know. See you soon." He waited for her to hang up first. Then his stomach growled. Maybe he should go eat what they'd brought. It might make him less hysterical. The boys would keep him company until his girl showed.
***
Calleigh parked, grabbed her purse, and headed in, moving at a fast walk. Adrian didn't do well in hospitals, at best. At worst, he freaked out. She might call this a worst case scenario.
She knew he was on the third floor, in the waiting room, so she made her way up, taking the stairs two at a time. There was a small sea of cowboy hats in the waiting room, all tilted down to cover faces. Everyone but Adrian was asleep. Ades? He was chewing his thumbnail.
She headed over, nudged Adrian's toe with her foot. "Hey, Ades."
He jumped a little, then grinned and stood, hugging her hard. "Hey, baby."
"Hey." She kissed his cheek. "So, what did they say?"
"He's in recovery, I guess. All they said was the surgery was successful." He looked pooped, hard lines along his mouth.
"Good deal. You doing okay?"
"I guess, yeah." His held on a little longer. "You get through the drive okay?"
"You know it. I'm a stud." Her fingers found the small of his back, stroking in circles.
"You so are. Oh, I missed you." He kissed her neck, and she could feel the tension seeping out of him.
"Good." She kissed his temple. "Pretty boy." She needed to find the shift nurse, peek at Packer's chart.
"Mmm. I've been holding it together, baby. Promise." He grimaced. "I have to leave out at three tomorrow. Hell, Doc already went, did his thing and got on the road."
"I can stay and take care of things. I’m sure Dr. Madding wouldn’t have left him if he wasn’t in good hands." She put on a patently false Aussie accent. "No worries."
That made him laugh for her, his hands on her hips. "Thank god. Packer is worse than me."
"Eh. I'm a pro." She lifted her face for a kiss.
Adrian gave it to her, lips warm and firm on hers.
"There you go, Ades. You're good." She cupped his cheek.
"I am. Or I will be."
"You will. You have a place to sleep tonight?"
"I do. Got a king. Was hoping you'd be here."
"I am. Let me check his status, figure out what to do, and then we'll get some sleep."
"That sounds like Heaven." He smiled, looking better already.
"Give me ten minutes, Ades." She headed to the nurse's station, grinned. "Hey. I'm checking on Packer Stephens."
"Are you related?" The nurse smiled, though, looking sympathetic.
"I'm his wife." It was patently untrue, but she could fake it like no one's business.
"Oh, good. I'm so glad you're here." There was nothing like the little woman in a hospital to get news.
"How's he doing?"
"He's stable. His surgery went really well, but he's gonna be laid up for awhile. Let me see if I can get the doctor."
"Thank you." She waved Adrian over.
Adrian came to stand next to her. "All good?"
"Mmmhmm. They're getting me the doctor. Packer needs to see his wife soon, after all." She winked.
Adrian blinked, then laughed, the sound rusty as all get out. "You know it."
She squeezed his hand, then held on and waited, as patiently as she could.
"Mrs. Stephens?" The doctor was like most orthopedic guys she knew. Tall, a little Lurch-like, and smiling gently.
She nodded, smiled. "Calleigh Roberts. I kept my own name. How's he doing?" All true.
"Well, he's had a severe fracture, but no bone fragments or deposits made it into the bloodstream. His leg will take a while, but we didn't have to go with any kind of traction. His collarbone is fractured as well. These are the kinds of injuries I usually see in traffic collisions."
She nodded. "Those bulls are powerful. How many pins?"
"Two." The doctor's head tilted. "Are you in the medical profession?"
"I'm an RN, doctor." She smiled, held one hand out.
"Oh, that makes my job easier." He grinned and shook her hand. "I don't think he'll require a facility recovery, but he will need some physio."
"I worked for two years in a therapy facility. I can
***
Calleigh parked, grabbed her purse, and headed in, moving at a fast walk. Adrian didn't do well in hospitals, at best. At worst, he freaked out. She might call this a worst case scenario.
She knew he was on the third floor, in the waiting room, so she made her way up, taking the stairs two at a time. There was a small sea of cowboy hats in the waiting room, all tilted down to cover faces. Everyone but Adrian was asleep. Ades? He was chewing his thumbnail.
She headed over, nudged Adrian's toe with her foot. "Hey, Ades."
He jumped a little, then grinned and stood, hugging her hard. "Hey, baby."
"Hey." She kissed his cheek. "So, what did they say?"
"He's in recovery, I guess. All they said was the surgery was successful." He looked pooped, hard lines along his mouth.
"Good deal. You doing okay?"
"I guess, yeah." His held on a little longer. "You get through the drive okay?"
"You know it. I'm a stud." Her fingers found the small of his back, stroking in circles.
"You so are. Oh, I missed you." He kissed her neck, and she could feel the tension seeping out of him.
"Good." She kissed his temple. "Pretty boy." She needed to find the shift nurse, peek at Packer's chart.
"Mmm. I've been holding it together, baby. Promise." He grimaced. "I have to leave out at three tomorrow. Hell, Doc already went, did his thing and got on the road."
"I can stay and take care of things. I’m sure Dr. Madding wouldn’t have left him if he wasn’t in good hands." She put on a patently false Aussie accent. "No worries."
That made him laugh for her, his hands on her hips. "Thank god. Packer is worse than me."
"Eh. I'm a pro." She lifted her face for a kiss.
Adrian gave it to her, lips warm and firm on hers.
"There you go, Ades. You're good." She cupped his cheek.
"I am. Or I will be."
"You will. You have a place to sleep tonight?"
"I do. Got a king. Was hoping you'd be here."
"I am. Let me check his status, figure out what to do, and then we'll get some sleep."
"That sounds like Heaven." He smiled, looking better already.
"Give me ten minutes, Ades." She headed to the nurse's station, grinned. "Hey. I'm checking on Packer Stephens."
"Are you related?" The nurse smiled, though, looking sympathetic.
"I'm his wife." It was patently untrue, but she could fake it like no one's business.
"Oh, good. I'm so glad you're here." There was nothing like the little woman in a hospital to get news.
"How's he doing?"
"He's stable. His surgery went really well, but he's gonna be laid up for awhile. Let me see if I can get the doctor."
"Thank you." She waved Adrian over.
Adrian came to stand next to her. "All good?"
"Mmmhmm. They're getting me the doctor. Packer needs to see his wife soon, after all." She winked.
Adrian blinked, then laughed, the sound rusty as all get out. "You know it."
She squeezed his hand, then held on and waited, as patiently as she could.
"Mrs. Stephens?" The doctor was like most orthopedic guys she knew. Tall, a little Lurch-like, and smiling gently.
She nodded, smiled. "Calleigh Roberts. I kept my own name. How's he doing?" All true.
"Well, he's had a severe fracture, but no bone fragments or deposits made it into the bloodstream. His leg will take a while, but we didn't have to go with any kind of traction. His collarbone is fractured as well. These are the kinds of injuries I usually see in traffic collisions."
She nodded. "Those bulls are powerful. How many pins?"
"Two." The doctor's head tilted. "Are you in the medical profession?"
"I'm an RN, doctor." She smiled, held one hand out.
"Oh, that makes my job easier." He grinned and shook her hand. "I don't think he'll require a facility recovery, but he will need some physio."
"I worked for two years in a therapy facility. I can
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