Page 127 of Rescued Heart

His mother lifted her chin. “My son isn’t Bia Pearl’s ex, he’s her?—”

“She doesn’t have a fiancé.” He shook his head. Even if she had gotten back with Nathan—Nathan was dead. “Her visitor…what did the man look like?”

The woman pushed her glasses higher on her nose. “Umm…” Her cheeks reddened. “He’s tall and dark-headed and…kind of looks a little like you, actually.”

“Like me?” He remembered Bianca’s comment about Carter’s post hinting at something between them. “Carter? He must be after another publicity stunt.”

“Yes, that’s right. Carter Cane. I knew he looked familiar with that grin.” The woman smiled but stopped when Eddie leaned forward.

He didn’t know why Carter was pretending to be Bianca’s fiancé, but he’d never trusted that man.

Eddie grabbed the hospital map off the counter. “Ma’am, I really need you to show me where the woman I love is.”

TWENTY-NINE

Bianca went to move her hand to shield from the flashlight, except something held her hand down. “Eddie!”

She had to get to him before Riley hurt him. But something was on top of her legs too. “Ah!” Pain flamed from her shoulder. She shifted her arm, but her left hand was pinned down by…wires? Wait. Why were her eyes closed?

She blinked them open. Only to squint at a ceiling light above her. Beeping monitors to her right gave the first clue to her new location. Not in the woods anymore. That’s right. A nurse had wheeled her upstairs after surgery.

A hospital, which meant the hand holding hers had to be Eddie’s.

She squeezed his fingers and slowly moved her head. Harder to do without shifting her shoulder too.

But it wasn’t the smile she sought.

It was Carter, not Eddie, who looked down at her. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

She curled her fingers away from him. “Carter.”

Her throat burned. But that was probably normal after recovery. Hadn’t the nurse mentioned a drink was on her table? But where was the table? Things blurred out of focus. She closed her eyes again. “Carter, could you hand me my drink? My mouth feels like I’ve eaten chalk.”

What she could really go for was a marshmallow milkshake and Eddie, here with her, holding her hand. Her eyes sprang open. “Eddie. Forget the water. Where is he? Did Riley hurt Eddie? Please take me to him.”

Carter’s expression shifted into what she knew as his fake grin. “You’re not going anywhere.”

She leaned to see over the side of the bed, but pain shot along her head and shoulder. “This thing has wheels, right? I need to know he’s okay. If a nurse stops us, we’ll just offer an autograph.”

Desperate times required her to pull out all the stops.

Instead of helping, Carter ran his tongue over his teeth. “I heard something interesting when Leo and I were waiting for you and Nathan to show. Leo mentioned that you didn’t want to finish the movie at all.”

Bianca pushed her good elbow against the bed and eased forward. “The movie is the least of my concerns right now.” She grabbed on to Carter’s shirt. Another flash of pain zipped through her bandaged shoulder. She clenched her teeth. “Is Eddie alive?”

Please, Lord.

Carter squeezed his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away. “You never should’ve made that deal with that firefighter. You said we don’t give up.”

She yanked back her arm. “Ow, Carter, you’re scaring me. Why aren’t you telling me if he’s okay?”

No, he had to be alive. She remembered him telling her to stay with him.

Always.

She’d stay always if she had her way.

Carter sat on the bed and bumped into her hip, jarring her shoulder.

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