The Second Chance Bride (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots)

by Danni Lee Nicholls

  Savannah sidled next to Chantelle. “I think it would be best if you and I go in together while Ben and Alex tend the horses. You can drive in with your family, and we can take care of things here and then join you.”

  Chantelle was dust-covered, and tears streaked down her face as she swallowed. “Okay.”

  Savannah sought Alex. “What do you think?”

  “It’s the best plan.”

  Savannah nodded and taking Chantelle’s hand, they walked together in the house.

  Lily was in the kitchen. “Oh, you’re home early,” she said as she as she pulled a quiche out of the oven. “I’m putting some brunch together for you.” She looked up.

  Savannah swallowed and tightened her grip on Chantelle’s hand.

  Lily looked alarmed. “What?! Where’s Shelby?”

  “Mom, there’s been an accident,” Chantelle began. “Shelby fell. I think it’s serious. They’ve helicoptered her to Mission Valley Medical Center. Mason is with her.”

  Lily grabbed the counter and began to sink to her knees. “Get your father.”

  Savannah reached for Lily and helped her to the nearest chair. Chantelle gave Savannah a pained look before heading upstairs. A few seconds passed before Savannah heard them hurrying down the staircase. Keith was dressed in sweats and was holding the car keys. His face was grim. “Let’s go,” he said as he placed his arm around his wife and daughter.

  Savannah held back.

  Lily turned. “What are you doing?”

  “I’ll stay here with the boys to help get the horses settled, and then I’ll drive in with them.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Lily stated. “You’re part of this family. You’ll come with us.”

  Tears came to Savannah’s eyes as Chantelle reached for her. Grabbing Chantelle’s hand, Savannah put her arm around her friend’s waist before climbing into the back seat of the Mercedes.

  As Keith pulled the car out, Savannah rolled down the window to find Alex standing with Socks and Strider. Both horses looked spent and somehow sad. Ben was nowhere to be seen and Savannah surmised he must be in the barn with Tom-Tom, Biggs, and Blue. Savannah gave Alex a searching look. It calmed her when he met her gaze with a long look of his own. As the car pulled away, she folded her arms on top of the open window and looked behind her. She was grateful Alex did not let her out of his sight until they turned the corner.

  “I’d appreciate it if you would call your dad and Kelly,” Lily said to Savannah as Keith sped toward town. “I think they’ll both want to know.”

  Savannah agreed and dialed her father’s number, telling him of the accident without going into any detail. She did not want to alarm Keith or Lily. Charles promised to leave as soon as he informed Kelly. During this call, Chantelle’s phone rang. It was Mason, telling them to go to the ER. Shelby was being assessed.

  Anxiety rose inside Savannah as they reached the hospital and hurried to the emergency room. The smell hit her first, making her want to gag as the memory of her mother’s death rose to the surface. Savannah swallowed against the reflex and pulled from some deep unknown reservoir of strength. The Thomases needed her, and she would do her best to help.

  Mason met them at the nurse’s station and pulled Chantelle’s arm through his before finding a place to sit and breaking down Shelby’s condition.

  “This is serious,” Mason said. “Her left lung is intact, but her right lung has collapsed. Usually, one lung is enough, but her oxygen level isn’t where we’d like it to be, so we’ve put her on the ventilator. She’s broken several bones, including her pelvis and a couple of ribs. The ribs may keep her from getting fully oxygenated. She has a fractured right arm, too. She’s going to need surgery for the pelvis break, which is in the sacrum. We’re going to prep her for that now. The good news is, we haven’t detected any internal bleeding with this particular pelvic break, and there isn’t any brain swelling, yet. We’ll continue to monitor that. And her spinal cord is intact. She has full use of her legs.”

  Savannah closed her eyes and breathed a silent prayer of thanks while she held Lily’s hand.

  Lily began to cry. “I don’t know if I should be sad or grateful,” she said in between sobs.

  Keith put his arm around his wife and pulled her close. “Both, my dear,” he said quietly.

  “Can we see her?” Lily asked.

  “Yes, but I must prepare you. She’s on a ventilator because of the lung. So, she’s not conscious, and she’s got a plastic tube coming out of her mouth. It can look very ominous, but it is helping her breathe until we can get her stable. At that point, we’ll work on removing the vent, which could be as early as this afternoon, after surgery. But for now, we need to keep her intubated. That means we need to keep her in a medically induced coma. Otherwise, she would fight the ventilator. Also, you won’t be able to stay very long, because we need to get her into surgery. Do you understand?”

  Everyone nodded before walking into the ER bay, where Shelby lay very still in a hospital bed.

  Tears welled up in Savannah’s eyes. Her dear friend looked so small in the oversized bed. Bruising was beginning to form on Shelby’s face, chest, and arms. Medical equipment beeped on a regular interval and the ventilator seemed to exhale and inhale for Shelby. There were tubes and machines everywhere.

  Savannah let go of Lily’s hand as the older woman went to her daughter and entwined her fingers with Shelby’s before bending down and whispering in her ear. Keith joined his wife, and Chantelle and Mason stood on the other side of Shelby.

  Standing at the foot of the bed, Savannah rubbed Shelby’s feet. She wished she had this opportunity when her mother was in the hospital. How she longed for a moment to rub her mother’s feet and tell her how much she loved her. But everything happened so fast, and she was denied every chance to be close to her mother. Sadness crept into Savannah’s heart as she recalled that her mother died without the touch of family or love.

  Savannah shook those thoughts away. Shelby was not going to die. There was no room in Savannah’s life for another loss. But there was a choice to make.

  She could leave and give into the desperation that bullied her to run from the agonizing recollections of this hospital, with its antiseptic smell and buzzing machines. But, she wanted to offer support, love, and hope. She wanted to stay.

  Savannah pulled in a deep breath. She refused to give up this opportunity to offer comfort. Shelby would heal, and Savannah would not shy away from the pain or the celebration of that healing in order to spare herself the unhealed wound over her mother’s sudden passing.

  Two young men came into the room, and Mason explained. “We’ll be transferring her to surgery. You can follow us, and we’ll show you where we’ll be waiting.”

  “How long will this surgery take?” Lily asked.

  “It depends on what they find once they get started,” Mason said. “It could be two to four hours.”

  As they left the ER, Mason fell in step with Savannah. “I want to thank you,” he said. “In that moment, all I could think of was everything I needed and didn’t have. I needed an IV. I needed pain meds. I needed respiratory therapy. I needed so much, and none of it was available. But you comforted her with nothing more than your love for her. And for that time, it was enough. Thank you.”

  Savannah squeezed Mason’s arm. “I’m glad I was there.”

  Mason stepped away as he hurried to catch up with Chantelle, placing his arm around her. She leaned against him and Mason pulled her close. Savannah walked behind them. Quietly, Chantelle whispered something to Mason, who nodded and squeezed her shoulders. Savannah yearned for such intimacy. It was hers once, and she threw it away because of the disapproval of others. If she were given another chance, she would make a different and conscious choice, just as she was doing now as she faced Shelby’s accident.

  Heading toward the surgery waiting room, she caught up with Lily. “I’m going to see if I can gather the others. I’ll bring them here when I find th
em.”

  Lily gave Savannah a quick hug before Savannah pulled away and began looking for her father. Turning the corner, she bumped into Ben and Alex. Savannah searched Alex’s face and found a mixture of concern, anxiety, and some nameless emotion. Did he look relieved in seeing her? For one brief moment, she thought he was going to reach out and touch her, maybe even pull her close. She longed to lean against him and feel his arms around her. He knew how to offer her comfort.

  The touch never came. Instead, he searched her face. “How is she?”

  Savannah glanced at Ben, who looked positively miserable.

  “She’s on her way to surgery. The family is heading toward the waiting room. Maybe we can all go there together.”

  The boys fell into step with Savannah as they made their way to the surgery waiting room.

  “What do the doctors say?” Ben asked.

  Savannah repeated Mason’s assessment.

  Ben’s voice wavered. “Is she going to make it?”

  “I think so,” Savannah said slowly. “But she’s going to have a long recovery.”

  “How can I help?” Ben asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Savannah said. “But I’m sure she’ll need lots of support.”

  They became quiet as they entered the waiting room.

  As they arrived, Savannah was surprised at how close Alex came to her as he bent over her and whispered, “I’m so glad you found us before we got here. We needed to be prepared. Thank you.”

  Savannah breathed in the scent of horse mingled with sweat and the ever-present aroma of sage. She turned to look into his eyes. He held her gaze for a long moment before turning away. She followed his gaze toward the Thomases, who were huddled together on the couch.

  Savannah was about to move away, when Alex reached out and tenderly took her hand. “Should we stay?”

  The warmth of his hand brought Savannah comfort. She pulled Alex’s hand into both of hers while squeezing his fingers. “Yes, I think so. I believe they’ll appreciate your support.”

  “I want to be here,” Ben said. “She needs to know we care, too.”

  Lily looked up and invited Ben and Alex to sit near the family. “It would please Shelby to know you stayed with us.”

  Savannah leaned into Alex, longing for the closeness they once shared. As he placed his hand on the small of her back, she melted into him. She wished to stay with him and feel his closeness, but she needed to find her father. Looking up into Alex’s eyes, she whispered, “I need to find my father. He doesn’t know where we are.”

  Alex stepped away from her, and the rush of air chilled her. She wanted to return to his side and fill that empty space, bury her face in his chest and feel his arms around her. But a new concern bubbled up. “I have to go,” she whispered. “I’m worried about my dad.”

  Alex gently took her arm. “Promise me you’ll be back.”

  Savannah reached over and placed her free hand on top of Alex’s as she looked into his blue eyes, searching for the meaning of his request. Everything was raw in this moment, but there was something in that rawness that fostered a sense of honesty. Maybe it was the same for Alex. While continuing to gaze at him, she slowly nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I promise.” She squeezed his hand, and Alex returned the affection.

  Turning from the room, Savannah hurried to find her father.

  Chapter 25

  After fifteen minutes of searching, Savannah texted her dad, but she didn’t receive a reply. A pit of dread settled in her stomach. In his effort to arrive at the hospital, Charles would hurry. Did he have an accident, too?

  Making her way to the front of the building, Savannah shaded her eyes from the rising morning sun to find the black Mercedes parked across the street. She hurried to the car and opened the passenger side door. Her father was sitting in the driver’s seat with his hands gripping the steering wheel. He did not turn or even blink when Savannah opened the door, but continued to stare ahead.

  Savannah took a deep breath and settled into the passenger seat, leaving the door open for air. “Dad?”

  “I haven’t been inside that building since your mother died,” Charles said softly. “It didn’t even occur to me until I got here.”

  “I know it’s hard,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about Mom the whole time.”

  Charles turned. “You’ve been in there?”

  Savannah met her father’s gaze and nodded.

  “You’ve always had more courage than the rest of us,” he said. “You take after your mother in that way. She would walk where angels fear to tread.”

  Savannah closed her eyes as the warmth of the compliment flooded through her.

  “How’s Shelby?” Charles asked.

  “It’s serious. She’s in surgery now, but I think she’s going to pull through.”

  Charles turned back to stare out the windshield.

  Savannah swallowed. “Dad, we have a couple of options here.”

  Charles looked at his daughter. “Go on.”

  “We can go in together. We can be there for our closest friends and family and support them with our presence. Or, I can go in alone. I can share with them that you are thinking of them and wishing them the best, but you can’t be here right now. I’ll know what to say, and they’ll understand. We can do whatever you’d like.”

  Tears came to Charles’s eyes. He wiped them away hastily before pushing at his eyes with his thumb and fingers, as if trying to squeeze the tears back into some deep abyss.

  Savannah wanted to reach over and touch her father. Dared she offer him the possibility of healing with her?

  “Dad?” Savannah whispered as she placed her hand on his leg. “It’s okay to cry. I miss her, too.”

  “I don’t want--.” Choked tears pushed themselves from Charles.

  “Dad, please just cry,” Savannah begged.

  Charles reached for Savannah’s hand while he leaned his head against the steering wheel.

  Savannah sat quietly with her hand entwined in her father’s while his tears flowed in raspy sobs.

  After several minutes, Charles sat back in his seat and let out a long, sad sigh. “I’ll go in with you,” he said. “I think you’ve been alone for far too long.”

  Savannah nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  Charles blew his nose before stepping out of the car. As Savannah placed her arm around her father’s waist, she felt his arm slip around her shoulder. It had been years since her father touched her, and tears came to her eyes at the tenderness of his gesture.

  She pulled him close and held on to him as they walked together toward the front entrance of the hospital. It was that tenderness that would give her strength and allow both of them to offer everything they had to one another as they helped Shelby and her family.

  Chapter 26

  Stars blanketed the sky by the time Savannah found herself back home. Her father bid her an exhausted goodnight before moving to his wing of the house. Savannah watched him go. His gait showed fatigue, but there was a looseness in his walk that spoke to some sort of release.

  When she reached her own room, Savannah fell onto the bed as she let out a long, tired sigh before gratefully breathing in the quiet of her room. The stillness was such a relief after the noise and hubbub of the hospital.

  Savannah’s thoughts wandered toward her sister. Marissa was spending the weekend in Denver with Brittany. Guilt pulsed through Savannah as she wondered if anyone had called her about Shelby’s accident. Probably not. At this point, it might be better to wait until Marissa was home before breaking the news. It was past ten. There wasn’t anything Marissa could do in Denver, and Savannah didn’t want Marissa rushing home. Her presence might just add drama to an already tense situation, and it would be better if she didn’t hurry home through the canyon’s winding roads.

  Shelby was out of surgery and settled into ICU and was expected to completely recover after an arduous process. The surgeon and ICU intensivist explained that it would be two to
three months before the pelvis was healed, and she would need to be on crutches for the first couple of weeks. Her ribs would take at least six weeks, and both physicians were concerned about pneumonia, so they prescribed gentle breathing and coughing exercises. Shelby’s arm was in a cast. She would require intense physical therapy, and there would be a great deal of pain while she mended. But her spinal cord was intact, and there was no sign of a brain injury. The ventilator was removed after surgery, but her oxygen levels were being closely monitored.

  Shelby fell in and out of sleep.

  Keith opted to spend the night with Shelby while Lily and Chantelle went home to try to rest, gather fresh clothes, and prepare themselves for the following morning. When everyone was preparing to leave, Ben asked if he could speak to Keith alone. When the two men came back, it was decided Ben would stay the night with Shelby and Keith, and the three of them settled into the long night together.

  Savannah was hoping for a quiet walk to the car with Alex, but instead Kelly placed her arm through hers as her father walked ahead.

  Kelly leaned in. “Rumor has it you’ve been seen with Aaron Richards. I’m so pleased.”

  Savannah gave Kelly a startled look.

  Kelly continued, “We’ve talked about going for a ride one of these days, but I think we both know every free moment will be spent here. So, I thought we could just briefly talk now.”

  “Who told you I was seeing Aaron?”

  “Your father, of course.”

  Savannah untangled herself from Kelly’s arm. “That’s not exactly true. We’ve gone out a few times, but that’s the extent of it. He’s been pushing for something deeper, but I’m not--.”

  “Oh now, come, my dear. There’s no reason to be coy with him. He’s showing a real interest in you, and it’s high time you had someone to call your own. Your father couldn’t be happier, and I have to say, I couldn’t have made a better choice for you myself. In fact, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.”