“I will not drive off the road.”
“No, you won’t, because I’ll be with you to keep you awake.”
Rachel refocused her attention on the road, refusing to admit even to herself how much she liked the sound of that.
Chapter Eleven
The drive to Bozeman went faster than Rachel had anticipated, and it all had to do with Jamie. As the van swallowed up the miles and the dark road flew beneath the wheels, he kept up a steady, humorous dialogue, so she was hardly aware they had been driving for over three hours until suddenly, there was the sign indicating they had crossed into Bozeman.
“We’re here!” she exclaimed in surprise.
“You did good,” Jamie replied from the back row. “It’s just past midnight. What do you want to do first—head over to the hospital, or grab a room somewhere and catch some sleep?”
That made Rachel pause. Just the thought of spending the night with Jamie caused heat to pool in her center. She decided she really was a terrible person, because she was already looking forward to spending time with him in Bozeman, where nobody knew either of them, and nobody would judge them.
“I’d feel better if we could check in on Dylan first,” she said, glancing at Jamie in the mirror. “I told my parents I would call them as soon as I had talked with the doctor. Hawaii is four hours behind us, so they’ll still be up and waiting to hear from me.”
“The hospital it is, then,” Jamie said.
They pulled into the dark parking lot fifteen minutes later, and Jamie eased himself into his wheelchair. They made their way to the patient information desk, where a nurse asked them to wait in a nearby lobby for Doctor Hartmann.
The hospital was eerily quiet, but there was one other occupant in the small waiting area. A man sat on the opposite side of the room, his head bent into his hands. He wore a heavy yellow shirt and a pair of military fatigue pants, both of which were dark with dirt and soot. On the floor beside him was a red backpack and a firefighter’s hard hat. Rachel exchanged a meaningful look with Jamie.
“Excuse me, sir?” she ventured.
The man raised his head, and Rachel was momentarily taken aback by the red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes in the soot-darkened face.
“Yes?”
“Did you come in with Dylan McCafferty?” Rachel asked.
He straightened. “I did, yeah. And you are—?”
Rachel extended her hand. “I’m his sister, Rachel, and this is his good friend, James Colter. We came as soon as we got the news.”
The man stood up and shook both of their hands. He was tall and lean, and beneath the dust and grime, very good-looking. “I’m Tyler Dodson.”
“How is he?” Jamie asked.
Tyler’s eyes swept over Jamie, taking in the wheelchair and extended cast on his leg. “He got caught in a crosswind during a jump and came down in a copse of trees. His leg is busted up pretty good, and he was impaled on one of the tree branches.”
Rachel gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “I didn’t know…”
Tyler looked grim. “The doc said they’ll need to remove his spleen, and he’ll be laid up here for a week, at least.”
“Have you seen him?” Rachel asked. Jamie had rolled his chair closer to her side, and now he reached out and took her hand in his. Rachel didn’t pull away, drawing strength from his presence.
“No, he’s still in surgery. I’m just waiting for the doc to come out and give me an update.” His bleary gaze shifted beyond them. “There he is now.”
Both Rachel and Jamie turned to see a surgeon, still wearing his scrubs, walking toward them. His face was somber, but he gave them a weary smile.
“You’re Mr. McCafferty’s sister?” he asked, extending his hand. “I’m Peter Hartmann.”
“How is he doing?”
“Your brother is strong. He came in with an open fracture of the kneecap. Essentially, the patella shattered and we had to perform surgery immediately since he had bone fragments that perforated the skin. We also removed his spleen, but I expect him to make a full recovery.”
“Can I see him?”
The doctor hesitated. “He’s still in recovery and pretty groggy. You can see him, but only for a moment.”
Rachel nodded. “I’ll be quick.”
“I’ll stay here,” Jamie said, releasing her hand. “I’ll have a chance to see him tomorrow, when he’s a little more lucid.”
“Do you mind if I tag along?” Tyler asked. “I’d like to be able to tell the captain he looks better than he did when we pulled him out of that tree.”