Susanne was just stepping out of the living room and looked at her with wide eyes as Anja came charging toward her.

“We have to go,” Anja blurted out.

“Calm down. I can drive you home if you need a little distance right now, but I really hope we haven’t ruined our friendship because of—”

“It’s not about that. Nobby’s in the ER!”

“What?” Susanne crossed the hall with long strides, and they gripped each other’s forearms in silent support. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. The connection was shitty, probably because they’re in the ER. All I understood was that he took a fall, and now he’s in a lot of pain and… Oh God! What if he…?”

Susanne squeezed her arm, wrenching her from the panicked visions of a fractured spine or a gushing head wound. “Hey, let’s not assume the worst. Maybe it’s just a few scrapes. He’s going to be fine, okay?”

Anja nodded and clung to those words and to Susanne’s arm.

“Come on.” Susanne wrapped one arm around her waist. “Let’s go see him.”

Susanne’s dazed brain still hadn’t quite grasped the situation as they hurried toward the sliding glass doors of the ER. This day was giving her emotional whiplash—one minute she had shared this incredible kiss with Anja and the next she was rushing off to the ER.

She kept one arm around Anja as they burst into the reception area. Anja trembled against her, making Susanne want to hold her closer.

Someone else was talking to the receptionist behind the glass window, so they had to wait a few steps away.

“God, I’m so glad you’re here,” Anja whispered. “I’m not family. If I were alone, they probably wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Susanne soothingly trailed her hand along Anja’s back. “I’m here. He’ll be fine.”

“I know. I know.” Anja rocked back and forth for a moment, then gave Susanne a grim smile. “Just look at me. He’s your uncle, and yet I’m the one who’s a complete mess.”

“You’re not a mess.” Susanne’s fingers itched to reach out and cradle her face. “You’re just worried. You’ve spent way more time with him than I ever did.” And, unlike her, Anja hadn’t kept an emotional distance. That was one of the reasons why getting involved with her would not be a good idea. She would only end up hurting her, and that was the last thing Susanne wanted.

“Anja?” someone called from the waiting area.

They whirled around.

A woman in her sixties waved at them. Her chin-length silver-blonde hair was in disarray, as if she’d run her fingers through it several times.

“Ulrike!” Anja grasped Susanne’s hand and pulled her over to the woman. “How is he?”