Page 96 of Fatal Intent

Rayne stood and brushed her lips across his. “I love you, Grant Bowen.”

He smiled. “I love you, too, Rayne Weatherly. I promise I’ll dodge faster next time.”

She swiped tears from her cheeks. “I’ll hold you to that.”

They talked until the doctor walked into the curtained area. “How do you feel now, Mr. Bowen?”

“Tired.”

The doctor nodded. “You lost a lot of blood, and you were under anesthesia longer than I expected.”

“When can I get out of here, Doc?”

A chuckle. “You know, your father asked me the same thing a few minutes ago. Unfortunately for him, he’ll be our guest for a few days. You may go home tomorrow. I want to keep you overnight in case you have a problem. Think you can live with that?”

“I suppose I don’t have a choice.”

“I know you want out of here, and I don’t blame you. Keeping you overnight is a precaution. If everything goes like I think it will, you’ll be out of here by noon tomorrow. Now, I think you’ll be more comfortable in a private room. The orderlies will arrive to transport you to the sixth floor in a few minutes. Rest as much as you can. The hospitalist will check on you throughout the night along with the nurses. Do yourself a favor and do what the nurses tell you to do. They know what they’re doing.”

“Yes, sir,” Grant muttered.

The doctor chuckled as he left the curtained area.

“I want out of here.”

“You’ll stay as long as the doctor thinks you should, and you won’t give the nurses any grief, either.”

He stared. “Are you threatening me, Ms. Weatherly?”

“To help you heal, you bet I am. Every member of Echo is stubborn, especially with injuries and recovery. You could have died, Grant. Give your body a chance to recover.”

Grant squeezed Rayne’s hand. “I hear you.”

Footsteps approached their curtained area. Rayne put herself between Grant and the newcomer. When Iona appeared, Rayne relaxed her stance. “Well, looks like Sleeping Beauty isfinally awake,” Iona teased. “You look pretty good for a guy who just survived major surgery. How do you feel?”

“Like someone ran over me with a truck. You’ve been guarding Dad. How is he?”

“Still out. He was under anesthesia longer than you were. The doctor was pleased with how the surgery went, though. Your mother thinks your father will be fine.”

“That’s Mom for you, always assuming the best.”

“Lucky for her, the doctor agrees. He said the recovery time will be longer than Mr. Bowen will want, but he would recover.”

Thank God for that bit of good news. “How long is his estimated recovery time?”

“Two months if he follows orders and does exactly what he is supposed to do.”

“Mom, Izzy, and Gabe will see that he cooperates.”

Mr. Bowen might cooperate but he’d gripe while doing it. He didn’t seem the type to allow his body to heal before returning to the fields.

“I’m worried about Dad,” Grant admitted. “He’s not one to sit back and let other people do his work for him.”

“You need to focus on yourself, my friend.”

Grant shook his head. “Dad’s injury was more serious.”

“You almost bled out, buddy. I’d say that makes your injury on the same level with your dad’s.”