Chapter 7 Bitter Truths

The next morning

Bliss bounced out of bed a good forty-five minutes before her alarm went off. She hadn’t slept much last night. She’d been too excited. Too happy. Her head was too full of plans for the future.

Though her help wasn’t truly needed with the blood draws, she was returning to the medical center this morning, anyway. It’s where Gil and the mayor wanted her to be. They’d insisted that there was no one else they’d rather have overseeing the remaining hours or days of the project.

They acted confident that an heir to the Hildebrand-Hawling fortune would be located soon. Either that, or it would be determined that there was no living heir. Or that the heir had chosen not to come forward and be tested. The world would then have no choice but to accept the fact that the Hildebrand-Hawling line was gone forever.

And I’ll live happily ever after with the prince of my choosing. The small-town sheriff who’d owned her heart for years. He just hadn’t known it. And now he does.

She leaned over the queen-sized bed in the guest room to smooth the gray plaid farmhouse blanket back in place. Then she fluffed the shams and set the quilted red throw pillow in the center of them. It was the same shade as the rose Gil had given her yesterday at the medical center.

She’d tossed it in a bud vase as soon as he’d dropped her off at the lake cottage. Unable to part with it, even for bed, she’d carried it into her room and parked it on the dresser for the night.

When she finished dressing, she lifted the vase and danced with it toward the door. Before leaving the room, she gave a twirl, making the filmy fabric of her ivory babydoll dress swirl around her thighs. It was sassy, feminine, and fun. So were her brown faux suede sandals with leg ties that were crisscrossed halfway up her calves.

She was dressed more for a date night than work, but she didn’t care. She was in love with Gil Remington, and he loved her in return. Everything else paled in comparison.

On her way to the coffee maker in the kitchen, her cell phone vibrated with an incoming text. She set the vase down beside the coffee pot and pulled her phone out of her leather crossbody purse.

It was from Gil. Couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. Mind if I show up early?

She smiled dreamily and started typing. I’m making coffee.

She felt like she was living in a fairytale, where all of her biggest dreams were coming true. Finding out that Gil Remington had never gotten over their first kiss any more than she had was a plot twist she hadn’t seen coming. She was a little less thrilled at the possibility that his feelings for her had spelled doom for his first marriage. However, she didn’t blame him or herself for that.

She was still debating whether to tell Gil how Mary and her friends had followed her to the shadowy school parking lot after the kiss they’d shared. Or how Mary and her friends had backed her against the side of her grandfather’s rusty blue pickup truck. And made fun of her for daring to love a Remington. And shoved her around a bit. And convinced her that he was never going to love her back, because he and Mary were already in the middle of patching things up and getting back together. The humiliation had been almost more than she could bear.

At the first opportunity, she’d left town, vowing she’d never come back. But she had. Twice. And it was entirely possible she was here to stay this time. She had a lot of decision making ahead of her. She and Gil both did.

While she was making coffee, a knock sounded on the front door. Bliss’s heart fluttered with anticipation as she hurried across the living room, leaning forward to first peek through the peephole. As expected, Gil was on the other side.

She undid the locks and let him in.

“Wow!” Admiration burned in his gaze as he stepped inside. And while he hung his Stetson on the hall tree. “Nice dress!” He quickly closed the distance between them.

“Thanks.” She melted into his embrace, reveling in his strength and nearness. He smelled good, too. She breathed in the wonderful woodsy scent of his aftershave.

“You’re so beautiful, Bliss.” He hugged her closer. “I can’t believe you’re finally mine.”

His.Of all the things Bliss had ever aspired to be, this topped the list. Belonging to him meant more to her than every last one of her degrees and certifications.

“I’ve always been yours, Gil.” She smoothed a hand over his heavily muscled shoulder and down the fabric of his sleeve. It was rolled up as usual, which made her smile. If Gil Remington was anything, he was a man of action.

He frowned down at her. “Could’ve fooled me, babe. There are thirty-five long, lonely years apart that say otherwise.”

She felt her face heat up. “I just meant there’s never been anyone else for me.”

“Wait a sec.” His auburn eyebrows flew upward. “Are you telling me?—?”

“Yes.” She blushed to the roots of her hair. “What can I say? All it took was one kiss from you to ruin me for anyone else.”

“I don’t get it.” He shook his head helplessly. “You’ve had plenty of opportunities. Your charter pilot was proof of that.”

“Yes, I’ve been pursued, Gil. In a few cases, quite relentlessly.” Her voice grew breathless. “But they all had one very big disadvantage. They weren’t you.”

He looked so flabbergasted that she chuckled.

He scanned her features in a mixture of disbelief and growing wonder. “Am I seriously the only guy you’ve ever…?”

“Kissed? Yes. And dated.” She arched her eyebrows teasingly at him. “I’ve waited a very long time for you, Gil Remington. To be honest, I’d long since given up hope?—”

With a cry of exultation, he swooped in to seal his mouth over hers. “Mine! All mine,” he muttered between kisses as he walked backwards with her toward the kitchen. “Man, Bliss!” He kept one large hand resting on her waist as he reached for the first cup of coffee she’d prepared. He handed it to her. “Ever since your visit to town five months ago, I’ve been begging God to show me how to fix thirty-five years of bad marriage. I never, not in my wildest imagining, expected Him to give us a complete do-over.”

“Me, either.” She couldn’t be happier about it.

His voice grew hoarse with emotion. “A lot of people never get another chance to make things right, but He gave me you.” He drew a finger tenderly down her cheek.

Her insides melted. “Love is the greatest gift of all,” she reminded softly. Though it was her favorite verse in the Bible, she realized that she’d never fully understood what it meant until now. Until she was living it and experiencing it for herself.

He dropped his hand back to her waist with a huff of wonder. “I know I don’t deserve any of this. Please don’t think?—”

“Gil!” She set down her coffee cup to slide her arms around his middle. “Love isn’t something you have to earn. That’s why it’s so amazing.”

He tipped his forehead against hers. “You’re amazing, Bliss. My personal miracle that I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of.”

As he claimed a coffee-flavored kiss from her, she palmed his cheek and felt the dampness of tears against her fingertips. Her heart was too full for words after that.

They remained standing by the countertop, wrapped in each other’s arms and sipping coffee until it was time to go.

Gil bent to nuzzle her cheek. “It’s so uncomplicated being with you, Bliss. So peaceful. We’re so compatible.”

What he left unsaid made her heart ache. While she was enjoying her first taste of love, he was busy reveling in the joy of finally being with the right woman. She could only imagine the crushing disappointment he’d experienced over the years, trying to build a life with someone as shallow and as hateful as Mary had been.

But he’d tried. He’d kept his word and his vows to her. He’d been faithful, which underscored his depth of character and unshakable integrity. Bliss was determined to give him all the things he’d missed out on. He deserved to feel adored, respected, and cherished. It would be as easy as breathing since she already loved him to pieces.

They capped their to-go cups of coffee and moved to the front door.

She gave him a tremulous smile as he held it open for her. “I love you, Gil. So much.”

“And I…” He leaned her way for another tender kiss. “Love.” And another one. “You.”

He kept an arm loosely draped around her shoulders as they made their way to the Land Rover. After assisting her into her seat, he removed his Stetson and ducked his head inside the vehicle for yet another kiss. Though he’d lived his entire life on the lake, and probably knew everyone who lived around him, he didn’t seem the least bit worried about being seen with her.

The moment they were belted in with their coffee cups in the holders on the console, he reached for her hand.

The feel of his long fingers tangling with hers brought on a delicious shiver. “What’s on your lineup at the station today, sheriff?” Talking to him about his day never got old. Sharing a ride to work with the man she loved more than her own life. Breathing in the scent of fresh brewed coffee. Drinking in the rippling lake in the morning and watching the sun send its final blast of light and heat across the water every evening.

“Security.” There was no hesitation in his response. “Heart Lake is overflowing with tourists at the moment. Everyone is anxious to find out who the heir to the Hildebrand-Hawling fortune is.” He gave her a bemused sideways look. “I’m sure you and your team have noticed more than Hawling descendants in line to get tested.”

“That’s something nobody saw coming, huh?” She gave a wry chuckle, already missing the view of the lake even though it was still in their rearview mirror. “Everyone and their cousin wanted to be a Hawling, all of sudden. In the past, they all wanted to be Remingtons.” Herself included, at times. While growing up, she’d often reflected on how much easier her life would’ve been if she’d been born a Remington.

“You’re in an interesting position.” Gil raised their joined hands to press his lips to the top of her hand. He feathered the brakes as they approached the first stoplight.

“How so?” A burst of wariness constricted her throat. Had he been talking to any of his Comanche friends lately? Though the tribe had been keeping Iris and Jesse Hawling’s secret for more than a century, they might make an exception for someone like Gil.

Gil kissed her hand again. “If you agree to marry me, Bliss, you’ll be both a Hawling and a Remington.”

She blinked in sheer astonishment at his rugged profile, hardly able to breathe. Had he just proposed to her in his own roundabout way, or was it one of those rhetorical kinds of things? The light turned green, so he’d returned his gaze to the road, making it impossible to read his expression.

Gil gently squeezed her hand as they started to roll forward. “Sorry. That just sort of slipped out. Didn’t mean to—” His gaze widened in alarm as something outside her window caught his attention. He dropped her hand and jammed on the gas pedal, squealing their tires.

Something slammed into the back of the SUV, clipping the bumper on her side with a crunch of metal. The impact spun them sideways, skidding Gil’s side of the car into oncoming traffic.

“Gil!” Bliss screamed his name helplessly as a grocery truck barreled in their direction. The driver braked hard and laid on his horn in warning. A split-second later, they crashed broadside into his grill.

Bliss watched in sickening slow motion as glass shattered, and the metal doorframe bent inward toward Gil. Their airbags deployed, and the SUV shuddered to a halt. All that was left were the sounds of her muffled whimpers into her airbag. Several stunned moments passed before she found the energy to lift her head.

Gil’s tall frame was slumped forward beside her.

“Gil,” she sobbed, reaching for his shoulder. Her hands shook uncontrollably, but she managed to sit him upright. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing. A trickle of blood ran down his left temple, and a knot was rising beneath it. He’d hit his head. That much was obvious. She had no idea how else he was injured or how badly.

The wail of sirens sounded outside their prison of twisted metal and broken glass. Soon, paramedics and other first responders were lifting the two of them from the mangled vehicle.

“I’m fine,” Bliss bleated as she was laid on a stretcher. She struggled to sit up, craning her neck to keep Gil in sight. “Sheriff Remington is the only one who’s hurt.”

“Don’t worry, ma’am. We’re here to take care of both of you. ” A smiling, dark-haired paramedic bent her head over Bliss’s stretcher. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

The woman’s hand wavered dizzily in front of her. So did her smile. “At least one and no more than five,” Bliss joked in a shaky voice.

“Nice try, ma’am,” her savior sang out cheerfully. “You’ve probably got a —”

“Concussion, I know,” Bliss grumbled. Though she couldn’t remember doing so, she must have grazed her head against the doorframe or something during the collision. She fought a wave of lightheadedness as she twisted around again, trying to catch sight of Gil. “Gil is worse off than me. He was unconscious when—” Her head dropped weakly back to the stretcher as the paramedic pressed an oxygen mask over her nose.

“You’re safe now,” the dark-haired woman promised. “You both are. Just relax.”

Bliss fought wave after wave of dizziness as she was loaded onto the ambulance.

“Stay with us, ma’am,” the paramedic urged.

“Bliss,” Bliss murmured into the oxygen mask. “My name is Bliss Hawling.”

The eyes of her angel of mercy widened. “No wonder you look so familiar! I guess it was the dress that threw me off. On TV, you’ve always been in a business suit or slacks.” She reached for Bliss’s hand and gently shook it. “It’s an honor to finally meet you in person, Dr. Hawling! A real honor!”

The door of the ambulance closed behind them. “I’m Stephanie, by the way.” The paramedic kept up a steady stream of chatter as she inserted an I.V. into Bliss’s arm and took her vitals.

Bliss did her best to hang on, like the woman kept pleading for her to do. All the while, she never stopped sending up silent prayers on Gil’s behalf.

Please, God, let him live. You just brought us back together. This can’t be the end. It just can’t be!

Dave Phillips jerked upright in his office chair as the police scanner crackled to life. He kept it around to break the monotony of all the slow days at the office. It was the biggest downside of living in a small town with a low crime rate. After guzzling his second cup of coffee, he’d been about to dose off.

He scowled in concentration at the scanner as the dispatcher started speaking.

“Dispatch to Patrol One. Dispatch to Patrol One. Hit-and-run in progress, intersection of Main and Broadway. Caller advises three vehicles involved. Gray Land Rover clipped by a speeding black van. No windows. Heading west out of town. Land Rover collided broadside with a mid-sized grocery truck. White. Driver of the Land Rover is unconscious. White male middle-aged. One female passenger…”

Dave leaped out of his chair, jamming his left hip into the corner of his desk on his way out the door. He was aware of only one gray Land Rover in town and only one middle-aged guy who’d be driving it. Unless he’d somehow dozed off into a coffee-laced nightmare, his best friend in the world was in trouble. Bad trouble.

He jogged past his secretary, muttering something about heading out to check on a friend. He dialed Gil and lifted his phone to his ear as he raced to his Corvette. Yeah, he was packing a good twenty or thirty extra pounds these days, but he could still hustle when he needed to.

The phone rang and rang. “Come on, man! Pick up!” It rolled to voicemail. He tossed it into the passenger seat as he climbed into his car and buckled his seatbelt. He revved his motor a few times before backing up. He circled around so quickly that he skidded his tires.

He careened toward the intersection of Main Street and Broadway, pushing the boundaries on a few speed limit signs. He found the intersection completely blocked off. Emergency vehicle lights were flashing everywhere.

He jammed on his brakes, feeling sick at the sight of the crumpled gunmetal gray Land Rover in the center of the intersection. It was totaled. If Dave had any hair, he would’ve fisted his hands in it as he watched two stretchers being loaded into separate ambulances. Gil was on one of them. There was no mistaking his ridiculously tall and heavily muscled frame. Some guys were born with it all.

Bliss Hawling was on the other stretcher, pointing toward Gil. It looked like she was trying to sit up, but one of the paramedics pressed her down and covered her face with an oxygen mask.

Knowing there was only one place the ambulances would take his friends, Dave turned his car around and took a detour down an alley between plaza buildings. He had to cut through a parking garage on the other side to bypass a detour around the accident that the police were setting up. It slowed him down a bit, but it was smooth sailing on the other side.

He made it to the medical center only seconds behind the ambulances. There weren’t quite as many cars rowed up to enter the blood testing area as there had been the first couple of days. He estimated there were still a good fifteen to seventeen cars waiting, though.

Whipping his Corvette around the line, he zoomed up to the parking lot attendant on the bumper of the second ambulance.

When he rolled down his window to flash his driver’s license at the guy, he was surprised to find himself staring into the frowning face of the co-owner of Lonestar Security. “Josh? What are you doing here?” In a cheap reflector vest, no less. Then it hit him. Josh Hawling and his partner, Decker Kingston, generally only worked undercover when something big was going down. Apparently, the current search for the heir to over five hundred million dollars counted as something big.

Josh shook his head pityingly. They’d known each other for years. It was one of those small town things. “Listen, Dave. If you wanna blood test, you’re gonna have to wait in line, the same as everyone?—”

“It’s Gil,” Dave interrupted. “He’s in the front ambulance. Bliss is in the second one. They were in an accident, and they’re hurt bad.”

Josh’s head jerked toward the wailing ambulances. “Sorry to hear it, but, we’re under direct orders from the sheriff himself not to let anyone?—”

“Dude, his wife’s dead,” Dave snarled. “His relationship with his father-in-law is a train wreck. Not sure how long it’ll take for his brothers to get here.” Last he’d heard, both were out of town. They ran a big feed mill and were forever negotiating contracts with ranches, grocery chains, and what not. “I’m his best friend. And at this very moment, I’m all he’s got.” He hated the way his voice was coming out all choked up, but he’d get on his knees and beg if he had to. “From what I heard on the scanner, it sounded like a hit-and-run. With everything Gil and Bliss have going on, you’d best post guards on both of ‘em pronto.” He knew he wasn’t calling the shots, by any means, with either the police or Lonestar Security. He hoped and prayed that Josh would simply take his word and ask questions later.

Josh gave him a hard, searching look. Then he angled his head toward a small side parking area that had been roped off. “I’ll rustle up some extra guards. Stay out of the way in there, or it’s my hide on the line.”

Dave nodded and gunned his motor again before he changed his mind. No promises, man. His only concern was getting to Gil’s bedside and making sure he was okay. Him and Bliss both.

He kept his head down as he approached the emergency room check-in desk. To his relief, it was a face he recognized. A high school classmate, if his memory served. Her name was Jane or Jill. Or maybe it was Julie. He couldn’t remember, so he didn’t use it as he pressed his driver’s license to the glass window separating them and gave her his most pleading look. “I’ve got family back there.”

Sympathy infused her heart-shaped features as she met his gaze. “Now, Dave! We both know that’s not true.” She was a blonde, probably a dyed blonde at their age, but she was cute. Out of all the girls he’d dated in high school, Dave found himself wondering why she hadn’t been one of them. She wasn’t. There was no way he would’ve forgotten a detail like that. The fact that she remembered his name probably meant they’d shared a class or something.

“Please, Julie.” He took a chance and picked a name from his hazy memories. “It’s Gil. He’s the closest thing I’ve got to family.” Her face blurred. He had to dash the back of his hand across his eyes to bring it back into focus.

“It’s Jillian, actually.” She didn’t sound offended by his error.

I was close. “Please,” he begged again. “I’ll do anything you ask if you let me back there. KP duty for a month. I’ll wear one of those stupid hair nets and everything.” He pointed as his shaved head, hoping to drag a smile out of her.

Something he couldn’t fathom glinted in her eyes. He sensed she was weakening.

“Dr. Hawling was in the same accident, and she’s got no family in town.” Technically, Bliss was no longer his client, but he still felt responsible for her. He pressed both hands against the glass. “I’ll stay out of the way. I promise. I just need to check on them. Someone does.”

“Dr. Hawling, as in the woman taking all those blood tests?” Jillian’s gaze grew stricken when he nodded. Her hand automatically reached for the button. A beep sounded as the door to his left unlocked.

“You’re the best!” Dave leaped into motion, hurtling his stocky frame through the door like a linebacker with a ball tucked beneath his arm. It didn’t take long to locate the two bays he was searching for. They were where all the action was taking place.

“Stand back, sir,” an orderly commanded as he rolled a silver cart past him.

Dave leaped aside and pressed closer to the curtain of the nearest bay, inadvertently pushing it aside. He found himself staring at Bliss.

“D-Dave,” she murmured, dizzily pushing aside her oxygen mask to speak to him. “Have you seen Gil yet?”

He shook his head, hurrying to her side to take her hand. Nobody stopped him. The nurse just worked around him. “You okay?”

She gave his hand an irritated squeeze. “I’m fine. I keep telling everybody I’m fine. It’s Gil that?—”

“She’s most likely concussed,” the nurse announced in a cheerful voice. “We’ll have her down in x-ray shortly.”

“Please, Dave.” Bliss gave his hand another agitated squeeze. “I don’t want Gil to be alone right now.”

“Okay. I’ve got this.” He leaned over her bed to treat her to his finest glare. It wasn’t easy working one up, considering how worried he was about her and Gil. “But you’re gonna do something for me in return, you hear? You’re gonna keep your skinny little doctor hide in this bed all night long, so you’ll be one less thing Gil has to worry about when he wakes up.”

“Deal.” Her lips twitched.

He wagged a warning finger at her. “I’ll be back to check on you later and make sure you keep your word.” To soften the threat, he leaned closer to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Nice bedside manner,” she joked weakly. “Are you this sweet to all your clients?”

“Nope.” He straightened, grinning. “Only the really special ones.” He gave her a mock salute. “You’re special to Gil, so you’re special to me.”

She clasped her hands beneath her chin in a tearful look of gratitude as he backed from her bay.

Dave spent the next hour with his head bowed over Gil’s bedside.

Hospital personnel came and went. He was eventually transferred to the ICU. Dave followed, silently daring anyone to try to stop him. They didn’t.

He plopped into the vinyl chair next to Gil in the new room, eyeing the maze of cords and tubes strapped to him. “You gotta wake up, bro.” He sniffled loudly, not caring if anyone saw him blubbering. If Gil didn’t pull through… Dave gave himself a fierce shake, not letting his mind go there.

“Come on, captain,” he urged, reaching out to grip Gil’s hand. Not too hard since he had an I.V. cord taped to the back of it. “Bliss is worried sick about you. You gotta wake up and tell me you’re okay, so she’ll be okay.”

Gil’s hand twitched beneath his. He groaned something around the tube in his mouth. Then he blinked a few times.

“Nurse,” Dave hollered. “We need a nurse in here!”

A woman in a white smock popped her head around the clear glass wall. “Everything okay in here? Oh!” A smile spread across her face. “He’s finally waking up!” She moved into the room to check the machine recording his vitals. “This is good news. Very good news!”

Within minutes, the tube had been removed from Gil’s throat, along with the oxygen mask. A smaller oxygen cord was clipped to his nostrils, making it easier to speak.

“That you sniveling over there, D-Dave?” he managed to croak.

“Yep, and it’s your fault.” Dave wiped his shirtsleeve over his eyes. The white fabric was stained from all the tears he’d wiped on it.

Gil suddenly frowned. “Is Bliss okay?” He sat forward, groaning.

“She’s got a concussion. Unlike you, who took a hit hard enough to knock you silly without breaking any bones.” Or so he’d been told by Gil’s oldest brother. He’d flown back to town in his private jet to meet with the physician. He was with Acting Sheriff Luke Hawling now.

“Got a pretty hard noggin.” Gil’s expression was grim. “Are you serious about the no broken bones?”

“Thankfully. You’re pretty banged up and bruised up, though, so it might be a few days before you feel up to doing any cartwheels.” It was a miracle his friend was alive. Every time he thought too hard about it, his knees grew weak.

Gil’s gaze was troubled. “What do you know about the accident?”

“It was a hit-and-run.” Dave filled him in on the details. “Luke has an APB out for the guy and roadblocks set up on every stretch leading out of town.” He was kind of surprised they hadn’t caught the driver yet, but the black van had apparently disappeared into thin air.

Gil moved a leg over the side of the bed, preparing to stand. His face grew pale from the effort.

“Think you’re gonna have to sit this one out.” Dave helped lift his leg back onto the bed. “Your team’s got this.”

“Quit caressing my leg,” Gil growled.

Dave chuckled and returned to his chair with his hands raised in defense. “Believe me, I’m more than happy to leave all caressing, present and future, up to Bliss.”

Gil blushed. Actually blushed!

Dave’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you finally?—?”

Gil’s face remained a healthy shade of red, which was a lot better than the way he’d been looking prior to their change in conversation. “We kissed again, alright?”

“It’s about time!” Dave stood and performed a victory jig.

Gil shook his head at him. “Your dancing skills haven’t improved over the years.”

“Neither have yours.” Chuckling in elation, Dave took a seat. “Man!” He pressed his hands to his shaved head. “Guess this means I didn’t completely blow everything for you two back in high school, after all.” His relief was overwhelming.

Gil looked puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Dave lowered his hands in astonishment. “Dude, you must’ve hit your head harder than anyone realized if you forgot the Bliss Kiss.”

“I didn’t forget, and it was your idea.” Gil sounded incredulous. “We’re dating now. How’s that a bad thing?” His expression morphed into one of intense guilt. “Unless you were hoping to date her yourself.”

“What? No!” Dave glared at him. “She’s my client, for crying out loud! Why would you say something like that?”

Gil still didn’t look satisfied. “Did you have a thing for Mary, then? I’ve always wondered if that’s why you dared me to kiss Bliss.”

Dave blinked, jiggled a finger in his ear, and blinked some more. “Maybe there’s something wrong with my hearing,” he finally grated out. He knew it was wrong to speak ill of the dead, but he couldn’t believe his friend was still defending the woman who’d rendered his life barely worth living. Watching Gil suffer over the years was why Dave had given up on love. “Way off track, bro. I’m referring to how your dearly departed and her entourage tortured that poor girl after you kissed her. Roughed her up pretty good, too. It’s a miracle Bliss ever came back to this town, and I mean ever!”

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. When they did, the redness in Gil’s face faded to a sickly shade of gray. “I didn’t know.”

“Sorta gathered that.” Since the damage was already done, Dave rushed to finish his confession. “When I dared you to kiss Bliss, I just wanted someone better for you, man. That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Right.” Gil stared into the distance. No doubt remembering, weighing the past, and feeling guilty all over again.

“I caught Bliss looking at you after the game that night, and I just knew.” Dave would never forget the look of wistful longing in her eyes. “If I’d had any idea what they’d do to her afterward, though, I would’ve kept my mouth shut. In some ways, it’s my fault she left town.”

“No! It’s not,” Gil growled. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s—” He broke off his sentence. “Dave!” He turned Dave’s way, looking horrified. “That hit-and-run driver was aiming for Bliss! I’m sure of it.”

“That’s the same conclusion I came up with.” Dave’s mouth twisted. “Was kind of hoping you’d stay fuzzed up on meds for the rest of the evening and let your deputies worry about that for now.”

“Fuzzed up?” Gil looked supremely annoyed and very clear headed despite the pain medication he’d been given. “Listen, you need to make sure Bliss doesn’t check herself out of the hospital tonight. I also need you to get in touch with Lonestar Security ASAP and have a guard posted outside her door.”

“Done.” Dave sat back in his chair, steepling his hands and feeling mighty proud of himself.

At Gil’s puzzled expression, he calmly explained, “Already convinced your girl that the best thing she can do for you tonight is keep her skinny little hide in her skinny little hospital bed. Oh, and….” He snapped his fingers. “It might interest you to know that I ran into Josh Hawling outside the medical center earlier. He agreed to post Lonestar Security guards at both doors, yours and hers. Figured you should know since he’ll probably send you the bill.” He stood and moved to the door of the ICU bay to peek both ways. “And they’re here.”

Gil’s eyes were twinkling when he turned around. “It’s almost like you know a sheriff or something.”

“A really hard-nosed one.” Dave curled his upper lip at his friend. “Remind me to tell you about him sometime.”

“Uncle Gil?” Ava’s quavering voice carried to them from the doorway.

Gil glanced up to find his niece’s face puffy from weeping. He held out his arms to her, and she came hurtling in his direction.

She halted beside his bed and ever so carefully took a seat on the mattress. Leaning closer, she wrapped her arms around him. Pressing her cheek to his heart, she burst into a fresh round of tears. “I almost lost you,” she sobbed. “And Dr. Hawling, too.”

Gil held her while she finished dissolving. As gently as she was holding him, it still hurt. His whole body hurt. It hurt to talk. It hurt to even breathe, but there was no way he was going to admit it. They both needed this. Over the top of his head, he watched Dave back stealthily toward the door.

I’ll be back, he mouthed.