“Here, have some water.” Brody leaned over and reached for the jug at the end of the bed. I watched as he poured me a drink, and I gave him a small smile as he held out the cup for me to take. Hesitantly, I took it from him. He nodded encouragingly at me and I slowly sipped the water. While this wasn’t Evan, I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t someone Evan knew. I needed to be on my guard.
“Better?” he asked. I nodded and handed him back the empty cup. “I’m just going to let the nurse know you’re awake.” He placed the cup back on the small table and walked out of the room, returning a moment later. “The nurse will be in soon,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“Where am I?” I asked again, my voice sounding more like it usually did.
“The hospital in Marble Falls. There was a fire in the stables. I pulled you out.”
“A fire?” I repeated, noticing for the first time his blackened clothes and bandaged hand. I watched as he nodded his head and walked around the bed toward me. My eyes widened as he came closer and my heart pounded in my chest. He’d done nothing to make me wary of him, but right now I trusted no one.
Sensing my unease, he stopped and held up his hands. “Hey,” he said softly. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m sorry…” I whispered, my eyes dropping to my hands.
“Don’t apologize,” he insisted.
Taking a deep breath, I attempted a smile. “I haven’t thanked you… for rescuing me.” My eyes met his, and he returned the smile. “How did you know I was in there?” My heart pounded knowing I would have to explain what I was doing sleeping in the stables.
“We didn’t. We were looking for my sister and found you instead.”
“Oh. Is your sister okay?”
He nodded. “Turned out she wasn’t in there, thank God. Her boyfriend got hurt though; he’s still unconscious.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“What were you doing in the stables?” he asked, sliding into the chair next to my bed.
“I came to see Claire Parker about the domestic assistant job. I saw it advertised in the grocery store in Marble Falls.”
“Claire’s my mom. My parents run the ranch. I didn’t know she was looking for staff,” he said with a frown. “How’d you end up in the stables?”
My heart sank at hearing there might not be a job at the ranch. Not that they’d give it to me now, knowing I’d snuck onto their property. “I had to walk from where the bus dropped me and I got soaked in the rain. I figured I’d dry off overnight before attempting to make a good impression. Thought I'd change my clothes and tidy myself up…” I trailed off as I looked around the room. Sitting up in the bed, I felt panic grip my chest. “My backpack. Where’s my backpack?” I exclaimed, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, groaning as pain tore through my side.
“Whoa, wait! Should you be getting up?” His hand curled around my arm. “Wait, I’ll fetch the nurse.”
I shook off his hand and pushed myself off the bed, my legs shaking. “I need my backpack. Where’s my backpack?” I asked in a panic, seeing the clothes I’d been wearing the night before folded up neatly on a chair across the room.
“Sorry, I didn’t see one. I just grabbed you and ran.” His voice tinged with annoyance, and I knew I’d pissed him off.
Turning around, I stared at his angry eyes before dropping my head. “I’m sorry. I sound like I’m not grateful you rescued me, but everything I had was in there.”
“All that stuff can be replaced.” His tone was softer, but I knew he wouldn’t understand. “What’s your name? I can help you.”
“Quinn,” I told him quietly. Standing up he walked around the bed, picking something up from the cabinet next to where I was sitting.
“The staff found this when you were brought in.” He held his hand out and I took the photograph from him. Looking down I felt tears well in my eyes as my mom’s smiling face looked back at me. It was taken on my seventeenth birthday. It was just under two years ago, but it felt like a lifetime since I was the happy, carefree girl in the photo. A single tear slipped down my cheek and a sob escaped my lips. I felt Brody reach for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Do you want to call your mom? You can use my phone.”
I shook my head. “She died,” I muttered as I continued to stare at the photograph.
“I’m sorry, Quinn,” he said sadly. “Do you want to speak to Evan?”
I felt my whole body tense as I raised my head to look at him. “Is he here? Has he found me?” I whispered, my eyes wide.
He shook his head. “No. No, he’s not here,” he assured me. “I just heard you say his name when you woke up. Who is he, Quinn? Did he…?” I watched as his eyes dropped to my split lip and bruised cheek.
“No!” I exclaimed, not wanting to tell this person I’d just met my life story. “Evan’s my brother,” I lied. I saw a frown form on his face and I knew he didn’t believe me. Thankfully at that moment the door to my room opened, and a nurse walked in, cutting our conversation short.
“Hey, you’re awake,” the pretty nurse said as she made her way over to my bed. “How are you feeling?” She picked up my chart and started writing inside it.