Sharee bit her lip. She’d heard that term before. “Won’t this get better by itself?”
“It’s a process. A lot depends on you. If you don’t want the injection now, you can wait and see what happens when you leave here.”
“I think I’d like to do that.”
“Okay. You can go home tomorrow. In the meantime, try to get a good night’s sleep tonight. Let’s see if you can sleep without medication. If you need it, though, ask for it.”
“All right. Thank you.”
After he left, John caught her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. “Afraid of the shot?”
“No. I…I just don’t want it if I don’t need it.”
“Hmmm.”
She could read the amusement in his eyes. “Hey. It’s not your back they want to put some needle into.”
“Another thing to remember. You don’t like shots.”
Irritated, she pulled the pillow from behind her head. “If you don’t stop grinning, I’ll hit you with this.”
“And if you do, you’ll have a pitcher of ice water over your head.”
She studied him. Would he do it? When she hesitated, his eyes crinkled at the corners. She narrowed hers and tucked the pillow back under her head. “You know, when I’m feeling better you’re not going to be able to bully me.”
“Uh huh. When you’re feeling better, I have other things—”
Sharee gave his hand a squeeze, and he glanced up. Marci Thornton stood in the doorway. She held two-year-old Elizabeth’s wrist in one hand and balanced baby Joshua on her hip. Sharee smiled. Even at six months, Joshua looked like a future football player.
“You brought the babies!”
Marci’s face lifted. “Yes. Can you believe they actually let them up here now?”
“I’m glad.” Sharee reached up. “Can I hold Joshua?”
“No.” Marci’s and John’s voices echoed each other’s.
Sharee looked back and forth between them. She opened her mouth to object but that died as she saw their faces. “Okay, but…”
“No buts,” Marci stepped closer to the bed. “I heard the doctor say it would take some time for your back to heal.”
Sharee wrinkled her nose, but transferred her attention to Joshua and tickled his feet. John waved at his chair and moved behind it.
“Sit in the chair, Lizzie.” Marci hefted Joshua to her other hip, and Elizabeth scrambled into the seat. The child stared up at John. He winked.
“I had to bring them both.” Marci stepped next to Sharee’s bed. “Joseph is watching the others. The whole family wanted to come, but you didn’t need eight children and two adults here all at once.”
“I’d love to see them, but we might get a few objections from the nursing staff.”
John laughed. “One, in particular.”
“Oh?” Marci gave an inquiring look but John just shook his head. Her gaze went to Sharee. “How’re you doing?”
“Better, but they’re keeping me one more day.”
“That’s probably the best thing. And you’re really doing better? Not just saying that?”
“Yes.
“Good. I wanted to see for myself. I know how you can blow over some of the important stuff.”
“Me?”
“That’s why I’m here,” John said.
“Keeping her in line, huh?”
Sharee waved her hand. “Hey!”
“Don’t deny it. You never watch out for yourself.” After a moment, Marci’s smile faded, and she cleared her throat. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Ask away.”
Marci glanced John’s way. “I know you’ve probably told John about Sunday. But I hope you won’t tell anyone else—about what you think you saw. And, Sharee, it’s what you thought you saw. Nothing was going on. I know how it looked, but I love Joseph, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.” Her gaze went to Elizabeth who played with a toy cell phone.
Sharee shifted her position. She hadn’t mentioned anything to John. Her gaze slid his way. He raised a brow and turned to Marci.
“Do you want me to leave? I’ll take Lizzie.”
“No, it’s okay. I know you and Sharee care about me. I have nothing to hide. I just don’t want this to hurt Joseph or cause gossip. Ted’s easy to talk to. I admit that. He listens much better than Joseph.” She shifted Joshua to her other hip. “But, there’s nothing going on between us.”
Sharee reached for Marci’s hand. “You’re right, we do care about you; but you and Ted weren’t just talking. He had his arms around you. Now wait. I understand what you’re saying, but what if Joseph or Matthew walked in right then? And Matthew did come looking for you a few moments later.”
“Did he?” Marci’s voice changed. She spent a minute bouncing the baby. “Matthew and Ted have had words already.”
“And if he’d walked in on you two…”
“We were talking. I was upset. That’s all.”
John shifted. He dropped his keys in Elizabeth’s chair. Her little fingers closed around them, and he looked back at Marci. “I won’t make excuses for a husband not listening to his wife—even one who probably feels as overwhelmed as you do with the responsibility of a large family—but it’s much easier for Ted to give you comfort. His only responsibility is himself. He’s looking for someone to care about, someone who will care for him. The only thing is—you’re not available for that role in his life. By allowing him to comfort you, to care for you, you're not only giving him false expectations; but you’re also not allowing him to find a legitimate relationship.”
“I…I never thought about that.”
Silence settled in the room. Tears formed in Marci’s eyes, and Sharee squeezed her hand. “Besides, that’s Joseph’s role—to comfort you—whether or not he’s doing it adequately. The only third party you need in your marriage is Jesus. You know that.”
Marci’s head buried itself near Joshua’s. Her arms tightened around him until he struggled to get free. She loosened her hold.
Holding back a grimace, Sharee sat up higher in bed. “Marci, I didn’t say anything to anyone, not even to John.”
Marci blinked back tears. “Thank you. What did you say to Ted after I left?”
“I told him that he was stealing your affections.”
“Oh. Was that all? He was livid.”
“Was he? Perhaps it’s because he knows it’s true, and it’s what he wants. He may not be thinking it through yet, but that is what he’s doing.”
“Stealing my affections? Strange.”
“Nevertheless, it’s true.”
“I love Joseph. He knows that.”
“Then stay away from Ted.”
Marci glanced at the floor but nodded.
Sharee touched her hand again. “We’ve been friends too long for me not to tell you the truth.”
The baby reached up and pulled on Marci’s hair. She caught his hand and began to loosen the fingers that twined around a long strand. “I know.”
“When I get out of here, we need to spend some time together. I haven’t seen you except at church for months.”
“Yes, I can leave these two with Matthew or Mary, and we can have lunch.” Marci put her hand out to Elizabeth, and the two-year-old scrambled down from the chair. She focused on John. “Make sure you make her do what the doctor says.”
“You can trust me on that.”
After she left, Sharee’s let her mind drift over the last couple of months. I should have kept up with her. I worried so much about John and about the phone calls that I let everything else lapse. No wonder she sought out Ted.
Silence filled the room. She became aware of John’s scrutiny and turned her head. His look resembled a momma bear’s whose cubs were threatened.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sharee asked.
“You had a run-in with Ted? When was this?”
“The Sunday you and Bob shared about Indonesia. You were talking with China.” She tried to k
eep her voice level. What was it about the girl that made her uneasy? “I slipped into the Fellowship hall, and there they were.”
“I thought we agreed that you’d stay away from Ted after that confrontation back around Christmas. The man has problems.”
Sharee rolled her eyes. “I know, but I didn’t plan to walk in on them.”
“And you had to say something?”
“What was I supposed to do? Just walk out and say nothing?”
“That’s what most people would do.”
“Well, most people can be wrong. Marci is my friend. I’m not going to sit by while she careens off a cliff.”
John scowled. “It’s dangerous to confront Ted. You know that. He has anger issues.”
“And you don’t?”
He moved the crutches forward and pointed his finger at her. “If I’m angry it’s because I care about you. Because I don’t want you hurt again.”
Sharee opened her mouth and closed it. She took in his irritated look and pointing finger and giggled. His face changed. She giggled again, and the annoyed expression dissolved.
“Girl, you are one stubborn human being. What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me?”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
“Badgering me?”
“Badgering you? Well, if I can keep you safe some other way—besides locking you up—let me know.”
“Marry me.”
“Marry you?”
She’d caught him by surprise. “Yes.”
A second later, he leaned over the bed. “Since I just got a yes to my proposal, if we could do it here, I would.”
“You mean we can’t?”
“Don’t play with me, or you’ll find yourself married in a hospital gown instead of a wedding gown.”
She laughed, but the look in his eyes kicked her heart into overtime.
He rested his crutches against the bed and sat down next to her. “When you had the ambulance lady call me, and not Alan or your parents, I wondered. And when your parents came, and you were joking around, I wondered, too; but I wasn’t sure. Are you positive marriage to me is what you want?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“I said yes this morning—a number of times.”
His smile returned. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Um hum.”
He leaned forward, finding her mouth, the kiss warm and gentle. His hand touched her shoulder and tightened, but the next instant he drew away.
“Keeping you safe is more important.”
“Not that important.” She caught the sleeve of his shirt and tugged him back down.
The kiss this time roughened her mouth, moved and lingered and sent waves of warmth though her.
When he did pull back, he shook his head. “I’m trying to remind myself you’re hurt, you’re in the hospital, but you’re not helping.”
She smiled and ran her fingers along his bottom lip.
He turned his head and kissed her palm. “So, we’re engaged. For real.”
Sharee hesitated then held up her hand. “I don’t know. Are we?”
***
Nurse Cindy walked through the doorway that evening carrying a pillow. “You looked uncomfortable last night, Sir Galahad; and you didn’t sleep. I don’t want you to keep your lady love awake tonight, so try this.” She dumped the pillow in John’s lap and turned to Sharee. “How’s the Princess?”
Sharee ricocheted a look at John and back to Cindy. Earlier, a young man in hospital scrubs had muscled a large easy chair into the room. John lounged in it now. She had no doubt the chair had come per Cindy’s instructions.
“Much better. You, and all the staff, have been really good to me and to John.”
“Humph.” The nurse’s scrubs abounded with pinks, greens, and reds on a black background. Betty Boop pranced all over them. “Doctor says you’ll be going home tomorrow. He wants you to sleep tonight with as little medication as possible.”
“I will. Being unhooked from the IV and the blood pressure cuff almost guarantees it.”
Cindy nodded and left.
Sharee shifted in John’s direction. “I think she likes you.”
“What?” His eyes widened. “Not a chance.”
“Oh, yeah. You made an impression last night.”
“Not the impression you’re thinking. And you’d better get some sleep tonight, or I’ll be toast in the morning.”
She poked her pillow. “I’ll be glad to leave tomorrow.”
“Understandable.”
“I told Lynn about our engagement, you know.”
“I heard.”
“Everybody will know tomorrow.”
“You knew that when you told her.”
Sharee giggled. “I did. Better than the internet.”
“It will be on the internet—Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram. And whatever the youth use these days. ”
She yawned and snuggled down under the cover. “I wish you’d sleep.”
“Sleep is overrated. Except for you.” He rose, moved across the room and shut off the light.
***
Time crawled by before her soft, rhythmic breathing drew his attention. Good. Time to start thinking about tomorrow, about a more secure lock for her apartment door.
Sharee twisted away from him and threw off the covers. He rose and tugged them back over her, letting his fingers linger against the soft, warmth of her neck. He hadn't foreseen the personal problems when he decided to stay at the hospital.
Her sleep deepened over the next hour, but after that, the restlessness returned. She twisted back and forth and threw the covers off again. Her mass of curls circled her head, standing out against the white pillow. The neon light from the window reminded him of moonlight, bathing her in shadowed illumination. Even in the hospital gown, she looked beautiful.
She stretched and moaned. “John?”
“Yeah?” His voice sounded hoarse. He’d been watching her far too long. “Yes?”
“Did I wake you?”
“No.”
“Is anything the matter?”
“No.” Nothing that a honeymoon wouldn’t help. He remembered Cindy’s words and felt the twitch of his mouth.
“Oh.”
He heard the hesitation. She couldn’t see him well. He knew that, but she must be questioning the roughness of his voice.
“Would you close those drapes, please?”
He rose and pulled them together. “Yes, sorry. I should have done it before.” He could use a long jog, but that wasn’t happening anytime soon. “Look, I’m going to walk the halls, stretch a little. I’ll keep the room in sight.”
“Okay.” She turned over just as her phone rang.
He grabbed it from the nightstand and handed it to her. “Do you want to answer this or wait until morning?”
She yawned, took it from his hand and glanced at the screen. Her head rose. “It’s no one I know.”
He snatched the phone from her. “Hello? Who is this? Hello?”
A beep sounded, and the line went dead.
Chapter 6
The next morning bright sunlight filled her room. Someone had opened the drapes. She stirred. Her head seemed clear. She experimented, inching it sideways to the left, then the right. A twinge, but no stabbing pain.
John sat a few feet away, watching her. His Bible lay open in his lap. She could see another Bible, a Gideon Bible she had discovered in the chest next to her, beside him on the windowsill.
He smiled, but the meditative look in his dark-shadowed eyes reminded her of last night’s phone call. He’d gone into protective mode, wanting to buy her a new phone as soon as the stores opened today; but she’d managed to hold him off. After that, with her hand in his, she must have fallen into a deep sleep.
“You slept well the last couple of hours.”
“I did. And you?”
“Long night.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He paused and contemplated her a minute. “Well, actually…” He let it trail off. “I’ll go down and get some coffee and let you get dressed.”
“I look that bad, huh?”
“You look beautiful.”
“Liar.”
He winked at her, put the crutches under his arms and headed into the hall.
She rose at a snail’s pace from the bed and walked to the window. His NIV Bible lay open on the windowsill to 1st Thessalonians 4. She scanned a few verses. Her eyes stopped halfway down the page.
“It is God’s will that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust…” She lifted it and glanced at the Gideon Bible. Its KJV was open to the same scripture. He’d been reading…this?
She raised her eyes to look out the window. She had enjoyed their constant togetherness, in spite of the hospital and her pain. But to him?
“Sharee,” she whispered to herself, “you have been pretty clueless here.” She looked down and reread the scriptures.
When he came back, she was dressed and sitting in his high-backed chair. His brows lifted.
“Well, they said I’d go home today. I’m ready.” And, hopefully, not causing any problems you don’t need.
He set his crutches against the wall and sat on the edge of the bed, facing her. His eyes fell on the Bible she’d closed and laid back on the windowsill, and his face became serious. He trailed a finger along her jaw and leaned forward to capture her mouth with his.
When he pulled away, he glanced at the Bibles again. “You are beautiful and tempting.”
She felt the heat start in her face. “I didn’t realize.”
His mouth quirked. “Miss Innocent.”
Sharee fingered her bottom lip. His kisses lit fires of their own. “Not that innocent, Mr. Jergenson.”
***
John inserted the key into his condo door. Behind it, Cooper barked and yapped. Lynn had stopped by Sharee’s room soon after their talk, and he’d decided to run home and grab what he wanted before heading back. He settled the crutches under is arms, made sure his good foot supported him then thrust the door open. The dog jumped for him.
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