Chapter 20

Morgan lifted her hands over her head and stretched. Her back was stiff from sitting for hours. She couldn’t think straight. Every time she thought about sipping the water her grandmother had insisted she needed, she felt like throwing up.

“Not eating or drinking won’t help Wyatt,” Elizabeth finally said.

“I feel nauseous. Nothing sounds good. You heard Grady. The driver clipped Wyatt’s patrol car so hard it peeled his bumper off.”

“I hope the authorities took the driver’s license away.”

“It was a teenager who wasn’t paying attention to the road,” Morgan said. “I heard he was brought to the hospital because he was hyperventilating.”

Elizabeth looked around. “What happened to Glen and Kelly?”

“They went back to check on Wyatt.” Morgan patted her grandmother’s hand. “It’s getting late. You don’t have to stay. Besides, there’s nothing you can do.”

“I’ll hang around for a few more minutes until…” She abruptly stopped.

“Until?”

“Nothing. Never mind.” Elizabeth glanced at her watch. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’m not alone. Wyatt’s parents are here.”

“I’ll give it a few more minutes.” Elizabeth excused herself. “I think I’ll fix a cup of tea.”

Morgan watched her grandmother walk away, feeling guilty she was up at this late hour waiting for…word.

She wandered to the window and stared out. A familiar car pulled up. It was Ben. Perhaps her grandmother had changed her mind and decided to go home after all.

She crossed the waiting room and caught up with Elizabeth. “Ben is here.”

“Finally. I do appreciate it when a plan comes together.”

“What plan?”

Elizabeth set her Styrofoam cup on the table, grabbed hold of Morgan’s shoulders, and turned her around to face the door. “This plan.”

Quinn stood in the doorway, her eyes scanning the waiting room.

Morgan let out a small cry and ran to the door. She threw her arms around her friend, holding her tight. The tears she’d been fighting flowed down her cheeks. “You’re here.”

Quinn started to cry and right there, in the middle of the busy ER waiting room, two friends who had been worlds apart were reunited.

“It’s been awful.” Morgan sobbed, sharing how scared she was. “I feel like I’m facing my mom’s death all over again.”

“But you’re not.” Quinn gave her a gentle shake. “Wyatt is a fighter. He’s not leaving you, not leaving us. Don’t you dare believe for a single minute he won’t pull through.”

Elizabeth stood quietly off to the side, thanking God that Quinn had agreed to return, dropping everything for her friend and traveling late into the night to be there.

Finally, Morgan caught her breath. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“Don’t apologize. I’m here for the long haul. We’re in this together.” Quinn turned to Elizabeth. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for calling, for getting Denver and Captain Davey involved.”

“They are the best.”

“The very best,” Quinn agreed. “If not for them, I wouldn’t be standing here. Shoot, I would probably be in Detroit trying to find a rental car place still open.”

“Easton Islanders are a special breed,” Elizabeth said. “We are always here for one another.”

“Ben is outside waiting to give you a ride home.”

Elizabeth reached for Morgan’s hand. “Will you be all right if I leave?”

“Yes. Thank you for staying with me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She patted her purse. “I will have my phone by my side. I expect an excellent report the next time I hear from you.”

Morgan hugged her grandmother and whispered in her ear. “I love you. Thank you.”

“I love you too. Chin up. Shoulders straight. It will all be okay.”

Ben stood in the doorway. He gave Morgan a wave and waited for Elizabeth to join him.

After they left, Morgan led Quinn to the waiting area. She told her everything they knew, which wasn’t much. “Wyatt’s parents are with him. They’ve been back there for a long time.”

“Hopefully, waiting on good news,” Quinn said. “I told Ben to drop my things off at the cottage. I’m staying home tonight.”

“Chester. Chester needs to be let out.”

“Ben said he and Elizabeth have a key to your place. They’ll leave my luggage, grab him, and take him to Easton Estate.”

Another hour passed with no sign of Wyatt’s parents. Morgan returned to the information desk, but because she wasn’t immediate family, the clerk, although sympathetic, told her she couldn’t share any information.

The hands on the clock ticked slowly by. Grady arrived, hoping for an update. “I passed by your place a little while ago and noticed Ben and Elizabeth were there.”

“To pick up Chester and drop Quinn’s suitcase off.”

Grady started to say something and abruptly stopped.

“What is it?”

“Wyatt told me about your fight and Amber causing trouble.”

“Major trouble. She moved into a rental within walking distance of Wyatt’s house. She’s driving my same SUV, right down to the color. I think she ran through the stop sign so he would pull her over. The woman is conniving.”

“I don’t disagree,” Grady said. “Wyatt loves you.”

“I know he does, and I love him.” Morgan sucked in a shaky breath. “If I tell you something, you promise not to mention it to Wyatt?”

“I promise.”

“I did some digging around. Amber is a psychologist.”

Quinn coughed loudly. “Seriously?”

“Yep. Earlier today I caught her on the surveillance camera trying to get inside my house.”

Grady frowned. “Do you still have the recording?”

Morgan nodded. “In fact…” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, tapped the app and pulled up the surveillance she’d sent to her email. After accessing it, she handed Grady her phone. “Amber tried the back door and then went around front.”

“She was trespassing.”

“Trespassing and, from what I can tell, trying to break in.”

Grady handed the phone back. “I can track her down and warn her to stay off your property.”

“I appreciate the offer and may take you up on it. Right now, I’m not thinking straight. I’ll need to give it some thought.”

“I don’t blame you.” Grady shifted his feet and motioned toward the information desk. “I might have to pull an authorized cop move to see if we can get some info.”

“Wyatt’s parents haven’t come back out in a long time. I’m really starting to worry,” Morgan said.

“Let me see what I can do.” Grady approached the desk. He leaned his elbow on the counter and began talking in a low voice.

“It helps to have friends with connections,” Quinn said. “Your grandmother, Captain Davey, Denver, Grady.”

“It does.” Morgan briefly closed her eyes. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from this nightmare.”

Grady caught up with them a few minutes later. “There’s no change in Wyatt’s condition. It will be at least another twenty- four hours of waiting. The clerk forgot to tell you that Wyatt’s parents asked for you to be allowed in his room.”

“To see him?” Morgan scrambled to her feet.

“I’ve been asked to give you an official escort,” he said.

Quinn nudged her forward. “You two go on ahead. I’ll hang out here and hold down the fort.”

Grady took Morgan’s hand and led her to the back. They stopped by the ER / ICU desk. After checking their clearance, the nurse directed them to Wyatt’s room, only steps away.

Morgan held her breath, listening to the beeps and blips of the monitors and equipment. The emotions of her mother’s hospital stay came rushing back. The sights. The sounds. The smells. It was all there.

Grady placed a light hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes.” Morgan choked out her answer. “I’m ready to see Wyatt.”