Page 107 of The Science of Attraction

We carried Jules out of the barn on the tarp and got him loaded into the back of the chopper. Once he was safely inside, Luke pulled Zach into a fierce hug. “You doing okay?”

Zach nodded, his face deathly pale. “Just get him there safely.”

Luke frowned. “You’re not coming?”

“No.” Zach looked to me. “Liam needs to go.”

Luke glanced my way. “Of course. Get in.”

I could’ve kissed them both. “Thank you. Thank you.”

I jumped into the passenger seat, and as Luke lifted the helicopter clear of the yard, I caught sight of three quads hurtling toward the shed from the pump house. And leaning on his cane, staring up at us from the ramp outside the woolshed, stood Paddy, looking about as lost and confused as it was possible to be.

I tried to find it in my heart to feel sorry for him, but right then all I could think was he could go to hell and I’d happily pay for his ticket.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

Liam

The second we were clear of the yards, Spencer put a call through to the medical centre to relay Jules’ condition. The remainder of the flight was made in an eerie quiet, bar the rotor and engine noise. Luke sat grim-faced at the helicopter controls while Spencer kept a close watch over Jules. I spent the entire time half-turned in my seat and staring at Jules lying white-faced in the back while quietly losing my fucking mind.

What was it they said?You don’t know how much someone means to you until you almost lose them.

Welcome to the wake-up call to end all fucking wake-up calls.

I love you, Liam.

I stared at his pale face, whiter than white against the dark leather seats.I love you too, baby.Hang on.

The ten-minute flight felt like an hour before we were finally setting down at the back of the medical centre. A nurse and doctor pushed a gurney out to meet us, and I listened intently as Spencer gave a handover during the short trip back inside. The nurse was a bright-eyed woman in her late thirties with a quick, reassuring smile, but the young doctor sported spiky bleached hair, ear gauges, and looked all of about twenty-five.Fuck me.

They pushed Jules into the small emergency room and parked the gurney in one of the treatment bays. I didn’t bother asking permission, just followed. The doctor shot me a querying look but said nothing and I found a place against the nearest wall as they transferred Jules to a treatment bed and began to work. But when the doctor rolled Jules to take a look at his shoulder and Jules gave a pained groan, I was at his side in an instant.

“Be careful with him.” I glared at the doctor whose eyebrows immediately rose into his hairline.

Spencer’s hand wrapped around my bicep. “Liam, this is Bradley, the physician in charge.”

“Hi, Liam.” Bradley’s deliberately calm voice only served to irritate me further. “How about you leave us to work on your friend? There’s a ton of stuff we need to do right now. We’ll call you when we’re done.”

“I’m not leaving,” I insisted. “I’m not letting him out of my sight. You don’t understand. He—” I focused on Jules’ slack face, and for a second I couldn’t breathe. “I—we just—” I gulped air, doing my best not to cry.

“Hey.” Spencer squeezed my arm. “Bradley is one of the best, I swear. He had his pick of big city ERs to run, but he wanted to be close to the mountains. First tracks up a Southern Alps glacier in the morning, followed by a clinic in the afternoon. We’re lucky to have him. Jules is in good hands.”

I cast the young doctor a disbelieving look.

“Shocker, I know,” he replied kindly. “But Spencer is right. Iamgood. Damn good. I’ll look after him for you, I promise. But you need to go and let me do my job.”

The curtain broke apart and another white-coated figure rushed in—an older balding man with piercing green eyes and a homely face. “Okay, so what’ve we got?”

Bradley’s attention shifted to the newcomer. “Gunshot wound to the left shoulder. He’s already got an IV line, so how about you start some fluids and organise blood?”

“Bradley.” The nurse waved the doctor over. “You should take a look at this.”

My heart leaped into my throat and I pushed forward. “What’s wrong?”

Spencer grabbed my arm and redirected me toward the door. “Let’s go wait for the others. Shona will keep us informed, right, Shona?”

The nurse looked over and nodded. “I promise. He’s safe with us.”

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