It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3)

by Tamra Baumann

  Zane’s arms shook, mostly with terror of Ty falling, as he lowered himself as far as he could. But then a loud crack sounded, and Ty fell, just as the wood beneath Zane’s hands disappeared too. He fell into the river right behind Ty.

  Ty screamed as he hit the water. The kid would never be able to swim with a broken arm. Zane hoped he’d missed a rock when he landed.

  The cold water stole Zane’s breath as he flailed underneath the surface trying to get his bearings, straining to find Ty. After Zane broke the surface, a chunk of the still-falling bridge landed on his forehead and forced him under again. The blinding pain made his vision turn white.

  Pushing off the sandy bottom, he broke the surface again and spotted Ty floundering a few feet down the river. Black dots danced before Zane’s eyes as he swam as hard as he could. Barely hanging on to consciousness, Zane grabbed Ty’s shirt and pulled him against his chest as they were thrown from rock to rock like the little metal ball in a pinball machine. Zane’s strength waned and he could barely keep their heads above water. “I’ve got you, Ty.”

  He had to hold it together long enough to get Ty to the shore.

  With the last bit of effort he could muster, Zane kicked and changed their direction, cutting a new path against the current. The sides of the river were rocky with little shoreline, but he’d not make it much longer, so he couldn’t be choosy.

  The little black dots turned into big ones as they approached the edge. When the water became shallow enough, he let Ty down and they trudged to the rocky shore. Ty flopped to his knees on the ground as he struggled for air.

  Zane dropped right beside him and then the dots won—everything went black.

  Casey held Ty’s uninjured hand as her brother Ben finished casting her son’s broken arm. Ben beamed one of his big movie-star smiles at Ty and said, “Now you can have all the girls in your class sign your cast on Monday when school starts.”

  “No way.” Ty frowned. “Except for maybe Heather.”

  Heather Grant? Casey glanced at her brother and shared a secret grin with him. Their father would flip his lid if he knew his grandson was falling for a dreaded Grant. Like Ben had in high school. Kline Grant was the only woman Ben had ever loved. He’d never been the same since their breakup in college.

  Ben said, “Maybe if you look really pathetic she’d give you a kiss too.”

  Tyler made a gagging sound. “That’s gross. Heather’s good at sports so we let her play basketball with the guys at recess, that’s all.”

  “I think girls who play sports are hot.” Ben scribbled something down on his pad and then tore the page off and handed it to his nephew. “You’re all good to go. But you’ll need this.”

  A big grin formed on Casey’s son’s face. “Awesome.”

  Casey waggled her fingers for the prescription and she read it. “A huge bowl of ice cream every day for a week is so not happening. You and Caleb are going to be on restriction for a very long time after that stunt. Meg said Eric was getting the same.”

  Ben patted Ty’s leg and did a bad job of concealing a contraband sucker. “I tried, buddy. Gotta go check on Zane. Promise me you’ll take it easy for a few days, okay?”

  Ty nodded. “I will.”

  Ben pulled off his gloves, aimed, and then landed a two-pointer into the trashcan. “Casey, can I see you in the hall for a minute, please?”

  “Sure. Don’t move until I get back, Ty, understood?”

  “Where else am I going to go?” His shoulders slumped. “I’m on restriction, remember?”

  “Keep it up and you’ll add another week to it.”

  Casey joined Ben in the hall. “How’s Zane?”

  Ben pulled another lollipop from a pocket in his white lab coat and offered it to her. When she shook her head, he unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth. “He has a whopper of a concussion, and is pretty much bruised from head to toe. He’s going to be in a lot of pain for a few days, but he’ll be all right.”

  She’d held it together for the last hour, but hot tears finally won the battle. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if Zane hadn’t been there today.”

  “Hey. There’s no crying allowed in my clinic.” Ben wrapped her up in a tight hug. “If Zane hadn’t been there, you would’ve been the one with a concussion and bruises from head to toe. You’re the bravest woman I know. I would’ve totally let you play basketball with us nasty boys at recess too, if you’d asked when we were kids.”

  She chuckled and gave her brother a hard squeeze back. He had always been her rock. And her defender.

  She wiped away her tears. “Gee, thanks. But the truth is you wouldn’t have, because I was always better than you at basketball. And we all know how you hate to lose.”

  He leaned away and cocked a brow. “You’re probably still in shock so I’m going to give you a free pass on that delusional remark—just this once.”

  Her older brother, tall, lean, with a pretty smile, perfect teeth, and never-a-hair-out-of-place do, was the delusional one. The girls in school used to say he was like a Ken doll. One who preferred flirting with the girls in the stands, rather than actually playing sports. “Seriously? You’ve never hit a three-pointer in your life.”

  He took the sucker from his mouth and pointed it at her. “Name the time and place and you’re on. I guarantee I’ll kick your butt.”

  She rolled her eyes. Even as adults, her brothers never changed. Always looking for a competition. “Never mind.”

  “Chicken.”

  Changing the subject, she asked, “So if Zane has a concussion, does that mean he can’t go to sleep?”

  Ben popped the sucker back in his mouth and mumbled around it. “The not sleeping is an old wives’ tale. He needs to sleep. But he also needs to be woken up every few hours to make sure he hasn’t gotten worse. You’ll need to ask him his name and the date, things like that. If he appears confused, call me.” Ben started down the hall to Zane’s room.

  “Me? What do you mean?” She caught up and tugged on Ben’s elbow to stop him. “Aren’t you keeping him here tonight?”

  “Nope. It’s Saturday night. I can’t cancel on my date again.” He patted her arm. “You’ll be fine. I’ll have Joyce get Zane’s paperwork and prescriptions ready so you can take him home.”

  “What’s this flavor-of-the-week’s name?”

  “None of your business. I’ll come over and check on you guys tomorrow. Afternoon, if things go as planned tonight.” Ben hitched his brows.

  “Serial dating with no commitment has to be getting old. When are you going to find a nice girl and settle down, Ben?”

  “When I find a pretty one who can beat me at basketball—nag.” Ben chuckled and walked away.

  Kline could have. She’d earned a basketball scholarship to college. Ben never missed one of her games back then.

  His idea of avoiding commitment to prevent heartache like he’d had over his breakup with Kline was going to leave him alone and miserable if he didn’t meet the right woman soon. She and Meg needed to put their heads together and find her for him.

  Casey went back to the exam room to retrieve Ty. “Ready to roll?”

  He nodded and hopped down from the table. “I’m gonna call Dad tonight and tell him how I almost died.”

  That was the absolute worst thing Ty could do. Tomas would probably find a way to use it against her. Especially if Ty told Tomas that Zane Steele saved him. “Don’t you think it would upset your father to hear that? Especially when he’s so far away? Maybe it’d be better to just tell him you fell, have a broken arm, that you’re fine now, and leave it at that.”

  “I guess. But I did almost die.”

  “No kidding.” Casey wrapped her arm around his bony little shoulders and gave him a hug. “You scared ten years off my life today, Ty. And poor Zane is in a lot of pain because of you guys. I’m so mad at you boys, but I love you. You know that, right?”

  He nodded. “So maybe if we just apologized to Zane, we don’t rea
lly have to be on restriction?”

  “Nice try. But not happening. Let’s go find Zane and get him settled. He’s going to have to stay with us for a night or two.”

  Ty beamed a big smile. “That’ll be fun.”

  Maybe for Ty and Caleb, but she was going to have to play nurse on top of all her regular duties. She owed the man her son’s life, though, so she’d just suck it up. “Not when I have to sleep with you tonight, Mr. Bed Hog.”

  The kid slept sideways half the time. After Tomas had abandoned them, Ty couldn’t sleep unless she was right beside him at night for almost a year because he was so afraid she’d leave him too. It’d be a long night.

  “We’ll put Zane in my room, so he’ll have his own bathroom, and I’ll bunk with you. But you and Caleb will have to be at his beck and call tomorrow. Got it?”

  He nodded as they walked down the hall to Zane’s exam room. “I still think it’ll be fun. And I bet he’ll sign my cast.”

  “I bet he will.” How nice to be eight and have the ability to bounce right back after a harrowing experience like he’d just had. She’d have nightmares about it for months.

  Zane grimaced as Casey helped him into her bed. He hurt everywhere, even with all the pain meds he’d been given. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Casey stuffed pillows behind his back, brought him a pitcher of water, and then laid the remote on the nightstand beside him. When she sank to the side of the bed, he had to withhold a grunt from the pain. Every little movement killed him.

  But then she smiled at him, and the pain didn’t seem quite so bad.

  “I haven’t had a chance to properly thank you, Zane.” She leaned closer and laid a soft kiss on his cheek. “You are officially my hero.”

  “Then I think I deserve a better kiss than that. And I’d rather be your date—but not until next week, when I can get out of bed on my own.”

  “I can see you’re going to be a demanding patient.”

  She laid her soft lips on his and gave him the sweetest kiss he’d ever had. He closed his eyes and deepened it way beyond sweet.

  She let out a soft sigh and moved closer. When she eventually leaned away, he blinked his eyes open and whispered, “That’s more like it.”

  “Well, don’t get the wrong idea. Because before all of this happened I was going to explain why I can’t have a relationship with you, Zane.”

  “But now that I’m your hero, you can, right?”

  “You know I’m attracted to you, but I have my kids to think about. They have to come first in my life.”

  “I get that. I’d never ask you to put my needs before your boys’. But please don’t make up your mind about us until I can take you on that date.” He yawned as his latest round of meds started to kick in. “And when I’m not so tired I can’t come up with a good rebuttal.”

  “We’ll see.” She pulled the blanket over him. “Get some rest. I have to wake you every so often so I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

  “You can ask Mandy to take the night shift if that’d be easier.”

  She stood and shook her head. “Nope. It’s no trouble. I owe you, big time. And the boys are going to be your personal servants so make them work.”

  He smiled and closed his eyes. “Okay. Thanks, Casey.” He couldn’t hold off his fatigue another second and drifted into a deep sleep.

  Much later that night, quiet rustling across the room made Zane crack an eye open. The bedside clock showed 2:15 a.m.

  Casey pulled a blanket from the top shelf of her closet then quietly slid the door closed. The softly lit hallway outside the bedroom let in just enough light to show she hadn’t put on her robe like she had on previous visits. The skimpy pair of gym shorts, tight tank top, and messy ponytail were incredibly sexy. “Cold?”

  “No. Tired of getting kicked. I’m going to bunk on the couch.” She crossed the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed. “Sorry to wake you again so soon after the last time. How are you feeling?”

  “About the same.” He patted the pillow beside him. “Why don’t you sleep in your own bed instead of the couch? Between waking me up and Ty’s kickboxing in his sleep, you must be beat.”

  “That’s a tempting offer, but it’s the tempting part I’m worried about.”

  “You’re safe with me. I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck.”

  “Who said anything about you? Maybe it’s me I’m worried about.” She sent him a sexy grin. “I’ve been told I’m a serial cuddler in my sleep.”

  He threw the sheets back on the other side of the bed in invitation. “I think I can fight you off if you get too frisky.” Or maybe he wouldn’t. It’d probably be worth the pain to have Casey’s long body wrapped around his.

  “Maybe just for a few minutes. I am beat.” She lay down beside him, snuggled into her pillow, and let out a contented sigh. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just stay until it’s time to wake you again, then I’ll move to the couch. I don’t want the boys to see us sleeping in the same bed.”

  “Okay.” He slid his hand over her delicate one that lay beside her pillow and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Sweet dreams.”

  She turned her hand over and wove her fingers through his. “You too.”

  He closed his heavy lids and drifted back to sleep. And then the recurring dream that had haunted him for years played on his closed lids.

  He tried to force his eyes open, to make it stop. Instead he found himself on that narrow path again, the one he’d been hiking with his father and brother all those years ago.

  But this time he was alone. The fog and mist swirled at the edges of the path, forming figures that looked like people he’d known over the years for a brief moment before they’d disappear again. He had to catch up with his dad and Nick.

  Making his way up the steep, narrow path, he tried to move faster, but his feet weighed a ton. He called out for the others, but got no answer in return. Maybe if he could catch up, his dad wouldn’t die this time.

  He powered forward as pain shot through his whole body. When he grabbed onto a boulder to pull himself along, his hand was covered in blood. He glanced down and his clothes and shoes were soaked too. Was it his father’s?

  Zane wiped away the blood and sweat dripping into his eyes with the back of his hand and started up the path again, ignoring the searing pain in his head and the soft voices whispering in his ears from the mist people. They chanted “Murderer. Murderer.”

  But it had been an accident! He hoped his dad had known that before he’d fallen to his death. His dad was his best friend. He and his father were so much closer than Zane and his twin had ever been.

  Weak from pain, he dropped to all fours, crawling to get away from the voices. He slowly made his way up the trail, hoping he’d wake from his dream soon. He didn’t want to see that look in his father’s eyes again the moment they both knew he’d never survive.

  Finally reaching the summit where they’d stopped to rest that day, Zane collapsed onto the ground as his blood mixed with dirt to make a reddish, muddy puddle around him. Looked like he was going to die too.

  Maybe he already had and was in hell.

  One of the mist people taunting him turned into his brother. Nick’s sneer slowly tilted into an evil grin. “This is what you get for abandoning me, Zane. For throwing me into that God-awful place to rot for two months while you chase after a beautiful woman. Now you’ll know just what our dad felt as he fell to his death.”

  Nick kicked Zane in the side and rolled him closer to the edge. “Murderer.”

  The pain made speaking in more than a whisper impossible. “It was an accident, Nick. I didn’t mean for Dad to fall.”

  “Liar!” Nick kicked him again. “You were jealous because Dad was paying more attention to me that day than precious, perfect you.”

  Another breath-stealing kick from his brother had Zane peering over the edge of the cliff, preparing to die. “No! I loved him. It was an accident!”

 
; As he kicked Zane’s side one last time, Nick called out, “See you in hell, bro.”

  Zane sucked in his last breath, bracing to fall to his death in the canyon below like he had so many nights before, when Casey’s gravelly voice filled his head. “Zane. Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

  Forcing his heavy lids open just before he hit the canyon floor, he stared into her whiskey-colored eyes. Her body was entwined with his, and he’d wrapped his arms around her in his sleep. His heart still pounded as he panted for enough air to say, “Sorry I woke you.”

  Casey laid the back of her cool hand on his forehead. “You’re hot and clammy. I’d better call Ben.” She threw the covers back and untangled her legs from his.

  He tightened his grasp to stop her. “No, just a bad dream. Give me a second.”

  Her brow creased, but she stopped her retreat. “Are you sure?”

  “I have them now and then.” He gulped in much-needed air. “No big deal.”

  “We’ll give it a minute or two, then decide. But I must be hurting you. Sorry.” Casey slid from his embrace and moved under the sheets beside him. “Who’s Nick?”

  Crap. All the heavy pain medicine must’ve made him talk in his sleep. “My brother.” He sat up and tugged off his sweat-soaked T-shirt, tossing it on a nearby chair, then moved beside her again.

  Casey whispered, “You were mumbling about an accident. And your dad dying.”

  Was it the meds making him want to tell her what happened? Had to be. He’d never told anyone about that afternoon other than his mom and the police. But if his brother went to the media, Casey might think Nick was telling the truth. He couldn’t bear Casey thinking he was a murderer on top of all the other false impressions she already had. Maybe it’d be best to wait until he was coherent. “Yeah. His accident still haunts me now and again.”

  She slowly moved a little closer, careful to keep her body a few inches from his aching one, and laid the back of her soft hand on his forehead again. “You feel a little cooler now.” She let her palm slide to his cheek. “So you have the dream often? Like a post-traumatic stress thing?”