by Chloe Lang
With Dr. Champion following behind, Seth walked through the swinging doors and found that not only were his brothers and Dad Greg waiting for them, but so were the rest of his family members, taking nearly every seat in the place.
Thankfully, none noticed them at first, giving Seth a moment to pause before facing their deluge of questions.
His mom, flipping through a magazine, sat between Dad Greg and Dad Grant. Aunt Mary, wringing her hands, sat between Uncle Dillon and Uncle Craig. Uncle Daniel stood behind them, looking at his cell. With Austin and Denver on either side of her, Jessie’s eyes were closed, clearly worried about her cousin. The rest of her husbands—Jackson, Phoenix, and Dallas—sat across from her with their backs to him. Even their granddad, Pappy Jack, was seated in the room, waiting.
Seth’s brothers were all gazing at the large flat screen on the wall of the waiting room, but none seemed to know what was really on the channel. They were obviously out of their minds with anxiety.
The only seat empty in the place was the one next to Heath, so Seth decided to lean against the wall instead of sitting down.
Tobias spotted them first, and jumped to his feet. “How is she, Doc?”
“She’s stable,” he answered.
Seth’s entire family came to their feet and surrounded him and Dr. Champion like a swarm of worried bees. He listened to the doc give the update about Charly’s situation in calm and comforting tones.
“So, you won’t be removing the bullet?” Jessie asked. “Isn’t that what’s normally done, Doctor?”
“Only in the movies. Like I told Seth earlier, I’m pretty certain your cousin won’t have to have surgery.”
As Dr. Champion finished telling his family about Charly’s prognosis, Seth looked at the entrance and saw Sheriff Davis walk in along with the sheriff of Elko County.
Dr. Champion continued, “Once I see the X-ray, I’ll come out and see you.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Jessie said. “Charly’s mother should be here in a few hours.”
“She will?” Heath asked.
“Yes, Michael sent his private jet for her once we got word about the gunshot.”
“Speaking of the gunshot, I’d like to ask a few questions,” Sheriff Davis said.
“I get why you’re here, but why is Byrd here?” Uncle Daniel frowned. “This is a Silver County issue.”
“I’m here as a courtesy,” Sheriff Byrd stated flatly. “Besides, the victim was taken to my county, Wilde.”
“Only because we don’t have a hospital in our county.”
“Not my problem.”
“That’s enough.” Pappy Jack’s voice was commanding, and everyone immediately quieted, including Sheriff Byrd and Uncle Daniel. “This is about Charly not about any bad blood you guys have between each other.”
Seth turned to Sheriff Davis. “Have you found the shooter or not?”
Chapter Three
Charly’s mind swirled with images of the Hotel Cactus burning, of Darren Blue outside her room, and of Seth atop a horse. Had any of it actually happened, or was she only drifting in some imaginary haze?
“I think she’s awake.” Tobias’s voice wasn’t from a dream. He was actually with her.
She opened her eyes and saw all the Strong brothers surrounding her.
“We’re here, sweetheart.” Drake touched her cheek.
“I’m confused,” she admitted, realizing she was in a hospital. Then she felt pain in her chest.
“What’s the last thing you remember, honey?” Nate asked her.
“I don’t know. It’s all mixed up in my head.”
Seth stepped up beside Nate. “More importantly, how are you feeling?”
“My chest hurts, Seth.”
“On a scale of one to ten, how’s your pain?”
“A four or five,” she said, trying to be tough, though it might’ve actually been a six or seven.
“I can tell by your grimaces it’s more than that, Charly.” He hit the call button.
A female voice came over the speaker. “Yes?”
“Nurse, Charly is awake and needs something for pain.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Seth, you were on a horse, right?” Charly asked.
“Yes, I was. What else do you remember?”
“That’s the last thing I...wait. Did I fall down?” She couldn’t clear her head for some reason.
“You did,” Seth answered.
“Did I trip? I can be a bit of a klutz.” She tried to sit up, but the pain in her chest kept her from it.
“Easy, honey.”
“Did I land face first and hit my chest on a rock or something?” She moved her hand up her body, trying to discover what contraptions she was attached to.
Nate spoke softly, “Relax, sweetheart.”
Charly couldn’t relax. Besides the IV in the back of her hand, she discovered a tube that was under her arm. “What’s this?”
“A chest tube,” Seth stated calmly, moving the hair out of her eyes. “Your lung collapsed, Charly. There are still some bubbles in it, so the doctor needs to leave it in.”
Panic ripped a wide path through her body, causing her to tremble. “Why? What happened?” And then it all came flooding back into her mind. Seth had been on his horse. She had gone to see him to talk about Heath’s idea, her dream, of the six brothers and her forming a family. Seth hadn’t been receptive at all, and his temper had flared. Then it had happened. She’d been shot.
“Here we go.” The dark-headed nurse pushed her way to the side of Charly’s bed. “You know, gentlemen, we’re breaking hospital rules allowing so many of you in her room at one time. There should only be two of you in here.”
Seth shook his head. “We’ve got this covered, Pamela. We all wanted to be here when she woke up. We’ll keep it to two from now on.”
“Thanks, Seth.” Pamela turned to Charly and smiled. “This’ll help you rest, Ms. Wynn.”
As the nurse sent the medicine into the IV tube, Charly shook her head. “I was shot.”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Seth answered. “But you’re fine now. You’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of that.”
“We all will,” Heath added.
“Who shot me?” she asked as the medicine took hold of her, softening her pain and making her eyelids so very heavy.
“We don’t know, but we will find out,” Seth answered, with a tone that told her he meant business.
“Gentlemen, you do need to pick who stays and who leaves. You’ve got five minutes.” Nurse Pamela walked to the door. “The patient needs her rest.” Then she exited into the hallway.
Charly tried to force herself to stay awake. “My...mom...does she...”
Seth leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. “She’s on her way, sweetheart.”
He kissed me! As the medicine pushed her over the edge into slumber, one last thought spun in her head. Maybe I can have it all.
Chapter Four
Charly looked at the two Dr. Champions, father and son. Both men were quite attractive, the older having a full head of gray hair while the younger’s locks were a gorgeous black. Both men’s eyes were a deep green.
The son was listening to her breathing through his stethoscope.
Her mother stood beside the elder doctor. Her hair had grown out since her last round of chemo and was dark and curly. Charly hadn’t seen her look so healthy in years. Her mom’s illness was in total remission, which was the best news ever for Charly.
Her mom had flown in on Michael’s private plane and had stayed with Charly in her room. Besides her mom, Seth was also in her hospital room listening intently to the doctors’ words.
Charly still couldn’t believe her mom seemed to be dealing well with the idea of her seeing six men at one time. The five-foot woman had more to her than most casual observers might believe.
“Deep breath,” young Dr. Champion said.
Charly inhaled deeply and felt a twinge of pain lef
t over from her once-collapsed lung. The chest tube had been removed yesterday, and the IV had been removed this morning.
“Exhale,” he ordered.
She did.
Dr. Champion nodded and removed the stethoscope from her chest. “Excellent. You’re doing great, Charly. I’m going to send you home with some antibiotics and some pain pills.”
“I don’t think I’ll need them, Doctor. The pain is so slight now.” She was more grateful about being released than anything else.
“Charlene, listen to the man with the medical degree,” her mom stated firmly.
The elder Dr. Champion held up his hand apparently to quiet her, but then he winked at her. “Thanks, Connie, but the patient does have a say in her own care.”
“Hush up, Wayne.” Her mother’s cheeks turned red.
The younger Dr. Champion smiled at Charly. “Parents can be trouble, don’t you agree?”
She looked at his dad and her mom and wondered what was up between them. Was there a budding romance between these two that had happened while she’d been in the hospital? “That’s for sure, Doc.”
He nodded. “I still want you to have some pain pills just in case you need them. I’ll make sure they are low dosage, but you might need them at night. I want you to rest. Okay?”
“You sign my release, Doc, and I’ll do whatever you say. Three days in the hospital is about all I can handle.”
“You got it, Charly. I want you back in my office in a week.”
“She’ll be there, Doctor.” Her mom grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Her fellows and I will make sure of it. Thank you so much.”
“Wasn’t all me, Mrs. Wynn.” The younger Dr. Champion pointed at Seth. “He’s the reason she’s doing so well.”
Charly smiled. “Thank you, Doctor, for all you’ve done.”
Both Dr. Champions nodded and left the room.
“Yea, I get to leave.” She sighed. “Getting any kind of real rest in a hospital is impossible. Nurses keep coming in to check your vitals, give you meds, and ask you questions. I’m thankful for all everyone did for me here, but I really could use a good night’s sleep.”
Her mom kissed her cheek. “We’ve got that all worked out for you, baby girl. We’re taking you to Seth’s place. He and I are going to take care of you.”
Charly wasn’t sure that was the best idea. Sure, Seth had kissed her the night she’d arrived at the hospital, but she also remembered how he’d been before the gunshot. She didn’t want his sympathy. That was no way to start a relationship. “I think I would rather go to a hotel, mom.”
“Sweetheart, you do remember the Cactus burned down?” Seth asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“Of course, I do. I’m sure Elko has a hotel. My mom and I can stay there.”
Her mom shook her head. “No, Charlene. The shooter hasn’t been found yet. He likely thinks you’re… I can’t say it.” Her mother’s eyes glistened with tears. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if something worse had happened to you, baby girl.”
This was quite a turnaround for Charly. She’d been her mother’s caregiver for so long that it felt odd to have her mom taking on that role for her. But it did make her feel good. “Mom, I’m okay. Everything turned out just fine.”
“For now.” Her mother’s tone sharpened. “You will not argue with me. I know you’re an adult, but right now, you need to be taken care of. I’m happy to do it, but I need help. Who better than the man who saved you, the man who is a certified emergency medical technician?”
Seth stepped up beside her mom and looked down at her with a smile. “Charly, listen to your mother. We want to keep you off the grid and out of sight until this guy is found. He’s probably miles from here, but we don’t know that.”
“Do they know who he is yet? Someone who had it in for my dad?” Her jaw clenched as she recalled the letter her father had written her before he’d been murdered. “Do they think the killer is responsible for the Cactus’s fire, too?”
“They do,” he answered.
“Where are your brothers?” she asked, wondering if they were on board with this whole idea of her going to Seth’s with her mom.
“They’re all out looking for the shooter, sweetheart.”
“What about Heath? Is he still a suspect?”
Seth turned away, clearly uncomfortable with the subject of Heath.
Her mom shook her head. “Heath is in the clear, honey. Even the state fellows agree with the sheriff about that.”
“Someone broke into his garage and got the antique spark plug to try to set him up.” Seth took a plastic bag and gave it to her mother. “These are her clothes, Mrs. Wynn. Would you like me to help get her dressed?”
“I’m not an invalid, cowboy.”
“Hush up, Charlene. No thank you, Seth. I think she and I can handle it.”
She was relieved that Heath was no longer a suspect, but something still didn’t make sense about the whole situation.
“Why did the killer want to set up Heath and not someone else?”
Seth shrugged. “Who knows? In my opinion, Heath was the obvious choice, but the sheriff thinks he was only a random pick by the killer to pin his actions on. It would’ve worked, too, but we found enough evidence to prove Heath’s innocence.”
Obvious choice? He isn’t letting go of his grudge with Heath about Gabby. Not yet, anyway.
“What kind of evidence, Seth?”
“I found some strange cigarettes not available in Wilde around the crime scenes, both at our ranch and near the hotel. Heath doesn’t smoke.”
“None of you Strongs do.”
“That’s right, sweetheart. There were the remains of some tennis shoes the bastard had tried to burn. It’s not much, but it was enough to clear Heath.” Seth’s face darkened. “Also, it’s a start on finding the person who shot you.”
Michael walked into her room carrying flowers. “Charly, I ran into Dr. Champion by the nurses’ station, and he told me you get to escape this place. Good for you.”
“I’ll check with the nurse about a wheelchair for you, sweetheart,” Seth said.
“I bet I can walk out of here, cowboy.”
“Not on my watch, honey. Besides, it’s a hospital rule.”
Charly loved how protective he was of her. He’d saved her life and now he was still taking care of her.
“I bet Nate would be happy to break that rule.”
“Probably. He’s never been much of a conformist. I’ll do the same, but that means you will leave here over my shoulder. It’s your choice, honey. Wheelchair? Over my shoulder?”
He really was impossibly sweet. And she had no doubt he would carry her out over his shoulder without any qualm.
“Fine. Wheelchair.”
“You got it, sweetheart.” Seth left.
“Damn. I would’ve picked over his shoulder,” Michael said with a wicked wink.
Charly ignored that comment. “Michael, I have some info on properties for you. I actually had some stuff written up but it burned in the fire.”
“Charly, you concentrate on getting better, okay? The Wilde Gay Dude Ranch Project can wait.” He turned to her mom. “How are you, Mrs. Wynn?”
“I’m doing well, Michael. How is Harry?”
“Harry? My auto mechanic?” Charly asked.
“The one and only,” Michael answered. “He’s doing well.”
Her jaw dropped. “You mean you two are an item?”
“Well, we are seeing a lot of each other, if that’s what you mean.”
Charly laughed. She’d never seen Michael look so happy. “You devil.”
He leaned in and whispered. “Actually, I’m seeing him and his two brothers, Charly. If you and Jessie can handle such a thing, so can I.”
“I heard that, young man.” Her mom shook her head. “I don’t know how any of you do it, but I wish you the best, especially my baby girl.”
“Mom, you’ve talked to all the brothers?”
“I have. They are all in love with you, Charlene. Even Seth, though I sense he’s still holding back for some reason. Is there some issue between him and Heath?”
“There is, mom. A big issue.”
“Well, honey, I think you and he will have some time to work through all that while you are at his house. I’ll be there, but I will make sure you have time alone. I think you will need that.”
“That, and a miracle, I’m afraid.”
Michael kissed her cheek. “Charly, look at you. You’re here. That’s a miracle. You have six cowboys in love with you. That’s a miracle. Your mom is in remission. Miracle. And from what I’ve seen these past few days, she has stolen the heart of one very distinguished doctor. Not really a miracle, but more about her sexy appeal.”
“Wayne and I are just friends.” Her mother blushed and shook her head. “You are a devil, Michael, just like Charlene said.”
The light she saw in her mother’s eyes thrilled her. Gone was the pain of the long fought battle with illness, and in its place was excitement and joy.
“I am, but I know miracles when I see them, Mrs. Wynn.” He gazed at Charly. “You are a miracle, honey, and you deserve it all. Seth will come around. Just wait and see.”
Charly loved Michael’s optimism and prayed he was right about Seth.
Chapter Five
Looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the mountains off in the distance, Charly sat on the sofa in Seth’s house. His place was minimalistic in style but had warm colors he’d chosen for the walls and furnishings.
“I bet your mother is having a blast, sweetheart,” Seth said, handing her a hot cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream.
“With Jessie and Michael, of course she is.” Her cousin had arrived early at Seth’s house with hot, fresh cinnamon rolls. Once everyone had finished the breakfast, Jessie had insisted Charly’s mom go with them to the planning meeting for the Cryogenics Convention. Her mom had hesitated, but after Michael and Charly had urged her to go on, she eventually relented. “I’m sure they will show my mom a good time.”
“Dr. Wayne Champion is one of the committee chairs this year,” Seth said. “Did you know that?”
