“Because we don’t know when that will happen.” The doctor feigned patience, although his eyes were full of annoyance.
“You just said they were fine.”
“No, I said they appear poised to make a recovery,” he corrected. “We believe they’ll wake up tomorrow. We have no guarantee of that, though. She can’t stay here. We’re not equipped to monitor a teenager and, quite frankly, she’s not our responsibility.”
Hannah opened her mouth, a scathing retort on her lips, but Boone stopped her with a single look.
“Nobody is suggesting that you be responsible for the girl,” Boone reassured him. “I talked to her briefly myself. She’s in getting cleaned up. I’ll handle her placement.”
“I think that’s best,” the doctor replied, shooting Hannah a terse smile before turning on his heel and heading toward the opposite end of the hallway.
“What an uber-douche,” Hannah complained as she watched him go. “I mean ... the douchiest of the douche-y.”
Cooper pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, although he wasn’t entirely successful.
“Just for the record, Angel described seeing a shadow in the road right before the collision,” Boone volunteered in a low voice. “I talked to her right before you guys got here and she was adamant. It sounds like the sort of shadow that might go with a strange lightning bolt.”
Hannah straightened. “What sort of creature is that?”
“I have no idea. I don’t think the accident was an accident, though. I think something else is going on.”
“Well, great.” Hannah rubbed the tender spot between her eyebrows. “It’s been a full two weeks without something weird happening. I guess we’re right on schedule.”
Boone gave her a rueful smile. “I know that this is the last thing you want to deal with, but I don’t see where we have a lot of choice in the matter. We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen.”
“I know.” Hannah let loose a heavy sigh. “I’ll get Jackie and Danielle on research tomorrow. I don’t know what good it will do, but we have to look.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Boone agreed.
“What about Angel, though?” Hannah refused to let it go. “You can’t put her in a home. She’s been through a terrible ordeal.”
Boone was exasperated. “What would you suggest I do?”
“You could ... send her back with us.” The suggestion was out of Hannah’s mouth before she’d even considered how hard that would be to facilitate.
“Absolutely not.” Boone was firm as he shook his head. “You have to be licensed by the state for that, which you’re not. And, before you ask, there are no strings I can pull to skirt the rules on that one. It is what it is.”
“But ... I can’t help thinking about her being all alone in some terrible home. Hasn’t she been through enough?”
Boone stared at her, hard, and then shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
“What’s unbelievable?”
“You. You know exactly what you’re doing.”
“No, I don’t. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Yeah, don’t bother running that one on me.” Boone ran his fingers through his dark hair and then flicked his eyes to Cooper, who looked amused. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you two planned this.”
Hannah remained confused. “Planned what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m licensed by the state to act in a fostering capacity,” Boone replied, his tone weary. “That means I can take her.”
Hannah’s heart soared. “Are you going to do that?”
“It wouldn’t normally be my first choice.”
“But ....”
He was exasperated, but he couldn’t crush her. “But I already have a teenager living under my roof. What’s one more?”
“I don’t think they’re like cats,” Cooper warned.
“I know that. It will be fine. Besides, I’m not all that thrilled with the idea of the girl landing in a home either. It should just be for a few days. How much extra work can she be?”
“You might live to regret asking that question,” Cooper said, his lips curving. “It’s nice to know that you’re still a big softie when it counts, though.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shouldn’t you two be heading back to Casper Creek? I’m going to need to get a report from you tomorrow morning.”
“We can manage that,” Cooper promised. “I’ll have Tyler get breakfast.”
Boone was unnaturally grumpy. “Make it something good.”
“You have my word.”
“Actually, you know what? I’ll handle breakfast. Then I know it will be good.”
“You’re such a trusting soul.”
4
Four
They were both so tired for the ride home that they didn’t speak, instead sitting in companionable silence holding hands. Cooper cast a wayward look toward the converted barn that Tyler called home when they parked in the lot, thinking Hannah might want Jinx for comfort, but the lights were off and the building silent. It was probably for the best, he told himself. She needed sleep. In truth, he did too.
They conducted their evening routine of brushing their teeth — and in Hannah’s case washing her face — without saying a word and then tumbled into bed.
“I’m sorry tonight didn’t work out how you thought it would,” Cooper murmured into her hair as she rolled her head onto his shoulder and cuddled close. “I wish it would’ve turned out differently.”
“I do, too.” Her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t quite ready to relax yet. “It’s okay, though. At least whatever magical thing we’re dealing with today didn’t happen in Casper Creek. I’m considering that a win. In fact, I’m so thankful for it, I’m thinking about throwing a party.”
He laughed at her response, moving his hand over her slim back in an effort to lull her. He wouldn’t be able to sleep until she drifted off, and that didn’t look likely in the next few minutes. “I guess that’s the brighter side of things.”
“It is. On top of that, we have a new bartender. Sure, she could be a murderer, but she’s not one yet and I choose to believe she won’t turn into one.”
“I choose
