Page 108 of Hidden Resolution

From the back seat, she dialed Dane to give him a rundown of the situation.

“I don’t know anything else yet. I’ll call you when I do,” she promised with a sniffle.

“Don’t cry, babe. My brother’s too mean to die,” he said gruffly.

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

“Never doubt it. I’ll be there as soon as I can catch a flight.”

Shonda was left at the emergency entrance, and she staggered into the after-hours admitting area, where they directed her to the ER waiting room. The overflow area was her own personal hell.

Calls poured in from Erica, Zack, Connie, and even Charlie. From Dane, silence. Hopefully, it meant he’d been able to find a flight.

Somewhere in all the chaos, she reached Verity and canceled their dinner plans.

“It’s surreal, Verity,” she said. “I’m not family, so I’m not entitled to an update.”

“Can his mother appoint you on their behalf?”

“She said she’d try, but I haven’t heard back yet.”

“Do you want me to come wait with you?” Verity offered. “I can reschedule the dinner for another time.”

“You know I’d welcome the company, but you have three kids, and it’s meal time. You’ll have a riot on your hands in nothing flat.”

Verity laughed and offered to sacrifice her husband to her tiny terrors.

“Seriously, I love you for asking, but I’m okay,” Shonda assured her. “I reserve the right to call you at another time, though.”

After hanging up, she settled in for the long wait.

32

Two hours passed before a surgeon sought her out.

“Ms. Grant?”

She popped up. “Yes, I’m Shonda. Are you Mason’s doctor?”

The woman was tall, blonde, and exactly Mason’s type: physically fit with an ass so firm she could bounce a quarter off it. If he hadn’t professed to love her, Shonda would be toast.

“Yes. I’m Dr. Elizabeth Phillips,” the doctor said, offering her hand and a warm smile. “Mason did well and is in recovery. Luckily, the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs, and we were able to stitch him right up.”

“So he’s going to be okay?”

“We’re hopeful. The biggest threat is a potential infection. The next phase is the old wait-and-see game.”

“When can I visit him?” Shonda asked.

“I’ll call down as soon as he’s awake,” Dr. Phillips assured her with a glance at her watch. “Did you manage to eat?”

“A granola bar from the machine.”

“If you hurry, you can grab a bite from the cafeteria.”

For the first time all day, Shonda smiled. “Mason is going toloveyou. His favorite thing is being mothered.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re yanking my chain?”