Page 34 of The Cowboy’s Secret Lover

Eight

Kurt satin a lounge reserved for the families of surgical patients. At this time of night, he was the only one waiting. The room was large—longer than it was wide. There was a TV affixed to each wall. Both screens were blank and reflected the furnishings. There were more than a dozen padded chairs, and two sofas. Everything was upholstered in coordinating fabric of rust and tan.

Beneath each TV was a mini-fridge that was filled with water bottles and small cans of soda. There were also baskets of snacks set around the room. Kurt had helped himself to a bottle of water and packet of saltine crackers. He wasn’t thirsty and the crackers turned to dust in his mouth. He’d set them both on a nearby table. The water bottle had perspired, the liquid mixing with cracker crumbs until a soggy mush remained.

Outside, lighting struck, leaving the faint smell of ozone hanging in the air. Thunder rumbled, and Kurt felt the sound in his chest. Rain pelted the window, a thousand tiny arrows trying to break the glass.

As the tempest raged outside, a violent storm brewed in Kurt’s chest. Erin had been in surgery for two hours already. Since then, he’d heard nothing. How much longer could it take?

Or was it already over?

Had Kurt’s worst nightmare become his reality. Was his daughter dead? At this very minute, was Faith trying to find a kind way to tell him horrible news?

“Hey.” Faith stood at the door.

He looked up. She wore light green scrubs and her hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her complexion was pale. In short, she looked as weary as he felt.

“What happened?” he asked.

“We couldn’t get a video connection with Dr. Ortega, the cardiologist from San Diego.”

Kurt worked his jaw back and forth. “Which means what?”

“Dr. Adams and I did what we could.”

Here it comes. He knew that the news would be like a knife to his chest. Gripping the armrest of the chair, he prepared for the blow.

“We repaired the valve in her heart. Once she recovers, she should be fine.”

Kurt blinked, not sure that he’d heard Faith. “She’ll be fine?” he echoed.

Faith nodded. “Basically.”

A wave of relief washed over Kurt. Getting to his feet, he reached for Faith’s hand. She let him draw her into an embrace. “I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that you saved Erin’s life.”

“You don’t need to say anything. She’s in recovery, but you can sit with her now.”

True, he wanted to go to his daughter. Yet, there was something else he needed to do first. “As a man,” he said. “I’ve always thought of myself as the strong and silent type. Maybe it started when I was a kid and there was nobody around to hear me even if I had something to say. Being so solitary taught me how to rely on myself…”

“You’re a good man, Kurt Crawford. Being independent helped make you so successful.”

Kurt waved away her statement. “I’m not looking for a compliment, Faith. What I want is to tell you the truth. I’ve never been good at sharing how I feel. I rarely tell Erin that I’m proud of her, though I’m certain she knows.”

“I’m sure she does.”

Kurt pulled Faith in closer, until her chest was pressed against his. Why couldn’t he find the words he needed? Why couldn’t he tell Faith that he loved her now, like he loved her when they were teenagers?

He tried again. “There’s something I need to say to you, too. Something that I should have said years ago.”

The sound of chimes filled the lounge.

“That’s my phone,” she said, reaching into her pocket. “It might be something from recovery.” She glanced at the screen before saying, “It’s Dr. Ortega. Can you hang on a minute?”

Kurt didn’t have any choice but to say, yes.

Faith walked to the other side of the room and swiped the call open. “Hello?”

The room was quiet, and Kurt could hear everything that was said on both ends of the call. Dr. Ortega greeted Faith with, “My dear, I heard that you were a hero this evening.”