Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge (Sweet Colorado Romance #3)

16. CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 16

Barb

Barb slowly regained consciousness as she was wheeled through the hospital corridors. The sterile smell of antiseptic mixed with the soft hum of medical equipment. Her body ached, and her head pounded as though it had been caught in a vice. Her throat burned with each shallow breath, and her ears throbbed with a dull pain. Every sense felt dulled as if she were submerged underwater, hearing and seeing through a thick fog.

She forced her heavy eyelids open, struggling to focus. Figures in white coats and scrubs blurred around her, their voices distant and muffled. A sense of disorientation overwhelmed her, and she instinctively tried to move, but her limbs felt leaden, unresponsive .

Through the haze, a familiar face came into view. Zac. His dark hair was tousled, his amber eyes intense with worry as they locked onto hers. He was right by her side, his hand resting gently on her arm. "Zac?" she croaked, her voice barely a whisper, hoarse and dry.

"Shh, it's okay, Barb," Zac said softly, leaning closer so she could hear him. His voice was soothing, a lifeline in the sea of confusion. "You're in the hospital. You have a high fever, but you're going to be okay."

She blinked, trying to process his words, but everything seemed to blur together. Her throat ached, her ears buzzed, and the world spun around her. But Zac was here. He was with her. She tried to smile, but it was a weak attempt, and before she could say more, her vision darkened, and she felt herself slipping away. "I'm glad… you're here…" she murmured, her voice trailing off as the fever pulled her back into unconsciousness.

When Barb next opened her eyes, the room was dim, the only light coming from the monitors that beeped softly beside her bed. Her mouth was dry, her throat raw. She tried to swallow, but it felt like she was swallowing shards of glass. "Water…" she whispered, her voice rasping.

Immediately, Zac was there, holding a cup with a straw to her lips. "Slowly, Barb," he murmured, guiding the straw to her mouth. "Just small sips."

She took a tentative sip, the cool liquid soothing her parched throat. She reached for his hand as if he was her lifeline. "Don’t leave me," she whispered, her voice a faint echo in her ears.

Zac squeezed her hand gently, his expression full of tenderness. "I'll never leave you again, my love," he promised, his voice steady and warm, a beacon in the darkness that surrounded her.

Her grip on his hand tightened briefly before the exhaustion took over, and she drifted off once more, his words echoing in her mind.

The next time Barb woke, it was to a bright light being shone in her eyes. She winced, trying to turn away, but a soft, female voice coaxed her back. "Barb, I need you to open your eyes for me," the voice said, gentle but firm .

Barb blinked against the light, her vision slowly adjusting. A woman in a white coat was leaning over her, smiling kindly. "Welcome back," the doctor said, lowering the light and checking her pulse.

Barb's heart leaped in her chest as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on an empty chair by her bed. "Where… where’s Zac?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

The doctor placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "He'll be right back, I promise. I had to practically force him to go get coffee and something to eat. He hasn't left your side since you got here."

Barb let out a shaky breath, her body relaxing slightly. "How long have I been here?" she asked, her voice still weak.

"Since yesterday afternoon," the doctor replied, checking the monitors by Barb's bed.

Barb’s mind raced. "What time is it now?"

The doctor glanced at her watch. "It’s almost six in the evening."

Barb's eyes widened. "I’ve been out for that long? My kids…"

"Calm down," the doctor said gently, placing her hand on Barb’s arm. "Your husband took care of everything. Your only job now is to rest and get better."

Barb felt a warmth spread through her as the doctor injected something into her IV. The tension in her body melted away, and she felt herself drifting off again, the edges of her vision blurring once more.

Barb woke again to the sound of soft breathing beside her. She tried to swallow, her throat still feeling raw but less painful than before. She attempted to sit up, but a firm hand gently pressed her back down.

"Easy there," Zac’s deep, familiar voice said. "You need to lie still. "

She turned her head, and there he was, sitting beside her bed, looking tired but relieved. He held a cup with a straw, bringing it to her lips again. "Here, take another sip."

She obeyed, the water soothing her throat. When she finished, she looked at him, a small smile forming on her lips. "I thought I dreamed you were here."

He returned her smile, his eyes softening. "It wasn’t a dream, Barb. I’m right here."

She reached out and grabbed his hand, needing to feel the warmth of his skin. "What happened?" she asked, her voice stronger than before.

Zac’s expression grew serious. "You collapsed from a high fever. You’re dehydrated, and the virus hit you hard. But you’re going to be okay now." Barb’s mind raced, but before she could ask about the kids, Zac spoke again, his voice calm and reassuring. "The kids are safe. They’re with Paige." He smiled. “Oscar and Rose each drew a get-well card for you.” He pointed to the cards on the table beside her bed. “Nearly everyone from the lodge has sent you flowers. ”

Relief flooded through Barb, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She squeezed Zac’s hand, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you… for being here." Barb’s eyes roved the room where bunches of flowers lined the cabinet on the far wall.

Zac leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "There’s nowhere else I’d be," he whispered, his lips lingering against her skin.

As Barb drifted off again, she held onto his hand, feeling safe as she hated hospitals and especially being left alone in them.

The following day, Barb woke up feeling a lot better and managed to eat breakfast, which was oatmeal with honey. Zac left her for a few hours to go home, shower, and change. He’d been with her since Barb had been admitted and joked about starting to smell and becoming a health hazard in the hospital.

While it was only a couple of hours, Barb began to feel anxious without him there and couldn’t wait for him to get back. When Zac did come back, he brought another card from Oscar, who had included Charlie’ s get-well wishes, too. Barb’s eyes welled with tears as she read the car.

“I’m sorry, Barb,” Zac said, hanging his coat on the back of the door and holding up an overnight bag for her. “The hospital won’t let Oscar in to visit you. He and Charlotte love and miss you. But they’ve been spoiled and loved by their Aunt Paige, who has become very possessive over them and nearly had a fight with Jackie.”

“What?” Barb asked, alarmed.

“It wasn’t a big fight,” Zac explained, storing her bag in the closet on the other side of the room. “Charlotte needed to go for her check-up with your Doctor Reece, and Paige insisted she take her. But they compromised and took Charlotte together.” He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. “I’m afraid to say that I think my sister has a crush on your Doctor Reece.”

Barb gave a nervous laugh. “He’s not my Doctor Reece. He’s just a friend and Charlotte's pediatrician.” She frowned. “I do know that he’d had his heart broken.”

“Then he and Paige are a perfect match,” Zac told her. “Before Paige took a fellowship in Hawaii, she was going to work for NASA with the Hubble Telescope, but she was jilted.”

“Oh, no, that’s awful.” Barb’s heart went out to Paige.

“So Paige took off to Hawaii for a fresh start,” Zac explained. “But now it looks like Boulder University is trying to steal her.”

“I think my uncle works at Boulder,” Barb said.

“Professor Jackson?” Zac asked, and she nodded. “Yes, he does, and he wants my sister to stay and work with him there.”

“Well, if she takes it,” Barb said, “I think she and Doctor Reece would make a perfect pair.”

“You don’t mind?” Zac looked at her curiously.

“Why would I?” Barb asked .

“I just thought that…” Zac cleared his throat. “That you and he were dating.”

“No!” Barb spluttered. “I’ve only just met the man, and he’s Charlotte’s pediatrician. As I plan on staying here and going back to work for Giles, I want to keep him as hers and Oscar's doctor.”

“Phew, that's a relief,” Zac told her. “I was worried as he asked Paige out for dinner as soon as you’re out of the hospital.”

“Why wait for me to get out of here?” Barb asked, confused.

“As I said before,” Zac said with a snort, “my sister is rather possessive over her niece and nephew.”

“Oh!” Barb nodded, a warm feeling growing in her heart. She was glad Oscar and Charlotte would grow up knowing Zac’s side of the family. “Tell Paige I said thank you for looking after them. ”

“I will,” Zac said. “But don’t worry, Jackie is there keeping an eye on Paige to make sure she doesn’t just feed them candy or ice cream,” he teased.

“Oh no!” Barb thought of the bungalow. “I haven’t had a chance to decorate the bungalow for the competition in two days.”

“Don’t worry,” Zac said. “Jackie, Paige, and Doctor Reece have done it under the strict supervision of Oscar, who told them exactly how his mother would want it done.”

Barb laughed, picturing her son taking charge. He could be rather bossy when he wanted to. Her eyes met Zac’s, and her heart skipped a beat—he was just like his father.

“That’s a relief,” Barb said. “And what about the fair and all the Countdown to Christmas fun.” She glanced out the window. “The doctor said she’d tell me this afternoon when she was releasing me.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this,” Zac told her, taking Barb’s hand, “but Paige hasn’t let Oscar miss one competition, and the only time she lets Jackie anywhere near Charlotte is when she’s helping Oscar with one of the challenges.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Do you remember I told you how much Charlotte reminded me of Paige?”

“Yes,” Barb nodded.

“Well, Oscar is exactly like her,” Zac told Barb. “They are so competitive that, teamed together, they’re basically unstoppable.”

“Yes, Oscar can be very competitive,” Barb said, grinning. “I always wondered where he got that from. I’m glad he has your sister to help him. I frustrate him in those competitions. I always feel sorry for the child who is about to lose, so I hold back.”

“Yes, he told Paige that you throw the competition.” Zac laughed.

“Traitor!” Barb feigned being hurt. “I’m glad he’s having fun.” She smiled. “How is Charlotte? What did the doctor say when she went for her check-up? ”

“Paige told me that Doctor Reece is pleased and that your daughter is doing a whole lot better than you are,” Zac teased her again.

“I’m so glad,” Barb told Zac. “I was worried that the kids would get the virus from her, and I didn’t want their Christmas festivities ruined.”

“Instead, you got it,” Zac replied. “The one good thing to come from it is that you got some much-needed rest.”

“Yes, and now I’m ready to go home and help finish setting up the festival,” Barb stated.

“You won’t be setting up any festival for a while,” the doctor said walking into the room with her tablet in hand. “I’m going to be signing your release. But you have to take it easy for a few days, and I want you back in two days for a check-up.”

“Really?” Barb said excitedly. “ I can go home?”

“Yes, but not if you’re just going to go and build a festival,” the doctor told her. “You need to go home and take it easy for at least two more days.”

“But it’s the Countdown to Christmas, the tree lighting, going to the town festival, the start of the Mistletoe one,” Barb told the doctor. “How can I take it easy?”

“You can go to them; just don’t over-exert yourself, or you’ll land up back here,” the doctor warned her, jotting something on her tablet. “You can get dressed, and the nurse will have all your paperwork and medication and make you a follow-up appointment.”

“Is it okay if I take Barb for dinner and walk through the booths in town?” Zac asked the doctor. “Before we go back to the lodge?”

“As long as Barb bundles up warmly,” the doctor told them, smiling. “Take care, and I’ll see you in two days.”

The doctor left them, and Zac stood. Walking to the door, he grabbed his coat. “I’ll go get the paperwork for you while you get dressed.” He grinned. “And don’t worry, Emily packed your bag for you, not me.”

Barb had a quick shower and dressed in jeans, a thermal top, and a sweater with sheepskin-lined boots and thermal socks. She put all her cards in the overnight bag Zac had brought and stopped to look at all the flowers in her room.

She turned and walked to where Zac was getting her paperwork.

“Excuse me,” Barb got the nurse's attention. “Could I ask if you can distribute the flowers in my room to patients who don’t have family visiting them or whomever you think needs them?”

The nurse's face turned up into a warm smile. “That’s very generous of you, Mrs. Shields. I know just who to give them to.”

Twenty minutes later, Herschel took Barb’s bag to the car, and Zac led her down the brightly lit street to an Italian restaurant overlooking the square where the town Christmas market was set up.

“Are you warm?” Zac asked her for the fourth time.

“I’m still as warm as I was the last time you asked.” Barb laughed. “Really, Zac, I’m fine.”

While they were in the restaurant, Zac told Barb about how the booths were coming along from what he’d been able to see when he’d gone back to shower and change. The conversation took an awkward silent turn as they ran out of small talk, and the weight of what had happened between them crashed around them once again.

“Barb, I need to explain what happened,” Zac’s voice was soft. “Please, give me a chance to explain. I know a sorry is not going to miraculously heal all the hurt I caused you. I never expect it to. And like I said before, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I acted on an instinct to protect my family— mainly you and Oscar. ”

“Zac…” Barb tried to stop him, but images of him beside her these past few days flashed through her mind.

“I was ready to go back to Africa,” Zac told her. “So excited to get back to you and Oscar. I was so excited that we could finally return home once the project was done. No more running for you and Oscar. And then Liam got shot, and his bodyguard was killed to keep from telling us who tried to kill Liam.”

“Did the bodyguard know who shot Liam?” Barb found herself being drawn into the story despite her reluctance.

“Yes, I think so,” Zac told her. “He was about to tell me when he was run over.”

“Oh no!” Barb’s hand went over her mouth in disbelief. “Someone actually drove straight for him?”

“Yes.” Zac nodded. “I was on the phone with him.” She saw his eyes darken. “I also learned that Jason Pook had just been stabbed to death in prison, and my first thought was it was in relation to him.”

“So it’s true?” Barb asked. “My uncle’s dead?”

“Yes,” Zac said, nodding. “I rushed to Denver and found my brother's phone. He was getting messages from an anonymous number telling him that he’d better send the disk with the information they asked for, or his family would end up like his bodyguard.”

“The disk that was in my bear?” Barb asked.

“At first, that’s what I thought,” Zac told her. “But in truth, they were looking for the name of your other uncle, your father’s brother, Professor Jackson. It turns out that he, Liam, and Trevor had started a witness protection program of their own with the help of a U.S. Marshal. The people who were threatening my brother wanted to know who Liam was working with.”

“Why?” Barb asked.

“Because there were two sisters who could identify three people who had worked with Jason and we now believe had him killed in prison,” Zac replied.

“Who and why would they want Jason killed?” Barb’s brows knitted together.

“They are three people who have just moved into a position of power and didn’t want it coming out that they worked for Jason,” Zac told them. “The ringleader being your cousin.”

“Cousin?” Barb frowned. “I only have one, and she’s in federal prison.” Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded. “Did she get out?”

“No!” Zac shook his head. “Your other cousin, Jason Pook's son, David Bradley.”

“David Bradley, who’s about to become the Governor of California?” Barb’s eyes widened some more. “He’s Jason’s son?”

“I believe so,” Zac confirmed. “He was working with Liam’s ex-wife and…” His jaw clenched. “Mine and Trevor’s boss, Mark Rogers.”

“Mark?” Barb breathed. “But he was always so supportive and helpful.”

Zac’s eyes filled with compassion, and his voice dropped. “Barb, he was the one that leaked the information to Jason about where to find you that day your parents were killed.”

Barb’s mind reeled at the information. “No!” She stared at Zac in disbelief. “Trevor was suspicious of him. I said it couldn’t be, but after that, Trevor told me to cut all ties with the FBI because we no longer knew who we could trust.”

“Your uncle, Professor Jackson, put Trevor in touch with the U.S. Marshal they’ve been working with,” Zac told him. “You’ll never guess who it is.”

“Liam!” Barb guessed.

“No!” Zac shook his head. “Herschel. My sister's driver and bodyguard.”

“Herschel, who drove us here?” Barb’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” Zac nodded. “My brother’s bodyguard who was killed, Eric, was also a U.S. Marshal, but he’d retired to work for my brother.”

“So David and Sally were tying up loose ends that they thought could identify them,” Barb said, going over the details. “What was on the disk in my ornamental teddy bear?”

“Hard evidence that Sally, David, and Mark were working with Jason Pook,” Zac answered. “They’ve now been arrested. Liam and Courtney went to Montana, where we grew up on a ranch, to tell my parents and my other brother the truth of what happened.”

“They didn’t know that you’d assumed Liam’s identity?” Barb asked in disbelief.

“No.” Zac shook his head. “Courtney and I thought the fewer people who knew, the better and less likely our ruse would fail.”

“I can see the logic and reasoning behind what you did,” Barb said. “But Zac, not telling us could’ve put our lives in more danger. What if I’d have decided to come back here with the kids to look for you and inadvertently walked into the hands of the killers?”

“I thought I had that under control with Priscilla,” Zac admitted. “She was supposed to keep me informed about your movements.” He swallowed. “But I now see she failed to mention a lot of things to me.”

“I asked Priscilla not to tell anyone about Charlotte,” Barb told him. “She mentioned that she was your brother’s attorney, and I told her not to say anything.”

“I understand,” Zac said, but Barb’s heart squeezed when he saw the pain in his eyes.

“Zac, you broke my heart, and the worst part, you nearly broke Oscar’s, too.” Barb swallowed the fresh tears stinging the back of her eyes. “But he wouldn’t give up hope, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him my fears and suspicions.”

“I’m so sorry, Barb.” Zac’s voice dropped to a husky whisper. “It was never my intention to hurt you. I was trying to protect you and Oscar. I would do that with my life and at any cost. And I’m sorry to say, but I don’t think I’d do anything different if I had to make the choice again.” His eyes held hers. “Barb, I didn’t know who I could trust. I immediately had all our phones taken away and locked up in case they’d been compromised. ”

“I understand,” Barb said, and she really did, but it didn’t fix how she felt or the pain it had caused. That was still going to take time.

“I love you, Barb,” Zac told her. “You and the kids are my world, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to trust me and love me again.”

“Zac, I never stopped loving you,” Barb admitted. “I just don’t trust you anymore even though I know in your heart you did what you did to protect us. You made all the decisions and took all my choices away from me," Barb finished, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions. “We’re supposed to be a team, Zac.”

Zac winced at her words as if each one was a physical blow. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "I know, Barb. I made a rash decision that I deeply regret. I thought I was doing what was best, but I can see now that I was wrong. I should have found a way to tell you and include you in what was happening. But I was terrified that even a small slip could endanger you and Oscar."

Barb sighed, her heart conflicted. She wanted to be angry, wanted to lash out at him for the fear and loneliness she had endured, but she could also see the torment in his eyes. She knew he had suffered, too, carrying the burden of protecting his family while deceiving them.

"Zac, you were put in an impossible situation, and I can see that. But trust is something that, once broken, takes time to rebuild." Barb left her hand in his warm one. She’d missed his touch.

Zac nodded, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or to trust me completely again overnight. But I promise you, Barb, I will do whatever it takes to earn that trust back. I’ve even resigned from the FBI, and I’ve taken the job of Giles’s head of security."

Barb felt a tiny flicker of hope, but it was faint, overshadowed by the hurt that still lingered. "I want to get back to where we were, but it’s going to take time."

"I understand," Zac said softly. "And I’m willing to wait as long as it takes. Just know that I’m here for you, and I’m not going anywhere. "

Barb nodded, squeezing his hand gently. "I guess that’s all we can do for now. Take it one day at a time."

Zac leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to her hand. "One day at a time," he echoed. "And I’ll spend every one of those days proving to you that you and the kids are my priority."

Barb closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. Despite everything, she still loved him deeply. But love alone wasn’t enough. They needed to rebuild what had been broken.