The braying laugh that came out of her was a horrific sound that he hoped never to hear again. “Trust you? Ha. Maybe once I get the report from an investigator.”
He’d really messed up, and he had no idea how to fix it. “If that’s what you want,” he said, trying to keep his voice even.
“I’ll tell you what I want,” she said. “I want you out of my life.”
She seemed like she was about to say more, but a strange look crossed her face, and then she crumpled to the ground.
“Rachel!” He ran to her, hoping she was okay.
When he got to her, she was unconscious, and he couldn’t wake her. At least she was breathing.
As Ty pulled out his phone to dial 911, he prayed with everything he had in him, and he hoped it would be enough.
Why had he waited so long to decide to get tested? All of this was his fault. As much as he hated to admit it, Rachel was right. All the things he’d been doing in the name of protecting her and Ricky were just as bad as the deception he’d accused her of. He should have included them in the discussion about the Bennetts. He should have told Rachel he was getting tested to be a donor, and he should have kept her informed about how they thought he was a match.
Maybe it would have gotten everyone’s hopes up. But maybe they could have all hoped together, and yes, just as Rachel had said, maybe they could have figured out different solutions as a team.
Ultimately, as much as he had accused Rachel of not trusting them, his words were merely a reflection of the problem in his heart.
He just prayed he wasn’t too late in making the realization—and in getting a new kidney for her.
Chapter Twelve
When Rachel woke, she was in a hospital bed surrounded by beeping machines, and as soon as she moved, Wanda’s face was immediately in front of hers.
“Good. You’re awake. Take it easy, but there are some people who’d like to say hi.”
Katie immediately grabbed at her. “Mom. You’re okay.”
Tears filled Rachel’s eyes. She’d always hoped that her daughter would never see her like this. And now, with as much equipment as she was hooked up to, it probably meant she was so sick that she’d stay this way until she got her new kidney. If she got a new kidney.
Where was Ty? She shifted in her bed to look around the room.
She’d said some awful things to him before collapsing, and even though she was still hurt over his actions, she couldn’t die with so much anger between them. She briefly remembered hearing him praying as she faded in and out of consciousness. She didn’t remember his words, but she did remember feeling deeply loved and wishing, even then, that she could take back what she’d said.
She couldn’t see him from her vantage point, so she twisted in another direction and immediately felt a searing pain in her side. But she could see, in the corner, his laptop bag. Surely he was nearby.
“Now, don’t do that,” Ricky said. “You’re supposed to take it easy, and you could hurt yourself.”
If Wanda, Ricky and Katie were here, it had to be really bad. Rachel turned to look at her grandfather. “Where’s Ty? I need to talk to him.”
Wanda and Ricky looked at each other, then back at Rachel.
“He’s not here,” Ricky said. “He had some other things to take care of.”
Other things? Had she just imagined him praying over her? What if she had driven him away for good when she told him she never wanted to see him again?
“Can you get me my phone?” she asked. “It’s important that I talk to him right away.”
Once again Wanda and Ricky exchanged a look, then Ricky said, “He’s not at a place where he can be reached right now.”
That didn’t make any sense, unless he’d gone back to the ranch. But why would he stay at the ranch while everyone else was here? Before she could ask any more questions, Janie came into the room.
“I just wanted to let you all know that—” Janie stopped and looked at Rachel. “Rachel! You’re awake. That’s such great news.”
Even Janie was here. Now she knew it was serious.
“Do you know where Ty is? Ricky and Wanda are acting funny about it, and I need to talk to him. I said some terrible things to him before I collapsed, and I need to make things right with him. I know I’m probably going to die soon, and I’ve made peace with that. But I need to make peace with Ty. I need to know he forgives me.”
Janie looked confused. “Why do you think you’re going to die?”
Rachel raised her arms as best as she could. “Look at me. I collapsed. I haven’t seen the doctor yet, at least as far as I remember, but I already know what he’s going to say. They still don’t have a donor.”
Janie came and sat on the side of Rachel’s bed. “You don’t know?”
Taking Rachel’s hand, Janie continued. “Your new kidney is inside you. They found a donor. They were in the final stages of approval when you collapsed. It couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
She had a kidney?
“Who was my donor?”
Janie looked around the room. Then she shook her head slowly. “We’re not supposed to say. The person wished to remain anonymous, but it’s going to be obvious to you pretty soon. The donor was working on a letter to you to explain. But if you could just trust for now, it will all make sense in the end.”
It already did.
“Ty was my donor, wasn’t he? That was one of the last things he said to me when we were fighting. That I needed to trust him for
