“Yes,” Bryant said in his familiar smooth, unflappable tone. He was also on crutches.
“How’s the leg?”
“Broke.” His brother lifted his leg to show him the cast. “I’ll have this for a couple of months.”
He would be okay. That’s all that mattered. “And what about you, Cody? You said it was only a flesh wound.”
“It is. Doc just wants me to have these for a few days.” Normally light and sarcastic, Cody’s tone grew serious and warm. “Emmett, glad you’re back.”
“Me, too, bro.” Emmett looked back at Amber. “Me, too.”
“More importantly, how are you feeling?” his sweet baby asked.
“I’ve been better.” He looked into Amber’s golden eyes and saw his future.
“Hola, señor.” A young boy peered from behind her. “Thank you for saving Miss White.”
“My pleasure.” Emmett turned to Amber. “The boy from your dreams?”
She nodded. “Emmett Stone, I’d like to introduce you to Juan Garcia.”
Emmett shook the boy’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Juan.”
“Mucho gusto, Señor Stone.”
“Juan, give Mr. Stone some breathing room.” A very nice-looking, fair-haired woman stood by the door, behind Cody and Bryant. “Come back over here to me.”
Amber smiled at the woman. “Emmett, this is my sister, Belle. Sis, come meet my guy.”
“Later, Kat. He needs his rest.” Belle glanced around the small room. “There are already way too many people in here if you ask me. You and his brothers make three. Juan and I are four and five. And Nate is six.”
Amber shrugged. “My sister is a nurse and a stickler about rules, Emmett. I had to threaten her within an inch of her life to stay in here until you woke up.”
Emmett looked at Belle, who had her arm around Juan. “She’s tough looking, but my money will always be on you in a fair fight.”
Amber rewarded him with a lovely grin, and nothing in the world could be as beautiful.
And Emmett had almost lost her. He struggled to remember what happened after he’d been shot. “How about filling me in about what happened after Sergei hit the dirt?”
“That’s my cue,” a dark-headed man with blue eyes said, offering his hand.
Emmett shook it. “You are?”
“Sheriff Nate Wright. Your woman’s sister knew a friend of mine and put us in touch.” The sheriff’s cell rang. “Damn it. One sec.” He put the phone up to his ear. “Hey, baby. What’s up? What do you mean? Have you called Doc?” Whatever the gal on the other side of the conversation was saying had caused a frown to be plastered on his face. “How the hell did Charlie ruin my Stetson? I thought you said he was just teething. What do you mean teething babies sometimes throw up? Okay. But why did it have to be my Stetson? Why do my boys have to puke or poop on everything I own? Seriously, Callie, I’m down to two shirts and now my second-best hat is gone. No, I can’t wear it again. Put him on. Hey, Zane. I just want you to know that the next time I’m changing Charlie or Zander, I fully intend to use your autographed Rangers cap as a peepee teepee. I know you aimed him at my hat. I’ll be home as quick as I can wrap up things here in Destiny. Revenge is going to be sweet, big guy. Tell Callie I love her.” He clicked off his phone. “Sorry about that. We’ve got twins and my partner has a really touchy gag reflex.”
Emmett nodded, dreaming of the day Amber’s babies would be keeping him and his brothers up at night.
“Where was I before I started to sound like a lunatic?” Wright asked.
“About you and I getting in touch after I saw Sergei in the parking lot handing Juan the bag of drugs,” Amber said.
“When did that happen?” Emmett asked.
Amber took his hand. “The day before you found me in the road. I’m a therapist, or was a therapist, at a boys’ home in Chicago. Juan was one of my boys. I saw Sergei, who was the director, hand him a bag of drugs one day. Juan is only twelve years old and a sweet boy. I had to act.”
“Stone, your woman did act—and how. If you ever want to move to Bliss, there’s a club that would certainly take you in as a member.” Wright shook his head. “After taking the kid to her sister’s house to make sure he was safe, she went against my instructions to stay away. She broke into Sergei’s office and found drugs late one night with the intention of bringing them to me to help build a case against the creep.”
“Wait just a second.” Emmett fixed his stare on Amber. “Is this a habit of yours? To run headfirst into danger when told not to by people who know more than a little about such things?”