“It was lucky Dad responded so quickly,” Ian said. “I thought for sure we were going to broad-side him.”
Nodding, Caden said, “It could’ve been a lot worse, that’s for sure.”
“It’s bad enough,” Makenna said, her throat going tight.
“Come here,” Caden said, pulling her into his chest. “They’re going to be all right. You’ll see.”
“Thanks to you,” she said, peering up at him. “This would’ve been so much scarier if you weren’t here.”
He shook off the compliment and rubbed her back.
Soon, the two paramedic crews had Dad and Collin loaded onto stretchers. They told Caden where they were going and said the family would have to follow by separate vehicle. As the crews loaded the stretchers into their rigs, Patrick waved Ian and Shima over to the police, who seemed to be asking them questions.
Patrick joined her and Caden. “You four go ahead to the hospital. I’ll finish up here and one of these guys will give me a lift home to get my car when we’re done.”
“Okay,” Caden said. The two men shook.
“Thanks for everything, Caden. It means a lot,” Patrick said. “Keep me posted.”
“We will. Wish I could’ve done more,” he said.
When Ian, Shima, and Caden had given statements, they loaded up into Caden’s Jeep and made the quiet drive to the hospital. Shima sat next to Makenna, concern radiating off of her, and it touched her to know how deeply concerned Shima was for her brother. She really cared.
But getting to the hospital didn’t give them any answers, because while Dad and Collin were being evaluated, all the rest of them could do was wait. Within an hour, Patrick had come, but they still hadn’t heard from anyone in the emergency department beyond filling out some forms on both the James men’s behalves.
Caden was a godsend through it all. Grabbing coffee for all of them. Staying close to Makenna’s side. Holding her hand. Explaining to everyone what was likely happening to Dad and Collin respectively so they’d all understand why it was taking so long—the scans they both required were probably part of the hold-up.
This would’ve been so much harder if Caden hadn’t been there. More than that, it felt like he belonged there. As part of the James clan. At her side.
“Mike and Collin James family,” called a woman’s voice.
They all stood at once, her and Patrick going fastest to join the woman near the doors to the ER.
“I can only allow one person back for each patient,” she said.
Makenna turned to Ian. “Do you mind if I go with Patrick?”
“No,” Ian said. “Just text me when you know more.”
Giving Caden a quick hug and a kiss, Makenna agreed. She gave Shima a nod, too. “Will let you all know as soon as we can.” And then she was rushing to her father and youngest brother’s sides, heart in her throat to know that they were going to be okay. She couldn’t lose any of these men that she loved. Not her father, not her brothers, and not Caden.
Because the pain of it would absolutely shatter her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was morning before they got home. Turned out Makenna’s dad didn’t have a sternum fracture; he was just badly bruised—which was good news. Collin did have a broken rib, but his head scans had been clear and the scalp lac didn’t include any injury to the bone beneath. When they got back to the James house, everyone helped get Mike and Collin settled before falling into bed.
“You were my hero last night, you know that?” Makenna said, half asleep next to Caden in her small bed. Even exhausted she was so damn beautiful, with the morning light bringing out all the shades of red in her hair.
Caden shook his head. He’d never be comfortable with that word. Hero. Because he was always questioning if he’d done enough, been good enough. Heroes were brave and fearless, neither of which described his anxiety-ridden ass. He knew himself well enough to know that was true. “I was…just doing my job. It’s what I do.”
“That doesn’t make it any less heroic,” she said, rolling closer so that her chin rested on his bare chest. Makenna traced her finger over his rose tattoo. “People live because you get up and go to work, Caden. That’s…that’s amazing.”
There was truth in what she said, but it still made him uncomfortable to think about it that way. He always thought of it more as a debt owed, as paying back the universe for what someone had done for him. And not just anyone, but David Talbot. That was the name of the paramedic who had first arrived on the scene of his family’s accident fourteen years before. That was the name of the man who’d saved Caden’s life and pulled him back from the brink of madness.