Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(101)

Gavin kissed Sierra’s forehead. “I love you. We’ll get you fixed up, I promise.”


“I have to stay here overnight?”


“They just want to make sure you don’t have other injuries.”


Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m scared.”


“I know, sweetheart. But I’ll be right here.”


“You’re staying with me?”


“Do you really think I’d leave you alone when you’re hurting?”


“No. It’s just…I thought you’d be mad. I’m so sorry.”


“I know you are. Why don’t you close your eyes? I know you’re in a lot of pain.”


She nodded.


Roger took him aside. “We’re moving her into a regular room.”


“A private room,” Gavin insisted.


“Does your insurance cover that?”


“I’ll cover it.”


“Okay. I’ll let them know. Once she’s in her room we’ll start the pain meds.”


Gavin watched as they lifted Sierra from one bed to the next. He followed behind two nurses and one orderly as they wheeled the bed down the hallway and into a small room.


After hooking Sierra up to more machines, Roger injected the pain meds into her IV and spoke to her softly. He ditched the used surgical gloves and stopped in front of Gavin. “This stuff works pretty fast. But I’ll be back in ten minutes to check on her.”


Gavin hauled the chair beside the bed and held Sierra’s hand between his, finally able to take a breath. Finally believing she’d be okay.


“Daddy?”


God, that made his heart hurt. She hadn’t called him that in years. “Yes, sweetheart?”


“I love you.”


Don’t cry. “I love you too.”


After a few minutes, she stopped stirring. Her breathing slowed.


Roger returned and discreetly checked on her, without disturbing her. “She’s asleep. I know you’re staying here tonight and that’s fine. But there’s a waiting room full of people asking for you. It’s late and she can’t have visitors, so could you please deal with them?”


Gavin sent Sierra an anxious look.


“She’s out. I promise she won’t know you’re gone.”


“Okay.” He took a minute to compose himself before he left the room.


Charlie and Vi jumped up the instant they saw him. Ben was standing next to Cam, still in uniform. Quinn threw the magazine he was reading on the table and stood.


Vi rushed forward and put her hands on his face. “Are you all right?”


“No, not really.” He inhaled and told them Sierra’s diagnosis. “The pain meds just kicked in so she’s asleep. I’m staying with her tonight.”


“Anything we can do?” Quinn asked.


“I’ll need someone to bring my car tomorrow.”


“Or one of us could pick you up when you’re ready,” Charlie offered.


He didn’t want to be beholden to anyone. Ben understood that. He said, “I can drop it by in the morning.”


“Thanks.”


The three people sitting in the back of the room approached the group. Gavin recognized Chet and Remy West. His gaze narrowed on the taller young guy standing between them with a blanket dangling from his shoulders.


That f*cker Boone West.



He moved quickly, latching onto the kid’s jacket and hauling him up until they were nose to nose. “You have a f*ckload of nerve being here when you’re the reason my daughter is in the f*cking hospital.”


“Let him go,” Chet said sharply.


Gavin shook Boone. “Don’t have anything to say?”


“Gavin,” Ben said in that listen to me voice. “Let him go. It’s not what you think.”


“I think I want to kick his ass.”


“Typical McKay macho bullshit,” Remy snapped. “Let him go right f*cking now or you’re dealing with me.”


“And me,” Chet said.


He released him. But he didn’t back off.


Neither did Boone. “How is Sierra?”


“How the hell do you think she is? She’s got a broken collarbone, a concussion and she’s in the hospital.”


A petite redhead bulled her way between Gavin and Boone, her focus on Gavin. “Back off. Sit your ass down.”


“Who are you?”


“Joely Monroe. I’m Boone’s doctor. And if you shake him like that again, I’ll have Cam arrest you for assault. He was also in the accident.”


“But he’s not in a goddamned hospital bed so it can’t be that bad.”


“Wrong. He doesn’t have health insurance, which is why I’m here as a favor to his uncles. Checking to make sure he doesn’t need to be hospitalized. He also had hypothermia and he refused to leave until he saw you and knew how Sierra was.”