“It’s a miracle,” Tripp replied, so damned happy and relieved for his pain-in-the-ass sister. He couldn’t get his eyeballs to man up and quit leaking, damn it!
Suddenly, Ashley had both arms around his neck and his forehead rested on her shoulder, while he quietly fell apart. Until then, Tripp hadn’t realized how worried he’d been that he’d lose Trish. Or how much he loved her. Trish always had the knack of making him angry. But yeah. He loved his twin more than he’d ever tell the brat.
“How will Andy get over here?” Ashley asked.
“I’ll go get her,” Zack volunteered. “Sit tight, folks. I’ll be right back.”
Tripp glanced sideways at his twin. Trish was fingering the bandage on her neck. “I don’t want to tell her what happened,” he whispered after Zack left.
Ashley snuggled into him, her fingertips on his collarbone. “Why not? It’s a miracle. She’s lucky to be alive.”
“But I don’t want to scare her.”
“Well, my goodness. Look at you!” Gracie exclaimed from the open doorway “Hi, Trish! My name’s Gracie Armstrong. I’m your rehab therapist, nurse, and mentor. Basically, I’m here to help you get back on your feet. I brought you a get-well-quick present.” She placed an electronic tablet on the nightstand near Trish’s hand. “It’ll help you communicate until you learn how to talk again. You can even play games on it or listen to music.”
Gracie was one of those forever optimists, the kind of caregiver a patient wanted in their corner when they faced an uphill battle. She’d already proven to be a rock of positivity with Tripp, Andy, and Ashley. Watching her interact with Trish did Tripp’s nervous heart good.
Trish patted her bandaged throat, her eyes wide and her lips moving, but no sound coming out.
“That’s where your doctor performed a tracheotomy to help you breathe. You were assaulted, sweetheart,” Gracie explained as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Some awful man tried to kill you. Do you remember anything?”
Trish shook her head.
“But Tripp and his guys shot that guy,” Ashley explained quietly. “He’s dead now, Trish. That jerk can’t ever hurt you again. You’re a survivor like me.”
When Trish squeezed her eyes shut and her lips pinched, Tripp knew she was struggling with her new reality. He tugged Ashley into his side and let Gracie take over. She knew best how to help his twin understand what had happened to her. Trish had survived one hell of an attack, but this was her second chance—if she was smart enough to take it.
“Hey, listen. Why don’t you and Gracie get better acquainted, while we grab a bite of lunch,” Tripp told his twin. “Mom’s on her way. We’ll be right back.”
But Trish wasn’t having that. Shaking her head, she waved frantically for him to stay. Her eyes were bright and panicked.
Tripp never thought he’d see the day she would admit she needed him. He was at her side in a heartbeat. The moment he drew close, Trish latched onto his hand and pulled him down to her face. Like a drowning woman, she wrapped one arm around his neck, her chest heaving as she buried her face in his shirt.
Gracie moved out of his way and let Tripp settle beside his sister. He gathered her under his chin. “Hey, kiddo,” he breathed. “You’re alive, and you’re going to be okay. Yeah, some idiot thought he could take you down, but you showed him. You’re one helluva fighter. I’m proud of you.”
She made a desperate sound deep in her throat, and her heart was pounding like a hummingbird was caught in her chest.
“Will she really be able to talk again?” he asked Gracie.
She crossed her arms over her chest, smiling, and her eyes on Trish. “It’ll be hard, girlfriend, but I know a couple really good speech therapists, and with enough practice… Yeah. I’ve seen people overcome damaged vocal cords before. Plus, Doctor Pitt is one of the best thoracic specialists on the East Coast. If he says you’ll recover, then trust me. It’s a done deal.”
Tripp patted his twin’s back, something he hadn’t done in years. “And I’ll be here every day until you’re back on your feet. Mom and Ashley, too. Oh, yeah.” He motioned Ashley to join him on the edge of the bed. “Almost forgot. This is my girlfriend, Ashley Cox.”
Blinking furiously up at her brother, Trish stabbed her finger at her stoma.
“I know. That rat bastard cut your throat, kiddo. He meant to kill you, and by all accounts, you should be dead. But instead, he’s kicking up daisies, Pooh Bear. Not you. Look at you, still ready to kick the world’s ass.”
There was no sparkle of hope in her eyes. She didn’t believe him.
“It’s okay to be scared, Trish,” Ashley offered extra-quietly. “That same guy tried to kill me two years ago. I was scared for a long time. So scared, I kinda forgot how to live. But if a scaredy-cat like me can learn to fight back, I know Tripp’s badass sister can, too. One of his friends is teaching me how to box and about self-defense. Maybe we could spar together sometime.”
Still cowering under Tripp’s chin, Trish shook her head the slightest bit. This was a side of her he’d never seen.
“Oh, yes, you most definitely are badass, girlfriend,” Ashley teased. “Tripp’s been telling me stories about you guys growing up in Idaho. How you glued his coffee cup to the kitchen table one morning before school, and how he nearly jerked his throwing arm out of its socket trying to pick it up. How you put a plastic skull in the microwave one morning, so he’d find it when he fixed his oatmeal, and how he screamed like a girl.”
The corners of Trish’s lips curled.
“You’ve always been a pain in my ass. Don’t stop now,” Tripp added gently.
Another ragged cough escaped her.
He hugged his sister carefully. “We’re just going down the block to a pub for lunch. Want me
