Page 38 of Andrew’s Outback Love

Drew squeezed my hand. “I’m glad she didn’t shoot you but I’m confused, why would she have left you unharmed?”

“She wasn’t going to, believe me. She shot at the waiter who brought our meals up. The bullet grazed his thigh, but he’s fine. When she turned the gun back on me and pulled the trigger, it jammed.”

“Thank fuck it did. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s not your fault. The woman is nuts. She obviously got it into her head that you were hers and wouldn’t accept anyone telling her different. The police have her in custody.”

“I thought it was Blane we needed to be careful of, I had no idea Candy was capable of something like this.”

“You never know, huh?”

“No, you don’t.”

Drew winced as he repositioned himself in the narrow bed.

“Are you in pain?”

“Not much but when I move, the muscles around the wound pull and it’s uncomfortable.”

I asked the question we both seemed to be dancing around.

“Drew, do you have feeling in your arm?”

I watched as despair filled his eyes and my heart sank.

“No, but the doctor said I shouldn’t be too alarmed at this early stage. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

The upbeat tone of his words and the weak smile on his face belied what I saw in his eyes. Drew had the most expressive eyes of anyone I’d ever known. They reminded me of molten chocolate and every emotion he felt was reflected there. He didn’t need to tell me with words that he was afraid for his future. His eyes did it for him. I stood, leaned over him and gently caressed his lips with mine. He wrapped his free arm around me and pulled me closer, I could feel him trembling.

“Give it time, honey. You’re not long out of surgery and you know as well as I do, poking around near nerves will leave you with some strange sensations.”

When I pulled back to sit on the chair, he held me tight and eased me onto the bed beside him. He had a death grip on my hand. It was as if his life depended on holding onto me. I rubbed my other hand over his, encouraging him to relax.

“What if......”

I placed a finger to his lips.

“No, what ifs. Give it time before you write off your career.”

“I’m scared, Linda. It’s all I know.”

I wanted so badly to tell him he was worried about nothing, that his arm would be fine, but I couldn’t lie to him. We didn’t know what the immediate future held for this gorgeous man but whatever it was, I’d be right by his side.

“I know you are. If someone told me I couldn’t be a nurse anymore, I’d be heartbroken. But, Drew, it’s too soon to know and the doctor seemed confident there was no permanent damage.”

“I know that in my head but try telling my heart. If I even had tingling in my hand I’d feel hopeful, but it’s dead. There’s nothing at all.”

***

THE REST OF THE TEAM were already waiting in the private room when Drew’s bed was wheeled in. I followed and waited until the bed was secured and the wardsman had left before sitting on the edge of the bed and holding onto Drew’s hand.

Ruby approached first. I could see she wanted to gather Drew in her arms but after several seconds of indecision, she placed a kiss to his cheek and stepped back. The men all patted his shoulder or arm and expressed their relief at seeing he was okay.

“Don’t you ever scare the fucking shit out of me like that again. I swear I’ve aged twenty years since Linda told us what happened this afternoon.” Ruby’s hands were jammed on her hips and she had a ‘motherly’ stance and tone about her.

“Sorry,” Drew said sheepishly.

“How do you feel?” Cam asked.