Page 66 of Recipe for Attraction (Madewood Brothers 2)

“Carson?” A tiny voice carried from the crowded hallway to her right.

Sterling stood in the doorway with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Someone she knew. She’d have her questions answered. She turned to the nurses and said, “Good thing I wasn’t in a rush to see my injured friend. Thank you so much for your exceptional service.”

Without waiting for a response or a dirty look, Carson flew over to where Sterling stood. “How is he? What happened? Is he going to be all right?”

Her heart raced in her chest and the sound of her blood rushing too fast in her ears made it difficult to concentrate on things around her, but she grabbed Sterling around her biceps and hung on to every word she said.

“He’s fine. A cracked rib and sprained wrist. A few cuts and scrapes but for the most part he’s damn lucky.”

She mumbled a silent prayer. When she’d gotten the call from Jack telling her that Neil had been in an accident, it was the wake-up call she had needed. Last night she blamed Neil for the actions of her father, almost happy to have someone to blame for his disappointment rather than herself. She’d been too afraid to stand up to the man that had been stringing her along for years, her own flesh and blood. But no longer. Neil was too important to give up. He was worth the

disappointment from her father. Work was not the most important thing in the world.

She had been through this before. It had been her own living nightmare. Watching her friend spin out on the dirt. Holding him as he died in her arms in a ditch on the side of the road. She had made the promise then and there to stop acting out like she was invincible. She hung up her racing helmet and went on the straight and narrow, making money through legitimate source of income like architecture. The realization that she could lose someone else that meant so much to her put everything into perspective.

She stepped back, shaking her head. She loved him. Too much to give up on him.

“Carson, are you all right?” Sterling asked. She stared at her with the most curious look.

She nodded.

“I don’t know what the hell he was doing riding his bike in the middle of the night. Stupid ass. I’m so angry with him.”

“He asked for you.”

“Really?”

After last night, she doubted she’d ever hear from him again. She was even contemplating skipping the opening of the farm. Too much history. Too much drama.

“Well, he was drugged up at the time. The doctors put him on some pretty heavy-duty pain meds. He kept saying your name and someone named Diaz. Do you know anyone with that name?”

Carson shook her head. She was not going to be the one to rat him out.

“Is he still drugged up?” She hoped he was. He was no doubt in pain. And it might be easier to face him if he was a little loopy.

“Yes, but he’s alert. I’ll take you to him.”

After a few silent steps, Sterling asked, “What’s going on with the two of you anyway?”

“That’s a very complicated answer to a very complicated question. And I wish it weren’t the case.”

“So then…you’re not together?” Sterling sipped her coffee hiding a smile. Whatever Carson said to Sterling would go right back to Jack, and probably the rest of the brothers. She wasn’t one to lie.

“No. I can say with great certainty that after last night, we are not together.”

“But you care for him?”

She nodded.

“So then why aren’t you together?”

“Carson.” Jack waved her down as he walked out into the hallway. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

She looked over at Sterling who was still expecting an answer. But Carson didn’t have a valid response because she didn’t know why, other than stupidity, they weren’t together.

She turned back to Jack. “Thank you for calling me.”

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