are the most conceited, bullheaded man I’ve ever met, and that you’d have the nerve, the balls, the unmitigated gall to come to my house, let alone in my house, uninvited, bothering my mother…wait. Where is my mother?”
“So, you’ve finally gotten around to thinking about someone besides yourself. She’s at the hospital. Let’s go.
“She passed out,” Ransom continued as he led a bewildered Gwen to the car, opened the door, and helped her in. “I was repairing Miss Mary’s back porch steps when she came running. She’d dialed nine-one-one, but was beside herself and couldn’t remember what she’d done with your cell number.”
Gwen said nothing, reached for her cell phone. She couldn’t think, even to dial information for the hospital number. Then she realized she didn’t even know which hospital her mom was in.
“Where’d they take her?”
“Bradley Memorial. We’ll be there in five minutes.” Her wide-eyed question asked so desperately squeezed Ransom’s heart. He reached over and took her trembling hand in his. “It’s going to be okay.”
His voice was the soothing one he used to tell Isis her ouchies would heal. If this were Isis, he’d take his daughter in his arms, squeeze her tight, and rock her until she fell asleep. He wanted to do the same thing to the woman beside him.
“Where’s Miss Mary?” Gwen’s voice was timid, strained. “I should have been here,” she whispered, as tears threatened.
Guilt racked her as she thought of the fun, carefree afternoon she’d spent with Chantay. After their beauty shop appointment, they’d gone to a spa for massages and then out to eat. She’d called her mother from the restaurant and everything was fine: Miss Mary was over and they were playing gin rummy. That’s why taking in a movie once they’d left the restaurant hadn’t seemed like a big deal. Until now.
“She rode in the ambulance with your mother.”
Gwen’s brows furrowed in confusion and worry. “Where’s Adam?”
“What?”
“Adam. Where is he? And why are you driving his car?”
“This is my car. I’ve let Adam use it the past couple weeks.”
“Why in the world would you do that?”
Ransom looked over quickly. She didn’t know he and Adam were brothers? He scowled, thinking of something else. It was just three or so weeks ago that Adam had asked to borrow the Porsche. Was Gwen the woman he was trying to…? “Is there something going on between you and him?”
“I don’t know that that is any of your business.”
“Actually it is.”
“And how is that?”
“Because I know Adam and I like you, and if he thinks he’s going to…treat you the way he does most women, there’s getting ready to be a problem because I won’t let that happen.”
The hospital was just ahead. Gwen’s focus went immediately back to her mother. But as they turned into the parking lot, she found herself asking, “How do you know about Adam?”
“He’s my brother.”
Gwen didn’t have time to absorb this shocking news. The Porsche had barely stopped rolling before she was out of the car and running through the short hallway to the hospital’s front desk.
“I’m here to see about my mother, Lorraine Andrews?”
The nurse clicked a few keys on the computer keyboard before replying. “She’s still in with the doctors. If you’d like to have a seat, I’ll let you know as soon as she’s been moved to a room where you can visit her.”
“I need to see her now!”
“Please, Miss…what’s your name?”
“Gwen, Gwen Smith. I’m her daughter. I need to see for myself that she’s okay.”
Just then, Miss Mary, who’d been sitting in the waiting room opposite the nurses’ station, walked up to Gwen. “Calm down, baby,” she said, even before reaching her. “The doctors are with her now and we can’t go in there.”
Gwen hugged Miss Mary and tried to keep her composure. “What happened?”
“We were in her house talking and watching TV. Then all of a sudden, Lo said she felt light-headed. I got up to get her a glass of water. When I came back, she was slumped over on the couch. I couldn’t wake her. I couldn’t get her to…” Miss Mary felt tears threatening and couldn’t go on. “She’s going to be all right,” she finished lamely, although at that moment neither woman believed that was true.
Gwen looked helplessly at the nurse, whose tawny-colored eyes were full of compassion. “I do understand, Miss Smith. But your mother is being examined by two very capable doctors. Just try and stay calm…and maybe say a prayer or two?”
When Gwen’s stormy yet worried facial expression remained unchanged, the nurse stood. “Tell you what. I’ll go in and take a quick peek myself so I can give you a personal update. How’s that?”
Gwen nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Nothing could happen to her mother, not now. She could barely deal with the changes that had already taken place. Gwen turned toward the hall the nurse had gone down and ran a worried hand through her hair.
“It’s okay,” Ransom said, coming up behind her and taking her gently in his arms. For once, she didn’t pull away, but rather turned into his comforting embrace. No words were spoken; none were necessary. At this moment she needed a shoulder to lean on and didn’t care whose. And she wouldn’t dare admit how glad she was that it belonged to the stranger named Ransom.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith?” The warm voice that interrupted the peaceful interlude with its mistaken salutation jerked Gwen back into both the reality of the moment and the inappropriateness of what had just happened. She didn’t want to lead this man on. But that was a matter for later.
“Oh no, we’re not…I mean…yes, I’m Gwen Smith.”
“Dr. Rolette here.”
They shook hands. “How’s my mother?”
“We’re going to have to conduct more tests before we have an answer. For now, her vitals are stabilized and she’s breathing on her own.”
“On her own? You mean—”
The doctor placed a comforting hand on Gwen’s arm. “Your mother wasn’t responsive when the paramedics arrived at her house. They had to use methods to help her breathe until she could do so on her own.”
Gwen’s shoulders slumped and she fought to control the tears. As much as she wanted to fold herself into the hard body standing next to her, that was not an option. She needed to be strong.
Miss Mary sensed Gwen’s vulnerability and took her hand. “What do we need to do?” Mary asked.
“Nothing
