“Why didn’t you call me?” Asked Dane. He made it sound as if calling him would have been the most obvious choice. “How long have you been waiting here?”
“My phone is in my car. I’ve been here for about an hour, but you’re the first person who’s come up or down the stairwell.”
“Can you stand on it?”
I shook my head. “No, I can barely move it without it hurting.”
“Okay, let’s get you up. I’ll take you to the hospital, but I don’t think it’s broken, which is good. The fact that you’ve been sitting here for so long hasn’t helped though.”
He lifted my legs from under my knees, and wrapped an arm around my back. He picked me up, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying out again.
Dane seemed to be on a mission, so I clung to him until he had me in his truck, and on the way to the hospital.
After a quick call, no doubt to someone who could pull some strings, a nurse took me for x-rays, and led us to a room where we waited for a doctor.
An elderly man stepped in, and smiled at Dane first.
“Mr. Winters.” He took Dane’s hand, and shook it. “I would say it’s nice to see you, but I’d hate to insult Ms. Monroe.” Warm, sympathetic brown eyes greeted me. “It looks like you’ve landed yourself in quite the pickle young lady. You’re very lucky though because your x-rays didn’t show any breaks, or fractures. But your ankle is quiet badly sprained.”
“She has two left feet, Doc,” said Dane. “It wasn’t her fault.”
I gaped at him, and he had the nerve to wink at me. The ass.
“I tripped,” I replied, looking at the doctor. His kind face, and greying hair reminded me of my grandfather.
Dane chuckled. “Exactly. Two left feet.”
He was being playful now, and I was having a hard time keeping up with changes in his demeanor.
“I’m going to have to elevate your foot, so that we can tape it. I want to put it in a moon boot for two weeks, just as a precaution to help keep your weight off the ankle.” The doctor – whose name I had yet to learn - moved my foot, and I clutched the bed to keep from letting out a string of curse words. Curse words seemed to be the only words in my vocabulary today. He started taping it, all the while firing off instructions on after-care.
“I want you to elevate it as soon as you get home,” he said. “And if you have to go anywhere, you wear the boot. When you shower, try not to get it too wet, and keep it rested as often as you can.”
I nodded, trying to remember it all. It was going to be difficult to stay off my foot for the next few days though. I didn’t have anyone at the apartment that could help me. Dane must’ve seen the worry on my face because he loosened my grip on the edge of the hospital bed, and held my hand. He was doing it again, making me feel like a yo-yo.
“Anything else, Doc?” That came from Dane.
“No, but I want you to keep an eye on it, and call me if the pain doesn’t subside in the next twenty four hours. Will you be helping Ms. Monroe at all?”
I started to say it wasn’t necessary, but Dane cut me off.
“Yes. I’ll be checking on her, and making sure she follows your instructions, Doc.”
The teasing lilt in his voice did strange things to my already puzzled insides.
“Good.” The doctor stood, and started writing out my prescription. Rather than telling me what I had to take, and when, he told Dane, clearly under the impression that Dane was going to be taking care of me. Again.
“Call me if there are any problems.” The doctor smiled again, and exited the room, leaving me alone with Dane.
“You don’t have to take care of me,” I said, swinging my ankle around the bed. “I’m sure you’d rather be with your family over Thanksgiving.”
His beautiful grin faltered, and I realized that mentioning his family would make him think about Jewel too.
With that one poorly thought out comment I’d managed to acknowledge the big, ugly thing that would always be between me and a real relationship with Dane. We’d never really spoken about his sister, or my brother for that matter. It was just easier to keep things simple, but I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to do simple for much longer. Where would that leave me?
Dane distracted me from my wayward thoughts when he stepped forward, and moved between my legs. I looked up, and I had no doubt he saw the questions in my eyes.
“I think I’d rather play Doctor-Doctor with you.” He’d deflected my remark about his family, and I welcomed the change in subject.
A grin tugged at my lips. “I somehow think you’d look ridiculous in a nurse’s outfit, but I’d totally pay to see that.”
The half-smile I’d come to love appeared, and Dane leaned forward. His lips were millimeters away from mine, and I prepared myself for his kiss when the door opened.
“Oh, sorry.” A redhead nurse walked in, and Dane stepped back. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I have your moon boot.”
Heat crawled its way up my neck and into my cheeks. “Thank you.”
She went about slipping the boot on to my injured foot, and I looked up to find Dane watching me with a gleeful stare. He mouthed the word “later” and moved to help me from the hospital bed.
“Did Dr. Andrews explain your after-care?” The nurse asked, her eyes flitting between Dane and me. I couldn’t blame her. He was a fine package to look at, and even women in their nineties couldn’t resist a peek.
“He did,” I replied, clearing my throat.
“Great. Is there anything else I can help you with?” The nurse was lingering, and I couldn’t blame her for that either.
“No,” replied Dane. “I think we’re quite ready to leave.”
With a nod, the nurse left, and Dane took my hand as he led me out the door.
Dane’s phone rang, and I leaned against the wall while he answered. I was going to need his help if we were going to get out of the hospital in the next four hours.
“Chase?”
My brows shot up, and the surprise in Dane’s voice most likely matched my expression. Things had been tense the last time Chase and Dane were at the hospital
“Yeah, we are…Kennedy had an accident and I brought her in…Yeah she’s fine, she left her phone in her Jeep…That’s great news, man…Of course, I’ll bring her up now…”
Dane pocketed his phone, and turned his body towards mine.
“Grady’s awake. Chase said he woke up last night.”
After what had transpired in the last twelve or so hours, I hadn’t given much thought to Grady. I covered up my guilt with a wide, genuine smile, and if it weren’t for my foot I would have jumped up and down on my feet.
“Can we go see him?” I asked hopefully.
Dane did the strangest thing just then. He brushed my cheek with his knuckles. It was so gentle, but it caused something inside me to fracture, leaving me feeling a little more exposed and vulnerable to him. It terrified me.
“Of course,” he replied. “But wait here, and I’ll grab you a wheel chair. You must be tired.”
He turned, disappearing around a corner before I could say anything. But maybe that was a good thing because I was worried that the moment I opened my mouth, I wouldn’t be able to keep the truth from spilling out.
I just needed a few more days with him, I reasoned. As soon as Jade and Reid are back, I’ll tell him we need to end things.
Dane reappeared minutes later and helped me into the wheelchair before taking me to the floor where we’d find Grady’s room. The door was open, so Dane wheeled me in without preamble, and the moment I saw Grady sitting up in bed, I wanted to cry.
Dane stopped me next to the bed, and I could see Grady’s smile beneath the black and blue bruises marring his face. He had a neck brace on, and still had one leg, and one arm in casts.
“There’s my tootsie roll,” he said in a scratchy voice. That seemed to be tipping point because the dam broke, and the hot tears spilled over my eyelids.
“I’m so happy you’re okay,” I said softly. “I was worried I was never going to hear that voice again.”