Читать книгу Night Hawk онлайн | страница 47

“I feel love is the greatest healer of all,” Kai said quietly, holding Cat’s worried look. “I mean, I don’t know if there is love between them or not, but loving care makes the difference.” She ought to know. She’d reached out, opened her arms to Gil, who was clearly suffering and in anguish, and helped him. She saw Cat’s face soften and become pensive.

“Love is the greatest of healers. You’re right.” She lifted her chin. “My husband was very wounded in so many ways as a SEAL operator. He came home to a mess with Sandy. She’d given up hope and refused any more treatment to stop the return of her cancer. He was dealing with a lot. I just happened to walk into the picture at that moment.”

Kai studied Cat, the silence ebbing gently between them. “But you fell in love with Talon?”

“I did, but I didn’t want to. I’d screwed up my life, too. I didn’t want to involve Talon in it.”

“I think life is messy at best,” Kai muttered distastefully.

Laughing a little, Cat nodded. “No argument there. The good news is that we’re starting to get a workable foundation under us to bring the Triple H back into great shape.”

“Gil said the ranch went into a state of disrepair for nine years.”

‘Yeah. Easterners bought it, one after another playing cowboy, and they knew nothing at all,” she said grimly, wrapping her arms around her chest. “I can’t tell you how many times Sandy cried over the guilt of having to sell their family ranch for her medical bills. It was a horrible, stressful burden on her.”

“Guilt is a bitch,” Kai agreed, just as grim. “But she’s better now? Coming back home?”

“Yes. The doctors cleared her a month ago, proclaimed her free of cancer. Again.” Cat shook her head. “I just keep praying it stays away this time.”

“Don’t you think that the shock of having to sell her ranch brought it back a second time?”

Giving her a searching look, Cat said, “Funny, I always thought the same thing. I mean, I never talked to Sandy or Talon about it.”

“But you’re a paramedic. You see how shock devastates a person on every level.”