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“They’ll be hearing about this.” Sharon stormed out of the room.

Edward gave Bridget a pointed look but said nothing as he followed his wife. Bridget could readily hear them loudly voicing their opinion, and the nurses having to deal with the situation, but at least they were out of her room. Bridget wasn’t sure what she was going to do when they moved her out of ICU and into a more accessible room. It would be far more difficult to keep Sharon and Edward away from her then, although perhaps by then they would have lost interest in her.

June leaned over the railing and lowered her voice. “You weren’t kidding.”

“I wasn’t.” Bridget wasn’t sure she could look into those eyes again, eyes that seemed to read everything she didn’t want to say. She hated it. “Can you shut the door?”

“Absolutely.” June slid the door to the room closed and took up her chosen spot next to Bridget’s bed again. “Are you sure there isn’t someone I can call who can come sit with you?”

Bridget mulled through that question again. It really did seem as though no one wanted her to be alone, even if she was surrounded by hospital workers and not at her house. She wasn’t breakable, but then again, she didn’t exactly want to be alone either.

“How bad are my injuries?” Bridget asked.

June blew out a breath as her gaze roved over Bridget. “Well, you’re in the ICU after a run-in with a combine.”

Bridget tried to hold back the snort at June’s phrasing, but she couldn’t quite prevent it. Her lips were curled upward, and it felt so good to have that light-hearted moment. “I’m going to need someone to explain how that happened.”

“I wish I could. All I know is from the reports and gossip that was given to me.”

“Right.”

“You’re going to need surgery before you can leave, but still, I’m not sure how you’re going to get out of here. You can’t use crutches.”

“Wheelchair I suppose,” Bridget mumbled.

“Most likely.”

“Then there is one person you can call for me.”

“I’ll do anything you need.”

“Elijah Wilson.”

CHAPTER2

Her parents left,thankfully, and June stepped out of the room to make that phone call, Bridget remembering Eli’s cell number like it was just yesterday they were dating. She’d never forget it. The quiet in the room seeped into her bones, and it unnerved her. When had she become so scared of being alone?

She lived by herself, so it wasn’t that big a deal for her to be on her own, and yet she also wasn’t used to lying useless in a hospital room with nothing but time to think. She hated every second of it.

June came back in, a smile on her lips. “Elijah said she’d be here as soon as she could.”

“That could mean she left already or it’ll be hours until she’s done playing with her cattle.”

“Playing with her cattle?” June furrowed her brow.

“She’s a rancher, and those cattle are her life.”

“Ah. I’ve met several ranchers like that over my time here.”

Bridget nodded and attempted to relax in the bed. At least it was a comfortable bed, although with tubes protruding every which way from her body and with broken bones, it was a struggle to find any position that was comfortable. June must have noticed because she patted Bridget’s hand lightly.

“How do you know Elijah?”

Eyeing June up and down, Bridget wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. The first words that came to mind wereshe’s my ex-girlfriendbut any religious leader Bridget had met prior to then would have likely scorned her for that one. Instead, she answered, “We grew up together and went to school together.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” June gave a wan smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I don’t want you to think you’re stuck here all day with me.”