Page 20 of Searching for Bristol
Rocky chuckled. “Okay?”
“I mean, I’ve got insurance and whatever isn’t covered, I can pay. And I can contribute to rent or food or whatever afterward too.”
Rocky nodded. “That’s good.”
She wanted to laugh. Most people would want to know more. Maybe how much money she had, how she earned a living being an artist, and maybe would try to take advantage of her situation. But not Rocky.
He probably wouldn’t even care about the fact she had several million dollars in investments and six figures in her bank account right this moment.
“Close your eyes, Punky,” he ordered. “I know you have to be exhausted. I’ve got this, you’re safe. You can relax.”
As if his words were all her body had been waiting for, Bristol suddenly felt like her eyes were way too heavy to keep open.
Without thinking about it, she reached over with her left hand for his. The second she touched him, he turned his hand and intertwined their fingers. He rested their clasped hands on the console between them. She felt him squeeze her hand once, then she fell into a deep sleep, secure in the knowledge that she wasn’t alone. That Rocky would take care of her.
CHAPTERFIVE
Rocky paced the waiting room anxiously. Bristol had been taken back to surgery an hour ago and he was waiting to hear something about how she was doing.
He mentally kicked his own ass for saying all that shit in the car. The last thing she needed was for him to pressure her to come back to Fallport. She was obviously used to being on her own and could take care of herself. But he hated to imagine her all alone after her surgery, trying to hop around to do anything. Not only would that be painful, it would be dangerous. If she fell on that leg, she could do more damage.
He’d gone on and on like an idiot, trying to sway her to stay with him. Which was crazy. They’d just met. But something deep inside him didn’t care. She enthralled him with her bravery and strength. She hadn’t given up in the woods. She’d done whatever she could to try to save herself. He hadn’t been placating her; if Rocky hadn’t found her, or if he’d ignored Sandra’s misgivings, he had no doubt she would’ve dragged herself to the trail and all the way back to the trailhead if she had to.
Bristol Wingham was a fighter. A survivor. She was a mighty force in a tiny little body.
And he wanted her. Which was insane. Completely ridiculous. But there it was.
His phone rang as he paced, and Rocky paused to pull it out of his pocket. He saw it was his brother on the other end.
“Hey, bro,” he said as he answered.
“What the fuck?” Ethan asked in response.
Rocky couldn’t help but sigh. “Right, so…Sandra was worried about a tourist who said she was going camping and never returned to say goodbye when she was supposed to. I went out on my own—yes, I know that was stupid—and found her. She’d fallen off a cliff and had a broken leg. I carried her to the trailhead, brought her to Doc Snow, now we’re in Roanoke and she’s in surgery to have a pin put in her leg.”
“Seriously—what thefuck?” Ethan repeated.
“I would’ve called you, but you were out of range,” Rocky said.
“We’re getting those damn satellite phones. I don’t care if the city council says they don’t have the budget.”
Rocky sighed, not realizing how much he’d needed to hear his brother’s voice, even though Ethan was obviously pissed he’d not been available for Bristol’s rescue. Talking to him calmed something deep inside Rocky.
“How is she?” Ethan asked.
“In surgery. I’m waiting to hear more.”
“You need us to come up there?” Ethan asked.
Rocky appreciated the offer more than his brother knew. “Right now, no. There’s nothing any of us can do.”
“You staying there with her?”
“Yes.”
Ethan didn’t even question why he was so determined to stay by Bristol’s side. “What do you need from Lilly and me?” Ethan asked.
Again, his brother was the best. “All Bristol’s got is what was in her pack. Do you think you can go over to the hotel and see about getting the stuff she left there? I’m guessing the staff there would’ve collected it when they cleaned her room. And if Lilly can pick up some things to tide her over until we can go to Kingsport to get some of her stuff, that would be good too.”
