cheek.

“We’ll see you both in the morning,” she says. “Keep her safe tonight, Cooper,” she finishes, then leaves.

I’m relieved Cooper can stay with me. I don’t want to be alone. He gently sits on the bed, then lays down next to me. He lifts his arm and I cuddle into his protective hold. He kisses the top of my head, then sighs. I’m just so tired. As I drift off to sleep, words from my childhood fill my thoughts, then slip between my lips.

“
L’amour vrai,
” I whisper, then drift into a peaceful sleep.

As I hold Kate, I hear her breathing even out, then her battered and exhausted body finally succumbs to the need for healing sleep.

Before she’s fully out, in a soft whisper she says, “
L’amour vrai.
”

I’m a little rusty on my high school French, but the word
amour
I know. It means love.

I lay with Kate wrapped in my arms for hours, unable to sleep. Not because I’m uncomfortable in a bed made for one, but because I don’t want to miss a single minute with her. Try as I may not to, I eventually fall asleep.

I’m woken to the sounds of voices whispering. I don’t open my eyes, but I can see the light of day filtering in through my closed eyelids.

“What do you see?” River asks.

That’s a question he likes to ask Joss a lot.

“He’s holding her in the sweetest protective hold, and they’re both still sleeping,” Joss answers in a hushed voice.

“How does Kate look? Does she look alright?” he asks next.

“Yeah, she looks great. Her color has returned and she doesn’t look to be in any pain,” she answers.

“Should we wake them? Doc says she can go home,” he says next.

“If we continue to ignore them, do you think they’ll leave us alone?” Kate asks me.

“I don’t know. We can try,” I answer.

It felt so good just to hold Kate all night long, safe and protected in my arms. I open my eyes, and see River and Joss standing at the foot of the bed. River has a beautiful arrangement of flowers in his hand and the second I’m done talking, he feels his way along the edge of the bed with the back of his hand until he’s standing next to Kate’s side.

“Let’s get you home where you belong,” River says.

“What’s taking so long? Uh . . . I mean, is she ready to go? Josh and I are parked in a red zone outside the entrance,” Stephen says, walking into the room.

“I’ll help you get dressed, Kate,” Joss says. “I brought you a change of clothes from the pool house,” she says, lifting a bag.

I get up from the bed, kiss Kate on the head then exit the room to give them some privacy. I lean against the wall just outside her room, run my hand down the back of my neck, stretching out my sore, kinked muscles, when River clears his throat.

“I need to apologize to you,” he says, feeling his knuckles on the side of the wall.

“Water under the bridge, man,” I tell him.

“I appreciate that. I still want you to know that I’ll be keeping a very close eye on your relationship with my sister. That being said, not that you need it, but I give you my blessing to date my sister,” he says.

“And I appreciate that,” I return, echoing his words.

“When you said to bring her back home where she belongs. Where exactly did you mean?” I ask.

“Don’t press your luck,” River answers jokingly, as Kate’s door opens.

“She’s dressed,” Joss says from inside the doorway.

A nurse follows us inside Kate’s room with a wheelchair. Kate is sitting on the side of the bed, attempting to run a brush through her hair with her good hand. Every stroke of her brush I can tell her muscles and body ache with pain, and she still looks so tired. The nurse helps her up, then sets her gently down in the wheelchair. Kate tries to hide the wince of pain, as she moves her body into the chair, but I see it. She’s definitely going to be hurting for a few days, and I plan on waiting on her hand and foot. I don’t care whose house she stays at, River’s, the pool house, or mine, I’m not leaving her side.

We take the elevator to the ground floor and we walk to the entrance, then the nurse helps her out of the chair and into River’s car. Stephen’s car is parked behind River’s, apparently he drove himself separately and he leaves ahead of us. Everyone else gets in River’s car, then Josh drives us back home. I help Kate out of the car while Joss opens the front door. Inside, Sadie, Nina, and Maddy are waiting and the house smells mouth watering good. Someone’s been doing some cooking. Maddy rushes to Kate’s side and gently throws her arms around her. Sadie is immediately at her side, too, and she whines, then gently places her nose in Kate’s hand.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” Maddy says, as tears stream down her face. “I made breakfast for everyone. Kate, I have you situated on the couch. I have magazines, water, healthy snacks, your cell phone, your headphones, all within arm’s reach . . . but don’t reach, ask and I’ll . . .”

“Erh hum . . .” I interrupt.

“I mean, Cooper will get it for you. Anything else you need, you just let me know. Everyone else, come sit at the table and I’ll serve breakfast.”

I take Kate’s arm and slowly help her to the couch, where Maddy has her all set up. When I turn around, everyone is just looking at each other, then Joss grabs River’s arm and they all take a seat on the remaining seats on the couch.

“Alright, I guess that’s settled, we’ll eat on the couch,” Maddy says, clapping her hands, then she goes into the kitchen to get the food.

“I’ll help you,” Stephen says, then follows her into the kitchen.

Joss and Nina exchange some sort of secret unspoken exchange, then they watch as Stephen leaves the room.

Sadie jumps up and claims the spot next to Kate. She twirls around on the couch three times, then lays down with a satisfied groan and places her chin on Kate’s thigh.