Wild Nevada Ride (12 page)

“All right. I’ll—uh—I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She shut the phone with a click. Her gaze found Justin and tears burned the back of her eyelids.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my Dad.” A gut-wrenching sob shook her frame. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back.

“Here. Grab your clothes. I’ll drive.”

She couldn’t think, all she could do was feel. The terror gripping her insides sent her stomach to her toes. Slipping her shirt back over her head, she grabbed Justin’s hand, and they headed for the house. Within moments, dirt and gravel flew as Justin pulled out of the driveway and onto the highway headed for downtown Vegas.

* * * *

“Daddy?” She grasped his hand in hers, and she sank down in the chair at his bedside. Justin stood behind her, his warm hand on her shoulder in comfort.
How would I do this without him?
Her eyes met his before they shifted back to her father lying still on the bed. “He’s so still.” She felt reassured when she saw the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

Her father, Colonel Alan Jamieson lay in the bed, his skin tan against the stark white sheet. All her life she thought of him as unstoppable, never faltering, never giving an inch whether it was within the Air Force he loved or with his children. His love for her flowed strong through his body, she knew it like she knew nothing else, but he had always been a man of few words. ‘I love you’ rarely crossed his lips. He showed her in different ways than saying it—his guidance in her career, for one.

“They have given him something to help him sleep.”

Katrina’s gaze found her mother standing on the other side of the bed. Annabel Jamieson stood ramrod straight, her tall frame unbending in the face of adversity. Katrina knew she could count on her mother to pull no punches with her father’s health. Annabel would tell her the truth.

“What have they told you?”

“He’s had a stroke, Katrina.”

Kat dropped her gaze to where her hand clasped her father’s still one in her palm.
This will surely kill him. He won’t be able to stand losing his ability to move or speak. What if he can’t fly again?
“Do they know how bad?”

“Not really. It will take a few days to know the true extent of the damage. There will be rehabilitation required, I’m sure.”

Katrina stood and began to pace. “This isn’t fair!” she shouted when she stopped near the window.

“Keep your voice down,” Annabel snapped. “He needs to rest and your shouting will not help.”

She almost glared, her eyes narrowing slightly. Katrina had never been overly close to Annabel, always preferring the company of her father to that of her mother. “I’m sorry,” Katrina said with gritting teeth. “I cannot accept this. He is too strong a man for this.”

“You have no choice, Katrina. It is what it is. Either he will come out of this normal again or he won’t. You have no say in the matter.”

Katrina’s face flushed with anger as her gaze darted to Justin across the room.
I don’t need to be fighting with mother in front of him.
She returned to the chair and slid her father’s palm inside her own.

“I’m going to get some coffee. Why don’t you join me?” Justin whispered against her ear. “You could probably use a break.”

Katrina nodded and stood up to kiss her father on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a little while, Daddy. You rest.” Grasping Justin’s hand in hers, she looked at her mother and said, “Call me immediately if there is any change.”

“Of course.”

As she and Justin left the room hand in hand, silence prevailed between them. Once they reached the elevator, he pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“The scene in there. You shouldn’t have had to watch our arguments.”

He chuckled dryly as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. Thankfully, the ride down to the cafeteria could be made without others nearby. “I assume you and your mother don’t get along very well.”

“Two people couldn’t be more different.” Air rushed from between her lips in a sigh. “She wanted a petite, frilly little girl, and I’m far from being one of those. She hated when I went into the Air Force, but my father accepted and supported my decision. He has always been there for me.”

“You are obviously very close to him. I know having him here is killing you.” He stroked her arm with his fingers and her body reacted just like it always did when he touched her.

“Thank you.”

“For?”

“Being here. You have no idea how much having you here means to me.”

Before he could reply, the doors slid open. They stepped into the hallway leading to the cafeteria, but when they approached the front entrance, Mark came barreling through the door.

“Kat?”

“Mark. What are you doing here?”

“Word spreads fast through our family, you know that. I came to be here for you.” His eyes swept Justin and a frown marred his face. “Justin.”

“Mark.”

Her gaze swept back and forth between the two men, and she didn’t like the animosity shining brightly in their eyes. “Can I talk to you a minute, Mark?”

“Of course.”

She moved out of Justin’s embrace and walked several feet away before she turned around. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You need to stop this.”

“This?”

“I can see the change in your relationship with Justin, and I won’t have you messing up your business dealings with him over me.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before he shot a glance at the other man standing several feet away. “What’s going on between you two? Why is he here?”

“None of your business. He is here because I need him.”

“Katrina, please. Think about this. You are getting in way too deep. I told you before, he’s a ladies’ man. He likes women, and he has no intentions of settling down. Don’t get your heart broken because of him.”

“What goes on between me and Justin is none of your business. I don’t care if he’s not the settling kind. I’m not in this for a husband. We’re having a good time together and nothing more.”

“If you really believe that, you’re only trying to kid yourself. You’re in love with him. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I am not,” she insisted, not meeting Mark’s searching look.
Am I? Am I really in love with Justin?

“Whatever. You can try to fool yourself, but I’ve known you way too long. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when he breaks your heart.” She stood with her mouth hanging open in shock as Mark turned on his heel and disappeared out the doors.

Justin moved to her side and pulled her close. “Everything okay?”

“I guess.” A frown pulled the corners of her mouth down. Several moments later, her cell phone rang in her pocket. “Hello?”

“Katrina, your father is awake and wants to talk to you.”

“I’ll be right there.” She shut the phone with a click and looked at Justin. “My father is awake. I need to go back upstairs.”

“Sure.” He moved to follow, but she stopped him.

“Why don’t you get us both some coffee? I’d like to talk to him alone for a few minutes. I haven’t had a chance to really talk to him since I took leave, not in depth anyway.”

“No problem. Why don’t I bring the coffee back up there in a few minutes?”

“Perfect.” She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, taking his lips in a possessive kiss before she released him with a devilish smile. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Once she managed to get into the elevator, she sighed when Mark’s words raced across her mind.
He has no intention of settling down.
“What do I care? I’m not the settling down kind either.”
You’re in love with him.
She shook her head in denial. “No, I’m not. I just like his company, and we are damned good in bed together.” The elevator opened, and she stepped out as she retraced her original steps to her father’s bedside.

She glared at her mother and moved toward the man lying in the bed. “Daddy?”

“Katrina?” he whispered when he opened his eyes and smiled. “Hey, baby girl. Matt’s not with you?”

“Hey, Dad.” She took his hand in hers and slid into the chair. “I haven’t talked to Matt. I’m not sure where he is. How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

She laughed and shook her head.

“What happened?” she asked while her gaze moved over the strongest man she knew.

“I’m not sure, baby, except I didn’t feel right earlier at the base. Your mother tells me the doctors diagnosed me with a stroke.”

Katrina’s eyes darted to the woman standing against the wall before they returned to her father. “That’s what I understand, yes, but I’m sure everything will be fine. You’ll probably need some rehab or something….”

“Kat, listen to me.” Her gaze found his, and the sadness in his eyes tore at her heart. “I’ll probably never be right again. You know it as well as I do. I can’t move my left hand or left foot. No matter how much rehabilitation I get, it will probably never come back.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“Well, I won’t accept it, and you better not either.” She choked back a sob. “You have to walk me down the aisle.”

His surprised gaze met hers. “What are you saying, Katrina?”

“I’m getting married. I need you to walk me down the aisle in a few months, so you need to get better.”

“But, I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone. Who is the lucky fella?”

Katrina heard a hiss from behind her, and she almost groaned out loud when she turned around in the chair only to meet Justin’s surprised gaze.

Chapter Eleven

“Justin, let me introduce you to my father, since you haven’t met.” She moved to his side and took the cup of coffee from his hand. Brushing her lips near his ear, she whispered, “Go with me on this, please. I’ll explain later.”

When she stepped back and her gaze met his, she could see anger reflected brightly in his eyes.
Damn, I hope I didn’t fuck this up.
“Daddy, this is Justin Wilder. You probably remember seeing him at Gram’s birthday party.”

Her father glared at the man at her side for a moment before he held out his good hand for Justin to shake. “Mr. Wilder.”

“Mr. or should I say Colonel Jamieson?”

“Mr. is fine, son. So you’ve asked my Kat to marry you?”

“Uh—sort of. We haven’t really had a lot of chance to talk about it yet, sir.”

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Wilder?”

“Call me Justin, please.”

“All right, Justin.” Her father shifted in the bed before he continued. “So tell me about yourself. I understand you are a business acquaintance of Mark’s.”

Justin chuckled, and she began to relax a little. “Mark and I are business associates, yes, and to answer your first question, I’m a rancher, cattle to be exact.”

“Ah. You own land outside of town from what I’ve heard.”