Page 34 of The Risk

They stepped in when they were needed.

Well, so did theFieldses. “We’ll pick up Ayla on the way.”

30

One of hisbest friends had been in an auto accident. He had been told that the instant he’d made it in from the far barn. Gene was just in time to bum a ride to the hospital with Gunn, who was on his way in to see if the family needed anything.

Hudson was one of his closest friends on the planet. They’d not been super close in high school—Hudson had been a bit reserved with those he considered of a different class back then. The guy had grown up poor. But they had been friends.

As adults, their friendship had grown. Especially when they’d found themselves single fathers of sons around the same age—at around the same time. Hudson understood him. And had his back when the chips were down. Hudson was also close friends with Guthrie, who was slightly younger.

Hudson and Giavonna, though, that was a bit of adifferentkind of relationship. And if Gene’s sister could have tarred and feathered Hudson, she probably would have long before now. Talk about apocalyptic.

He was going to sit there until Hudson told him he was good to go. Just in case.

It was what Hudson would do for him.

Gene and Gunn stepped into Barratt County Gen’s ED. Guthrie was on the clock. He was probably floating around the place somewhere and would give them an update.

To Gene’s surprise, he found his mother and all three of his sisters hanging around in the waiting room. Genesis’s blonde friend was in there, as well as Hudson’s baby sister, and that other blonde from the night the girls had had their little sleepover.

And Chantal.

Gene scooped little Hala up; she wasn’t any bigger than Genesis. “It’ll be ok, baby girl. I promise. Hudson’s tough as old rawhide. Just ask Gia.”

She clung.

Damn near broke his heart when she looked up at him with those big brown eyes of hers. She had been Greer’s best friend since kindergarten, this kid. She had to be all of twenty-three or -four now, but to him and his brothers she’d always be a pseudo-kid-sister. He’d protect her just as much as he would Greer or Genesis or Giavonna. No questions asked. “How is he?”

“He’s in surgery now. Getting his wrist set.”

“And Ry? How is he?” The thought of that kid, his own son’s closest buddy ever, as Calvin had told him, hurt at all sickened him.

“Broken leg,” Hala said. She still clung to him. “But Aubrey said he’ll be okay.”

“He will be,” the blonde doctor Gene suspected Guthrie had a real thing for said. “It’s minor. Hudson’s injury was a bit more severe. Dr. Fields stayed in with Ryan, while Dr. Laird took Mr. Hanan upstairs.”

“They are all going to be okay,” Genesis said, patting Hala on the back. “I promise.”

Gene took a seat—next to his woman—and settled in to wait. He dropped his hand to his knee, then slipped it over to the hand that rested in Chantal’s lap.

He wrapped his hand around hers.

As they waited.

31

He feltreal next to her. But... Chantal stood. He looked at her. So did Genny and her mother.

"Chan, you okay?" Genny asked. Her friend had worried about her almost constantly since she’d first been diagnosed with Type 1. "You look a little green."

"I need to eat something, Gen, that's all." It was a few hours past when she normally ate. "I’m feeling a bit off. I am late eating, and the stress, worry?—"

She waited for Genny to hop up and start trying to take care of her. Gene stood up instead. "I’ll take you to the cafeteria."

"Gene, you take her and feed her, then get her home. She needs to get some rest," Gene’s mother said. She had that worried look that told Chantal not to even think about arguing. It was an expression Gayle and Chantal’s own mother had both perfected years ago.

Chantal looked at Hala. She was practically asleep, leaning against Giavonna’s shoulder. Giavonna worked with Hala’s brother at the county attorney’s office. It wasn’t a friendly work relationship at all. But Giavonna was fiercely overprotective of Hala. And Greer. Giavonna was going to keep an eye on Hala.As was Aubrey, who ran the entire Barratt County Gen ER. Hala would be okay.