She Can Hide (She Can #4)(85)

“It was no trouble.” The chief blushed.

“Have you heard from the surgeon?” Lorraine asked. “When you called you said they thought Ethan would be fine.”

“He will be.” The chief pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thank God he was wearing his Kevlar vest.”

One of Joe’s bullets had hit Ethan dead center in the chest. If he hadn’t been wearing his body armor, Ethan would be dead. The other shot had struck him in the shoulder, and blood loss had been minimized by the water temperature.

Lorraine turned to Abby with open arms. “Oh dear. I don’t want to hurt you.” Lorraine frowned at Abby’s cast and gave her good arm a gentle squeeze.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Abby asked. Ethan had only been brought to the hospital a few hours ago.

“I almost didn’t make it. I ended up on a crack-of-dawn flight to New York. I took a train from there and got in this afternoon.” Lorraine tilted her head.

But? “I thought you were in Florida for another couple of weeks.”

“Ethan called me yesterday and asked me if I’d come home early.” Worry lines fanned out from the corners of Lorraine’s eyes. “He said he’d applied to be Derek’s foster parent and asked if I would mind coming home to help out with him. Of course I didn’t mind, though the weather made getting here a challenge.”

Ethan’s words echoed in Abby’s head. Trust me, Derek. It’s only temporary. Had he already filed when he’d said that?

Abby closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. Derek was a child, and a damaged one at that. His inability to trust Ethan was understandable. But Abby…Even after all he’d done for her, she hadn’t trusted him either.

Would she ever be normal?

“He didn’t tell you in case it fell through.” Lorraine took the chair on Abby’s opposite side. “He didn’t want Derek to be disappointed.”

Emotions clogged Abby’s throat. “Derek would have appreciated the fact that he was trying.”

“The good news is that we have a temporary approval. Derek can come home with us when he’s released.”

“Oh, thank God.” Abby let a small bit of tension escape. “You don’t know how relieved Derek will be.”

Lorraine leaned closer. “How is his mother?”

“I don’t know.” Abby looked to Chief O’Connell.

“She has a concussion. Her physical injuries aren’t life-threatening, but she was pretty messed up when the EMTs brought her in.” He shrugged. “My guess is that she’ll go right from here to a rehab facility. She won’t be getting Derek back for a long time.”

“Well, he can stay with us for good.” Lorraine nodded emphatically. “Does your arm hurt much?”

Yes. “It’s not too bad,” Abby said.

“If you want to go home, I’ll call you the second the surgeon comes out,” the chief offered.

Abby lifted her head. “No. I’m all right.” Despite the pills the ER doctor had given her, pain pulsed through Abby’s elbow with every beat of her heart. And she knew from experience that nothing was going to make her feel warm for the next couple of days.

She would not be able to rest until she’d seen Ethan with her own eyes.

Or so she thought.

“Abby.” A pat on her hand startled Abby awake. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. She must have dozed off. Lorraine stood in front of her. A green-scrubbed surgeon was walking out of the waiting room, obviously just finished giving an update on Ethan’s condition. Chief O’Connell was standing by the door.

“He’s out of surgery and awake.” Lorraine hugged her purse to her side. “They’re putting him in the same room as Derek. We can see them both in a few minutes if you’d like.”

“Yes.” Abby wobbled as she stood. “Is he OK?”

“He’s fine.” The chief put a hand under her good elbow. “The bullet didn’t hit anything vital. They took it out and stitched him up.”

The three walked down the hall and into the elevator. Ethan was already settled when they reached the room.

Lorraine zoomed in and brushed his hair away from his face. “You shouldn’t scare your old mother like that.”

“Where’s Abby?” Ethan’s voice was hoarse.

“Right behind me.” Lorraine poured water into a cup from a plastic pitcher on his tray. She held it close to his mouth so he could drink through the straw. Ethan’s eyes shifted over his mom’s shoulder to Abby.

“I’m going to get a cup of coffee.” Lorraine stepped out of the way. Her eyes were wet as she walked past Abby.

“I’ll go with you.” Chief O’Connell joined her in the hall.

Abby stepped up to the bed.

Ethan reached for her hand. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“That makes two of us.” Abby leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She rested her forehead against his for a few seconds, then whispered in his ear, “I love you.”

“I know. I heard you in the creek.” Ethan kissed her back. “I love you too.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Abby sighed against his cheek. “You’re not the one with enough baggage to fill a freight train.”