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Mason felt the flush start at the base of his neck. Clearing his throat, he said, “Well…ah…”
“Don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.” There, he’d admitted it.
Bethany squealed and Mason got a brief glimpse of what she might have been like as a toddler. He cherished that moment.
The EMT had done what he needed to do with Bethany and at this point just sat back and let them talk.
Mason appreciated it. And as much as he wanted to spend time with Bethany, he couldn’t keep his thoughts from Lacey. Anxious to get to the hospital to check on her, he rubbed his palms on his jeans-clad thighs and blew out a sigh.
After what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance pulled up to the hospital’s Emergency entrance.
Mason hopped out the back and turned to Bethany. “Go get checked out. Give me a chance to find out something about your mom and I’ll come find you, okay?”
“No! I want to go with you. I’m fine!”
She got up from the gurney, shoving off the hands that attempted to restrain her.
“Bethany, you really…” He clamped his mouth shut. The set of her jaw—the one that was just like his—said he could talk until judgment day but he wasn’t going to change her mind. She was going with him one way or another. He looked at the EMT. “We’ll be fine. Thanks.”
“I just need a signature.”
Mason scribbled his name on the form, took Bethany’s hand and went to find Lacey.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
What truck did I step out in front of? Lacey wondered as pain shot along her left side. She moved, blinked and saw a figure standing beside her.
Vaguely she registered that the figure was calling her name, telling her to wake up.
“Don’t want to,” she muttered. Or thought she did. Her tongue felt funny.
Water. She desperately wanted something to drink.
Something cool and wet pressed against her lips and she swallowed, feeling the slight amount of water soothe her throat.
She wanted more.
She blinked again and felt the rest of her senses kick in. She sniffed. A hospital.
Her fingers twitched and moved, feeling the sheet. And a bed. She was in a hospital bed. Why?
“Mom? Come on, Mom, time to wake up.”
Bethany called her. She had to wake up, her daughter needed her.
That last thought was enough to force her eyelids up and open.
And there stood Bethany.
It all came back to her in a terrifying rush.
“Bethany,” she whispered.
“Hey, Mom.”
“You’re okay.” Something wet splashed on her hand.