Matthew's Choice (20 page)

Allie caught phrases like
clipped a major vein
and
loss of blood
and
shocky.
She stepped aside as a medic rolled a gurney to where Matt lay. While other EMTs loaded him, the lead paramedic turned to her. “Is he on any medication? Allergic to anything?”

She hugged the coat closer. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him take anything.”

“Is there anyone who would know?”

“His fiancée, maybe, but I don’t have her phone number.” Maybe his cell phone was in his coat pocket. She patted the front two pockets. Empty. Her fingers fumbled inside the breast pocket, relief surging through her when she touched the hard case. “Give me a second.”

She scrolled through his favorites. Jessica’s name was first, then hers. She touched the number, and it immediately dialed. Jessica answered on the first ring.

“I don’t believe we have anything more to talk about, Matthew.”

Allie put the phone on speaker. “This isn’t Matt. He’s been hurt. Do you know if he is allergic to anything?”

“What? Who is this?”

“It’s Allie. Is he allergic to—”

“No, not that I know of. What happened?”

Allie turned to the medic. “Did you get that?”

The EMT nodded. “How about meds?”

Allie spoke into the phone again. “Is he on any kind of medication?”

“No. Tell me what this is about!”

The EMT gave her a thumbs-up. “We’re transporting to Cedar Grove General.”

“What’s going on?” Panic edged her voice.

Allie punched it off speaker. “Matt’s been shot. He’s being transported to the hospital here in Cedar Grove now.”

“Shot? How?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get here.”

Silence answered her, and Allie glanced to see if the call had been dropped. No, they were still connected. “Jessica?”

“I’m here. Where’s the hospital?”

Allie gave her directions then disconnected the call as the EMTs picked up the gurney and carried Matt toward the waiting ambulance.

“Miss Allie?” Noah pulled at her arm. “Is Uncle Matt going to be okay?”

She’d almost forgotten the boys were here. “I hope so, Noah. I hope so.”

The boy sounded on the verge of tears, and she put her arms around him. The twins stood with Peter, their eyes glued to where another team of EMTs worked on their father only a few yards away. “Peter, would you ask if we can leave?”

He went and returned shortly. “We can go. The sheriff said he’d get your statement later. I’ll take you home.”

She shook her head. “I can drive. Would you take the boys to Miss Sarah? I’ll call my parents to come get Noah.”

“I want to go with you.” Noah’s eyes pleaded with her.

Unable to say no, she nodded then hugged each of the twins.

Logan glanced toward his father. “Miss Allie, is my daddy going to live?”

Lucas crowded next to her. “Yeah, Miss Allie.”

“I don’t know. I hope so.” Her answer was so inadequate, but Allie didn’t know what else to say. No matter how bad a person Lenny Nichols was, he was still their father. The boys had enough to deal with seeing him shot in front of their eyes. They didn’t need to deal with his death right now.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I
N
ICU, A
LLIE
stood at the foot of Matt’s bed with Mariah at her side. Two hours of surgery, an hour in recovery. The minutes had ticked by like days. Afterward, a surgeon had talked with them and explained how the bullet had punctured Matt’s left lung and nicked a major vein. It’d been the pressure Allie had kept on the wound, along with the quick arrival of the EMTs, that had saved his life.

Although they were given five minutes with him, his nurse hovered nearby. She’d already told them they would have to leave if the monitors registered any negatives. From the way Matt looked, that could be any second. She tried to count the tubes running from his body and stopped at four. Thank goodness they hadn’t allowed Noah to come in with them.

Mariah stepped closer to the bed. “Why is he on a ventilator?”

“It’s only temporary,” the nurse replied. “It’s to rest his heart.”

Mariah dried her eyes and then backed toward the door. “I...I better check on Noah.”

Allie didn’t remember the doctor saying anything about his heart. “May I stay a little longer?”

The nurse nodded, and Allie dragged the one chair in the room to Matt’s bedside as the nurse stepped out of the cubicle. Allie stroked his hand, barely touching his skin. He’d saved her life, and now he might lose his own. “Matt, you have to get better,” she whispered. “Noah and Mariah need you. I need you.”

She glanced up at the monitor as his heartbeat jumped to ninety-five and held her breath until it settled back to a steady eight-six beats. Content to just hold his hand, she sat quietly as his chest rose and fell with the ventilator. When the nurse tapped her on the shoulder, she stood and brushed her lips against his cheek. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear. One last time, she squeezed his hand.

Back in the waiting area, Allie tucked her feet under her and picked up Matt’s jacket, laying it across her lap. She really should ask for a bag to put it in, but she couldn’t bear the thought of giving the coat up. Her finger touched the hole just above the breast pocket, and the skin on the back of her neck prickled. If Noah hadn’t shoved Lenny Nichols’s arm, the hole would’ve been dead center of Matt’s chest.

Pushing the thought away, she checked her watch. Where was Jessica? She should’ve made it to Cedar Grove by now. Across from her, Noah slept, curled up on the other half of the couch beside his mother. Mariah gave her a tired smile.

“Are you okay?”

“Nothing I can’t deal with. Can I borrow your cell phone and call the rehab? I’m not returning until Matt is out of the woods.”

A phone rang, and she exchanged glances with Mariah.

“I think it’s coming from your purse,” Mariah said.

Allie opened her bag. It was Matt’s phone. Jessica’s name showed on the ID. She grabbed it. “Hello?”

“Allie? How is Matt?”

“Critical, but he made it through the surgery. Are you almost to the hospital?”

After a brief pause, Jessica said, “I decided not to come.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Matt will. Could you please keep me updated on his recovery?”

“Of course. What do you want me to tell him?”

“Tell him I called to check on him.”

The line went dead. “That was strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“The caller was Matt’s fiancée, and she’s not coming, said he would understand.”

“That is strange.”

Allie tapped the phone. There were probably other people she needed to notify. Like his new boss, J. Phillip Bradford. She found Bradford’s number and dialed. The call went to voice mail. “Mr. Bradford, this is Allie Carson, a friend of Matthew Jefferies. Matt’s been injured. Could you please call me back?”

Allie laid the phone on the seat beside her. She nudged Mariah’s foot. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Desperately.”

“Me, too. I’ll get it.” Allie walked to the small canteen in the waiting area and poured two cups. She hadn’t asked Mariah about sugar and cream, so she grabbed two packets of each. When she returned to the small area they’d carved out, Peter sat talking with Mariah. He rose. “Mariah was telling me he’s still critical.”

“He’s on a ventilator.” She handed Mariah one of the cups. She held out the sugar and creamer, and Mariah shook her head. Allie took a sip from her cup and turned back to Peter. “Did you get the twins to the shelter?”

“Yes. I explained what happened to Sarah.”

“She’s good with them. Any word on their dad?”

“He didn’t make it. I’ve told Logan and Lucas, and they didn’t say much.”

She stared at her coffee, the bitter aroma turning her stomach. The twins had been through a lot and they would need help dealing with it. Her gaze went to the couch. As would Noah. That he could sleep was a good sign, though. Her hand shook as fatigue swept through her body.

Peter took the cup. “It’s not too cold out, and you look like you could use some fresh air. How about taking a walk with me?”

A walk sounded wonderful. Allie glanced at Mariah.

“Go. I’ll find you if you’re needed. But leave me your phone so I can call you if there’s any change.”

Outside, Allie breathed in a cleansing breath of cold air and exhaled a cloud of vapor from her lips. She glanced toward the heavens. The parking lights kept her from seeing any stars, but a new moon was visible. In another couple of months it would still be daylight at six-thirty. If she were at the farm, she’d be able to see the Milky Way. Would she and Matt ever again lie on a blanket by the lake and stare at the stars? She pulled her coat close as a shiver slid down her back.

Neither she nor Peter spoke as they strolled toward a small park beside the hospital. He broke the silence first. “Matt’s going to be all right. He’s too stubborn to die.”

“He saved my life.” Dead leaves crunched beneath her feet as they walked the path lit by overhead security lamps.

“What he did was very brave.” Admiration laced Peter’s words.

“I never believed Lenny Nichols would pull the trigger.”

Peter guided her around a mud hole. “It was the drugs. The sheriff told me they found a bag of cocaine and a straw in his pocket. I’m certain blood tests will reveal a high level of the drug...and no telling what else.”

That explained why he thought he could fly.

Peter halted on the path and turned Allie to face him. “Don’t let your past beat you up, and don’t let it keep you from your future.”

She tilted her head. “My future? What are you talking about?”

Peter brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “Matt risked his life for you. He loves you.”

She wasn’t sure Matt saving her life meant he loved her.

“The question is, do you love him?”

Love shone from Peter’s eyes, and conflicting thoughts battled in her mind. Peter was safe, predictable. But she would never love him the way she loved Matt. He deserved to know that. Tears stung her eyes. She nodded, not trusting her voice.

His shoulders drooped, and he looked away. She leaned toward him and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Peter.”

He wrapped Allie in a hug. “I am, too.”

The husky words pierced her heart. She stepped back, hating goodbyes. “I better get back.”

“I think I’ll stay here awhile.”

* * *

M
ATT
DRIFTED
TOWARD
the light. He’d been dreaming about Allie, and didn’t want to leave the dream.
I love you.
She’d whispered the words in his ear. Trying to recapture that world, he ignored the voices murmuring in the background of a soft whooshing sound. His nose tickled. Needed to scratch it, but something caught his hand. Matt cringed against the shriek above his head and blinked his eyes open.

“He’s waking up.”

A glaring light flooded the room, and he squeezed his eyes shut again. If only he could shut his ears to the cacophony of bells and buzzers assaulting them.

He sensed someone hovering over him and cracked his eyelids again. “Mr. Jefferies, try not to move. Wiggle your fingers if you can hear me.”

“Yes.” The word
garbled in his throat.

“Don’t try to talk. You’re in the hospital in Cedar Grove, and you’re on a ventilator.”

Hospital?
Matt strained to sit up.

“Lie still, Mr. Jefferies. I’m going to give you something to help you relax.”

A warm sensation spread through Matt’s body, and the light faded into blackness.

* * *

“E
XCUSE
ME
. A
RE
either of you with Matthew Jefferies’s family?”

Allie opened her eyes, and the ICU waiting room swam into focus. She must’ve dozed off. A woman in her early twenties held a clipboard and a plastic bag in her hands. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Allie nodded. “I’m a friend and this is his sister.” She pointed at Mariah.

“I’m Tina Darby with Admitting, and I need insurance information. Actually, I need everything. Would’ve been here sooner, but it’s been a crazy night.”

Mariah raised her eyebrows. “Would you mind?”

“Sure.” Allie turned to Tina. “I don’t have any of his personal information, but I’ll do what I can.”

“I’m sure all the information I need is in the bag. It contains Mr. Jefferies’s pants and his wallet, but I can’t go through them. Hospital rules.” Tina handed Allie the bag.

Allie took a leather wallet from the bag and opened it. Matt’s driver’s license and insurance cards were inside, and she was able to provide the information Tina needed.

After she’d received the answer to her last question, Tina stood. “Thank you so much. I’m sure if I need any additional information Mr. Jefferies can provide it in a couple of days.”

After Tina left, Mariah glanced toward the ICU doors. “When do you think we can see him again?”

“Soon, I hope. I’m sure he’s still asleep from the anesthetic.” Allie shifted the wallet from one hand to the other, looking for somewhere safe to put it other than her small purse.

“Why don’t you put it inside his coat?” Mariah asked.

“Good idea.” Paper rustled when Allie slid the wallet in the pocket. Curious, she extracted the paper. A marriage license? A memory nagged. Matt had said something about getting his parents’ marriage certificate. She handed the papers to Mariah. “I think this is yours.”

Mariah’s brow creased in a frown. She took the paper and the frown eased. “Matt said he was going to get this. So my mom’s maiden name was Bradford.”

As in J. Phillip Bradford? Allie’s mouth dropped. Was it possible he was their grandfather? “May I see that?”

She took the paper Mariah handed her. Susan R. Bradford. It would be too much of a coincidence for them to have the same last name and not be related. Was that why he hired Matt? If that was the case, why hadn’t Bradford returned her phone call? Surely, he would want to know about Matt’s condition.

“Who is this man?” Mariah asked.

“J. Phillip Bradford heads a huge foundation. Matt just agreed to go to work for him.” Maybe she should give him another call. She redialed Bradford’s number. Once again it went to voice mail. And once again she left a message.

Mariah rubbed her injured arm. “I can’t believe we might have a living, breathing grandfather. Why do you suppose he never contacted us?”

Allie had no idea. Her cell phone rang and she glanced at her ID. Mom. She answered and told her there’d been little change in Matt’s condition.

“I’m sorry, honey. How are you and Noah holding up?”

“Noah’s been asleep, but I think he’s waking up. Mariah’s here, too.”

“The hospital is no place for a boy. Your dad and I are coming to get him and let him stay here awhile.”

“Oh, Mom, that’d be great. Let me check with Mariah first.” She put her hand over the phone. “My folks want Noah to come out to the farm. Is that okay with you?”

“Be great,” Mariah replied.

Allie relayed the message.

“Your dad wants to talk to you.”

“How about Matt’s car?” Dad asked. “Someone mentioned it was at the school. Does it need to be moved?”

She hadn’t given the car a thought. “That’s a good idea. I have his clothes, and his keys are probably in his pocket.”

“Your mom and I will be there in fifteen minutes.”

She disconnected and reached for the bag with Matt’s clothes as Mariah gently shook Noah awake. Allie patted the slacks and found the keys in the left pocket, along with a small velvet box.

Mariah gasped when Allie pulled out the box. “Grandmother Rae’s ring box! Check and see if the rings are in it.”

Allie flipped the lid up and almost dropped the box. A stunning antique engagement ring sparkled against the white satin. She thought he had given the ring to Jessica.

So why was it in his pocket?