“What happened?” Colt asked again.
I sighed loudly and turned my stare on him. I set my mouth in a straight line and tried to look as serious as possible. “I tripped.” There was no way I would say what had truly happened in front of Tuck. I wouldn’t even mention another person having been there. I’d eventually come clean to Colt, but right now was not that time.
My usually loud, goofy boy had barely uttered a word since coming into my hospital room. His face had paled as he cataloged the wires that were connected to me. Gunner had rushed forward and pulled the blanket up to my chest so the IVs weren’t visible. After that, Tucker told me he loved me as silent tears dripped from his eyes.
Yeah, no way would I bring up Shayla. She could wait.
Colt rolled his eyes. “You tripped and fell backward? Right.”
“Okay, fine. If you want to be pedantic about it, I slipped. There’s a divot in the trail right there. My foot just slipped, and I fell back before I could catch myself. It wasn’t a bad fall, just unlucky that I landed my big ole noggin’ on a rock.”
I tickled Tuck’s side as I said this, hoping to get at least a chuckle out of him, but I barely got a whisper of a smile. I hated the fact that he’d seen me unconscious and bleeding.
Gunner’s eyes narrowed and I avoided his eyes. A niggle in the back of my brain told me he knew I was lying. I didn’t know how he could tell I was lying after having known me for such a short time.
Renee, the nurse, walked in with my paperwork. I urged Tuck to stand and I hopped off the bed, trying to hide my pain-filled grimace.
“Nice try,” Gunner whispered. “Take it easy. I know you’re itching to get out of here, but you were hurt. Please be careful.”
He closed the distance between us, placed his hands on my hips, and brought his face close to mine. I was frozen in place, staring into his eyes, as he scanned each of my features. I felt the probing gazes of everyone else in the room, but at this moment, I didn’t care. I loved the confidence Gunner was exuding after one spectacular kiss.
“I’ll help out tonight, but you have to take it easy.”
I nodded and squeezed his forearm. “Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go home, and I don’t want Tuck here anymore. I hate that he had to come.”
“I took care of him as best I could,” Gunner said. My heart swelled and felt full even after the craziness of the day.
Gunner passed the front parking lot and drove straight to my house. The driveway was already full, and cars were lining the small lane. Tuck hopped out of the truck first and opened my door for me.
“Thanks, bud,” I said and shot him a wink. I felt weak and tired and was ready for a long bath and snooze, but I needed Tucker to know I was okay.
I shook my head as we passed Makenna’s car. I should’ve known Mak would have everyone here by the time I got home. Gunner kept his palm firmly on my back as we made our way inside my house.
The lights were dim, but there was enough light to see Mak, Ridge, and Foster standing in my living room holding flowers and balloons. Mak ran forward and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “I swear.”
She nodded but didn’t let go.
“Mac, I swear I’m okay. Why is it so dim in here?”
“I didn’t know if you had a concussion,” Foster said, stepping forward. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you when y’all got back. How’re you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” I promised.
I stepped out of Makenna’s embrace and went right into Foster’s and then Ridge’s. It felt nice to have a family outside of my own, people who believed family came from more than blood. I loved them as my own.
“I made dinner,” Ridge said. “There’s definitely enough for y’all. I’m not used to only cooking for a small group. I made enough for the entire fire station.”
“Thanks, man.” Gunner stepped forward to shake his hand before wrapping an arm around me. Tuck had his arm slung around my waist, and Gunner had his over my shoulders. Mac’s eyes flared wide and her mouth dropped open.
Later, I mouthed.
“You bet your sweet ass later,” Mak said. “Boys, I think it’s time to go.” She shot us a wink as she ushered Ridge and Foster out the door.
“Call if you need anything,” Foster said.
When the door shut, my shoulders relaxed. Gunner kissed the side of my head. “Let’s have some dinner, yeah?”
“Sure,” Tuck said.
“If you help me out while your mom relaxes, I’ll let you be the first one to use my new pitching machine tomorrow.”
“Really?” Tuck asked, breaking away from me. The horrors of earlier were forgotten for at least a little while. He ran into the kitchen and Gunner smiled at me. A smile that went straight down to my belly.
Thank you, I mouthed and sat on the couch. He followed me over to kiss the top of my head.
“Anytime, buttercup.” My heart warmed with the newly minted nickname.
Chapter 23
Gunner
I leaned against the wooden pole on Delilah’s back porch. I’d had no idea she had a view of the lake from back here. The sun was long gone and the moon hung in the sky, reflecting on the black glass lake. Since the temperature was dropping, the bugs weren’t active. It was a quiet night.
If I listened hard enough, I could hear Delilah murmuring to Tuck as she put him to bed. I was coming apart at the seams waiting for her to come out and tell me what had really happened on that damn trail.
I knew she hadn’t fallen. I’d seen the lie in her eyes, and I suspected her brother had too. I was surprised he hadn’t been here as soon as we got back, pounding on her door demanding answers.
I wanted to wrap her up and never let any harm come to her. I was ready to call in every contact I had and post bodyguards outside her house. And I didn’t even know what had happened yet.
We barely fuckin’ knew each other, but after that morning, I was ready to jump in. Fuck, dive in. Headfirst. When I’d seen her lying there with blood coating the back of her head, it had put everything into perspective, and the slow dating game sure as fuck wasn’t going to happen here. All in. And we’d see where it went.
If she wanted to take it slow, that was okay. If she wanted to be careful in front of Tuck, that was okay. But I was in.
I rubbed the back of my neck and blew out a breath. I needed to calm down before she got out here. I wanted her to trust me enough to tell me whatever had happened out there.
I looked over my shoulder when the back door opened, and she came out with a blanket folded over her arms.
“It’s gorgeous out here,” I said and gestured toward the lake. “I didn’t know there was a view of the lake from over here.”
“It’s actually the same lake we saw from Mr. Crane’s property. It just takes a lot of winding roads to get around it, and he’s a lot higher than we are. I think he sits on the highest bluff in the county.”
“Earl’s the best,” I joke.
“Wanna swing?”
I followed her to the porch swing and sat, lifting my arm for her to lean into me. She settled against me, and I tucked her in as tightly as I could as she unfolded the blanket over us. I closed my eyes when she laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arm around my stomach as if we’d been doing it for years. As if this was a natural position honed through years of practice.