Marine's Mission - Rebecca Deel Page 0,7
convinced Toni to ride with you.” And endangered herself to protect her friend.
“Tire stores weren’t open. I was spooked and wanted to get behind locked doors at the B & B. I planned to call you tonight and ask you to come talk to Toni.”
He tapped the tip of her nose lightly. “If something like that happens again, go back to the restaurant or another crowded place and call me immediately.”
“You won’t always be available, Owen.”
True, especially if he was on a mission with his brothers. “If I’m deployed, I’ll make sure you have someone to call who will help you. What happened on Highway 96?”
While Gigi recounted the story of how the aggressive driver in a black truck slammed into her SUV, forcing her off the road and down the muddy embankment, Owen’s anger stoked higher and higher. The idiot driving the truck could have killed Gigi and Toni. If Toni wasn’t thrown clear of the SUV, she could be dazed and confused and possibly wandered away on her own, or someone forced her into a vehicle and drove off, leaving Gigi alone in the SUV.
Adrienne returned to the exam room. “Time to see if the numbing gel did its job.” A moment later, she said, “We’re good to go.” The intern looked at Owen. “Do you want to step into the hall?”
He shook his head.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to pass out.”
Owen’s lips curved. “I’ll be fine.” He’d stitched himself and his buddies on the battlefield while under fire more than once over the years. Although it bothered him that the recipient of the stitches was the woman he adored, Owen refused to leave Gigi alone with the intern. He doubted Adrienne would harm G, but he wasn’t taking that chance.
“Suit yourself. If you start to feel faint, sit down. I don’t want to stitch you up if you collapse and hurt yourself.”
Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. A little blood and a cut were nothing compared to the horrific wounds he’d seen over the years.
Adrienne washed her hands again and tugged on a fresh pair of gloves. “You ready, Ms. Warren?”
“Let’s get this over with.”
“Shouldn’t take me long to get you fixed up. After I stitch your cut, one of the orderlies will take you for the CT scan, then you can rest. Hopefully, tomorrow Dr. Cruz, the floor doctor, will release you.”
“Gigi has a bad headache,” Owen said. “Did the doctor prescribe medication for her?”
“I’ll check Ms. Warren’s file. If he didn’t prescribe pain meds, I’ll track down Dr. Cruz and request the medication.”
Gigi’s grip tightened on Owen’s hand when the intern began to stitch the wound. “Are you glad to be finished with your training, Owen?” She kept her gaze locked on him.
“Oh, yeah. I missed the ranch and my job.” He’d missed Gigi.
“The training was good?”
He appreciated her careful questions. If she agreed to date him, she’d have to continue to be cautious in answering questions about him and his work. The caution would keep her safe as well as Owen. “Very. The trainers are the best I’ve worked with.”
“Was it hard?”
“More difficult than my previous training. I’ll share more details when you’re feeling better.” And when they didn’t have an audience listening to their conversation.
“Emma missed David so much.”
Had Gigi missed Owen as much as he’d missed her? “Even though David talked to her every night, he still missed her something fierce.” Like Owen had missed Gigi.
Minutes later, the intern straightened, disposed of the medical detritus, and tugged off her gloves. “Congratulations, Ms. Warren. You’re the proud owner of fifteen stitches.”
“Lucky me.”
Adrienne smiled. “Follow up with your regular doctor in two weeks. We’ll send you home tomorrow with a list of instructions.” She walked to a laptop on the counter. After a moment, she said, “Dr. Overton prescribed pain meds for you, Ms. Warren. A nurse will bring them to you once you’re settled in your room.”
When the orderly arrived with a wheelchair, Owen lifted Gigi into his arms and placed her in the chair himself. He knew Jason and trusted him, but this was Gigi. Owen wanted to be the one to help her.
He and Caleb trailed behind Gigi and Jason to the imaging center and stood outside in the hall while the technician ran the scan. After updating Caleb, Owen called David and updated him on Gigi’s interview. “Did you find Toni?”
“No. Levi and I searched the area and came up with nothing.” David’s frustration came through