Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) (24 page)

“People in the future know nothing about time travel, either. She didn’t believe me, so I’m sure it must have been quite a shock to her when she actually ended up here. I told her to find you. She knows these mountains from her time. She comes here on what she calls backpacking trips. It’s hard to explain, but the lives of people in the future are vastly different from what we know, and they have countless inventions that make life easy for them. To escape their normal lives, people in the future go on trips they call vacations. Aimee enjoys going out into the wilderness, what’s left of it in her time, to live a little as we do in this time. I thought to give her the opportunity to experience what it’s truly like.”

“She knew about me?” Daniel asked. His throat went dry.

His father nodded. “I told her your story, and to find you. I knew you’d keep her safe while she was here.”

Daniel’s heart sank to his gut. Hadn’t he known that Aimee kept things from him? He kept telling himself if he loved her enough, she wouldn’t lie to him anymore. She had become the woman of his heart, and he had been sure she loved him, too.

Her words of love, and the way she gave herself to him, made love to him, had been very convincing. Could it have all been a lie? Had she just considered him part of her wilderness experience? He had opened his heart, even told her he had been deceived by a lying white woman once before. And all along, she had known she would be going back to her time. She didn’t even have the courage to face him in the end and bid him farewell. How did he let this happen? How could he have allowed himself to be used and deceived by a white woman a second time?

He stood abruptly and kicked dirt onto the fire. There was still daylight left.

“Let’s go, father. I wish to return to the cabin. We have a lot of winter preparations left to make.” He picked up his Bighorn bow and rifle, and headed out into the forest. He didn’t wait to see if his father followed.

****

 The older man stared after him. With a twinge of guilt, Zach sighed and heaved himself off the ground. He had left out some important bits of information. This was for the best, he convinced himself. If he told Daniel that Aimee had begged him not to send her back to her time, what would Daniel do? Insist on bringing her back? No, it was best this way. Miss Donovan was safely back in her time, and Daniel would forget about her soon enough.

Chapter 22

California, present day

For all outward appearances, Aimee seemed to have resigned herself to her former life. She went to work each day, performed her duties without flaw, and even went out socially with her co-workers as before. Jana knew better, however. Aimee was no longer the fun-loving socialite she had been. She went out, but she was always far away, never quite part of the conversations around her. She would often hear Aimee cry out for Daniel in her sleep, and knew that Aimee cried a lot when she thought she was alone. Jana never brought it up, and hoped that time would heal her friend’s wounds. Brad had been polite and unusually friendly. He called and stopped by the condo often. He asked Aimee out on dates almost weekly, but she turned him down each time.

One evening, eight weeks after Aimee returned from her trip into the past, Jana’s desk phone rang. She sat at the nurse’s station in the surgical recovery unit, charting some long overdue patient information.

“Hey, Jana.” Aimee’s voice sounded tired. “I’m heading home now, just wanted to let you know.”

“Okay,” she said. “My shift doesn’t end for a couple more hours. Do you want to rent a movie and order some Chinese for when I get home?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure,” Aimee responded halfheartedly.

“What’s wrong?” Jana didn’t like the sad tone in Aimee’s voice. Things had been much better lately, or so she thought.

“I’m just tired,” Aimee sighed. “Long shift, and Ashwell was in rare form today . . . It’ll be two months today,” she added in a solemn whisper.

Jana inhaled a deep breath. “Well, go home and get some rest. I’ll pick up dinner and a movie. You don’t have to.”

She stared at her phone for a moment after they’d said their goodbyes. How much longer was Aimee going to grieve? Jana had even thought about talking her into getting a prescription for anti-depressants, but thought better of it. If things didn’t change soon, she would reconsider. Her focus returned to her charts. A half hour later, a couple of nurses walked through the recovery area toward the surgical rooms.

“Hey, Jana,” one of them greeted.

“I thought all the surgeries were done for the day,” Jana called out.

“Yeah, well, ER is sending someone up. I think it’s a stabbing victim.”

“What surgeon is on call?”

“Dr. Bigsby’s been paged.”

“Well, hope it doesn’t take too long.” Jana turned her attention back to her charts. Moments later, her phone rang.

“Recovery,” Jana answered.

“Mary in ER,” the voice on the other line said. “You’re Aimee Donovan’s roommate, right?”

“Yeah,” Jana answered.

“Do you know if she left for the day, or is she still in the building?”

She’s probably soaking in the shower right now.
“She’s not here anymore. Are you guys short-staffed?”

“As always, but that’s beside the point. There’s a man here insisting he needs to talk to Aimee, and wants me to tell him where she lives.”

“What man?” Jana frowned.

“His name is Zach Osborne.”

Jana’s heart leapt into her throat.

“I’ll be right down,” she said and hung up the phone. “I gotta go, Linda,” she yelled at her astonished co-worker. She ran down the hall and frantically pushed the down button on the elevator. “Come on, come on,” she said between gritted teeth. Her body shook violently from the adrenaline rush of hearing that familiar name. The elevator door opened and she sprang in, pushing the button to the first floor.

Jana was usually a lot more reserved. Bold and assertive definitely did not describe her. However, anger welled up inside her as she thought about everything her best friend had endured in recent months.

Like a bird of prey, she swooped into the crowded emergency room and rushed to the nurse’s station. She paid no attention to the chaos around her. Her sole focus rested on the man talking animatedly with the nurse at the desk. She had no doubt who he was. The fringed leather pants gave him away.

“How dare you!” Jana practically shouted at him. Her voice cracked nervously, and she stopped in front of Zach Osborne. He turned to her in surprise. Mary at the desk stared wide-eyed from Jana to the man.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked, a haggard, tired look on his face.

“How dare you come here again and want to speak to Aimee!” Jana shouted. “Haven’t you messed up her life enough?” She inhaled a deep breath for courage. Her heart pounded fiercely, and her face flushed hot with anger.

“I never meant to hurt her,” Zach said in a quiet voice. “Please, if you know where she is, I need to talk to her. My boy . . .” His voice cracked.  Jana stared.  He pointed to where all the commotion was coming from. Jana looked to see nurses and Dr. Ashwell working over a patient. Blood was everywhere.

“I thought if he sees her, he’ll fight,” Zach said.

Jana’s eyes darted back to the older man. The worn look of worry and anguish on his face gripped at her heart.

“That’s the stabbing victim we’re sending up to surgery,” Mary chimed in helpfully.

“That’s Daniel? Aimee’s Daniel?” Jana asked in disbelief. At that moment, the team working on the patient wheeled the bed out of the cubicle and toward the elevators.

“They’re headed to the OR,” Jana said. “What happened? Aimee told me all about her trip,” Jana added in a hushed tone when she noticed him hesitate. She motioned for Zach to follow her to a quiet corner.

“He’s been looking for Aimee for days,” Zach said. “I went after him, and finally talked him into calling off the search. On our way back to our cabin, we were surprised by a party of Blackfoot.” The older man wiped a hand over his face.

“Days?” Jana shook her head, trying to understand. “Aimee’s been back here for two months.”

“Less than a week has passed in our time,” Zach said, his voice raspy. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“Okay. Let me call Aimee,” she said. “One of the best surgeons here is working on your son. If anyone can save him, it’ll be Dr. Bigsby.” She pulled her phone from her back pocket, and pressed the speed dial to Aimee’s cell phone.

“Come on, answer,” she said impatiently. When the voicemail picked up, Jana hung up and dialed again. This time, someone picked up.

“Get down here now,” she ordered before Aimee even had the chance to say hello.

“What? I just got out of the shower,” Aimee protested on the other end of the line.

“You need to get down here now,” she insisted again. “I’m standing right next to Zach Osborne.”

There was silence on the other end, then a loud clanking noise. The phone must have fallen to the ground. “Aimee? Aimee!” Jana yelled.

“I’m . . . here,” Aimee’s voice sounded weak and shaky. “Daniel?”

Jana took a deep breath. “You need to get down here. He’s alive, but it’s bad.” The call disconnected.

“She’s on her way,” Jana said.

Zach looked around. “Where did they take my boy?” he asked.

“They took him to surgery. They are no doubt operating on him as we speak,” Jana said. She walked back over to Mary at the nurse’s station, who raised her eyebrows in a questioning look.

“When Aimee Donovan shows up, tell her to meet us in ICU,” Jana said. “Come with me, Mr. Osborne.” She turned to Zach. He followed her to the elevator. “You can stay in the waiting area in the ICU. They’ll get you when he’s out of surgery.”

Zach nodded wordlessly.

Jana hurried to the operating suites, grabbed a facial mask, and walked in.

“How bad?” she asked no one in particular.

“Someone butchered this guy,” one of the nurses said.

“Dr. Bigsby?” Jana formally addressed Brad, who was focused on tying off a bleeder. Without looking up, Brad said, “He might make it. What’s up, Jana?”

“Nothing, I just wondered about the patient.”

“We’ll be a while,” Brad said. “Scrub in if you want to help.”

“I think I’ll pass on this one,” Jana said. She left the operating suite. Anxiously, she waited for Aimee. She didn’t need to wait long. Not fifteen minutes passed when the elevator at the end of the hall dinged, and Aimee flew out the doors. Jana headed her off before she could barge through to the operating rooms.

“Hang on, you can’t just charge in,” she said, and grabbed a hold of Aimee’s arm.

“How is he?” Aimee’s work scrub top had soaked up the water from her dripping wet hair.

“Do you want to see Zach?” Jana asked. “He’s in the waiting room.”

“How’s Daniel? Who’s operating on him?”

“Brad.”

“Oh my God!” Aimee’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth.

“That’s what I thought, too. But he’s in the best hands. As long as you don’t barge in there and Brad figures out the man whose life he’s saving is his biggest competition for you.” Jana said meaningfully. “His scalpel might slip with that knowledge.”

“I see your point,” Aimee said. “How long have they been in surgery?”

“Since I called you. Hey, why don’t you go sit with Mr. Osborne? He’s in the waiting room,” Jana suggested. When Aimee looked as though she was about to object, Jana said, “I’ll go with you. At least you can get the scoop on what happened.”

****

Aimee entered the waiting room ahead of Jana. Zach sat on a couch. His elbows rested on his knees, and his head was bent low. The muffled sounds of gunfire and screeching tires from a show that played on a television set that hung on the wall created the only sound in the room. Zach looked up, and scrambled to his feet.

“Aimee, I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done,” Zach said. His face looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot. She stared at him. His appearance was different from the man she’d first met five months ago, and from their last meeting when he sent her home.

“Spare me.” Aimee’s voice was ice cold as she stared at him. “You forced me to come back here when I begged you to let me stay. I love Daniel, and he loves me, and I told you that, but you wouldn’t listen. So why did you come back here? I thought you would have destroyed the device by now.”

“I’ve brought Daniel back to save his life. He would have died. It’s all my fault, too. I don’t want to lose my son because of my stupidity, the way I lost his mother. That’s why I came back.”

She kept staring, unflinching. “What happened after I left?” she asked coldly.

“Daniel searched for you when we met up in the woods two days after I sent you home. I offered to help him with the search.” Zach paused, his eyes pleading for understanding. Clearing his throat, he continued, “On the fourth day, I couldn’t keep up the lie anymore. I told him everything – about you, and about him.”

Aimee tried to picture that conversation. What must have gone through Daniel’s mind at finally hearing the circumstances of his birth? How did he take the news about her? An icy sensation flowed through her. She’d never been honest with him. Now he knew the truth. Did it matter? Did he still care about her?

“How did he react to what you told him?” she asked almost fearfully.

“He didn’t take it too well. He really didn’t say much after I finished. He broke camp and headed home.”

 Aimee drew in a sharp breath. Daniel had to forgive her. She had to make him see that she’d had no choice when she disappeared from his life; that she never wanted to hurt him.