CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

THE HELICOPTER landed on the roof of the hospital, and Dianna watched helplessly as Sam and April, both still unconscious, were rushed inside.

Desperate to stay with each of them—and to hear what the doctors had to say about their conditions—she was reluctant to submit to her own rounds of tests. No question, she was tired and scraped up. But mostly, she was afraid. Had the man hurt April during her three days of captivity? What were the extent of Sam’s bleeding and injuries? After years of brutal firefighting, had he finally pushed his body too far?

The short helicopter flight had seemed endless as she’d tried to stop the bleeding in Sam’s thigh by pressing one clean bandage after another against the open gunshot wound. But the bandages filled with blood almost as soon as she applied them.

Even when she’d watched the man push Sam off the trail, she’d been certain that he was still alive. But seeing all that blood, noting how empty of color his face was, how cold his skin, was the first time she’d ever been afraid that the man she loved was going to die.

If she could have, she would have given her life for his, stepped in front of that bullet and let it take her down. Instead, she’d watched from a distance, helpless in the background as she held on to her sister.

An hour after arriving at the hospital, the doctor attending to her held out a small white paper cup with four pills. Despite the unproblematic results of her scans and X-rays, he looked extremely concerned.

“Your body has had quite a lot to deal with this week, Ms. Kelley. It’s time to give it some rest. These pills will help.”

Dianna didn’t take the cup. “What are they?”

“Anti-inflammatories and something to help you relax.”

“No,” she said firmly. “I don’t want any sedatives.”

She couldn’t check out, even if exhaustion was coming at her from every angle. Not when the two people she loved most in the world were injured and unconscious.

The doctor frowned. “I’m going to leave them with your nurse in the hopes that you’ll reconsider, which I strongly urge you to do.”

But Dianna had no intention of taking the pills. After the doctor had left the room, she got up off the bed and went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

For the second time in a week, looking in the mirror was like looking at a stranger. Who was this woman with wild eyes and tangled hair?

And yet, again, the longer she stared, the more familiar the woman became. She’d buried herself beneath her “perfect” re-creation of Dianna Kelley for long enough. And even though she wasn’t a wild woman, regardless of what she currently looked like, her journey through the Rockies with Sam had convinced her not to waste any more time playing it safe.

Life was precious. From here on out, she was going to risk everything.

Especially her heart.

Stripping off her hospital gown, she turned on the faucet in the small shower and quickly scrubbed herself, head to toe. She could have lived with the dirt and mud, with the tangles in her hair, but she desperately wanted to wash away her memories of the man who’d abducted her sister, of the way he’d pressed against her on the dirt bike, the feel of his hands around her neck, yanking her hair.

The standard hospital pump soap was as sweet smelling to her as any of the luxury brands she’d used over the years. It made her fresh cuts sting, but she was glad for it because it meant she was still alive.

Quickly toweling off, she finger-combed her hair as best she could. Her clothes were wrecked, but they were all she had, so she put the ripped and dirty khaki pants and shirt back on along with her socks and boots.

Three days ago she’d been in this same position, getting out of a hospital bed and getting dressed despite doctor’s orders to rest. There was no way she could have predicted her reunion with Sam or their newfound love.

Moving back into the room, she picked up the phone and dialed a number she hoped was still in service. Thankfully, the warm voice she remembered picked up the phone.

“Connor, it’s Dianna.” Her heart was pounding hard at the news she was about to give Sam’s brother. “Sam’s been shot. I think you should come.”

“Where is he?”

There was no hint of fear in her almost-brother-in-law’s voice, but the MacKenzie brothers hid their emotions well beneath a nearly impenetrable armor of self-control.

“Vail General Hospital. The wound is in his right thigh.” Her voice broke. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have agreed to let him help me find my sister.”

She realized that she wasn’t making sense, that Connor didn’t know about April’s disappearance, but she couldn’t find the words to explain. Not yet.

“I tried to talk him out of going to Colorado,” Connor said. “I tried to tell him it was a bad idea to see you again.”

She sucked in a shaky breath. Of course he would have cautioned Sam about coming here. Connor had been there to pick up the pieces. She hadn’t.

“I didn’t know that,” she admitted. “But I understand why you did it.”

“Forget about me. The only reason I’m saying any of this is to let you know that Sam wanted to go to Vail despite all of my good reasons to stay the hell away. He wanted to be with you, Dianna. Simple as that.”

She was amazed to realize that it really was that simple. She and Sam were two people who wanted to be together. Who belonged together. Sure, it was messy. But it was real. And pure.

“I’m sure I’ll find out what’s happened soon enough,” Connor added, “but the one thing I know for sure is that if Sam wants to do something, if he wants to help somebody, there isn’t anything anyone can do to stop him. Even if we think he’d be better off going on without us.”

She quickly realized he wasn’t simply talking about all Sam had done to help her find April. He was also referencing what Sam had done to save Connor’s life in Desolation Wilderness the previous summer.

“I’ll take the next plane out.” Their connection went dead.

Hanging up, as she stepped into the hall, her brain took her back ten years, to the day that she’d told Sam she was pregnant and he’d quickly proposed.

“I’ve never done anything because I have to” was what he’d told her then. “From the moment I saw you, I wanted you.”