Chapter 28
She had been weak. She’d been released from the hospital the morning after the wreck. And there he had been. Waiting. She’d let him drive her home after the ultrasound was finished. She had not let him go in there with her. She’d had Aubrey next to her instead
She’d needed to do it alone. Greer had been feeling a bit weak and clingy and that was not the kind of person she wanted to be. So…she’d told Kurt he had to wait. That she was going in by herself. He hadn’t argued—but he’d made her agree that he could drive her home after.
He’d left long enough to go home and shower and had shown back up to get her—with two precious little girls. He had driven her home, and just…invited himself right in.
Before she’d known it, she’d been in the rocking chair with little Bronte in her arms, while Bristol played with George’s younger two daughters and Calvin.
Kurt had disappeared into a side room with her dad and Gene and hadn’t come out for hours.
When he had…he’d looked sick. All he’d said when she’d asked was that her father had told him things about his brother that Kurt hadn’t known.
She suspected they hadn’t been good things. And…she hated that it had hurt him.
He’d loved his brother—like she loved hers.
Of course it had hurt him to know what Kevin Chase had really been like.
She’d watched him hug Bristol close, then he’d taken the baby from Greer’s mom, who had been holding her, and he’d thanked her parents for what they’d tried to do for his brother. And then Kurt had taken his girls home.
She’d not had a chance to talk to him since.
Not…after what had happened at the hospital with Aubrey.
That had taken all of her family’s focus for a few days.
Greer had made a point of taking care of Ayla for Aubrey.
That was what the older woman would be worried about the most—her baby sister. It was really all Greer could do.
Guthrie was staying close to Aubrey’s side. Aubrey would be okay, but someone at the hospital really had tried to kill her. Greer was still wrapping her head around that.
Aubrey was home now, George and Ronnie and all six of their kids were at the ranch, too.
Greer had focused on just getting through.
She didn’t understand how any of this stuff kept happening to her family.
First Gene and Chantal had almost been killed—twice—then Genny had almost been killed by a doctor at the hospital, George and Ronnie and Greer could have been killed in the wreck, and now someone had attacked Aubrey at the hospital where she worked to cover up his decades’ long crimes.
Aubrey had gotten really lucky Guthrie had found her when he had.
Everyone was still shaken by all of it.
Guthrie had just carried a slightly protesting Aubrey to his own suite, and tucked her in a few minutes ago.
Ayla was hovering over her sister, obviously upset.
Greer always hated it when Ayla was upset.
She couldn’t help feeling protective over Ayla.
Not because Ayla was paralyzed, or anything like that.
It was just that Ayla was so sweet and trusting Greer half-feared Ayla would get eaten by a rogue gerbil someday.
But…Gunn seemed to be keeping a close eye on Ayla, too. Greer really, really, really hoped her big brother and Ayla would make it official someday soon. They both deserved to be happy.
That…was the truth for all of her siblings and the people they had just rapidly paired off with lately.
Greer would admit—she was a little envious. And…lonely.
That was the only explanation for why she had let Kurt the Toad hold her in her hospital bed—all night long. He’d been there when she’d fallen asleep—and he’d been there when she’d wakened the next morning.
After he’d run Giavonna off somehow the night before. Greer had just watched in amazement as that had happened. Her sister was the most stubborn woman on the planet, and Kurt had out-argued her in almost an instant.
Then he’d looked at Greer and told her she was his heart, and not allowed to scare him again.
It was his baby, too. That was what she’d told herself when she’d let him stay.
She was weak. Pitiful.
She blamed the hormones, now. It was the only explanation. Hadn’t she already learned her lesson where he was concerned?
But when he’d held her, the world hadn’t seemed so scary. She’d almost felt safe again.
And she’d wanted him to hold her all night long.