Her Texas Ranger Hero (Lone Star Lawmen 4)

He watched them walk out of the emergency room. No man ever had better friends.

In a few minutes Ally’s parents hurried toward him. “The doctor is sending her to room 312,” Beatrice explained. “You can see her up there. He’ll keep her in the hospital through tomorrow night for observation. She has a light concussion, but he’s certain she’ll recover without complications. Larry and I are going home, but we’ll be back tomorrow.”

The good news helped him to relax. Luckey gave Ally’s mom another hug before they left the emergency room. While Ally’s parents headed for the parking lot, he found the bank of elevators and pressed the button for the third floor. When he reached the nursing station, he asked if housekeeping could bring a cot to room 312. He had no intention of leaving Ally for any reason.

She still hadn’t arrived when he entered the room. Deciding to take advantage of the time, he texted TJ to let him know he was at the hospital with Ally and all was well. It was 5:30 a.m. His boss had to be asleep, but he’d see the message when he woke up.

Next, Luckey texted his parents and Randy to let them know the case he’d been working on had been solved and he’d get back to them later in the day with all the news. There was no point telling them about Ally. They’d hear everything later.

Finally, he fired off a text to Art, the teenager next door, asking him to take care of Persey until further notice. Luckey had barely finished it when Ally was wheeled into the room.

“Luckey...” Her smile lit up his universe.

It didn’t matter that she had a cut lip. She was so breathtaking he would always marvel.

“Sweetheart.”

“I have to stay here until tomorrow. Please don’t leave me.”

“As if I would.” No sooner had he spoken than his cot was delivered. While he set it aside, a nurse came in to make Ally comfortable and take her vital signs and check the IV put in during the ambulance ride. After typing the information into the computer, she left them alone.

Luckey drew the chair over to Ally’s side and clasped her free hand, kissing the palm. “I just spoke to your parents. They’ve gone home to get some sleep, but they’ll be back later.”

“I know. I’m glad we’re alone. If you don’t mind, I want to talk to you about something very serious.”

His heart lurched. “What is it? Did that monster do something else to you I don’t know about?”

“No...” She shook her head. “This has to do with you and me. Please hear me out.”

Ally... “Tell me.”

“Tonight I realized how fast a life can be snuffed out. In an instant anything can go wrong. That girl at the warehouse. One minute she was walking home from school. The next minute she was kidnapped and her world turned upside down.” Ally squeezed his hand hard. “Every moment is so precious I don’t want to waste a second. If you really want to marry me, would you be willing for us to get married here in the hospital?”

His mind reeled back to Kit’s earlier comment about Cy getting married to Kellie on the sly because they couldn’t wait.

“What if you and I only have a few days together before something happens to one of us?” She lifted her head off the pillow and turned to him with urgency. “What if we only have a week or a month? I don’t want to plan a big wedding that takes forever. The important thing is to be your wife right now. When the doctor releases me, I want to go home with you to your house, belonging to you in every way. We can use the nurses for witnesses. That way no one in our families, on either side, gets hurt because we didn’t include them.”

Ally was deadly serious. He felt it and saw it. They were soul mates. The joy her words brought left him close to speechless.

“Tell you what. If you’ll go to sleep now, I’ll see what I can do to arrange it.”

“Promise?”

“What do you think?” He leaned over to kiss one side of her mouth.

Before long he could tell she’d fallen asleep. He pulled out his cell and called information for his friend Judge Montoya. Good old Montoya always helped out in a crisis. This was Luckey’s biggest one to date.

His call rang through to the judge’s office voice mail. Luckey identified himself and asked him to phone back ASAP about performing a quick marriage for him and Ally at the hospital. He knew it would be on a Tuesday, but would he do it? That would get his attention in a big hurry.

After clicking off, Luckey opened the cot and pulled off his boots. He whipped the pillow into shape, then stretched out with a deep sigh, facing Ally.

The judge called back late the next day, while Luckey and Ally were eating dinner with Ally’s parents. After he explained his dilemma, the Judge said he could arrange for a spec

ial license for them. But the ceremony would have to take place tomorrow morning at eight before he went out of town. Luckey thanked him and clicked off before letting out a whoop of excitement.

“Will he do it?” she cried.

“Eight o’clock in the morning.”