Cooper

My lower right leg hurts like a bitch, and my head is pounding so hard it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. The room spins, making me nauseous, as everything comes rushing back. Hiking with Sam. My leg collapsing. Searing pain. The crack of a rifle shot. Sam dragging me into the trees.

I glance up Sam, who’s hovering over me, worry etched all over his beautiful face. “What’s wrong, Sam?” I say, reaching up to touch his face. “Oh, man, you’re so beautiful.”

He grins at me. “That morphine is some pretty good stuff, isn’t it?”

I try to hug him, wanting to assure myself he’s all right, but wince in pain when my right arm doesn’t move as it should.

Sam presses my arm to the bed. “Whoa, careful. Watch the IV.”

I frown as I try to think clearly. “That asshole shot me? Really?”

He laughs. “Yeah, really.”

I look Sam over as best I can for any injuries. I have vague memories of him holding a gun in the darkness. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

A nurse appears suddenly beside my bed. “Hello, Mr. Cooper. Glad you could join us.” She pulls some wand thing out of her pocket and swipes it across my forehead. Then she checks my pupils. “How are you feeling?” she says.

“I’ve been better.”

She glances at Sam. “A slight fever, but that’s not surprising. We’ll keep an eye on it.” Then she looks at me. “Mr. Cooper, can you tell me what day it is?”

I have to think for a minute. “We went hiking on Saturday. Is it still Saturday? I’m not sure.”

She seems satisfied with my answer. “And can you tell me what year it is?” she says.

“Twenty-eighteen. You know, it’s my leg that’s injured, not my brain.”

She chuckles. “I’m glad to hear it.”

The nurse steps back to fiddle with the IV stand, and I notice Shane standing at the foot of my bed, frowning.

“When did you get here?” I ask him.

“About an hour ago.”

“Where’s Beth?”

“At home.”

“You left her alone?”

“No, of course not. Lia’s with her.”

I shake my head. “She’s probably worried sick.” Her father was shot and killed on the job when she was just an infant. Now I’m the closest thing she has to a father. We practically adopted each other.

“Yes, she is,” Shane says. “So get well quickly and come home.”

The nurse checks the dressing on my leg. “Looking good,” she says. Then she addresses Sam as if I’m not even here. “Dr. Steadman will be in shortly to suture the wounds. Then he’ll be good as new.”

“Hey, what about me?” I say. “I’m the patient.”

The nurse pats my arm. “Don’t worry, Mr. Cooper. Your husband is making sure we take good care of you.”

My husband?

I glance at Sam, who gives me a wicked grin.

“Is there something I should know?” I ask him, after the nurse leaves.

He leans over to kiss me. “Yeah, we’re married.”

At the confused look on my face, he laughs. “I was afraid they wouldn’t let me come back with you, so I told them I was your next-of-kin. Your husband, actually.”

“Works for me,” I say, trying to play it off as a joke. In reality, I’m desperately trying to ignore the rush it gives me. I would marry Sam in a heartbeat if I thought he was ready for a commitment like that. But he’s so young—just twenty-eight. Actually, soon to be twenty-nine, as he has a birthday coming up in less than a week. I’m a lot older; I know exactly what I want, and that’s to have Sam in my life. Forever.

* * *

Dr. Steadman returns a little later to suture my leg. After sticking some needles in my leg to numb it—ouch!—she gets busy with her needle and thread, patching up the holes in my body. Even with the local anesthetic, I can still feel the tug and pull of the needle and thread going through my flesh. Sam sits beside me, holding my left hand, wincing right along with me.

Shane walks back into the room. “Jake has collected all of your personal belongings from the cabin,” he says, eyeing the doctor’s sewing technique. “After we leave on the chopper, he’ll drive the Jeep back to Chicago.”

I nod, gritting my teeth. “Sounds good.”