I’ll enjoy women after her.

I stop next to my car and shake my head before opening the door and lowering myself inside.

The thought of other women does nothing for me except turn my stomach.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and frown when I realize the sound had been off. Four missed calls from Beau, all over two hours ago.

He can be damn annoying.

I punch the button for voice mail and pull out of the shipyard.

“Eli, Savannah and I are on the way to the hospital. Something’s happened to Kate.” My heart stills, then trips over. “I’m not sure what’s happening. Where are you?”

The next message fifteen minutes later: “I’m almost to the hospital. Answer your fucking phone.”

I floor the accelerator and try to call Beau, but it goes straight to voice mail, as does Savannah’s phone.

What the fuck has happened to Kate? Panic sweeps through me, picturing her broken and hurt in a hospital bed. Sweet, loving Kate is the last person on this Earth that deserves to be hurt. She’s so damn good.

Living in a world without her is incomprehensible, even if she’s not mine.

And she can’t ever be mine.

But she’d sure as fuck better be okay.

I find parking, run into the hospital and ask for Kate’s room number, rushing away as soon as the numbers are out of the receptionist’s mouth.

It seems to take forever to find Kate’s room, and just as I walk through the door, I see Kate reach up to Beau standing next to her, place her hand on the back of his neck, and pull his ear down to her lips.

“Hey, wrong brother—”

Beau puts a finger up, stopping me. Savannah and Lila are listening closely.

“Go ahead, Kate. What is it?” he says softly.

“Hilary,” we all hear her rasp. “Not Mr. Rudolph. She stole the money, gave me peanuts. I have proof.”

We all gather around her. I grip her leg, thankful that she’s alive, but fucking pissed at how swollen her beautiful face is. She looks like she went ten rounds with the devil himself.

“Enough for me to go have her arrested now?” Beau asks anxiously. Kate nods, and Beau kisses her forehead and leaves immediately, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he hurries out.

“What’s happened?” I ask Savannah and Lila, as I take Beau’s place next to Kate. Her hand is small and warm in mine. “Are you okay, cher?”

“Wanted you,” she says.

“Don’t talk,” Lila says soothingly. “Someone, Hilary, slipped her peanuts. She’s very allergic.”

“We told Hilary that at girls’ night out,” Savannah adds with mutiny in her eyes. “That little bitch knew exactly what she was doing.”

“Lunch,” Kate adds.

“She brought you lunch?” Lila asks and Kate nods. I brush her hair off her forehead and cheeks, kissing her lightly. I can’t stop touching her, reassuring myself that she’s okay.

“Thank God for Mr. Rudolph,” Savannah adds. “He walked in just as the reaction happened. Her airway closed up. He called the EMT’s and they brought her here. She’s been sleeping since I arrived, and her tongue is just now small enough for her to talk.”

“I knew I didn’t like that woman,” Lila adds.

“Sleepy,” Kate says.

“Sleep, baby,” I whisper in her ear. She tightens her grip on my hand. “I’m right here. I’m not leaving. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

She nods and slips into sleep.

“I’m going to make that woman’s life a living hell,” I announce calmly.

“Good,” Lila says. “I’m going to go call Rhys and her parents. I’ll be back.”

Lila leaves and Savannah leans back in her chair and watches me quietly for a long minute.

“You’re in love with her.”

“I love her so much I can’t breathe,” I admit, surprised. “I think I just figured that out.”

“But you’re still going to let her leave.” It’s not a question. I glance up and hold my sister’s gaze for a moment, then look back at the sweet woman lying in this bed.

“I am,” I reply quietly.

“Eli—”

“It’s the way it should be. She deserves so much more than me, Van. I am a toxic, broken asshole.”

“Well, the asshole part is true enough, but the rest? No, you’re not, Eli. You’re one of the best people I know.”

I shake my head and kiss Kate’s hand. “No, I’m not. I’m your brother. You’re supposed to think that.”

“No, you’re wrong there,” she replies. “But I’m not going to fight you on this today. It’ll keep.”

We sit in silence, watching Kate sleep. She’s so still. Lila returns, and not long after, Declan. He looks as distraught as I feel when he lays his lips on her forehead and kisses her softly, whispering how sorry he is, how we all love her, that she’s going to be okay.

Words I should have said.

“Love you too,” she whispers to Dec and opens her eyes.

“You’re awake?” Dec asks.

“Hard to sleep with you hanging on me,” she says, making Dec laugh.

“May I please come in?” Mr. Rudolph is at the door, looking shy and uncomfortable. I stand and shake his hand.

“Thank you. For everything.”

He nods and approaches the bed, smiling kindly at Kate. “I see that you’re feeling better.”