Chapter 11
Eleven
After another couple of hours passed without any word about Dan or Grant, Kara gave her phone number to Big Mac and asked him to call when they heard anything. She wanted to go home to weep in private.
“I will, honey.”
He looked ravaged, as if he’d been to hell and back that day.
Kara couldn’t imagine anything worse than not knowing if three of your sons were dead or alive. Now they knew two of them were alive, but waiting to hear Grant’s fate was taking a toll on Big Mac and the others. “I’m sure they’re okay.”
“Of course they are.” He forced a smile for her. “Dan is so sweet on you he’s probably swimming back to shore to get to you.”
Kara laughed at the comment. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Keep the faith.”
“I’m trying.”
“I’ll call you the minute we hear anything.”
“Thank you.”
Kara left the marina and walked the short distance to her apartment.
She sat in the dark and thought about every minute she’d spent with Dan, from when she’d met him at Luke’s through the night before, when everything had changed. Why had she acted that way this morning when the last thing in the world she wanted was to never see him again?
Five minutes after he’d left in a whirl of hurt and confusion, she’d wanted to run after him, to tell him she hadn’t meant it.
If only she had, maybe she wouldn’t have spent the whole day fearing she might never get the chance to make things right with him.
Whenever she thought about what he might be going through, in the cold water, in the fog, possibly injured and alone, she wanted to wail.
She sat in the dark for a long time, waiting for the phone to ring, for news that would end this purgatory one way or the other.
Her grandmother texted, asking for an update.
Nothing yet.
Thinking of you and praying for your friend.
Love you.
Love you more.
The irony wasn’t lost on her. She’d gotten through losing Matt to her sister, through the humiliation and the betrayal. But somehow she knew, even though they’d spent only a short amount of time together, she’d never get over losing Dan if he’d been killed in the accident.
Her phone rang at ten after eleven with a call from Big Mac.
Kara’s heart stopped as she took the call.
“They found them alive. Dan is badly injured, but he’s alive, and so is Grant.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“You said it, honey. We’re on our way to meet them at the ferry landing. I’ll let you know if there’s more news.”
“Thank you so much for calling.”
“You got it.”
Relief flooded her entire system as tears slid down her cheeks. She texted her grandmother. Alive but injured. Will let you know when I hear more.
Thank goodness. Try to get some rest.
I will. Thanks for the support today.
Any time, love.
Sometime later, a knock on the door had her running to see who was there. Blaine stood on her doorstep, looking exhausted.
“Chief Taylor? Is everything okay? Is Dan—”
“Dan is asking for you. Dr. Lawrence asked me to bring you in to see him. If you’re willing.”
“He’s asking for me?” Her ravaged eyes filled. “Really?”
“Really,” Blaine said with a weary smile.
“Let me get my bag.”
They drove to the clinic in silence.
Kara was so tense, she felt like she might break. What did it mean that he was asking for her after the way she’d treated him?
“Is he… Is he okay?” She broke the silence as Blaine pulled into the clinic parking lot. She’d been afraid to ask about the extent of Dan’s injuries.
“He broke his arm and a couple of ribs. He also has hypothermia from being in the water so long.”
“Oh. Okay.” As bad as it sounded, she knew it could’ve been so much worse.
Blaine brought his SUV to a stop outside the clinic’s main door. “Do you want me to stick around to take you home?”
She shook her head. “I’ll probably be here awhile, and I can walk home later.”
Blaine reached for one of the business cards he kept in a dashboard cubby and wrote his cell number on the back. “Call me if you need a ride. Don’t walk home in the dark after the upsetting day and night you’ve had.”
Kara took the card from him. “Thank you. You’ve been very kind.”
“Happy to help.”
She hesitated for a second and then was out the door like a shot, rushing into the clinic.
Kara’s heart beat so hard, she worried she’d end up a patient before she got to see Dan.
No one was around in the reception area, so she headed for the treatment rooms, passing Mac asleep with Maddie next to him, Evan curled up to Grace and Stephanie standing beside Grant’s bed, staring down at him.
The men were attached to IVs and other machines that beeped and blinked.
Stephanie looked up when she saw Kara.
“Is he okay?” Kara whispered.
Stephanie nodded.
“Are you?”
Stephanie shook her head and began to cry.
Kara went into the room to hug her. They’d bonded during the long, difficult day, and each of the other women now felt like a close friend to Kara. “It’s okay now. Everything is okay.”
“I keep telling myself that, but I’m having a hard time believing it.”
Grant stirred and let out a moan. “Steph.”
She pulled back from Kara and wiped her face. “I’m here, babe. I’m right here.”
“Closer. I’m cold. So cold.”
As Stephanie slid into bed with her fiancé, Kara backed out of the room and found Dan sleeping next door. The doctor stood watch over him, writing something on a chart.
He looked up when she appeared in the doorway. “Are you Kara?”
She nodded, unable to take her eyes off Dan.
“I’m Dr. David Lawrence.”
Dan was pale, and his face was battered with bruises. His hair was standing on end, and his lips were dry and cracked, but he was alive. Thank God he was alive, and she had another chance to tell him… She wasn’t sure what she’d tell him, but the word nothing wouldn’t be mentioned ever again.
She glanced at David. “Could I…”
“Come in but try not to jostle him. He’s in a lot of pain from the broken arm and ribs.”
Kara stepped cautiously into the room. “Okay.”
Dan’s eyes opened and found her. When he tried to smile, his lips fought back, making him grimace.
“Is there something I could put on his lips?”
“Let me get some ointment,” David said.
“You came,” Dan said, his voice little more than a croak.
“Of course I came.”
“I wasn’t sure you would.”
“You scared me.” Kara dropped into the chair next to the bed and gripped his left hand. His right arm was bandaged and resting on his belly.
He turned his hand to align their palms. “I scared myself.”
“It must’ve been terrifying.”
“Luckily, I don’t remember a lot. I was pretty much out of it. I think Grant saved my life about fifty times. He was amazing.”
“I’ll have to remember to thank him.”
“How come?”
“Because now I’ve got the chance to apologize.”
“For what?”
“For acting so badly, for letting you leave thinking I didn’t like you or enjoy being with you or—”
He squeezed her hand. “Stop. I know all that. It was your first time after a bad breakup, and you had a little freak-out. I get it.”
“You do?”
“Sure.” He tried to move and groaned from the pain. “I didn’t like leaving things that way either. Thinking about you…about our night together… It got me through a horrible day, so thanks for that.”
She smiled for the first time since she’d heard he was missing. “Glad I could help.”
“You did help.”
“I’ll be there for you while you recover. I promise.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Hush. After you ingratiated your way into my life, it’s the least I can do for you.”
“I like to think I charmed my way in.”
Bantering with him the way they always did made her heart feel lighter and less burdened. Finally, she could breathe again. “Ingratiated.”
David returned with the ointment.
“Thank you.” Kara took it from him and applied it gently to Dan’s tortured lips.
“No kissing for a while,” he said mournfully when she was done.
Always happy for an excuse to argue with him, she bent over the bed to kiss his cheek, the tip of his nose and each lid as he sighed and closed his eyes. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
His eyes remained closed when he gave her hand another squeeze.
Kara leaned over their joined hands as the tears kept coming despite feeling like she’d cried a lifetime’s worth of them during that horrible day.
She’d meant what she’d told him about being there for him while he recovered.
Whatever it took to get him back on his feet and feeling like his old self, she’d do it.
Every time Dan woke up during that long, painful night, he thought he was back in the water until he saw Kara sitting beside his bed, holding his hand.
Whatever they’d put in the IV had helped to dull the pain, and the warming blanket was the best thing he’d ever felt.
But he was still cold to his bones, and the shivering made everything else hurt.
“What do you need?”
“Thirsty.”
She helped him take a sip from a cup of ice water.
“That’s the best thing I’ve ever had to drink.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Salt water tastes gross after the eighth hour.”
“I can’t even imagine.” She reached over the bed rail to push the hair back from his forehead. “Your hair feels like Brillo.”
“Salt water.”
“We’re mad at salt water.”
“Yes, we are.”
She applied more of the ointment to his lips.
“Feels good. Thanks.”
“No problem. What else can I do for you?”
“Come lie with me. I’m so cold still.”
“I’m afraid to hurt you.”
“You won’t. The left side is fine.”
Kara kicked off her shoes and moved as carefully as she ever had to arrange herself next to him.
“Closer.”
“Are you angling for action, Counselor?”
His deep groan made her laugh. “Couldn’t if I wanted to, which I do.”
Kara pulled the blankets over them and put her leg on top of his. “Better?”
“So much better. You’re warm and toasty. It was so cold out there. I’ve never been colder in my life.”
“I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like.”
“Might be a while before I want to swim in the ocean again.”
“Don’t blame you.”
“Were you worried about me?”