Ridden Hard: A Surprise Baby Romance (Ryker Ranch Book 3)

by Kim Loraine

“What's happening?" Tristan asked, his voice filled with fear.

  “They don't want to take the time to drive to the hospital. The helicopter will be here in a minute.”

  “What does that mean?"

  "I'm not sure. I can't say until I talk to the doctor."

  I opened the door and got out of the truck, Tristan following close behind me. After the paramedics loaded her very still form into the helicopter, one of them looked at me, then to the rest of the Rykers with a grave expression on his face.

  “Where is she going?” I asked when no one spoke.

  "They're taking her to Bozeman. She’ll need a specialist. There’s not one nearby.”

  Tristan sighed, dragging a hand across his face. The three Ryker boys looked at each other, heartbreak written on their features. Shattered was the only word to properly describe them. Without another word, all three of them went back to their trucks. I followed and got in with Tristan, and we rode all the way to Bozeman in absolute silence. I texted Erin to let her know what was happening. But I had nothing else I could do. Helplessness was one of the feelings I hated the most. My stomach churned, and I had to clench my teeth against the chattering of adrenaline racing through me.

  Six hours later, we were in the appropriately named waiting room. I hadn’t been on this side of it in a long time, and it was just as hellish as I remembered. Tristan sat with his head in his hands as he quietly dealt with the torture of waiting. Clint paced, his arms crossed over his chest, face stoic. Ever stared at her phone, probably looking at every possible outcome of a heart attack. She and I were a lot alike, and it was easy for me to imagine what she might be doing. Buck. Poor Buck sat alone, silent, eyes trained on his boots. He was supposed to be with Penny, heading up to the cabin for their romantic weekend away. Instead he was alone, but very much not alone, in an emergency room. I hoped Penny would show up soon. No one should have to go through this without their partner. And just like that, a blur of red hair flashed outside the door, and Penny burst into the room

  “Buck? Oh, my God. What is happening? Is she okay?" Buck sprang to his feet and pulled her into his arms. He didn't say a single word. He just held her close.

  Tristan stared at me, his eyes red-rimmed, on the edge of spilling tears if he’d just let them out. I looked at him, and I saw a man on the verge of breaking. My fingers laced with his, and I squeezed his hand. He faced me, a plea in his voice. "She’s gotta be okay, Hazel. She just has to. Tell me she's gonna be all right."

  I opened my mouth to give him some kind of comfort but stopped when a doctor walked into the room, his face somber, and my heart sick. I knew that face. I was the face of someone about to deliver heartbreaking news. It was a face I'd worn before. All I could do was hold Tristan's hand and wait.

  12

  Tristan

  I didn't let go of Hazel's hand as the doctor walked in. I needed a connection to someone. Hazel was my someone. Clint and Ever stood while Buck and Penny took a collective step toward the doctor. The man hadn't even said he was there for us. There were two other couples in the waiting room. But I knew. I saw the recognition in his eyes when he found us.

  "Ryker?" His voice was strong steady. His expression didn't leave me much hope.

  Hazel and I stood up and joined my brothers and Sera. Tears streamed down Sera’s cheeks, and I used my free arm to wrap her in a hug.

  "Is she gonna be okay? Please tell me she's okay." She was shaking, and I knew exactly how she felt. Helpless.

  “We’ve got her stabilized. It's lucky you called paramedics when you did. She had a massive cardiac event on the life flight over here. But emergency workers were able to get her stable. Your mother is in pre-op right now. But I’m not going to lie to you and say she’s out of the woods. She needs triple bypass surgery."

  "Surgery?" Clint asked, his voice was strained on that one word alone.

  The doctor nodded. “We’re going to do everything we can for her. As soon as we have news, you’ll receive an update.”

  My brother pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ve got to call the ranch hands, let them know they need to keep things going. The snow will be here by morning.”

  Ever grabbed her phone and began dialing. “I’ll let the network know. They were planning on coming to assess the grounds and get things ready for the next season. They need to be on top of this before the news breaks. I've already seen a couple of people taking pictures with their phones. It'll be all over social media by now that the Rykers are at the hospital."

  Anger boiled in my blood. This was a private fucking moment. Our mother was fighting for her life, and people were taking pictures of us?

  Releasing Sera and letting go of Hazel's hand, I went back to my seat and sat down. Stress and anxiety took hold as I rested my head in my hands and took long, shuddering breaths. I couldn't lose another parent. I wasn't ready.

  Soft fingers trailed through my hair. It was a gentle touch, exactly what I needed, and something in me broke open.

  "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. She's gonna be okay."

  I wanted to believe everything Hazel said.

  "I can't lose my mother." My voice shook.

  "I know. We'll get through this together."

  “What if she doesn’t make it? If she’s not strong enough?”

  "If she doesn't have this surgery, the risk of her repeating this event shortly is very high. Your mom has been living on borrowed time for quite a while. We need to do something now."

  Jaw clenched, I gritted my teeth and worked to control the panic building in my chest. This wasn't some little surgery. This was major, life-threatening, potentially deadly. "Can we see her before…” My words trailed off because I couldn't bring myself to say it.

  Hazel squeezed my hand. "If she's in pre-op, they won’t let you see her. But she is going to come through this. We got her the help she needed in time.”

  Buck stayed silent, his lower lip trembling as he fought to control himself. Penny held his hand, her face buried in his shoulder.

  Clint shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the doctor. "How long is the surgery?"

  "We're hopeful it won't take longer than a few hours. As soon as she comes out of it, I will personally let you know.”

  As soon as the doctor left, Clint began typing on his phone. After a few tense minutes, he stared at all of us, posture strong but clearly fighting for control over his emotions.“Tucker’s on standby to take over. The guys know we won't be home anytime soon. There’s a lot to prepare for with the storm coming. And somebody has to call Sam. He’ll want to come home.”

  “I already called. He’s catching the first flight he can.” Buck’s voice was tight and raw.

  My heart ached at the thought of Sam coming home and possibly missing seeing Mama. No. I couldn’t think like that. Hazel said she’d be okay. I had to believe that.

  “What do you need?” Hazel asked. “Can I do something?”

  I didn't respond, but I didn't ask her to leave me alone, either. Not until she moved to stand. “I need you here with me.”

  Hearing her say that we’d done everything right offered me a small amount of comfort. It didn’t ease the fear that sat like a rock in my chest, but it helped. My phone began buzzing. Notification after notification. Everything stopped in my world when I realized what had happened. I opened it up and stared in disgust at a photo on Twitter of us all rushing into the hospital, faces stricken. My social media was blowing up because some asshole posted my mother was in the hospital.

  Hazel took my phone from my hands, turned it completely off, and put it in her pocket. "This is the last thing you need right now. Everyone you need to talk to is right here in this room."

  I shook my head. "No. Not everyone. Sam has to get here. He’ll never forgive himself if he doesn’t make it in…”

  I couldn’t make myself finish that sentence.

  Hazel squeezed my hand. “He will.”

  Hazel

  Hours later, mo
st of the Ryker family was dozing off in the waiting room, except for Tristan and I. We couldn't sleep, even though I was exhausted. I knew that any minute, the doctor was going to come walking through that door and let us know what happened. But the fact that he hadn't come through yet, as stressful as it might be, was good news. If he'd returned anywhere before three hours after the surgery was set to start, it would have been with bad news.

  The door opened, and the doctor entered the room, relief evident on his face. Tristan leapt to his feet, his frame buzzing with anxiety. I stood and walked over to where Buck and Clint sat, nodding off with their partners. With gentle hands, I woke them, and we all waited to hear what the doctor was going to say.

  The doctor sighed, then offered a gentle smile. "She came through the surgery like a champ. She's in recovery. It’ll be a little while before you can see her, and you have to come one at a time, but she did great."

  A tear escaped Buck’s eye, and Clint let out a shaky breath before wrapping Ever in his arms. Tristan, who’d tried to be so strong, fell to pieces as absolute and obvious relief washed over him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight as his shoulders shook and the tension released from his body.

  "Thank you for being here. You didn’t have to stay,” Tristan whispered against my hair.

  "Where else would I be? I love your mama. It's impossible not to from the moment you meet her."

  He chuckled. "Don't let her hear you saying that. Her ego will get out of control."

  "Tristan, she's gonna have a long recovery. This was a major heart attack and major surgery. I don't know what your doctor’s office is like, but with how busy the ranch is, how busy you are, she's gonna need some help."

  He shook his head, but not in a way that told me no, that wouldn't happen. It was more like an indication that he had no idea how that was going to work. "She won't want some stranger coming into the house.”

  An idea flickered to life in my brain. "What if I stayed?"

  His brow furrowed. "Excuse me? I might be delirious from lack of sleep, but it sounded like you just offered to stay."

  "I'm in between jobs right now. And I'm a nurse. I can help."

  "You'd really do that?"

  I nodded. "Yes. I would really do that."

  "You don't know what this means to me." The adoration in his eyes made me offer him a weak smile.

  "Do you need to check it over with your siblings? Make sure they're okay with it?"

  He huddled with his brothers and sister, chatting with them quietly. They all turned their gaze on me, surprise in their eyes but relief relaxing their bodies. Then Tristan returned to me, pulled me in for another embrace, and said, “They're okay with it. Thank you, Hazel. Thank you so damn much."

  Three hours later, Tristan and I arrived back home at the ranch. We’d both gone in to see Mama, and after assuring the doctor that I would be caring for her, they got me set up with everything I would need for her return home in the next week. My feet ached, my shoulders throbbed, and my hips felt like I had a bowling ball settled between them. I didn't want to go anywhere past the main house. Just the idea of falling into bed next to my sister and then having to explain where I've been sounded like torture. As we pulled around to where my car was parked, Tristan looked at me hesitantly.

  "I don't want to be alone tonight," he said.

  My heart melted. "I don't either."

  He leaned close to me, pressing his forehead to mine, and breathed me in. "Stay with me tonight, darlin'?"

  I nodded, unable to speak. This wasn’t about sex. This was about holding each other together through the aftershocks of trauma. Instead of parking at the lodge, he drove down to another house not too far from the main structures. Then, he killed the engine and got out of the truck. In a few moments, he'd opened my door and had a hand held out for me, ready to help me down. As we walked inside his house, a thrill ran through me at the knowledge that I was getting to see where he lived his life. It was modest, like him, furnished with a careworn sofa, scratched dining room table, and of course, a large flatscreen TV. Tristan was such a guy. Going into his bedroom, he returned in just a few moments and handed me a t-shirt.

  "It might be a little big, but, then again, you do have some company there." He pointed to my belly, and I grinned.

  "I'll just…change in the bathroom. Thank you."

  He licked his lips, then must’ve realized I didn't know where the bathroom was, so he showed me. When I emerged, fully changed and wearing his t-shirt, his delicious smelling t-shirt, my breath caught in my throat at the sight of him clad in nothing but gray sweatpants slung low on his hips.

  "That's what you wear to bed?" I asked.

  He smirked. "Do you have a problem with it?"

  I sighed. What was it about sweatpants? "Not at all. I think I may fall over if I don't find a bed soon."

  "Then, by all means, come, let's get to bed."

  He pulled back the covers for me, and I slid in between them. My eyes were heavy, but the baby was moving, apparently nocturnal. Tristan slid in behind me, his arm wrapping around my waist, palm cradling the place where our child was growing. He pressed a tender kiss to my shoulder. Before whispering, "I think I could get used to having you in my bed."

  I didn't answer, but I felt the same. Instead of acknowledging what he said, I drifted to sleep in his arms.

  13

  Tristan

  Mama had been home for two weeks, and she was finally back to her feisty self, if moving a lot slower. But thank God Hazel was still here. She had Mama under control, making sure she ate healthier, took better care of herself, rested more. We were all thankful. And we were hopeful. It was because Hazel was quick to recognize the signs of Mama's heart attack that we had many, many years left with her.

  I watched her sitting at the kitchen table, playing Scrabble with my mama. They were both pretty equal matches, and it was entertaining to see them try to one-up each other.

  "So, who's winning?" I asked.

  They both turned to look at me. Neither one had even realized I was there. Hazel’s warm smile made me grin. We hadn't really had much time to be together because I was either at the hospital or working to pick up the slack from Clint and Buck’s shifts at the hospital. But there was something between us. I had no doubt after she spent the night in my bed.

  Once mama came home, Hazel moved into my old bedroom in the lodge, the one right next to Mama’s. She said it would only be for a couple of weeks until Mama didn't need constant care. Then, she’d go back to the cabin, or home. It all depended on how much Mama needed.

  "How you feeling, Mama?" I asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

  Mama waved her hand and huffed. "Would you all stop fussing over me? I feel fine. I’m a little sore, but I think that comes from all those people poking and prodding my heart. Hazel says I should make a full recovery."

  "That's right. As long as you follow the diet and exercise routines I have written out for you."

  God, Hazel was perfect. If anyone could get Mama to change, she could. I chuckled. "Well, you might just need to stay forever."

  Mama laughed. "That can be arranged."

  Hazel blushed, then placed her hand on her belly and giggled.

  "What?" I asked.

  She shook her head. "It's just the baby getting stronger. It's starting to tickle."

  The thought of my baby growing inside her made me damn proud. I'd been terrified at first, but now? Now I wanted everything. I was selfish. Greedy. I wanted the family, the house, the goddamn dog. I wanted Hazel.

  "When do you think we might revisit that date we were gonna have?"

  "Date?" Mama asked. "Y'all are gonna go on a date?"

  "We talked about it. The night things changed." Hazel gave me a sidelong glance.

  "I said I'm fine. You two should spend some time together. Hazel, I am officially giving you the rest of the day off. You too, Tristan. Sam can take over for you.”

  Hazel shook her head and laughed
. "It doesn’t work like that, and you know it, Mama."

  “What if I get Sera to fill in for you? I don't have to take any medicine. All I have to do is sit here and not stress myself out, right?"

  Hazel’s shoulders slumped in defeat. "I suppose that's true. I guess I could use a little bit of a change of scenery. But only if you promise that if anything happens, you call me immediately."

  "Sera! Come in here, honey.” Mama tossed her head back and screamed my sister's name loud enough that it rattled my eardrums. Sera emerged from her bedroom and made her way over to us.

  "What do you need?” Sera asked.

  "Hazel's gonna explain what's happening, and I need your help. Understand?”

  “Sure, of course. Everything okay?” Sera frowned as she inspected Mama for some sign that she was hurting.

  “Oh, I’m fine, honey. Hazel’s got herself a hot date.”

  The embarrassment on Hazel’s face had me smiling, but there was a hint of excitement in her eyes too. She’d wanted to have that dinner with me just as much as I’d wanted it with her.

  “You ready?” I asked, cocking my elbow and offering her my arm.

  Biting her lip, she assessed Mama. “Are you sure?”

  “Go on. Get out of here. Sera and I will be just fine. If we need anything, we know how to use the phone.”

  When Hazel slipped her palm into the crook of my arm, I grinned from ear to ear.

  We left the house and slowly strolled to my truck, her gaze focused straight ahead, but mine mostly on her. “I know you don’t realize this, but we’re all falling a little in love with you every day.”

  She stopped in her tracks. “Excuse me?”

  “My family. You dropped everything to help Mama. Stayed here when I know there’s a life back home you were trying to put back together. That means so much more to us than you could ever know.”

  Shrugging it off like it wasn’t the biggest deal in the world, she said, “It’s my job. I take care of people.”

  “It’s more than that to us.”