He tore to a stop in front of the St. Luke’s Hospital ER. He slammed the door shut and sprinted towards the sliding doors.

“Sir, you can’t leave your truck the—” The doors slid shut behind him, cutting off the words of the employee. Declan ignored them anyway. His entire life, he’d followed the rules; done what other people wanted him to do. He was the nice guy, through and through.

Where had that gotten him? A girlfriend who wouldn’t talk to him, and was now in the ICU of the largest hospital in the state.

Screw the rules.

“Where is Iris McLain?” he barked at the plump, older woman sitting behind the reception desk. She looked up at him, calm as a cucumber.

“Spell the last name, please,” she said, turning to her computer.

He barked it out as the employee from outside came jogging in. “Sir, you have to move your truck,” he said, panting. He was quite heavy, and most definitely not used to running even short distances. Declan figured if it came to it, he could beat the guy in a foot race while hopping on one foot.

Ignoring the man as if he hadn’t spoken, he turned back to the receptionist. “Room!” he practically hollered.

“She’s still in the ICU, sir. Are you her husband?”

“No, but I oughta be,” he snapped back. She just cocked an eyebrow at him. He growled in frustration. “She’s been my girlfriend for years – since we were in high school together.” He conveniently left out the part where he’d broken up with her because he was an idiot. “I was about to propose to her, and then she got hurt. Please, I have to see her.”

“Your truck!” the heavyset man got in. Declan whirled on him and tossed his keys at the man’s head. 

“You want it moved – go move it yourself!” He turned back to the receptionist, ignoring the indignant sputterings of the man behind him that he was not a valet. “I have never loved a woman more than I love Iris Blue McLain,” he told her. “Please, let me go see her.”

She softened. “Down this hallway and to the left. Third door on the right.”

Declan took off at a sprint, his cowboy boots pounding the tiles, echoing loudly. He brushed past doctors and a pair of nurses, intent only on finding Iris. Apologizing for whatever it was that he’d done, and making the world better again.

It was all that mattered.

He skittered to a stop, almost falling on his ass on the slick tiles, and then stared at the door for a moment. Did he knock? He didn’t know the proper protocol for an ICU hospital room. He raised his fist hesitantly, when the door opened. Ivy’s face appeared right about where his knuckles were, and he drew back before he accidentally punched her in the face.

Wouldn’t that be the cherry that’d top this sundae?

Instead of greeting him happily, her eyes went round and she looked horrified. She stepped out into the hallway and quickly pulled the door shut behind her. “What are you doing here?” she whisper-scolded.

“I came as soon as I heard. Not from anyone who should’ve told me, by the way.” He glared at her for a moment. She had the decency to look ashamed.

“It wasn’t my idea,” she said softly. “I’m sorry, Dec, I really am. But Iris is refusing to see you. Mom was going to call you and tell you what had happened, and Iris told her no.”

“No?!” Declan felt like he’d been punched in the stomach again. Twice in one day was just too much for one body to take, he reckoned, and he began to feel queasy. It’d be just his luck to start throwing up all over the hallway of the hospital.

“She didn’t say why, but she was very, very clear on the topic.” Ivy let out a small, pained chuckle at that.

Declan just stared at her. Lost. Confused. What the hell is going on?

He wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her until he got some answers from her, but as he looked down at her sweet face, so close in appearance to Iris’ and yet not her at all, he realize that it wouldn’t be fair. He needed to get some answers out of Iris; Ivy was just the middle man, and didn’t appear to be any happier to be put in that position than he was to have her in it.

His shoulders dropped and he trudged back towards the front. “Declan!” Ivy called out. He spun around, his heart in his throat. Had Iris somehow changed her mind? Ivy simply looked at him for a moment and then said softly, “Don’t give up on her yet. I know my sister can be exasperating, but she’s always loved you. I think she always will. Don’t give up on her yet,” she repeated for emphasis.

He jerked his head once in acknowledgment and then continued his journey back up to the front. He had to find the security guard employee, apologize, retrieve his keys, and drive the winding, ice-covered road back home.

Without any more answers than he'd had before.

He was pretty sure he’d never felt so defeated in his life.