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The Ammendment 14
“You’re talented, Brad. In a different way than I am. Than Graham is. But not less. Don’t compare yourself or try to live up to him. Be your own person. You’re as important to the team as anyone. I saw your talent, and I thought it was the best direction for you. It wasn’t a punishment, and I’m glad you see that now.”“I do.” He paused, his voice droll when he spoke again. “I still think you’re an asshole for making me get my hair cut and breaking my phone, but you’re all right, Richard. I actually think I owe you.”A chuckle escaped my lips, the effort making me grimace. “Get me home before I hurl in your car, and we’ll call it even.”He sped up slightly. “Good plan.”Moments passed, the sounds in the car that of the rain beating down and the steady rhythm of the tires spinning on the wet pavement. I drifted, the medication beginning to take the edge off.Brad’s loud curse followed by the cacophonous squeal of tires and brakes startled me, and my eyes flew open. The car shuddered as
The Ammendment 15
“The girls will be excited to see you when they wake up.”“We missed them. We missed everyone.” Laura sighed.“How is Richard?” Graham asked. “Jenna said he was burning the midnight oil daily.”“He’s been busy,” I acknowledged. “He’ll be thrilled to hand the reins back to you, Graham.”“I thought I was going away at a quiet time. I had no idea how many new projects were going to happen.”I waved my hand. “Aside from missing his girls, he’s enjoyed it.” I glanced toward the window. “I have a feeling he’ll be home soon, though.”Graham tilted his head in understanding. “His headaches.”“He refused to admit it, but I think one was coming on today. He had that look in his eyes when he left that he always gets when one is coming on.”“No doubt Brad will be dropping him off.”I was surprised. “Brad?”“Adam told me that Richard had a flat tire and Brad drove him to his meeting. Jenna had checked with him and Richard said things went well, which she passed it on to Adam. If his headache was b
The Ammendment 16
“Graham,” I whispered. “What-what if…” I couldn’t say the words. All my brain could focus on were those words. That side of the car took the brunt.The brunt. He was seriously hurt. My Richard.Oh God, how hurt? Was he dying?Not Richard. He couldn’t be taken from me. It was too soon. We hadn’t had enough time together. We needed decades more time. Our girls needed him. My breathing picked up again, coming out in short pants.Graham cupped my cheeks, his touch firm. “No, Katy. Don’t even think that way. He is Richard fucking VanRyan. He’s a fighter and the most stubborn man I have ever met. A car accident is not going to stop him. They are going to assess him and fix him. In fact, he’ll wake up and tell them how to do it properly, knowing him.”A laughing sob escaped my mouth. “I have to see him. He needs me, Graham.”“Let the doctors do their job, Katy. As soon as we can, we’ll get you to him. I promise. Okay?”I met his eyes. His worried, understanding, pain-filled eyes.“Be the str
The Ammendment 17
“We need to take him, Mrs. VanRyan,” a nurse informed me, her voice laced with sympathy.I leaned as close as I could to him, my voice quivering.“Fight, my darling. Come back to me. To us. We need you.” My voice caught. “I love you, Richard, and I’m not ready to let you go. You can do this. You can do anything.”The medical team stepped forward, and I clasped his hand in mine, careful not to press too hard with the cuts and bruises forming on his knuckles. “Please,” I whispered, choking. “Come back to me. I’ll be waiting right here.” I rose on my toes and kissed his cheek, my tears dripping and mingling with the streaks of blood on his face.They wheeled him out of the room. I followed as long as I could, silently weeping as the doors swung shut in front of me.“Please,” I prayed. “Oh God, please.”“Katy.”I turned to Graham and Laura. They were distraught and pale. Laura held out her arms, and I went to her, sobbing on her shoulder, praying in my head.“Bring him back to me. No matt
The Ammendment 18
“Or he may recover some use, but never walk without some form of assistance. There could be lingering aftereffects on his brain.” Dr. Fletcher explained. “As I said, until he wakes, there are a lot of unanswered questions.”“He will wake up,” I insisted. “I know he will.”He allowed a smile to cross his serious countenance. “Keep up the positive thoughts. He’s going to need them.”“Can I see him?”“Once he’s moved from recovery, and only for a brief time. It may be a while before you can get in. I must insist on one person at a time and limit the number of people. Family only.”“These people are our family.”“Fine. There’s a quieter waiting room closer to the unit you can go to. I’ll have someone escort you,” he stated. “I’ll be checking on him frequently. If there’s any change, I’ll let you know.”He turned and walked away, pausing when Graham followed him and spoke in a low voice. The doctor listened, his gaze flickering to mine before he replied to Graham. Laura led me back to the
The Ammendment 19
I had taken it of Richard one night by the pool. The sun was setting, casting a burnished glow to the snapshot. He was looking right at me, his sharp jaw softened by the scruff I liked, his head tilted as he looked at me. His intense hazel eyes were focused on me holding my phone, a smile playing on his full lips. He held a glass of wine loosely in his hand, while he stroked his bottom lip with one long finger. Bare-chested, his skin still glistening from his swim, and his hair swept off his face, he was stunning in the muted light, his love for me evident. It was one of my favorite pictures of him.After I took the picture, he had smirked, curling one side of his mouth higher than the other.“Put the damn phone down, sweetheart, and get over here. The girls are asleep, and I want you on my lap.”I had acted coy. “Whatever for?”He reached over, pulling me from my chair. “Get over here and sit that sweet ass on my knee. We’ll talk about whatever pops up.”I had laughed at him until he
The Ammendment 20
“I’m transferring him to acute care. He’ll still be monitored closely, but he’ll have his own room. There is a far more comfortable chair where you can sleep instead of on the floor.” He winked, having caught me napping beside Richard’s bed, leaning against the rails while still clutching his hand.“Okay,” I breathed.“We’re going to wean him off the medication keeping him in the coma. It will take him a few days to wake up, and once he does, we’ll know what we are dealing with. His scans are good, though, and I am hopeful.”I could barely nod, my throat constricted and tight.He stepped forward. “If things go as I hoped, once he wakes up and heals, Katy, he has a long road ahead of him. Everything from the waist down has been affected. He’ll have a great deal of muscle loss. There will be therapy for gait training and strength. He’ll need leg exercises, pool therapy, various other machines. He won’t be able to do stairs, so he’ll need a bedroom on ground level or an elevator.”“I und
The Ammendment 21
“Hey, hey, shh,” he soothed. “It’s okay, Katy. It’s going to be okay.”He didn’t move or try to stop my tears. He held me and let me cry it out. When I managed to calm myself down, I pulled back and met his sympathetic gaze.“Sorry,” I sniffled.In true Maddox fashion, he winked and wiped my cheeks. “Usually women don’t cry until they’ve spent a little time with me. It’s not often it’s on first sight.”A smile pulled at my mouth. “What are you doing here?”He sat down and tugged me into the chair beside him. He pulled some napkins from the dispenser and handed them to me.“I’ve been here for two days, Katy. Graham let me know they were moving Richard and you were finally off the floor.”I blew my nose and gaped at him. “Two days? Why didn’t I know?”“Because I didn’t want to interrupt or worry you. Graham has been keeping me abreast of the situation.” He studied me. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be here for him? For you? After what he did when I was lying unconscious in the hospita
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