Read Online Nobody But You B&N by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barbara Freethy
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soaked in blood, and his face was terribly white. She put her hand on his. His skin was ice cold. He was so still, she couldn't even tell if he was breathing, if his heart was beating.
"I want to go with him," she told the paramedic.
"No. Sorry. Meet us at St. Mary's."
"Wait." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Fight, Max," she said.
And then the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance and closed the doors. As the vehicle raced away, she wished she'd had another second to tell Max how much she loved him, because she was very afraid she was not going to get another chance.
A fear like no other ran through her. She couldn't lose him now, before they'd even really started. She wanted years with him, marriage, children, and grandchildren.
She started to sway, and her father's arm came around her shoulders. She turned into his embrace, pressing her face against his chest. He patted her on the back. "It's going to be all right, Emma. Have faith."
She lifted her head to face him, needing the Jack Callaway power of conviction. When her father wanted something to happen, it happened.
"Max is a strong man," he told her. "And he needs you to believe in him."
"I do believe in him. But he's really hurt. I can't believe this is happening. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life."
"The day is not over yet. You are not a quitter, Emma. Lord knows you've proven that to me on a lot of occasions. Don’t you give up on me now."
She drew in a deep breath. "I won't. You're right. Max is going to be fine, and one day this is just going to be a crazy story we tell our kids."
"That's my girl."
"Will you take me to the hospital?"
Her father nodded, but as they turned to leave, she stopped, looking back at the bank. "Where is Spencer? I should find him, make sure he's okay."
"Spencer is talking to Brady. You'll see him at the hospital. He's all right."
"Was he hurt?"
"No, from what I understand Max was the only one shot. Spencer actually took down the bank robbers and saved Max's life. He's a hero."
"Well, good for him," she said. "Max will be proud. He has tried to tell Spencer so many times that he is much more than just an ex-con. But Spencer hasn't been able to see that. Maybe he will now.
Chapter Eight
Ten minutes later, Emma and the rest of the Callaway clan, as well as Max's mother, Susan Harrison, gathered in the waiting room of the Emergency Department at St. Mary's Hospital. Information was not long in coming, but the news wasn't good.
"Mr. Harrison is being prepped for surgery," the attending physician told Emma. "He took a gunshot wound to the abdomen and suffered heavy blood loss. We won't know the extent of the internal damage until we operate."
"Oh, God!" Susan Harrison said, tears gathering in her eyes.
Emma took Max's mother's hand in hers. Then she turned back to the doctor and asked what they all wanted to know. "Is he going to be all right?"
"We're doing everything we can. The nurse will take you up to the third floor and show you where you can wait." He tipped his head to the woman in blue scrubs standing nearby. "Mr. Harrison will be in surgery for several hours. The surgeon will be Dr. Blake Holland. He will speak to you as soon as it's done."
As the E.R. physician left, Emma looked at the nurse. "He didn't really answer my question."
The nurse gave her a compassionate smile. "Let me show you to the waiting room."
"You're not going to answer my question, either, are you?"
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but I can tell you that Dr. Holland is the best surgeon we have. Mr. Harrison is in good hands." She turned and headed toward the elevator.
"The doctor is one of the best," Emma told Susan, as they followed the nurse down the hall. Her words didn't seem to register. Max's mother was terrified, which only made Emma more worried. A part of her wanted to get away from the older woman's negativity, but she knew that Max would want her to make sure that his
"I want to go with him," she told the paramedic.
"No. Sorry. Meet us at St. Mary's."
"Wait." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Fight, Max," she said.
And then the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance and closed the doors. As the vehicle raced away, she wished she'd had another second to tell Max how much she loved him, because she was very afraid she was not going to get another chance.
A fear like no other ran through her. She couldn't lose him now, before they'd even really started. She wanted years with him, marriage, children, and grandchildren.
She started to sway, and her father's arm came around her shoulders. She turned into his embrace, pressing her face against his chest. He patted her on the back. "It's going to be all right, Emma. Have faith."
She lifted her head to face him, needing the Jack Callaway power of conviction. When her father wanted something to happen, it happened.
"Max is a strong man," he told her. "And he needs you to believe in him."
"I do believe in him. But he's really hurt. I can't believe this is happening. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life."
"The day is not over yet. You are not a quitter, Emma. Lord knows you've proven that to me on a lot of occasions. Don’t you give up on me now."
She drew in a deep breath. "I won't. You're right. Max is going to be fine, and one day this is just going to be a crazy story we tell our kids."
"That's my girl."
"Will you take me to the hospital?"
Her father nodded, but as they turned to leave, she stopped, looking back at the bank. "Where is Spencer? I should find him, make sure he's okay."
"Spencer is talking to Brady. You'll see him at the hospital. He's all right."
"Was he hurt?"
"No, from what I understand Max was the only one shot. Spencer actually took down the bank robbers and saved Max's life. He's a hero."
"Well, good for him," she said. "Max will be proud. He has tried to tell Spencer so many times that he is much more than just an ex-con. But Spencer hasn't been able to see that. Maybe he will now.
Chapter Eight
Ten minutes later, Emma and the rest of the Callaway clan, as well as Max's mother, Susan Harrison, gathered in the waiting room of the Emergency Department at St. Mary's Hospital. Information was not long in coming, but the news wasn't good.
"Mr. Harrison is being prepped for surgery," the attending physician told Emma. "He took a gunshot wound to the abdomen and suffered heavy blood loss. We won't know the extent of the internal damage until we operate."
"Oh, God!" Susan Harrison said, tears gathering in her eyes.
Emma took Max's mother's hand in hers. Then she turned back to the doctor and asked what they all wanted to know. "Is he going to be all right?"
"We're doing everything we can. The nurse will take you up to the third floor and show you where you can wait." He tipped his head to the woman in blue scrubs standing nearby. "Mr. Harrison will be in surgery for several hours. The surgeon will be Dr. Blake Holland. He will speak to you as soon as it's done."
As the E.R. physician left, Emma looked at the nurse. "He didn't really answer my question."
The nurse gave her a compassionate smile. "Let me show you to the waiting room."
"You're not going to answer my question, either, are you?"
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but I can tell you that Dr. Holland is the best surgeon we have. Mr. Harrison is in good hands." She turned and headed toward the elevator.
"The doctor is one of the best," Emma told Susan, as they followed the nurse down the hall. Her words didn't seem to register. Max's mother was terrified, which only made Emma more worried. A part of her wanted to get away from the older woman's negativity, but she knew that Max would want her to make sure that his
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