Page 43 of Her Honorable Hero

“Hell, Man, everybody told me. You can’t take a turn around anywhere in Coronado without hearing about your woman, the Amtrak heroine.”

“Gray also explained she doesn’t have any family, and you were watching over her. We want to help you.” Beth’s smile was sweet.

“So, here’s the deal,” Jack continued. “Captain Hale filled Gray in, he wanted to be here first, but realized that he needed to start sending those of us with significant others. I can’t think of anyone better than my Beth to be here for your Miranda,” Jack said with pride and love.

“But you don’t know her,” Griff protested as he looked at the attractive Hispanic woman.

“I’ve met you a few times.” Beth’s voice was as gentle as the hand she laid on his arm. “You’re like a brother to Jack. You served together for years before he left Black Dawn to serve with Midnight Delta. I know what it’s like to rely on the kindness of strangers, and I want to pay that kindness back to Miranda.”

“Griff, you’re no good to her right now, you need to get some sleep,” Nick admonished.

Griff dug his truck keys out of his jeans pocket. “I’ll—”

He looked at both Nick and Jack’s raised eyebrows.

Ah hell, his truck was back up in L.A. near the train station.

Nick laughed. “You are so out of it. Were you thinking your truck was here at the hospital?”

Griff nodded.

“Give me the key to your truck. It’s up near your folk’s place at the train station, right?” Nick asked.

Griff hesitated, looking over at Beth. “Jack programmed your number into my phone, Griffin. I’ll call you immediately if something changes. I promise,” she said as she held up her cell phone.

“Thank you.” He watched as she opened the door to Miranda’s room and heard Shelly greet her.

“I’m going back to Mom’s room,” Nick said. He held out his hand. Griff took his house key off the ring and pocketed it, then gave over the keys to his truck. Nick turned to go down the hall, then he paused mid-step and turned around. “Brother?” He looked directly into Griff’s eyes.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll never fucking forget what you did for my mother. Never.” Nick did a one-eighty and swiftly continued down the hall.

Griff let out a deep breath, then tilted his chin to Jack. “Let’s go.”

Jack nodded, and they headed to the elevator. Soon they were out in the warm night air. When they got to Jack’s SUV, the man immediately rolled down the windows. Griff grimaced. Nick was right, he did stink.

The last thing Griff remembered doing was buckling his seat belt, then Jack was nudging him. “Home sweet home.”

Looking up, he gave a tired smile. “Want to come inside?” he asked Jack.

“That was kind of the plan,” Jack grinned. “I’m your chauffer back to the hospital, remember?”

Shit, he was out of it.

The two of them trudged up the couple of stairs to the front door and Griff let them in. He offered Jack something to drink.

“Why don’t I just help myself to some water while you go get cleaned up?” Jack suggested.

Griff nodded, and headed down the hall to his bedroom. “I’ll be out in a few.” He damn near fell into the shower.

God, it felt good.

He leaned his head against the shower wall and pictured Miranda in the hospital bed and replayed what the doctor had said. She was going to need her family when she first left the hospital, and she’d need round-the-clock care for almost a month.

When Griff had explained that Miranda didn’t have a family, the medical team immediately started talking about in-patient convalescent care, and his had blood run cold. It went against everything he believed in, it sure as hell wasn’t where his Miranda belonged. She needed to be with people who cared. She needed to be with him.

How in the hell was he going to convince her? Rolling a bolder uphill would be easier.