Jamie refused to use his wheelchair, and now he easily swung beside her on his crutches. As they approached Dylan’s room, they heard voices. She and Jamie exchanged a look.
“Here we go,” he murmured.
They entered the hospital room to see Rachel’s parents were there. Her mother sat by the bed and clutched Dylan’s hand, while her father stood by the window and stared moodily out over the city toward the surrounding mountains. They both started when Rachel and Jamie entered the room, and Diane McCafferty rose to her feet to come around and give Rachel a hug.
“Thank you so much for coming down to be with your brother,” she said. Pulling back, she searched Rachel’s face. “Are you doing okay?”
Rachel nodded. “Of course, Mom.”
Diane turned to Jamie, and cupping his face, gave him a motherly kiss on one cheek. “Thank you for coming with her, Jamie. I hope this hasn’t been too hard on you.”
“Not at all,” Jamie assured her. “I’ve been exactly where Dylan is now, and I know how much I appreciated having visitors when I was confined to a hospital bed.”
Dylan made a snorting sound, and they all looked at him.
“What?” he grumbled. “It’s not like you even spend much time here. I guess the local sights are more interesting than hanging out with me.”
Rachel’s face went warm, and she didn’t dare look at Jamie. Dylan was right; aside from a quick visit each morning, and a longer one in the afternoon and evening, they hadn’t exactly camped out in his room.
“You need your rest more than you need us disturbing you,” she said quickly. “And Cole Tanner and his fiancée came to see you, so it’s not like you haven’t had plenty of company.”
“So what have you been doing to stay busy?”
This from Rachel’s father, John. Was it her imagination, or did she detect a note of suspicion in his tone?
“Sir, we’ve been taking in the rodeo, which is where we ran into Cole Tanner,” Jamie said smoothly. “I haven’t been to Bozeman in a long time, so I’ve enjoyed getting out and seeing the city, and Rachel has been nice enough to chauffeur me around.”
“Ah, yes, the Bozeman Stampede Rodeo,” her father mused. “I would have liked to see that myself. Been a long time since I’ve seen a rodeo.” He nodded. “Well, glad to see you’re feeling well enough to enjoy the sights.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jamie said.
“What are your plans now?” John asked. “Maybe we can have dinner together tonight. Where are you staying?”
“Dad, we’re going to head back to Glacier Creek,” Rachel interjected, before Jamie could speak. “Jamie has an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow that he can’t miss. Now that you and Mom are here, we can leave Dylan in your capable hands.”
“Oh,” Diane said in surprise. “I was hoping you might be able to stay for a few days.”
“I’m sorry, Mom, but that won’t be possible,” Rachel said, infusing her voice with disappointment. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course we do,” her mother replied. “I’m just grateful you were able to get here so quickly after his accident.”
Diane reached again for Dylan’s hand, and her brother gave Rachel a look that told her clearly he wasn’t fooled by her story. For the first time, she understood Jamie’s reluctance to keep their relationship a secret. She didn’t enjoy telling her family the fib about Jamie’s doctor appointment. While he did have an appointment, it wasn’t for three more days. She and Jamie could certainly stay in Bozeman, but she was anxious to have him all to herself, away from her family’s curious eyes.
She and Jamie stayed and visited for another hour, listening to her parents enthuse about their abbreviated cruise, which led to Jamie and Dylan swapping stories from when they were growing up together, including when they had accompanied their parents on a cruise and had raised holy hell. Rachel didn’t have a lot to add, since she had been in college during that time, and her focus hadn’t been on the boys.
Finally, Rachel rose to her feet.
“Well, we should probably hit the road, since it’ll take us four hours to get home,” she said.
Jamie stood up, and Diane came around the end of the bed to hug them both. “Drive safely. We’ll see you soon.”
“Um, when do you think that might be?” Rachel asked, trying to sound casual.
“The doctor thinks he should be ready to travel in a week,” her father said.