“Now you know how I felt.”
“How about we don’t do that again.”
“That’s a deal.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Not too bad.”
“Truth, Ro.”
“A little bit like I wandered into oncoming traffic. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
“I have a feeling that boy of yours isn’t going to want to leave until you’re back to full steam.”
Ro started to reply, but stopped when she replayed his words in her head. “You meanlet me leave.”
Her dad tilted his head and smiled slyly. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Ro asked, again doubting her capacity to follow a rational conversation.
Her dad jerked his head toward the door. “That man of yours told me, bold as brass balls on a bull, that you weren’t leaving this place without him, and if I didn’t like it, that was too damn bad.”
Ro’s jaw slackened. “What?”
“Good thing the bunker is big enough to fit at least a dozen comfortably, because our party just grew by one.”
Ro’s thoughts were whirling, rerunning the conversation she’d just had with Zach, and then Graham’s tirade in the mess hall. “You forced my best friend to choose, and let me tell you, he didn’t fucking choose me.” It was all starting to come together. Holy shit. Zach was going to leave the ranch—and everyone on it—to be with her.
Her heart clenched when she remembered what else Graham had said. “Tell me what you said to him, and why the hell didn’t you say it to me? Am I not good enough for you either?” Graham thought she’d talked Zach into leaving. Thought somehow she’d made a choice and it wasn’t him.Just like his mother.Ro started to rub her eyes, but paused when the IV tugged at her hand. What to do now? Could she let Zach follow through? It tore at her to think that she’d come between the two men when the bond of their friendship had seemed wholly unbreakable. They were a team. A unit.I suppose this is why normal people don’t attempt permanent ménages,Ro thought absently.Someone probably always ends up being the odd man, or woman, out.
“Ro? Are you okay?”
Ro slumped against the pillow. “I’m fine. Just tired, I guess,” she said, not wanting to share her realization. “Are you sure you’re okay with that? With him coming, I mean?”
“I don’t think I have a choice; that man loves you, and it’s not my place to stand in the way of that.”
Ro tried to smile, but her happiness at Zach’s decision was tainted by everything he would be giving up. She untangled the IV before pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead.Why did everything have to be so goddamn complicated?
“You should get some rest, sweetheart. I want to make sure you’re good and healthy before we head out. You still look much too pale for my liking. We’ll get Doc Beau in here to check you out, and when he gives us the all clear, I’d like to get on the road. No real hurry, but the sooner the better.”
Ro’s smile felt forced, but she just nodded and said, “Sounds good.”
He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Ro.”
Tears burned her eyes as she watched him leave. To the empty room she said, “What the hell am I going to do now?”
Beau had returned within minutes after her dad’s departure. He’d explained that he’d prefer she stay in the clinic and on the IV fluids for a few more hours. He wanted her laying low as much as possible and not expending too much energy. And then he’d blindsided her with a question.
“I don’t usually have to ask this, because generally my patients are men, but when was the first day of your last period?”
“Ummm … hell ... let me think.” Ro had switched from the shot to the pill a few months before because she kept missing her three-month appointments due to her insane work schedule. Her doctor had gotten pissed when she’d cancelled her appointment for her IUD twice. The pill had made sense because she could have the prescription mailed directly to her office, and it kept her period like clockwork. Except … when she’d made her mad dash out of her condo she hadn’t grabbed any toiletries … and with everything that had happened, she hadn’t even considered …
Ro stilled.Oh, fuck.
“Problem?” Beau asked, and Ro realized she’d spoken aloud.
Ro squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her fingers in front of her face and nodded. “I’m not on anything right now ... I haven’t been since the day I left Chicago.”