by Barbara Gee
“I’ll get Gary here soon so he can answer all your questions,” he promised, wishing she hadn’t put two and two together quite so quickly.
“Please tell me,” she said, her voice stronger.
Vince shook his head regretfully. “I really think it would be better to wait until Gary can talk with you. He knows how Jeremiah wanted to handle it.” Vince knew enough to be able to fill her in himself, but if he could use Gary to stall her, he would.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then looked directly at him again. “Do I have a brother, Vince?” she whispered. “That man said I do.”
He couldn’t lie to her. He wouldn’t. “Yeah,” he replied softly. “You have a half-brother.”
Her lovely eyes shimmered with tears. “Did he send that man to kill me?”
Vince lifted her hand and pressed it to his cheek. “We think so, sweetheart,” he said gently, wishing he could shield her from the pain she was feeling, while knowing it was only going to get worse the more she learned.
One tear spilled onto her cheek. “I’ve wondered about that before. About whether I might have siblings somewhere, from my father. Whoever he is. But I didn’t think I’d ever meet them, and I certainly didn’t think they’d try to kill me.”
“It sucks,” he said bluntly, “but you’re safe now, Callie, I promise. The man who attacked you is in custody, and there’s a deputy right outside your door to make sure no one else can get to you.”
“But why?” she asked, shifting restlessly under the blanket covering her. “Why does he want me dead?”
Vince knew she wouldn’t relax until she knew the answer, and he understood that. He’d be the same way. He looked at Jane, and she gave a small nod, indicating she thought it was okay to tell Callie more.
“Our best guess is it’s because your father is a very wealthy man, and your brother doesn’t want to share. We believe he faked your death, way back when you were only three years old, and sent you away with Tabby. She brought you here.” He hesitated. “Your father still thinks you’re dead.”
She closed her eyes again, this time for more than a minute. “Tabby,” she said finally. “She took me away from my father? Were they fighting or something—is that why she agreed to run away with me? Was she hiding me from him at the Double Nickel?”
Vince didn’t answer the rush of questions right away, and she opened her eyes again. “Tell me,” she pleaded.
She saw his chest expand with a deep breath. “No, Callie, they weren’t fighting,” he said on a long exhale. “Tabby—she was your nanny, sweetheart, not your mother.”
It took a moment for that to register, and Vince could tell when things finally became clear to her. A look of comprehension, and then her eyes grew instantly wet.
“That’s what Grandpa didn’t want me to know,” she said slowly.
“He wanted you to know, he thought you needed to, he just couldn’t face telling you himself.”
“When did he find out?”
“About a year ago. It didn’t matter to him, Callie, you know that. The fact that you weren’t related by blood didn’t change anything for him.”
She gave a shaky sigh. “It doesn’t change things for me, either. He was the only family I ever needed. I just wish he’d told me himself.”
“He waited too long. Fretted about it too long. He wasn’t going to tell you at all, but when he got sick again he started rethinking that decision. It was just in the last couple weeks he decided for sure. That’s when he talked to Gary about being the one to tell you.”
She was silent for a long time, staring at the ceiling. “How did he find out?”
“He found a journal Tabby had written that gave the bare facts, but no names. It wasn’t until very recently that Jeremiah decided to have Gary try to find out more, so you’d know the identity of your parents when Gary gave you the journal. But Jeremiah died before Gary could tell him anything he’d found.”
Callie closed her eyes. “Thank you for telling me. I have so many questions, but I’m tired now.”
He pressed a kiss to her hand, then lowered it to the bed by her side. “It’s okay to sleep, sweetheart.”
“Stay,” she whispered.
“I will,” he assured her, gently rubbing her shoulder and arm, feeling the tension gradually leave as sleep claimed her.
Jane walked up behind him and squeezed his shoulder. “You did good,” she told him. "That girl wasn’t gonna settle back down until you answered her questions.” She chuckled. “When she woke up, she sure did it fast. Dr. Young will be pleased to hear she was completely coherent, and obviously has no problem with her memory.”
Vince scrubbed his face with both hands. “I wish it had come back just a little bit slower. I wasn’t prepared. It’s like she’s been reasoning through everything even though she was unconscious, or asleep—or whatever sedatives do to a person—and couldn’t wait to ask the burning questions.”
“That’s exactly what it seemed like. I’m glad you were here. Better it came from you than anyone else.”
“I hope so.” Vince stood and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the tension. “I need to let her friends know she woke up, and I need to make some calls. Do you think she’ll sleep for a while?”
“I’d say so, yes. I promise I’ll call you right away if she shows signs of waking up and you’re not back.”
“Yeah, okay. I want to make sure I’m here. I told her I would be.”
Jane circled the bed and patted his arm. “You’re a good man, Vince. I’m going to let Dr. Young know she woke up. He’ll want to come do a neurological assessment soon.”
Vince followed her from the room, stopping to talk to Deputy Turner, who was about to be replaced by the next deputy on shift. Vince told him Callie had woken for a while, and the man gave him a relieved grin.
“Glad to hear that, man. Do you think she remembers the attack?”
“Yeah, she definitely does, but I didn’t ask for any details. I figured that should wait for the sheriff, or one of the FBI guys.”
“If you want I’ll call Sheriff Talbot and let him know.”
“That’d be good,” Vince said, nodding. “Tell him I’ll ask the doctor how soon he thinks she’ll be up to talking about the attack and let him know.”
After leaving the ICU, Vince found a quiet place, and called Boone.
“Hey bro, how’s it going?” his friend asked when he picked up.
“She woke up. As in, totally awake.”
“Ah, that’s fantastic news. How’s she feeling?”
“She got tired pretty quickly, but we talked for a little bit.” Vince rubbed his eyes. “She asked about her brother.”
“Are you serious? How’d she know about him?”
“O’Riley told her.”
“Wow,” Boone said, drawing out the word. “So, she remembers the attack?”
“Pretty vividly, I’d say, but I didn’t ask for details. I figured I’d wait for the pros.”
“Did you tell her anything?”
“Yeah. She asked whether she had a brother, and why he wanted her dead, then she asked about Tabby. I told her enough to satisfy her before she fell asleep again.”
“Man. That’s quite a conversation to have right after she woke up.”
“Tell me about it. I tried to deflect, but she wasn’t having it.”
“For some reason that doesn’t surprise me,” Boone said with a chuckle. “She’s a determined gal. Hey, you can tell me more in about two minutes. Jolene and I are just getting on the elevator down in the lobby.”
Vince smiled. He’d wondered how long it would be before they showed up. “Cool. I’ll talk to you in a bit then.”
A moment later he ducked into the waiting area and gave Callie’s three girlfriends the good news about her waking up. They tamped down their excitement for the sake of the others in the room, but there were lots of hugs and happy tears. The three girls were as loyal as they came, and Vince was grateful Call
ie had them as friends.
Boone and Jolene appeared in the doorway, and Vince and the girls moved out into the hall so they could talk without bothering anyone. Vince filled them all in about the questions Callie had asked, and what he had told her. He also said he was going to go back to her room, so he’d there when Dr. Young came in for the assessment. After that, the girls were free to take their turns.
Jolene held up a small duffle. “We brought you a change of clothes and toiletries. I checked, there are showers available to visitors on the second floor.”
Vince grinned. “I’d hug you, but you probably don’t want me to.”
She laughed. “Nah, you’re like Boone. You always look and smell good. You’re both freaks of nature.”
“And us girls are hoping they have three more freaky friends who might wanna check out Barlow sometime,” Brittany teased, making them all laugh.
“Hang on to that bag,” Vince told Jolene. “I’ll come back out as soon as I talk to the doctor, then someone else can go in.”
“We’ll be ready,” Brit said. “We’ll make out a visiting schedule.”
Vince chuckled. “You do that. I’ll make sure I warn Callie.”
***
Vince got back to Callie’s room a mere minute before Dr. Young entered, with Jane following a step behind.
The doctor had a big smile on his face as he shook Vince’s hand and opened the computer chart.
“I hear our girl was completely cognizant when you talked,” he said, moving a finger down the screen as he read.
“She remembers the attack, and had a lot of questions,” Vince confirmed. “It was like she’d been processing it all even before she woke up.”
“She may have been. The human brain is an astounding thing.” The doctor stepped away from the computer and leaned over Callie. “Ms. Green,” he said, softly but with authority, “can you wake up for me, please? I’m Dr. Young and I’d like to talk with you for a bit.”
Callie roused easily. She turned her head from one side to the other, then opened her eyes, frowning at the light Dr. Young had turned on overhead.
“Bright,” she said simply.
The doctor reached up and dimmed it slightly. “I’ll turn it off in a bit, Ms. Green,” he promised. “I want to see how you’re doing first. Can you look right at me, please?”
She obliged, and he asked her to follow his finger, moving only her eyes. Then he asked her a series of questions, none of which she had any problem answering. He had her move her arms and legs, her uninjured left hand, and her feet. He poked the soles with something sharp, and seemed pleased when she jerked. After a few minutes, he patted her hand.
“You’re doing excellent, Ms. Green. Would you like me to tell you about your injuries?”
“Yes, please,” she said. “But I want Vince here. He didn’t leave, did he?”
She sounded upset and Vince quickly stepped up to the bed. “I’m here, Callie. Sorry, I thought you knew.”
She immediately relaxed and reached her hand up for his. “I didn’t see you.”
Vince looked at the doctor. “Go ahead, Dr. Young.”
“Okay then, Ms. Green. First and foremost, you have a linear skull fracture, most likely from hitting a rock when you were thrown from your horse.”
“That’s not what happened,” Callie said, her voice soft but adamant. “I didn’t hit the rocks when Leo threw me. I was attacked. By a man. He dragged me to the rocks.”
Dr. Young exchanged a look with Vince, whose blood ran cold yet again at the knowledge of how close Callie had come to being killed. He hid his unease and squeezed her hand. “We’re going to need you to tell us all about that, sweetheart, but we need to wait for Tuck and the sheriff, okay?”
She gave a tiny nod, and the doctor continued. “You were unconscious when you were brought in, but soon showed signs of coming to. We wanted to let your brain rest while we ran some tests, so we sedated you until this morning. Your vitals have been good all along, with the exception of a short-lived temperature elevation. That’s very normal with a head injury. We began decreasing the sedative dosage this morning, and stopped it altogether about two hours ago. You woke up soon after, and I’m very pleased with your progress. Do you have any questions for me?”
She raised her right hand. “What’s wrong with this?”
“We suspect a minor fracture, so we splinted and wrapped it. We’ll get an X-ray done soon to confirm it, then your hand will be casted part-way up the forearm.”
She grimaced. “I wish it was my left hand.”
“The cast could come off in as little as four weeks, with unrestricted use at six weeks. That’s not too bad, is it?”
“Could be worse,” Callie agreed. “Anything else? That’s the only thing that hurts, other than my head.”
“Your left ankle is swollen, probably a sprain. You’ll feel it when you walk, but it doesn’t appear serious.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember that now. My horse landed on it when we went down.”
“That would do it. We’ll add an X-ray for the ankle to your orders, just to make sure no bones are affected. What’s your pain level, on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst?”
“It’s not too bad. Maybe a three.”
“Good, that means the pain meds are working. We’ll leave the dose where it is for the rest of today and tonight, then try decreasing it.”
“Can I eat?” she asked, making the men and Jane smile.
“We’ll start with clear liquids, just to be safe. By morning, you should be able to have a full breakfast. I’m also going to have Jane start the process of having you moved to a regular room, out of the critical care unit. We’ll get that done yet this evening. Still only one visitor at a time for the rest of today, but we’ll lift that restriction tomorrow.” He smiled down at her. “Does all that sound okay to you?”
“It’s fine. How long till I can go home?”
“I’d like to monitor you closely for another two days. Brain injuries can be unpredictable, and I don’t want to jump the gun and send you home before you’re ready.”
“So, as long as I keep doing well, I can leave in forty-eight hours?”
“I’d say that’s a safe estimate,” Dr. Young said. “I’ll be back to check on you in the morning. Don’t overdo it in the meantime. Rest is your best friend.”
Callie promised she wouldn’t.
“I’m going to go check on getting you some broth and jello,” Jane said as she followed the doctor out.
Callie looked at Vince and gave him a wry smile. “Yum. Broth. Want me to share?”
He chuckled and bent down to kiss her forehead. “I know it sounds gross, but it’s a start, and I’m glad you’re hungry.”
“What about you? Have you been eating?”
“You shouldn’t be worrying about me,” he said, although he wasn’t surprised. It’s how Callie Green rolled, injured or not.
“I’m afraid that non-answer means you’ve been skipping meals. Plus you look tired.”
“I’m fine now that you’re awake.” He sat down, keeping his hold on her hand. “The girls want to see you.”
She smiled fondly. “I want to see them, too. In small doses, though.”
“No problem. I’ll tell them ten minutes each. No more.”
“That’ll be good.”
“Do you want some water? Or ice?”
“No thanks.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her gaze fixed on his face. “I hate this, Vince.” Her eyes filled. “This whole deal with my brother….it’s going to mess things up.”
“For us you mean?” He leaned forward intently. “Nah, Callie. It’s a bump in the road, for sure, and it might slow things down while you decide how you want to deal with it, but it’s not going to mess things up. Not unless we let it.”
“It will,” she insisted. “My so-called brother tried to have me killed. That’s a big deal, and we can’t just ignore it. And soon my other family will find out I’m
still alive, and it’ll be this big, sensational story about the poor little rich girl back from the dead.” She pulled her hand away from his so she could wipe the tears that spilled onto her cheeks. “I don’t want that. I don’t want any of it. I don’t want another family.”
Vince feared she was exactly right with her prediction, but he didn’t want her dwelling on it right now. She needed to be sheltered from stress as much as possible while she healed.
“We’ll figure it out, Callie,” he said calmly. “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together. I promise.”
She looked at him intently. “I’m afraid you’ll get impatient, Vince. There’ll be a trial, right? For my brother and that man? That kind of thing takes forever. You might get tired of waiting for me to get everything sorted out.”
He tilted his head and raised a brow. “Who says we have to wait? As far as I’m concerned, we can go ahead with our plans and deal with everything else on the side.” He smoothed her hair back, then ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I know a realtor a lot of my teammates have worked with. I’ll have her start looking for a place for you near my house. An apartment or condo.” He dipped his head and held her gaze. “I want you in Minneapolis, Callie. I want you in the stands cheering for me at all the home games.” He grinned and squeezed her hand lightly. “You really can’t say no, either, because I’m pretty sure I’ll have the best year of my career if you’re there. You have to do it for the team.”
A smile lit her face, a real and truly happy one, and Vince felt like the sun had finally come out again, blindingly bright, after a twenty-eight hour absence. His chest felt tight with emotion and he said yet another silent prayer of thanksgiving.
“I take it you don’t hate that idea?” he asked softly.
“I love it. I’d love to be there cheering for you.” Her gorgeous smile turned teasing. “I can also give you some tips on your game. Your backhand could use some tweaking.”
He chuckled. “I look forward to it, but right now you should try to rest.” He reluctantly let go of her hand. “You need to build up your strength for your visits from the girls.”
“I’d rather talk to you than sleep,” she murmured.
