Impulsion (Station 32 #1)(42)

“I’m not a coward.”

Camille stepped forward in what looked like anger, then hesitated, stood up straighter, and after a sharp breath said, “Harley, the only thing I fault you for is not coming to me when you found Dorcas. Life would have been easier for all of us if you’d done that.”

Camille handed Harley her phone. “I told your father you would call as soon as you woke.” And with that, she left the room.

Harley looked down at her phone. Collin had called her three times, sent twice as many texts.

Her father answered on the first ring.

“Harley?”

“Daddy.”

“You all right?”

“Yeah, I think. Sore, but they said I was fine.”

“What do you need?”

“Nothing. I’m fine. Danny Boy is at Willowhaven. As soon as I leave here, I’m going to check on him. I need to call and get someone to come out and look at the rig when I figure out where it is.”

“I’ve already done that. Camille said it was towed to her farm. An adjuster will be out within forty-eight hours.”

“Perfect.”

“Do you need me to find a home to rent there for you?”

Harley paused. “Camille said I had a room.”

“She told me the same. I wasn’t sure if that would be good, but then again, I knew you would want to be close to Danny Boy.”

That horse meant everything to her; it really did. He was her first possession, her first challenge. He made her stronger. Losing him...losing him would be like putting her past in the grave. “I can still hear him during that accident. He sounded so scared.”

“I’m sure he was. I heard it was a miracle he and you barely had a scratch.”

The magnitude of the wreck, walking away from it, was in the pile of emotions she was trying to process.

“Did…um…did you speak with Mother?” Harley had to figure out what she knew, had to know everything so she could call Collin and they could figure out their lines, their roles.

“I did. Yesterday, I believe. She wanted to tell me that the governor was coming to my birthday party, and some senator that I’ve never met. I suppose I was to be elated about that.”

“That’s all she said?”

“All that I can recall.”

Harley and her father had the same kind of relationship; they were close, but at the same time he never really spoke clearly to her. She had learned to read through his words, especially after she figured out if she had said something sooner to her father, she would have made it back to Wyatt before he moved on to Dorcas…a Dorcas that was never an issue, apparently.

Harley shook her head, trying to find some kind of thought balance.

She was sure her father was telling her that he saw no need to tell her mother what had happened, where Harley was. If Harley saw a need, she was welcome to tell her.

Her phone beeped, and she pulled it away to see that it was Collin. “Collin is calling,” she said into the phone.

“That one keeps some odd hours, now doesn’t he?”

“I suppose,” Harley said with a furrowed brow. Sometimes she questioned if her father knew what she and Collin were up to. Honestly, Harley was still supposed to be in Wellington. They had told their parents she was leaving a few days later than she was, which was going to give Collin a long weekend with Quinn at the condo.

“Call me when you get settled tomorrow.”

“I will. Love you.”

She hesitated another second, glanced to the sheet that was a wall around her bed, wondering who was close, who could hear this conversation.

“Hey,” she said when she answered.

“You’re scaring the hell out of me. When you didn’t call, I tracked the truck. You’re at a standstill six hours from where you should be, not answering the phone. If you didn’t answer this time, I was calling the police to tell them where the truck is sitting.”

“They may still be with the truck.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked in his deep, concerned tone.

“I had an accident.”

“What!”

“I had to detour, then I had an accident. A truck in front of me lost its load.”

She heard him cuss. “Are you hurt?”

“They said a concussion. I’m fine.”

“Danny Boy?”

“I haven’t seen him yet. They said he was on stall rest, had a few cuts, lame, but was okay, lucky.”

“Where?”

She turned her head and quietly said, “Willowhaven.”

“You’re serious?” Collin was confused. If Harley wanted to go there, he would have made it happen. Detouring on a whim? That was out of character. If he weren’t terrified that she was hurt, he might have found a second to be proud of her.

“I had just passed the town when I had the accident.”

“How did they get involved?”

In a whisper, she answered, “Wyatt’s a fireman. He responded to the wreck.”

Collin was quiet for a second. “And you’re all right?”

“I only saw him when he pulled me out of the truck.”

“Pulled you out? What kind of accident was it?”

“I’m fine. The truck, not so much I don’t think.”