She stroked his arm. “You did everything you could, Dash.” She paused. “Erica said Rhett’s in surgery.”
He nodded. “The . . . stalker . . . she also shot him in the head. It was a mess.”
Wynn’s hand gripped her shoulder. All Scarlett could think was how serious the damage must be. Would Rhett be in a coma? Lose his vision?
What if Rhett died?
She couldn’t think about that now.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
Dash sighed. “Knox and London came and took the kids to their house. You know how nurturing she is and Knox is a big old teddy bear. The kids love them. They couldn’t be in better hands.” He gestured down the hall. “Everyone else is in a waiting room.”
“Let’s go,” she prodded.
Dash led the way. Wynn trailed after them. They entered the small room and tears sprang to Scarlett’s eyes the moment she saw Cassie and Carreen holding hands. Scarlett rushed over to them and the three embraced, no words necessary.
“What do we know?”
Cassie wiped away tears and said, “Not much of anything. That’s what has me so upset.”
“I’m so sorry, Cassie,” Scarlett said. “This hospital has been recognized as one of the best orthopedic facilities in the nation. If anyone can put Rhett back together, it’ll be these doctors.”
“That’s what a doctor in the ER told us before they took him,” Carreen said. “It’s just the wait now that we have to get through.” Her sister took a seat and reached for her husband’s hand. Bob took hold of it.
Scarlett glanced around and saw that Sydney was also present and had come to stand next to Dash, her arms wrapped around his waist. Keely and Mac hovered nearby and she went to briefly speak to them.
“I’m so glad they found you,” Keely said. “We were worried when no one could reach you.”
Guilt flooded through Scarlett at having been out of touch. She glanced toward the door, where Wynn stood. He gestured that he was leaving and she quickly went to him.
“You’re in good hands now. Your family and friends are here. I’m going to take off.”
She grabbed his wrist, feeling like it was a lifeline she must hold on to in order to survive what lay ahead. “Do you have to go?”
He gave her a long look. “No.”
“Then stay. Please. I want you here.”
Scarlett not only wanted Wynn to remain. She needed him to stay. Needed his warmth and strength. His dependability. Other than Rhett, she’d never depended on any man. Too many, including her father, had let her down over the years. With this crisis, though, she realized how vulnerable she was. Leaning on Wynn wasn’t just an option.
It was what her heart told her to do.
CHAPTER 14
Scarlett led Wynn over to Carreen and Bob since Wynn hadn’t meet Bob. She doubted Bob would even know who Wynn was, even though he had to be one of the most famous faces on the planet. Bob and Carreen rarely went to a movie, preferring to be homebodies who gardened and played board games.
“Bob, this is Wynn Gallagher.”
Bob stood and shook Wynn’s hand. Carreen offered him a weak smile.
“I’ve only met Rhett recently but he’s been a role model for me my entire career,” Wynn said. “I’m sorry this happened. It’s great he has so many family members and friends here to support him.”
Carreen nodded and turned away. Bob slipped back into his seat and put an arm around her.
Scarlett motioned for Wynn to sit next to Carreen as she took the seat to his right, placing her next to Cassie.
“How are you holding up?” Scarlett asked her sister-in-law.
“I’m in limbo,” Cassie confessed. “Until I hear how Rhett is, I can’t think about anything.”
At that moment, a man and woman wearing scrubs entered the small waiting room. The male said, “Mrs. Corrigan?”
“I’m here.” She stood shakily and Scarlett did the same, worried that Cassie might faint.
“If you’d liked to step into the hallway, we can—”
“Everyone here is family,” Cassie interrupted. “Whatever you have to say, please tell us all.”
Scarlett slipped her hand around Cassie’s and braced for whatever news these doctors revealed.
“I’m Dr. Ramon Pendales, a trauma specialist. I served as an army doctor in the Middle East and am very familiar with ballistic trauma sustained from weapons.” He looked to the woman, who wore her blond hair pulled back from her face and had bright blue eyes. “This is Dr. Lucinda Grady. She’s head of our orthopedic team. We performed the surgery on Mr. Corrigan.”
Dr. Grady said, “The first thing you need to know is your husband came through surgery beautifully and is in recovery now.”
Scarlett squeezed Cassie’s hand.
“He’s in outstanding physical shape,” Dr. Grady noted. “That will help not only in the healing process but with the physical therapy he undergoes. Let us walk you through the injuries he sustained and what the surgery involved and then see if you have any questions.”
“Thank you,” Cassie said, her voice quivering.
“First, civilian handgun bullets don’t travel at near the velocity of military grade,” Dr. Pendales said. “That’s a good thing. The bullet that struck Mr. Corrigan’s knee didn’t fragment. It did tumble, though, as his knee absorbed the energy of the projectile. That did some stretching and tearing of the soft tissue surrounding the knee.”
“The bullet also did some secondary damage,” Dr. Grady continued. “It shattered bone. Making sure we found and removed all of those bone fragments and splinters is what took so long. Your husband’s vital signs remained stable and strong throughout surgery, which is very good.”
“We reviewed film and a CT scan before the surgery, using it to evaluate for bone fractures, soft tissue, and nerve injury,” Dr. Pendales told them. “The top of his patella—the kneecap—sustained the most bone damage. We debrided it and—”
“What’s that?” Cassie asked. “In
