Page 22 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

Brady finally broke the silence. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Be readyatnine.”

Chapter6

Rachel staredout of the truck’s window as Brady drove down the Gallatin Highway from West Yellowstone to Bozeman. They hadn’t said more than a few words to each other since he’d picked her up. It was the most uncomfortable two hours she’d ever spent stuck in a car with someone. At least they were almost at thehospital.

Icicle-crusted trees whizzed by as if marking the passage of time. She hated having to leave Jimmy with her mom again, but she didn’t want to drag him all the way to Bozeman. Brady was only slightly less than hostile and she didn’t want her son to think of his father as a “bad man.” When Jimmy had asked her about Brady last night, she’d struggled to explain to the four-year-old how sometimes people could get mad at each other but still be friends. Jimmy had finally shrugged and had returned to playing with histoycars.

Brady’s voice broke into her thoughts. “How was Jimmytoday?”

“Weak andinpain.”

“I wish I could do something for him right now. Something that would take awayhispain.”

“You are. Getting tested to see if you’re a bone marrow match is the first step in the process. I’m glad you’re letting me comewithyou.”

“I won’t trust a doctor I haven’t met. But since you seem to trust her with Jimmy, I’m going along with this. If I don’t like her, we’re leaving and getting a secondopinion.”

“Don’t you think I’ve already done that? I’ve had a second and a third opinion but they are all the same. He’s going to die without the transplant.” She hated the shrill pitch of her voice, but she couldn’t stand his insinuation that she hadn’t done everything in her power to make sure Jimmy had received the correctdiagnosis.

Brady’s knuckles turned white. “I’m sorry. I just want to make sure we’re doing this therightway.”

She turned to watch Brady. The anger was gone from his voice. He sounded as sad asshefelt.

He glanced ather. “What?”

“Nothing.”

She turned back to the side window and watched the winding Gallatin River slide by. Warm water flowed through the center of the river but the sides had frozen solid. It was a lot like her current relationship with Brady, cold on the edges with just enough warmth to keep it flowing. Their mutual desire to save Jimmy was the only thing holding them together. Not that they were together, but they probably wouldn’t even be speaking to each other right now if it hadn’t been for their son’scancer.

“What are you thinking?” Bradyasked.

“I just hope thisworks.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “It will. Ithasto.”

She squeezed back and didn’t release his hand until they pulled into the hospital’s parking lot. They jumped out and quickly walked through the long white corridors to the doctor’soffice.

Dr. Landry stood as they entered. “Hello, I’m assuming you’re Brady, Jimmy’sfather?”

“That’sright.”

“Please, takeaseat.”

Rachel sat in the same chair she always chose. Brady sat nexttoher.

Dr. Landry leaned forward. “Has Rachel already brought you up tospeed?”

“Yes. She told me that Jimmy’s only hope of survival is to get a bone marrowtransplant.”

“That’scorrect.”

Brady leaned forward and softly asked, “Have you worked with shiftersbefore?”

She nodded. “Allthetime.”

“But you’re not ashifter?”

“No. I met a shifter my first year in med school.” She pointed to a photo on her desk. “I ended up marrying him. So I know quite a bit about shifters and theirunusualDNA.”