Page 64 of Blue Norther
Hayes brought the envelope inside, setting it on the table Colt tossed his keys on every night. My eyes dropped to the address line.
It was for me.
“You want to wait for Colt?” Hayes asked, clearly picking up on my apprehension.
“No, of course not. I was expecting something from my business manager. He said I’d probably be getting some legal documents to look over in the next day or two. That has to be what it is.”
I grabbed the envelope, tearing the sealed paper open. Reaching inside, I felt one single sheet of thick card stock material between my fingers.That was weird.If it was my contract coming through from Ryan, it would have been an entire document.
“Violet?” Hayes sounded like he was a mile away, under water, as I pulled what I could see was a picture out. The envelope fell to the floor almost as quickly as my knees gave out.
Because there, printed on the paper in front of me, was Colt’s body. Sprawled out in the grass with blood surrounding his head. He looked…God, he looked dead.
I hadn’t stopped staring at the paper, but somehow I was moving. Not falling. Not anymore. Cushions hit the back of my legs as I could still hear Hayes trying to talk to me, but none of the words he’s saying were getting through to me.
I inhaled sharply as dark dots started closing in on my vision.
“Vi? Let me have that. Please. I need to take it. Colt will need to see it.”
I swallowed, trying to force the ache from my throat. My fingers didn’t want to move, even as I was screaming at them to let go. The picture was burned into my mind. I didn’t need to look at it to know it would haunt me forever.
“This is my fault.”
Lights flashed in front of the house again, and I yelped. My nerves were officially fried.
Hayes walked over to the window, and I watched his whole body relax as he turned back to me.
“It’s Beau and Colt.”
I nodded, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth and biting down, trying desperately to stop myself from losing it before I even had the chance to see with my own eyes that he was okay.
Hayes opened the door, Colt walking in before Beau. I pushed up off the sofa with a groan.
“Are you okay?” I asked, hesitating to reach out and touch him. His head was bandaged, and I could see where blood had matted his hair down.
His arms opened and I slid against his chest. “I’m fine. You know I have a hard head. Just a couple of stitches and I’m good as new.”
“A couple of stitches and instructions for how to care for a concussion,” Beau mumbled. He held out a packet of papers tome. “That’s his discharge paperwork. It’s just a mild one, but he was out for a few minutes they guess. Better to be safe than sorry. Wouldn’t let the nurses fuss over him too much, kept saying he had a wife at home who was going to nurse him back to health.”
“Well.” I smiled as I lifted my head off his heart. The steady rhythm had calmed me down more than I should probably admit. “That’s very true. You just sit right over there on the sofa and I’ll fix you all a plate for supper. Are you feeling hungry? Or do you just want some ice for your head? Is your stomach feeling off? I’m figuring they gave you pain medicine, and I know it can make some people nauseous.”
The three brothers just stared at me.
“I’ll get everyone a plate for supper, including you,” Hayes volunteered.
“No, that’s not necessary. I don’t mind.”
“Violet. I just caught you when you nearly passed out?—”
Colt’s face snapped from his brother to me.
“What is he talking about? Are you okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine. I was worried about you, and then this package came.”
His eyes narrowed, and he winced.I needed to get his stubborn ass over to the couch.“What package?’
“Can I get you something to eat first? At least let me get your brothers something.”
