Breaking Free: A Colorado High Country Crossover Novel, Pamela Clare [i can read book club .TXT] 📗

Maybe he did love her.

“You need to focus on getting better. Try not to waste your strength worrying about what comes next.” Kat smiled. “If Jason truly is your half-side, then nothing will keep you apart for long.”

Jason drove through heavy traffic on I-25 toward the hospital, Grandpa Belcourt’s words still running through his mind.

A promise is a sacred thing. So is the love of one’s half-side.

It could be that it’s time for you to break free of your anger toward your sisters so you can consider your path in a new light. Be certain you’re not making decisions out of resentment toward them.

Still, Jason was no closer to having an answer.

He’d spent these past five days driving back and forth between the hospital and the clinic, working with the installers to get Winona’s security system in place, checking in with Dr. Keene and Lexi about the animals at the clinic, and doing his best to keep Winona’s spirits up. But today, after six days in the hospital, Win was coming home.

He parked at the hospital and made his way upstairs to her room, where he found her ready to go. “Someone is eager to get out of here.”

“That someone is me.” She sat in the chair, dressed in a white T-shirt and a purple broomstick skirt he’d brought from home, her leg elevated, her belongings in a plastic hospital bag on the bed. “I’m just waiting for my discharge papers.”

He walked over to her, kissed her, then pulled up another chair to wait with her. “Lexi says hello. That woman could command an army. She gets things done. She had Megs cleaning up fox poop this morning.”

Until Winona’s incisions had healed, she was still vulnerable to infection, so Lexi had made a schedule covering the next six weeks. She had even called the university and asked for an intern or vet to give Dr. Keene a break.

“Megs?” Winona laughed. “I wish I had seen that.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Jason pulled out his cell phone, opened his photo library, and turned the phone so that Winona could see.

She smiled at the image of a glowering Megs with the poop scooper. “Wow. I’m touched. Everyone has been so helpful and kind.”

“The people of Scarlet love you. I’ve seen that for myself.” Jason couldn’t wait for her to see the welcome the town had set up for her.

Even more incredible was the financial support the town had shown. Joe’s donation jar at Knockers had brought in enough to pay for Winona’s rescue flight and her hospital bills. She didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t going to owe a dime. That wasn’t Jason’s news to share, so it would have to wait until later.

He brought her up to date on the security system. “You’ll be able to see on your phone who’s at the doors. If anyone breaks in through a window or a door, it will notify both you and the Scarlet PD. You can leave the clinic’s front door unlocked during business hours or, if you’re alone, set it up so that you have to buzz people in.”

“And how much is this costing the clinic?”

“Nada. I couldn’t even get the man to show me the invoice.”

“Why are the Wests doing this? They already gave the clinic a huge donation.”

“They’re good people.” That’s what everyone had told him, and it had turned out to be true. “I think they feel partly responsible for your being injured.”

“That’s nuts.”

The nurse walked in with papers and a smile. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She went over the discharge instructions with both of them. No baths, but showers were okay provided she kept the incisions dry. Leave the dressing on the incisions for another week. No weight on her injured leg until she was given the okay. A prescription for pain meds. Call her doctor immediately if she got a fever higher than 101 or if her leg became more painful or swollen or there was redness.

“I’ve got it all printed out for you. You can pick up your prescription at the pharmacy downstairs. And here’s your ride now.”

An aide pushed a wheelchair up to the door. “It’s not a limo, but it will do.”

Jason helped Winona into the wheelchair and set her belongings and the discharge papers on her lap. “I’ve got your crutches.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jason was helping Win into the passenger seat of his truck. “Watch your leg.”

He stowed her crutches behind the seat, covertly sending a text message to Chaska telling him they were on their way. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Next stop, Scarlet Springs.”

“Oh, thank goodness!”

They talked for the entire hour-long drive, Jason more at home in her presence than he’d felt with a woman before.

A promise is a sacred thing. So is the love of one’s half-side.

Soon they left the city behind, drove through Boulder and up into the canyon, passing the spot where Hank drove off the highway and getting closer to town.

Jason tried not to give anything away, but he couldn’t get the smile off his face.

Then, there it was—the town limit sign for Scarlet.

He slowed, gave her every chance to spot it on her own.

“It looks like most of the snow has melt… What?! Oh! Do you see that?”

Scarlet Springs Town Limit, Pop. 1,469, Elevation 8,936

Home of Wolf Whisperer Winona Belcourt

“I do.” He chuckled, slowing even more.

It was only a temporary change written on paper and taped to the sign, but it was the thought that counted. And the thought was sincere.

They left the canyon behind and headed into town, Winona’s head turning this way and that, taking in all the balloons and cardboard and paper signs stuck in the windows of homes and businesses and at the ends of driveways.

We love you, Winona!

Winona is our hero!

Heal well, Winona!

“I don’t understand. All I did was step in a stupid trap and hurt myself.”

“You were almost killed while trying to save an innocent animal.”

She