Hard Ride, Part 3 by Opal Carew Page A

helplessly.
    â€œLiv,” Shock said softly, “why don’t we go now?”
    Why? Maybe if she stayed here—if she ignored the call from the hospital altogether—she could make herself believe it wasn’t true. That Julia wasn’t really …
    Tears welled in her eyes again and rolled down her cheeks. A sob clutched her throat and escaped.
    â€œOh, God, Liv.”
    Shock swept her into his arms and this time she welcomed him. Her arms wrapped around his big solid body and she let him pull her tight to him, then melted against him.
    â€œShock, I …” Her tears flowed freely now.
    Shock’s lips brushed the top of her head in a kiss. “What is it, sweetheart?”
    â€œI don’t want my sister to die.”
    â€œI know, sweetheart. Neither do I. And we’ll do everything we can to stop that from happening.”
    * * *
    Shock took Liv’s hand and helped her from the town car. A driver had picked them up from the house and got them to the airport in twenty minutes. Now the private jet he’d arranged was waiting for them.
    Liv sank into the cream-colored leather seat and Shock sat across from her. Soon they were in the air.
    Shock watched her. In the hustle of getting here, they hadn’t really spoken. He hadn’t wanted to push her to talk.
    â€œLiv, that’s why you needed the money? To help your sister?”
    She bit her lip and nodded.
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me your sister was sick and that’s what the money was for?”
    She looked blankly at her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes were wet. “I don’t know. I guess I … didn’t want to beg for my sister’s life.”
    â€œAh, Liv.”
    Then she shook her head, her fingers gripping the armrests of her seat. “I also didn’t want you to pity me. I’ve always valued your opinion of me and I guess that didn’t change even after we lost touch. And if I’m being completely honest I think … I guess I wanted to know if you’d actually lend it to me … just because I asked. I didn’t want to have to prove that what I needed it for was worthy.”
    â€œYou wanted to know if I trusted you.”
    She nodded. “At least, that you trusted my judgment.”
    He leaned back in his seat. “You know, I actually thought you were borrowing it for that guy I saw you with. You never denied it.”
    She pursed her lips. “But you lent it to me anyway.”
    â€œOf course I did. And now I know what it was really for.” He reached out and took her hand, then enveloped it in his own. “Liv, I’m so sorry about your sister.”
    She just nodded and held his hand tighter. “You know, I just can’t believe I might lose her.”
    She looked so fragile sitting there, her eyes shimmering.
    She drew a deep breath. “I still remember when I was about four years old and Mom got Julia a teddy bear. It was brown with a plaid bow around its neck and she called it Mac.” She smiled tremulously. “And it was so soft and cuddly. I picked it up and hugged it and I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to let it go. Julia and I shared a room and she let me sleep with it that first night. In the morning I didn’t want to give it up. Instead of being upset, when she saw how much I loved it, she told Mom that she wanted me to have it.” She stared at her hands, her lip quivering. “Even at eight years old, she took care of me. And as we grew up, she always looked out for me like that. That’s why”—her eyes met his—“I’ll do anything I can to save her.”
    He leaned in and held her close. “I know, sweetheart. And I’ll help you in any way I can.”
    * * *
    Liv wasn’t prepared for the sight of her sister, hooked up to monitors and machines, her face so pale she looked like a ghost. Liv hurried to the bed and rested her hand on