now-familiar voice of McKenzie Collins. All
around him medical professionals and patient visitors swarmed in the glass-paned
lobby of the downtown Houston hospital. Navigating the dense neighborhood where
the medical center was located had been a nightmare on his nerves. His driver had tried
to make small talk but Max had been less than interested. He was consumed by
thoughts of Chris.
“Yes.” He stepped forward and shook her hand. There was no mistaking the family
resemblance, with her similarly colored hair and eyes. “Nice to meet you, McKenzie. I
only wish the circumstances had been different.”
“As do I,” she said softly. Squeezing his hand, McKenzie moved a bit closer. “He’s
improved since you left Paris. They’re weaning him off the ventilator. They hope he’ll
wake up sometime today or tomorrow.”
Relief flooded his system. “And the burns and broken bones?”
“The burns to his ankles and calves are second degree and almost completely
superficial expect for a small spot.” She shook her head, seemingly in awe. “He’s
incredibly lucky they were able to pull him out so quickly. He snapped his collarbone
and broke his arm in two different places. It’s going to take him a while to recover, but
he will.”
Max swallowed hard, his eyes suddenly hot. He glanced away briefly, desperate to
compose himself. McKenzie’s soft hand touched his shoulder. She smiled warmly at
him. “He’s going to be so happy to see you.”
“I’m not so sure of that,” he said with an uneasy laugh. “He was quite adamant
about keeping his public and private lives separate and now here I am.”
76
Swap Meet
“He made a mistake, Max. He was planning to come see you, to apologize for being
such an asshole.” She gestured toward the elevator bank with her head. “Come on up
with me. I’ll sneak you in to see him.”
“Are you sure?” Uncertainty quivered through him. He shifted the heavy strap of
his hastily packed overnight bag. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“None of Max’s coworkers are here at the moment. Our parents just left for their
hotel room.” She seemed to have caught his questioning expression. “It’s okay, Max.
Our parents know about Chris. He came out to them years ago. It was a huge thing then
but they’ve come to terms with it.”
His mind at ease now, he nodded. “Let’s go.”
The ride up to ICU seemed to last forever. Just before they stepped off into the
waiting room, McKenzie stopped him. “Just so you know, Mom and Dad and I agreed
to pretend you’re my husband. HIPPA laws and all that,” she explained with a playful
wink.
Max smiled as he set his bag in a corner of the mostly deserted room. “Whatever
works.”
He’d expected some kind of rigid protocol once they reached the floor where Chris
lay in his drug-induced coma but there was surprisingly little resistance. McKenzie’s
little white lie granted him access to the room. Because of Chris’ burns, the nurse in
charge asked Max to wash his hands and slip into a gown before entering the room. He
was instructed not to touch the bandages covering Chris’ ankles or calves.
Max’s stomach pitched violently as he stepped into the antiseptic-scented room
behind McKenzie. Machines beeped loudly. A ventilator exhaled and hissed with every
breath it pumped into Chris’ lungs. He moved closer to the bed. His gaze moved over
Chris’ bandaged lower extremities and higher to his bare chest. A sheet shielded his
genitals from the view of anyone who walked by the glass-walled room. Clear tubes
snaked from catheters placed in his hands and ran up to various bags of fluids and
medications hanging on nearby metal stands.
77
Lolita Lopez
Tears spilled down Max’s cheeks at the sight of his big, strong man completely
immobile and looking so incredibly vulnerable in the hospital bed. Max could almost be
fooled into thinking Chris was simply asleep. He looked utterly
around him medical professionals and patient visitors swarmed in the glass-paned
lobby of the downtown Houston hospital. Navigating the dense neighborhood where
the medical center was located had been a nightmare on his nerves. His driver had tried
to make small talk but Max had been less than interested. He was consumed by
thoughts of Chris.
“Yes.” He stepped forward and shook her hand. There was no mistaking the family
resemblance, with her similarly colored hair and eyes. “Nice to meet you, McKenzie. I
only wish the circumstances had been different.”
“As do I,” she said softly. Squeezing his hand, McKenzie moved a bit closer. “He’s
improved since you left Paris. They’re weaning him off the ventilator. They hope he’ll
wake up sometime today or tomorrow.”
Relief flooded his system. “And the burns and broken bones?”
“The burns to his ankles and calves are second degree and almost completely
superficial expect for a small spot.” She shook her head, seemingly in awe. “He’s
incredibly lucky they were able to pull him out so quickly. He snapped his collarbone
and broke his arm in two different places. It’s going to take him a while to recover, but
he will.”
Max swallowed hard, his eyes suddenly hot. He glanced away briefly, desperate to
compose himself. McKenzie’s soft hand touched his shoulder. She smiled warmly at
him. “He’s going to be so happy to see you.”
“I’m not so sure of that,” he said with an uneasy laugh. “He was quite adamant
about keeping his public and private lives separate and now here I am.”
76
Swap Meet
“He made a mistake, Max. He was planning to come see you, to apologize for being
such an asshole.” She gestured toward the elevator bank with her head. “Come on up
with me. I’ll sneak you in to see him.”
“Are you sure?” Uncertainty quivered through him. He shifted the heavy strap of
his hastily packed overnight bag. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“None of Max’s coworkers are here at the moment. Our parents just left for their
hotel room.” She seemed to have caught his questioning expression. “It’s okay, Max.
Our parents know about Chris. He came out to them years ago. It was a huge thing then
but they’ve come to terms with it.”
His mind at ease now, he nodded. “Let’s go.”
The ride up to ICU seemed to last forever. Just before they stepped off into the
waiting room, McKenzie stopped him. “Just so you know, Mom and Dad and I agreed
to pretend you’re my husband. HIPPA laws and all that,” she explained with a playful
wink.
Max smiled as he set his bag in a corner of the mostly deserted room. “Whatever
works.”
He’d expected some kind of rigid protocol once they reached the floor where Chris
lay in his drug-induced coma but there was surprisingly little resistance. McKenzie’s
little white lie granted him access to the room. Because of Chris’ burns, the nurse in
charge asked Max to wash his hands and slip into a gown before entering the room. He
was instructed not to touch the bandages covering Chris’ ankles or calves.
Max’s stomach pitched violently as he stepped into the antiseptic-scented room
behind McKenzie. Machines beeped loudly. A ventilator exhaled and hissed with every
breath it pumped into Chris’ lungs. He moved closer to the bed. His gaze moved over
Chris’ bandaged lower extremities and higher to his bare chest. A sheet shielded his
genitals from the view of anyone who walked by the glass-walled room. Clear tubes
snaked from catheters placed in his hands and ran up to various bags of fluids and
medications hanging on nearby metal stands.
77
Lolita Lopez
Tears spilled down Max’s cheeks at the sight of his big, strong man completely
immobile and looking so incredibly vulnerable in the hospital bed. Max could almost be
fooled into thinking Chris was simply asleep. He looked utterly
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