Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Harlow knew Raine was only there to support her. “Honey, this can wait. I can call Guadalupe and tell her we’ll get together next week. I’ll ask her ahead of time to research the property title and see who actually owns it.”
Raine shook her head, but her gaze clung to Rush. “No, this is a good first step for me. There are two nurses here, and all of you are my friends. It’s a familiar and safe environment. I have to get back to being me. I want to do this.”
She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself instead of them. But Harlow decided Raine did need this first step. Rush would never have allowed her to even try it if he didn’t think being with her friends would do her good. Harlow realized that Raine gave Rush a hard time, but she wanted him close. She relied on him, terrified she really would lose her leg. It was one thing to try to be logical and another to believe it might actually happen.
Rush was the one person Raine knew was committed to saving her leg. He was willing to put the time and energy into her aftercare. Harlow hadn’t considered Raine would be terrified until that very moment. Raine had been independent. She was very much a loner, but everything had changed in an instant. She’d suffered for well over a year in an effort to save her leg, and she must have been terrified the entire time. She’d had to lean heavily on Rush with this fresh break, and it was natural that Raine still leaned on him. It was just that that vulnerability was so unlike Raine that it came as a shock.
“I’ll be close,” Rush reiterated. He turned, his eyes meeting Harlow’s. He gave the slightest jerk of his chin, and as he walked from the room, Harlow trailed after him. She had a bad taste in her mouth. Guilt was very hard to swallow.
“I never should have agreed to go climbing with her,” she said when Rush paused in the hallway.
“Actually, it was a good thing she went climbing and fell,” Rush said. “She had a major infection once again, and it would have eaten the bone from the inside. I should have been far more aggressive with my aftercare instead of leaving it to others. That’s not going to happen this time. We came too close to losing her. It wouldn’t have just been her leg; we would have lost Raine. She has a difficult time being so fragile. I’ll watch her closely from the security room, but you’re going to be right there with her. Pay close attention and watch for signs of sudden exhaustion. It comes on fast. One minute she’ll be fine and the next she can barely move. That’s going to embarrass her.”
“We’re her friends,” Harlow pointed out. “We love her, Rush.”
“She doesn’t think of herself as the same person. She’s a little lost right now. She thinks you love who she used to be, not who she is now.”
“That’s silly.”
“Nevertheless, it’s true. When people suffer brain injuries, it changes them. Athletes, singers, actors, people living their lives in the spotlight, suddenly losing a part of themselves, often lose who they are. Raine expects to be rejected, and this is a major crisis for her.”
Harlow understood what he was saying. “Raine has always stood with us, no matter how bad it got. We’ll do the same for her.” She loved Raine and thought of her as a sister. Maybe she wasn’t blood, but she was a sister of the heart. For Harlow, those ties were as binding or more so.
Rush nodded and continued down the hall toward the security room. No doubt Rainier was already there. Harlow turned back toward the great room. She could see Daisy settling on Raine’s lap, something that made her a little nervous. Rush hadn’t said anything about the dog stepping on Raine’s injured leg. Harlow knew the little Jack Russell had very small paws, and when she pressed her weight into you, those paws could hurt.
She entered the room, deliberately looking at her watch. “Guadalupe will be here in a few minutes. Raine put in time trying to find out as much as she could about her. Thank you so much, Raine. I know you weren’t feeling good, and you still went out of your way to help me.”
Raine sent her a tentative smile. “I was very happy to have something to occupy my time. In any case, I was able to get my laptop back. I felt helpless without it, although in the beginning, I mostly slept.”
“Sleep is the best thing for you,” Vienna chimed in as she seated herself in one of the cuddle chairs facing Raine.
“Have you heard from Zale?” Zahra asked.