Page 46 of Wicked Cowboy
I had no defense. I reached out as the phone number ringing was from security to talk about our own plans for a makeshift ambulance we’d drawn up last time and asked, “You were sharing pictures. Can you call her on your phone and ask her to meet us at the hospital in town?”
“Sure.” She ran off.
I told security the situation and they assisted with getting the doctor I preferred to the hospital to meet us. We heard Chelsea’s voice on the phone and I whispered to my father, “Are you satisfied, Pop?”
His face was tight when he said, “Not until you get it through your thick skull that you’re worse than I ever was.”
I was a grade A asshole. He didn’t need to remind me, but as the staff paramedics I’d hired to be on call, and work with security and the local town came in, I told him, “You’re going to be fine.”
The EMT crew quickly put him on a stretcher and I reminded them of the previous heart attacks.
The woman pointed to us both. “Are you family?”
I couldn’t leave Chelsea alone. I swallowed. “We’ll follow in the car.”
I patted her on the back to run with me. My old truck was the closest and I opened the door for her. She jumped in and the moment I was in the driver’s side, I started the car. We headed off.
Once we made it to the main road, Chelsea said, “Carter, my parents never made it out of the hospital.”
I hugged her for a second. Comfort had never been my forte, but I swallowed and hoped Bernie could send the right words. “There is a difference. Pop is still talking and breathing.”
Her phone beeped. I followed the ambulance and kept my gaze on the lights. Chelsea then said, “Ridley says she’ll meet us there.”
My heart twisted. I’d been stupid for sending her away when she already lived in my heart. “Thanks for calling her.”
Chelsea put her phone away. “I don’t understand why she wasn’t there.”
If Pop was right and she loved me too, I’d ruined her life already. I’d never want another woman in my life, but I explained, “I… said something stupid and she has every right to be mad at me. She’ll probably beat us to the hospital.”
I headed to parking at the hospital and Chelsea said, “Well, apologize fast. Mom and Dad always had a rule,never go to bed mad.”
Her father was still teaching me lessons from his grave. The tension inside my shoulders lessened and my lips curved a little up. “You sound like your old man.”
“They'd said you two would make the perfect couple, if they could just get you in the same room again.”
That was their reasoning for naming us both in the will? Bernie was right. Ridley was perfect. I was the fuck up. But I parked the car. “Ridley is amazing.”
We both jumped out of our seats and walked in the night air that lacked the intense heat as she said, “Hudson and I were picking outfits for the courthouse tomorrow. He let me change the color to pink and pick the ties.”
We entered the lobby and I glanced around. There was a map and I pointed to it. “I’m… we’re here. Let’s find the ER so we can figure out what to do.”
The ER was down the end of the hall to the right, but as I turned to tell Chelsea, someone tapped me.
For one moment, I wished it was Ridley and I could hold her tight, but it was Sally. I crossed my arms and asked, “Sally. What are you doing here?”
“I volunteer. Where’s Ridley?”
Chelsea piped in. “Coming soon.”
Sally took one look at both of us. “You both look miserable.”
“Hudson’s here,” Chelsea said like she was now the leader.
I let out a breath of air and wished my pop was home and healthy, but I quickly said, “I… wasn’t expecting this. I thought he was fine.”
“What happened?” Sally asked.
I glanced up at the bright lights of the hospital. “He was upset at me.”
