Remi and I turn our heads toward Hollis at the croakedsound of his voice, my heart skipping a beat as I sit up straighter. “How are you feelin’?”
His lip curls into a smirk that makes my stomach roll in the best way. “Pretty damn good,” he drawls.
“Do you remember what happened?” Remi asks.
Brow furrowed, and his jaw tight, Hollis pauses for a moment before shaking his head. “Not really. I remember the storm hittin’, and gettin’ soaked, but everything after is pretty blurry.”
“You were in an accident,” I say, emotion making it hard to talk. “We think you lost control of the bike when you rounded the corner, probably due to the slick roads and the standing water.”
Hollis squeezes my hand when my voice cracks, and then looks over at Remi before coming back to me, gaze dipping down to my gear. “You responded to the call.”
I nod, swallowing thickly and trying to blink back tears. It doesn’t work.
The door bursts open, and Gentry storms inside. His gaze is wild and frantic, but he physically relaxes some when he sees his son awake on the bed. “I got here as soon as I could,” he mutters just as the door opens again.
Glancing over his shoulder, I spot two women entering the room. One of them, I’ve never seen before, and the other I recognize from pictures. Blonde, significantly shorter than Gentry, and she has her son’s dark eyes. Or rather, Hollis has hers.
“Mom, what are ya doin’ here?” he asks, wincing as he attempts to sit up in bed.
“Honey, you were in a motorcycle accident,” she says, rushing over to him. I stand from my chair and scoot back to give her space. “Why on earth wouldn’t I be here?”
“But I’m fine.”
“I told you them fuckin’ bikes were a bad idea,” Gentry growls, and I don’t miss the way he directs the statement tobothHollis and Remi.
His mom scoffs and swats at her ex-husband. “Now is not the time for a lecture, Gentry.”
Hollis flits his gaze over to me before taking in his parents. The smile he’s wearing makes my pulse race. “Y’all just missed it,” he says. “I was just learnin’ that Captain Wesley, here, is in love with me.”
“What?” Gentry hisses, his dark, narrowed eyes slicing over to me. “What is he talkin’ about?”
Jesus Christ. Really, Hollis?
My face heats as words fail to come to me. This isn’t exactly how I pictured this moment going, but nothing ever seems to go as planned when it comes to Hollis, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.
His mom turns around, a smile spreading across her face as she takes me in. “Sorry, who are you?”
“Mom, this is Ford,” Hollis chimes in again.
I chuckle as I offer her my hand. “I’m Ford Wesley, ma’am. Captain of the Wolf Creek Fire Department. I work with Remi.”
“Oh, it’s very nice to meet you,” she says sweetly. “I’m June, his mother, and this”—she gestures toward the other woman in the room—“is Kelly Ann.” There’s a pregnant pause before she adds, “My friend.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” I tip my head. “It’s unfortunate that it’s under these circumstances.”
“Yes.” She smiles. “But I’dloveto get back to the part about you bein’ in love with my son.”
“I would too,” Gentry grunts.
Then, as if he can’t help himself, Hollis says, “Me three.”
Remi chuckles, only laughing harder when I direct a scowl his way. Holding his hands up, he says, “Hey, don’t look at me. This isyourbusiness, not mine.”
Hollis is wearing a shit-eating grin, and him putting me on the spot like this should irritate me, but be it that I’m just happy he’s alive and okay or that I’m glad to get this out in the open, and have him know how I feel, I don’t mind. Even if it feels like we’re missing at least half a dozen steps before ending up here.
Clearing my throat, I look at June, then at Gentry, holding his gaze. “Hollis and I have been seeing each other, quietly, for some time now.”
“According to Chandler, there ain’t nothin’ quiet about them,” Remi blurts out, causing Hollis to giggle.
