handle it."
"Then we can sit down before he's discharged and talk about what he'll need. You can see him in about a half hour."
"Excellent. Thank you so much. I'm here for the duration. If the nurses need me, just let me know." That was better than she feared, way easier to work with.
"I'll do that. The cafeteria is on the first floor, if you need some coffee." He left them, nodding at Adrian.
"Well, that's not too bad, Ades, huh?" She could help with rehab.
"I guess." He looked a little shell-shocked. "What did all that mean, exactly?"
"His leg's broken, they put pins in. He'll hurt for a couple days, and I'll take him home. I've seen these a lot. He'll be up and taking steps day after tomorrow."
"That soon?" Adrian shook his head, looking lighter somehow.
"You know it. They'll want him moving as soon as the pain's handled." She touched his cheek.
"Okay. You want something to eat?" Ades stuck his hands in his pockets like he was afraid to reach for her.
"I do. McDonald's was a long time ago."
"So was Burger King." Adrian finally put a hand on her waist. "Can we go somewhere not here?"
"If you can wait for forty-five minutes, yes. We'll see him, then go eat and then go to the hotel."
"Okay. Then let's go get a coffee, at least." He steered her out of the room, leaving the sleeping cowboys behind.
She twined her fingers with his, held on tight.
Adrian gripped her hand like she was a lifeline, and it was good to know she could be there. That he felt like he could count on her. They grabbed two cups of coffee, three muffins, and they found a seat in the back. "How did you do at the event, Ades?"
"Fair, I guess. I was eighth overall." He shrugged. "I meant to text, but you know..."
"I do." She squeezed his hand. "You're forgiven. You had a good couple of weeks?"
"I have." He gave her a wry grin. "We've been like monks, baby."
"Why, Ades? Y'all having troubles?" Had she fucked them up? She hadn’t meant to, not at all.
"Nope. He felt guilty, I think. He didn't mean to run you off, baby."
She shrugged. "I know I wasn't exactly invited in."
"No, but it works." Adrian reached over to take her hand. "I'm glad you came. Before. I mean now, too, but before."
"I had to give us a chance, Adrian. I love you."
"I love you, too, baby." He sighed. "Being on the road just gets consuming."
"I know. No guilt. I just... I want you." Both of you.
"Good." He squeezed her hand, smiled again. Every time he did he looked happier. "You made an impression on Pack."
Yeah. The 'it's time to get rid of the sheila' impression. "Is that good?"
"Hell, yes. He didn't mean it, you know."
"Of course he did. I was in the way."
"No, baby." He stared into her eyes, serious as hell. "Pack vents a lot. You'll have to learn that about him. He had to come up with a reason why we were in a slump."
"Because you didn't stay on." The joke was old, and not very funny anymore, but it was all she had.
"Yeah. Sucks when you let go and fall off." He winked. "God, I'm tired."
"Let's go see Pack, then, and take you to sleep. I can help."
"Okay, baby. You're always so good to me." He stood, drawing her to her feet and kissing her mouth.
"I love you." She held on a second. "Let's go see him." Then they'd hit a bed and crash. At least that was the plan. Hopefully Packer wouldn't be unhappy to see her. That might make things awkward.
***
Packer looked like hell. They'd been able to see him for maybe five minutes, almost awake, before they'd been kicked out. Packer was moving to a private room tonight. Adrian and Calleigh had gone on to the hotel, and Adrian was glad for it. He was worn to the bone.
She brought one bag up, locked the door, and starting stripping down. "Come shower with me."
"That's the best idea I've heard in an age." Adrian climbed up off the bed, listening to his bones creak.
"I have lots of them." She'd been outside, her tan looked amazing.
"You do." He went to her, sliding his arms around her waist. "God, you're
"Then we can sit down before he's discharged and talk about what he'll need. You can see him in about a half hour."
"Excellent. Thank you so much. I'm here for the duration. If the nurses need me, just let me know." That was better than she feared, way easier to work with.
"I'll do that. The cafeteria is on the first floor, if you need some coffee." He left them, nodding at Adrian.
"Well, that's not too bad, Ades, huh?" She could help with rehab.
"I guess." He looked a little shell-shocked. "What did all that mean, exactly?"
"His leg's broken, they put pins in. He'll hurt for a couple days, and I'll take him home. I've seen these a lot. He'll be up and taking steps day after tomorrow."
"That soon?" Adrian shook his head, looking lighter somehow.
"You know it. They'll want him moving as soon as the pain's handled." She touched his cheek.
"Okay. You want something to eat?" Ades stuck his hands in his pockets like he was afraid to reach for her.
"I do. McDonald's was a long time ago."
"So was Burger King." Adrian finally put a hand on her waist. "Can we go somewhere not here?"
"If you can wait for forty-five minutes, yes. We'll see him, then go eat and then go to the hotel."
"Okay. Then let's go get a coffee, at least." He steered her out of the room, leaving the sleeping cowboys behind.
She twined her fingers with his, held on tight.
Adrian gripped her hand like she was a lifeline, and it was good to know she could be there. That he felt like he could count on her. They grabbed two cups of coffee, three muffins, and they found a seat in the back. "How did you do at the event, Ades?"
"Fair, I guess. I was eighth overall." He shrugged. "I meant to text, but you know..."
"I do." She squeezed his hand. "You're forgiven. You had a good couple of weeks?"
"I have." He gave her a wry grin. "We've been like monks, baby."
"Why, Ades? Y'all having troubles?" Had she fucked them up? She hadn’t meant to, not at all.
"Nope. He felt guilty, I think. He didn't mean to run you off, baby."
She shrugged. "I know I wasn't exactly invited in."
"No, but it works." Adrian reached over to take her hand. "I'm glad you came. Before. I mean now, too, but before."
"I had to give us a chance, Adrian. I love you."
"I love you, too, baby." He sighed. "Being on the road just gets consuming."
"I know. No guilt. I just... I want you." Both of you.
"Good." He squeezed her hand, smiled again. Every time he did he looked happier. "You made an impression on Pack."
Yeah. The 'it's time to get rid of the sheila' impression. "Is that good?"
"Hell, yes. He didn't mean it, you know."
"Of course he did. I was in the way."
"No, baby." He stared into her eyes, serious as hell. "Pack vents a lot. You'll have to learn that about him. He had to come up with a reason why we were in a slump."
"Because you didn't stay on." The joke was old, and not very funny anymore, but it was all she had.
"Yeah. Sucks when you let go and fall off." He winked. "God, I'm tired."
"Let's go see Pack, then, and take you to sleep. I can help."
"Okay, baby. You're always so good to me." He stood, drawing her to her feet and kissing her mouth.
"I love you." She held on a second. "Let's go see him." Then they'd hit a bed and crash. At least that was the plan. Hopefully Packer wouldn't be unhappy to see her. That might make things awkward.
***
Packer looked like hell. They'd been able to see him for maybe five minutes, almost awake, before they'd been kicked out. Packer was moving to a private room tonight. Adrian and Calleigh had gone on to the hotel, and Adrian was glad for it. He was worn to the bone.
She brought one bag up, locked the door, and starting stripping down. "Come shower with me."
"That's the best idea I've heard in an age." Adrian climbed up off the bed, listening to his bones creak.
"I have lots of them." She'd been outside, her tan looked amazing.
"You do." He went to her, sliding his arms around her waist. "God, you're
Similar Books
