Page 26 of Wyoming Bodyguard (Sunrise Security #1)

S niffing back tears, Lily took a step away from Madden and wiped her eyes. “What happened to my dad?”

Madden skimmed his knuckles up and down her arms. “I’m not sure, but I guess they tried to call you and it went to voicemail, so they called me. Deputy Silver said the guard contacted her. Where’s your phone?”

She patted her pants pocket until she found it then yanked the cell phone out with a shaking hand. “It’s dead. I didn’t have my charger last night. And I’m still wearing yesterday’s clothes.” Panic struck her mute. Her chest tightened and breaths came out in sharp gasps.

No. She couldn’t fall apart. Not again.

As if sensing her spiral, Madden flattened his palms against her jawline and turned his gaze on hers. “Everything’s going to be all right. We’re going to go inside, and you’ll get changed. Grab anything you need, and I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

She nodded along with his words, grateful for his presence. “Okay.”

Madden trailed his hand to rest at her back and steered her toward the door. “Reid, we’ve got to go. Can you handle the horses?”

“Yep. I’ve got it.”

“Does he know how to take care of horses?” She didn’t know much about Reid except he wasn’t from Cloud Valley, and he’d served in the military with Madden. She couldn’t waste time, but also couldn’t leave her animals hungry.

“He grew up on a farm in Indiana,” Madden said. “Trust me. He knows his way around a barn. Now let’s get you ready.”

Not needing any more reassurances, she sprinted into the house and got ready in record time. Madden waited for her by the front door as she threw her hair into a ponytail and jogged to his truck. By the time she clicked her seat belt into place, the ranch was in the rearview mirror.

Madden captured her hand and didn’t let go until he’d parked in the full lot outside the county hospital.

She was out of the truck before he’d shut off the engine.

Time ticked by as if in a strange dimension—excruciatingly slow but also at lightning speed.

Her heart was in her throat as she approached the doors to the waiting room.

They whooshed open, and she stepped inside.

The all too familiar punch of disinfectant smacked her in the face and turned her stomach.

Madden stayed a step behind her, but she couldn’t focus on him. She had to get to her dad before it was too late.

Finding his room, she ignored the guard stationed where he’d been the day before and skidded inside, but the room was empty. She spun in a circle, fear hitching high in her throat and stealing her breath. “Where is he?”

“Let’s find someone to speak with.” Madden clutched his cowboy hat in his hands and glanced into the hallway.

Lily couldn’t stand around and wait for a nurse or doctor to pass by. She hurried back the way she’d come and stopped in front of the nurses’ station.

A young woman with black-framed glasses, short brown hair and blue scrubs sat behind the large U-shaped desk. She flashed a smile. “Hello, can I help you?”

“Yes. I’m Lily Tremont. I received word my father, Kevin Tremont, wasn’t doing well.

I went to his room but he’s not there.” Her voice cracked as she struggled to hold herself together.

The possibility that her father may not survive had lived in the back of her mind since the moment he’d been shot, but now that possibility was more real than ever.

Sympathy pushed down the nurse’s full lips. Staring at her computer monitor, she worked her fingers over the keyboard.

Each second that ticked by increased Lily’s anxiety. She tapped the tip of her finger against the smooth desk, urging the woman to hurry up with her mind.

Madden stood behind her, near enough to touch her but he kept one hand on his hat and the other shoved in his jeans pocket.

“Okay,” the nurse said. “Looks like your father is in surgery. He had some complications. That’s as much as I can tell you, but if you take a seat in the waiting room, I’ll let his doctors know where to find you as soon as they’re available.”

Frustration fisted her hands, and she bit back a growl. As much as she wanted to scream and stomp her foot until she got more answers, throwing a tantrum wouldn’t do anything except make her look ridiculous. “Thank you.”

Madden gently touched her back, prompting her in the direction of the waiting room.

She found a cluster of unoccupied chairs in the corner and sat. God, she hated this place. Hated the memories that attacked her. The smell of burnt coffee and the quiet drone of the news channel from the mounted television added to her increasing anxiety.

“I wish I had more information.” She folded her hands in her lap and stroked her thumb over the skin above her knuckles over and over.

“I don’t even know what they’re operating on.

It could be his heart, I mean, he’s old and the trauma he experienced had to weaken him even more.

Or maybe his lungs? That’s where they operated before.

Maybe something went wrong the first time and they had to fix it.

Or, oh God, could he have something wrong with his brain?

Maybe an aneurysm or a stroke. Something that’s kept him from waking up all this time. ”

“Nothing I say will stop you from worrying, and I wish to hell I had answers for you. But I can tell you that your father is getting the medical attention he needs, and the doctors and nurses will fight as hard as they can to save him.”

“You’re right,” she said. “I know you’re right. But you and I both know that sometimes, no matter how hard the best-trained professionals try, some people can’t be saved.”

Hooking an arm around her shoulders, Madden held her up. Gave her strength. Sat and waited as people came and went and the hours ticked by. Finally, a doctor stepped into the room and his gaze met hers.

She stood. Her heart all but stopped.

Madden rose to stand beside her.

“Ms. Tremont?” the man asked.

“Yes. How’s my father? Is he alive?” She swallowed the bile creeping up the back of her throat. If her father had died alone in a hospital room, her world would crumble at her feet.

The man removed the white cap from his mop of brown hair. “He came through surgery. He had some swelling around his brain that created pressure we needed to relieve. We’ll need to keep him sedated but hope this will aid in his finally waking soon.”

Relief so swift and fierce rushed through her it almost knocked her down. “Can I see him?”

“Yes. I’ll take you back to his room in the ICU. Unfortunately, he can only have one visitor at a time, and it’d be best to keep the visit short. He needs rest.”

The stipulations didn’t surprise her. The rules had been the same after his first surgery. But last time she’d lashed out at Madden and demanded he leave her alone. Now the idea of being anywhere without him was almost crippling.

As if reading her thoughts, he gave her a little nudge. “I’ll walk back with you and stand guard until a new deputy is stationed outside his door, okay?”

She let out a rush of air and nodded, grateful for his reassurance as she followed the doctor down the wide hallway to her father’s room. Life had taken a lot of unexpected turns the last few days but one thing had remained a constant—Madden’s unwavering support.

In an instant, all her earlier doubts disappeared until one truth remained. She wanted Madden McKay to be a part of her life for a very long time to come. Now she just needed to find time to tell him and pray he felt the same way.

* * *

Madden sat in the empty chair situated right outside the closed door to Kevin Tremont’s room in the ICU.

The combination of lack of sleep from the night before and the gut punch of hearing the news about Lily’s dad left him shaken.

Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes and fought for a calm that seemed a world away.

The buzzing of his phone sent him upright, and he grabbed it from his pocket.

“Hey, Reid,” he said, answering. “What’s up?”

“Haven’t heard from you. You still at the hospital?”

“Yeah. Lily’s in with her dad. I’m sitting outside his room.”

“Can’t face him even when he’s unconscious, huh?”

Madden grunted. “As long as he pulls through, we’ll figure out how to get him to stop hating me. As much as I want his approval—more for Lily’s benefit than my own—his attitude toward me won’t chase me away.”

“Hold on to that sentiment. But I didn’t call to talk to you about your girlfriend’s dad. I have some information from the ranchers who called me back. I can email you details to go over.”

Groaning, he glanced at his phone screen before pressing the device back to his ear.

“You can try, but my internet service sucks in here. Not sure if it’ll come through.

Can it wait?” As much as he wanted to know what Reid had uncovered, he couldn’t leave Lily, and asking her to rush her visit with her father didn’t seem right.

“You’re going to want to see this, but I’ll come to you. I’m close. See you in a few.”

Madden disconnected the call and glanced up and down the wide hallway. He noticed the deputy from the day before studying the selection from a trio of vending machines. Making sure to keep the door to Mr. Tremont’s room in sight, he dashed over to the younger man.

“Hey,” he said. “Are you here to guard Kevin Tremont?”

“Yes, sir. Saw you sitting there, waiting on Ms. Tremont, and figured I’d give you some space.” He fed quarters into the machine and pressed a button, freeing a bag of chips.

“Appreciate that, but can you take over for a bit? I’ll let Lily know I have to step outside for a few minutes, but she and I will both feel better knowing someone’s stationed at the door.”

“Sure thing.”

Madden led the way back to the door then tapped lightly before poking his head in.

Lily sat beside her father’s bed with his hand in hers. She spoke softly, a sweet smile on her face as her words floated between them.

He hated interrupting but didn’t want her to be surprised if she found him missing. “Lily?”

She glanced over her shoulder and the fatigue in her eyes pulled at his heartstrings. “Do we need to leave?”

“No, take as much time as you’d like. Reid called, and he needs to show me some stuff. He’s on his way here. I’m going to step outside. I won’t be long.”

Her eyes went wide, and she started to stand. “I’ll come with you.”

He shot out his hands palms down and gestured for her to sit back down. “Don’t worry. A sheriff’s deputy is sitting outside. You’re safe.”

Gratitude lifted her lips. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll let you know when I’m back.” The urge to storm across the room and kiss her was so strong, but he held back. He didn’t want to intrude even more on this moment she needed with her father.

Hurrying from the room, he sent Reid a text letting him know he’d meet him in the emergency room parking lot.

The doors opened, and he settled his hat back on his head.

Morning had come and gone, bringing the afternoon heat from the blinding sun.

A light breeze stirred the lush leaves in the trees on the far side of the hospital.

Reid’s red truck turned into the parking lot, and Madden waved his arm high to gain his attention. Anticipation beat through him. Reid made it sound as if he’d found something of utmost importance.

The truck crawled toward him, stopping near the loading zone kept clear for emergency vehicles.

“Dude, you can’t park here.” Madden approached the driver’s side.

Reid waved away his concern. “I don’t plan on staying long. Thought I’d bring you this.” He extended a small pile of papers out the window. “I’d printed everything off before I left the office. It’ll give you something to look at while you’re here.”

Madden grabbed the sheets and briefly scanned the numbers on top.

“This looks like the spreadsheet we found on Mr. Tremont’s computer.

Why’s it so important I see this now?” A tug of disappointment pulled down his lips.

He hoped for something to bring this investigation to an end, not data they already had.

“Flip through the rest. I highlighted amounts I received from ranchers with stolen cattle. Estimated figures of what they would have sold for, what rustlers can get on the black market. That kind of thing. I haven’t spoken with all the ranches yet, but enough of them match to paint a pretty damning picture. ”

Quickly flipping through the pages, Madden’s stomach muscles tightened. “Shit.”

“Yeah, doesn’t look good. And there’s more.”

A black truck pulled into the lot and searched for a parking spot.

Madden hooked an elbow on the window. “Tell me.”

“I found an account connected to Kevin Tremont. Not a lot of money in there, but a lot of movement. Big deposits followed by big withdrawals.”

“How in the hell did you find that?”

Reid smirked. “I have my ways.”

He should demand to know what those ways were, but he’d do that later. Now he needed to speak with the sheriff’s department and see if they had any of the same information.

Information that could put Kevin Tremont behind bars.

The roar of an engine caught his attention, and Madden shifted just in time to spy the black truck gunning forward. His heart thundered in his ears. “What the hell?”

The truck stopped, the window lowered and the driver fired off three quick gunshots before charging toward the exit.

Madden fell to the ground and covered his head with his hands. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, threatening to explode from his body. Glass rained down on him. With the taillights in sight, he jumped to his feet. Fear slammed against his gut.

Reid slumped against the seat. Eyes wide, and blood trickling down the side of his face.