For His Brother's Wife

It was true that she’d had a breakfast meeting of the planning committee for the Family Crisis Center’s annual spring fund-raiser, but wanting to put off having to see the condemnation in Cole’s dark green eyes, she’d left the house an hour and a half before it started. She knew she’d taken the coward’s way out, and it wasn’t something she was the least bit proud of. But she had no idea what she would say to him in the way of an explanation for her actions when she didn’t fully understand them herself.

Her inner turmoil had seemed to set the tone for the rest of her morning. During the meeting she had learned she would need to present a program outlining the charity’s objectives and accomplishments for the newer volunteers. Public speaking was something she hated doing and was much more comfortable working in the background while others took charge. But with so many in need of assistance after the tornado, all the volunteers were having to take charge of this or that in order to meet the needs of the people they were trying to help.

Now Cole had been injured and it wasn’t quite noon. She was almost afraid of what the afternoon would bring.

“Could you please tell me if Cole Richardson has arrived yet?” Paige asked when she and Stella approached the reception desk.

“Are you family?” the receptionist asked politely.

Technically she supposed they were family, but Paige wasn’t sure they would allow a sister-in-law in the treatment room or tell her anything about his condition. “I’m Mrs. Richardson.”

The woman smiled. “Your husband was brought in about fifteen minutes ago by his business partner. Mr. Nichols is with him now, but you can go on back. He’s in examination room twenty-four.” She shook her head apologetically at Stella. “I’m afraid only two can be in the room with him at a time.”

“No problem,” Stella assured the woman. When Paige started toward the entrance leading to the treatment rooms, Stella stopped her. “Please tell Aaron that I’ll be in the waiting room.”

“I will.” Paige hugged her friend as she whispered, “And thank you for not correcting the receptionist’s assumption.”

“You and Cole are all the family either of you have left,” Stella stated quietly. “Under similar circumstances, I would have done the same thing.” She smiled. “Now, go back there to see what’s going on and send my handsome husband out here to keep me company.”

Smiling, Paige nodded and walked back to the room where Cole was being treated. “What happened?” she asked when she reached the cubicle where Cole lay on a hospital bed. His eyes were closed and she couldn’t tell where he was injured.

Standing beside the bed, Aaron turned to smile at her. “He decided to try being a cowboy again and ride a horse. But he found out he’s just a little rusty.”

She frowned. “He went horseback riding?”

Aaron shrugged. “When he called he said he’d been riding along the creek and the bank collapsed. The horse went one way and Cole went the other.”

“Does he have a concussion?” she asked, concerned that Cole hadn’t opened his eyes.

“As hard-headed and stubborn as he can be sometimes, he might have been better off if he had landed on his head,” Aaron answered, chuckling. “But he apparently tried a standing dismount and couldn’t quite stick the landing. He screwed up his knee and we’re waiting for Lucas Wakefield to examine him and let us know how bad it is.”

“But this wouldn’t be serious enough for Luc to be called in, would it?” she asked. Dr. Wakefield was head of the trauma department and the region’s top trauma surgeon.

Aaron shook his head. “Aaron was with me when I got Cole’s call, and you know how we all are. TCC members take care of our own. Once Luc found out Cole was injured, he wanted to see him first.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Cole said, opening his eyes to give her a big grin. “Did you come to give me a good-night kiss?”

Shocked, Paige’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “It’s not quite noon yet, Cole.” When she looked at Aaron, she asked, “Are you sure he didn’t land on his head?”

Winking at her, Aaron laughed out loud. “They gave him something for pain and I think he’s starting to feel the effects,” he explained. When Cole reached for her hand, Aaron nodded toward the door. “You can take over from here with Don Juan. I’ll be out in the waiting room if you need me.”