Page 56 of Rancher's Strength

RYDER

“I’d really like to stop having to come to this place,” I grumbled as I paced the small waiting room of the hospital. The lights in the waiting room were harsh, and I thought back to being here only months ago with Griff. Thankfully, this situation didn’t seem as dire; all we had to do was wait for the surgery to be over.

“Son, you need to eat something,” Griff’s father, Wes, said as he put his hand on my shoulder and led me back to the chairs. “There’s nothing you can do, pacing the floor wearing yourself out.” With a slight nudge, I dropped into the chair and took the sandwich Gwen handed to me.

With the cattle still out in the meadow and the camp still set up, I’d jumped in the helicopter with Lexie. Kipp had contacted Phil, and he was on his way with the ATV to get Ruby and Sawyer. I glanced at my watch and hoped they were on their way here.

The sandwich tasted bland, and I wasn’t sure if it was because it was hospital food or the fact that nothing would feel right until I knew she was safe.

“Ryder?” Lydia said as she and Lexie’s mom ran into the waiting room. Dropping my sandwich back into the container, I stood, and they both ran into my arms. Hugging them tightly, I tried to find the words to tell them what was happening, but I didn’t have any.

When I let them go, Helen embraced Gwen, and we all took a seat. Fumbling through the explanation, I watched Helen’s color drain from her face, while Lydia looked like she wanted to burn the world down. Those two sisters might have their issues, but they’d take on anyone who dared to hurt the other.

“Where’s Tucker?” Helen asked, her voice low and so reminiscent of Lexie’s when she was arguing a case. Maybe she didn’t get her tenacity just from her dad after all.

“Dead, out in the meadow.” I shrugged. “I’m sure the guys have dealt with him and his lackey.” I shouldn’t have said anything, but we weren’t trying to hide this. The piece of shit kidnapped two kids, my kids, and shot my wife. There was no way I was letting him live.

“Good,” she said flatly. “Do we need to go after Violet also? How is she tangled up in all this?” Helen leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. Damn, I didn’t know she’d had this side to her.

“I think I’ll let Nash figure that out.”

“We used to be best friends, you know.” She leaned back in the chair, frowning as she shifted. “Vi and I were inseparable—until she got together with Fred. Then it was the three of us, with Fred always tagging along. Someone in town even asked once if he was dating both of us, since we were never apart.” Helen looked out the window, and I imagined she was lost in those simpler days, back when life wasn’t so tangled and she still had her best friend.

“I never forgave her for treating Fred and Nash so poorly. Then when she left them, I washed my hands of her.” Helenstood and paced around the room. “Those men didn’t deserve her leaving. They did everything she demanded of them, and she turned into a woman I didn’t know. She brought this on all of us, and I’ll never forgive her.” Helen stared into my soul, and I wondered what more she knew about all of this.

“Mr. Saffort.” Hearing my name startled me, and I jumped to my feet and basically ran to the doctor standing in the doorway. “Your wife was very lucky, whoever shot at her had very bad aim, and she was lucky there was a nurse on scene. One of her arteries was nicked, but Elle dressed her wounds and got the bleeding stopped, I would guess, before the helicopter even got her.”

He looked down at the clipboard in his hands before looking back at me. “She’ll be sore for a while, but she’s got a clean bill of health.”

“Thank you, doctor.” I extended my hand, and he shook it.

I really hope I won’t have to see anyone from the Diamond for a while. You lot are giving me more grey hair than I can handle.

“Well, I have a feeling this is the last of it.” I replied just before he walked away, nodding.

“She’s going to be okay,” Helen sighed from behind me, and to be honest, I’d forgotten she’d been standing there. When I turned, I watched Lexie’s mom sink into the chair behind her, and Lydia wrapping her arms around her.

“How is she?” Faith asked as she ran toward Lydia. The two women embraced, and Lydia broke down in tears. “Shh, it’s okay, she’s strong, she’s going to be fine. I know it.” Faith tilted her head, and questions filled her eyes.

“She’ll be fine. It will be a few weeks recovery, but she was lucky.” I watched relief fill Faith’s face. Moving to where Helen sat, I took the spot beside her as she observed Lydia and Faith together.

“I have Hank and Anita to thank for that, too.” She reached for my hand and held it tightly. “Both my girls are happy, and it’s because of them.” I closed my eyes and sighed. Helen wasn’t wrong. Thanks to them, I had Lexie back, and Lydia had a budding relationship with Faith.

“My heart breaks for Ruby and Sawyer, but it’s also at ease with my girls home again. And you back with the family like you should have been all along.” Her sweet smile made me anxious, which was a strange reaction to her comment. My leg bounced, and I felt the need to get out of this enclosed space, but I couldn’t leave until I saw her. I needed to see her.

She was my future, my past, and everything in between. I wanted to make love to her every night for the rest of our lives. We needed to be able to wander the farm at night after the kids went to bed or walk through the orchard when the trees were in bloom. Thanks to everything falling into place today, we’d get that opportunity. “I need to take a walk. Lydia, text me when we can see her, please.” I abruptly let go of Helen’s hand and headed for the hallway.

“Ryder?” Lydia called from behind me.

“I’ll be in the building; I just need to move.” Whatever look I had on my face just made her nod, and I walked away.

It seemed unfair that the sun was still high in the sky. This day had already felt like it should be almost over. To my left was the chapel, and to my right, the nursing station. I’d never felt drawn to chapels, so I walked into the outpatient unit and waited at the desk.

“Mr. Saffort, can I do something for you?” the woman said, smiling but still looking rather uncomfortable. When she turned her full attention to me, her face blanched as she looked at my shirt. Shit, I had Lexie’s blood all over me.

“This isn’t mine.” I didn’t need to tell her that. She knew Lexie was in surgery. She’s the one who got me to sign thepapers. It wasn’t exactly the truth but explaining that to her would have been way more than she wanted. “Is there any way I could talk to someone? Not a doctor, just someone?” Talking to someone who wasn’t my usual therapist would have been a hard no for me, but I could feel the darkness hovering just in the background.

“I think we do. Just let me check.” She smiled sweetly and typed on her keyboard. “Give me five minutes, and the social worker will be right up.” She smiled sweetly, and I nodded my thanks. Pacing the hallway, had five minutes always taken this long?

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