Page 57 of Trail to Trouble

His brother had stepped back into the room during this conversation. He didn’t mind his brother’s joking. That was how he dealt with things. It meant he loved him.

“Hannah’s fine. She’s still at City Hall talking with the chief. That’s all Mandi said,” Cap informed them.

Hunter lifted his good arm. Well, he thought it was his good arm, but the deep muscle pain let him know he’d thought wrong. He stilled and then lifted it further to press the tip of his fingers to ease the hammering in his temple. It didn’t work.

“Damn, the throbbing.”

“That bad?” Mom asked.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

“I can see that. I’ll go talk to the nurse to see if they can give you anything more for the pain,” Dad said.

“Well, now that we know you aren’t going to die on us, Cici and I need to get back to camp. We’ve got guests to reschedule. That is, if Chief Ricco gives the go-ahead,” Cap said.

Hunter’s pulse ratcheted up. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. What if the shooter is still out there?”

“That’s why we need to talk to Chief Ricco.”

“Don’t risk anything. Just cancel the trips. I’m sure Uncle Lee will be fine with that,” Hunter urged.

The last thing he wanted was to put his brother and sister in danger.

“Uncle Lee has said to do what we think is best. He’s on his way home.”

“None of this makes any sense. Who would do this?” Hunter asked rhetorically.

Cici and Cap exited the room, leaving just him and Mom. The worry lines she wore were blatantly visible.

“I’m fine, Mom. No need to worry any longer.”

She nodded as she lifted her hand and placed it lightly on his cheek. Her touch was loving.

“I know, but still.”

“I want to get out of here. See Hannah. Make sure she’s okay.”

The corners of Mom’s mouth lifted upward. “You like her?”

His face heated, and he wondered if she could see him blush through his eggplant-colored skin.

Mom’s eyes probed for an answer.

“Yeah.”

“The doctor will check on you during rounds. He thought maybe you’d be released tomorrow.”

“Let’s call City Hall again and see if Hannah can stop by here. I don’t want her to leave town without talking to her first,” Hunter said.

“I’ll make that call in a minute. Right now, I think you need to close your eyes and rest until the doctor comes in to check on you,” Mom mothered.

Where was Dad with word on a pain reliever?

Mom lowered his bed, and he shut his eyes.

His last thought before nodding off was of Hannah. Thinking of her bright emerald eyes with gold flecks comforted him. The thought of touching her milky white cheek with his fingertips warmed his hands. He needed to see her. Get to know her. His heart rate kicked up a notch. How could he like someone—feel so strongly about a woman he’d just met? He didn’t know, but he did.

ChapterFifteen