Ryan tried to talk coherently to the nine-one-one operator. Outside, sirens roared, but all he could focus on was the towels in Kate’s hand, soaked in Mitch’s blood.
Two minutes before, he’d prayed Kate wouldn’t be hurt. Now he only wanted that for Mitch.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kate pushed the hospital room door open and smiled at the conversation she’d walked in on.
“Would you quit fussing at me?” Mitch swatted at Simone’s hand as she tried to fix the blankets around him. “I’m not four.”
“I swear, you are the worst patient ever. I don’t know how these nurses put up with you.” She shot him an annoyed look.
Kate eased into the room. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the window. “Grumpy?”
“A royal pain in my ass,” Simone grumbled.
“You’re a real peach, too, sweetheart,” Mitch muttered.
Laughing, Kate stepped up to the bed and squeezed his toes under the blankets. “A knock on the head will do that to a person. Trust me, I know.”
After two days, Mitch’s energy was slowly returning. His head was still bandaged, and he’d lost some curls when they’d shaved one side of his scalp for the fifteen stitches he’d needed, but he was gradually inching back to his old sarcastic self.
“I need caffeine.” Simone dropped her arms and headed for the door.
“Why don’t you go pick up that red leather number while you’re out,” Mitch called. When she looked back with a shocked expression, he said, “Yeah, I heard you, gorgeous. And I sure as hell am not forgetting that promise.”
Simone huffed and left the room. When she was gone, Kate smiled at her brother. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“On what?” He reached for her hand and scooted over so she could sit on the side of his bed.
“On finding your penguin. Julia told me about the book she read.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not marrying her, for shit’s sake. We’re just dating. At the moment, that’s all I can get her to agree to.”
“I know.” Kate brushed a curl back from his face. “You should be nicer to her, though. She was really worried. You looked like death warmed over in my kitchen. I think she had flashbacks of Steve.”
“Shit.” His eyes slid closed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I’m sure not. You are a guy, after all.”
“And all men are insensitive, is that it?”
“Well…”
“Let’s not go there, smartass.” His face sobered. “How are you?”
Kate drew in a long breath. Aside from the press hounding her since the story broke, and the agony still coursing through her every time she thought of Ryan, she was surviving. Barely.
“I’m fine.” She mustered up a smile she knew didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll be glad when things quiet down. Mitch, I—”
“If you even think about thanking me, I’ll kick you out of here.”
A real smile curled her lips. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good.” He frowned. “‘Cause my image is shot. I got my ass kicked by a girl. Again.”
“A psycho girl. There’s a difference. And you weren’t the only one.”
His eyes softened. “How’s the other guy?”
The other guy was the security detail Ryan had posted outside her house. The one Kate hadn’t even known about. The one Hannah had shot in the chest before going after Mitch. “He’s going to live. Paramedics got to him in time.”
“Thank God,” Mitch muttered. He squeezed her hand. “Did you talk to Ryan?”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes, and she swallowed to keep the flood from breaking again. “No.”
“Kate—”
“Mitch, don’t start. You have other things to think of now.”
The door opened, and she and Mitch both glanced over as Ryan stuck his head into the room. A smile split his face, sending butterflies straight through Kate’s belly. “Hey. Is Nurse Nitpick gone?”
“You just missed her,” Mitch said.
“Good.” Ryan tugged a bag from behind his back as he walked into the room. “She’d boot my ass out of here for this, guaranteed.” He pulled a bottle of microbrew from the bag and handed it to Mitch.
“Oh, baby.” Mitch reached for the bottle. “If I were gay, I’d marry you.”
“Hate to break it to you, buddy, but you aren’t my type.”
Kate’s heart bumped when Ryan looked her way. His blond hair was slightly mussed, his worn jeans hanging loosely off his hips. The white T-shirt he wore accentuated his tan.
She wanted those strong arms around her like they’d been before any of this had happened. For the first time, she wished she couldn’t remember the misery of her life.
Simone pushed the door open. She stopped mid-step with a steaming paper cup in her hand. “What the hell is that?”
Ryan mouthed Oh, shit at Mitch before turning.
“Medicine,” Mitch said, taking a long swallow.
Simone crossed to the bed, set her coffee on the tray at her side. “That’s not allowed when you’re on painkillers.”
She reached for the bottle. Mitch held it out of her reach. She leaned over him to try to grasp it. Pressing it into Ryan’s hands, Mitch wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him.
“What are you doing? Let go of me. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
He tightened his grip. “Aw, sweetheart, you’re the only one who cares about me.”
She struggled. “I mean it.”
“Me too.” His voice softened. “I love you, Simone.”
Her eyes took on that dreamy look. “Oh, Mitch.”
Kate pushed off the bed, smiling for the first time in days. At least something good had come from this gigantic nightmare. “I think that’s my cue to go. I’ll come back later, Mitch.”
“They’re sending me home,” he mumbled against Simone’s lips.
“My home,” Simone said between his kisses.
“Aw, sweetheart,” he said in a sappy voice, “that’s the best offer I’ve ever had.”
Ryan set the bottle on the tray table and ran a hand through his hair. “I guess I’ll go too.”
“No more beer, Ryan,” Simone ordered against Mitch’s mouth.
“Okay. Yeah. I’ll, uh, remember that. See ya, guys.”
Kate stepped out into the hall. Her nerves vibrated when Ryan followed. It was the first time they’d been alone since that afternoon on Simone’s deck.
The door snapped closed behind him. “Do you have to go?”
Her heart clenched when she looked up into those sapphire eyes. It would be so easy just to sink into his arms, to forget everything that had happened. But she knew it wouldn’t help. “Yeah. I have a thousand things to do today.”
“The kids are with my parents. What do you have to do that’s so important?”
She heard the need in his voice. And damn if it didn’t make her want him more. “Pack. Ryan, I’m leaving.”
“What? Where are you going?”
“Washington. It’s just for a couple of weeks,” she added when she saw the panic in his eyes. “Mt. St. Helens is grumbling to life. The journal wants to do an article on it. I talked to Tom about working on an assignment. I…I need some time away right now.”
He was silent so long, she wasn’t sure he’d heard her. Then he said, “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow night. I talked to my parents about staying on until I get back. They’d love the time with Reed. I didn’t know if you’d—”
“He’s my son. I want him with me.”
Of course he did. That was stupid of her. No matter what had happened between the two of them, he’d fallen for Reed in a big way. “I know. It’s just that you work. And I didn’t want to inconvenience you.”
“Katie.” His voice softened. “You’re never an inconvenience.”