by Melody Anne
Patsy was alert and nervous when they stepped into her room. It took a while for them to calm her down, especially considering Nicole was just as nervous as Patsy was. When they wheeled her into the surgery room Nicole couldn’t say a word. She was close to bursting into tears.
“The surgery’s going to take a couple of hours so why don’t we go out to lunch. You need to get your mind off of what’s going on,” Ryan suggested as they walked towards the waiting area.
“No, I need to be here in case the doctor comes out,” she said in almost a panic.
“We can stay, that’s fine,” he offered. They stepped through the doors and Nicole was dazed to find his family sitting in there. It was all of them, including his cousins, their spouses and both of his uncles. The women jumped up and immediately threw their arms around her, causing the tears she refused to let fall, come cascading down her cheeks. She was scared and very happy to let Jasmine and Trinity comfort her.
“What are you doing here?” she finally managed to ask them. After all, Patsy wasn’t related to them. She was more than grateful for their presence, though.
“We couldn’t let you go through this on your own,” Jasmine said, as if she was crazy to think anything differently. Nicole was more than willing to accept their love and support and continued to cry all her fears into their arms.
Ryan found himself a third wheel and didn’t like the feeling. He should be the one who she was turning to. It should have been his shoulder she was crying into. He wanted to kick himself when he had those thoughts because he normally hated clingy, emotional women and ran the second they behaved in that manner.
The men pulled him out of the room and walked him to the café to get some much needed coffee. None of them said anything, just drank some coffee and let the girls have some needed time together. Not one of them could possibly understand the female mind and felt safer at a distance, so they didn’t accidentally say something that may land them in hot water.
When they’d let enough time pass, they finally made their way back to the room with coffee and donuts to share. The women managed to get Nicole to drink the coffee but no amount of pleading would get her to eat. Ryan was relieved the tears had at least dried up. He didn’t know how to handle them.
The hours waiting for the doctor to come back in were the longest of Nicole’s life. She paced up and down the hallways, waiting for him to bring her any information. She needed to know her baby sister was going to be okay and she wouldn’t feel better until that moment. Ryan tried to get her to eat something but there was no way she could keep any food down. The breakfast she’d eaten was sitting uneasily in her stomach and she feared she was going to vomit all over the pristine floors.
“Ms. Lander,” a doctor said, as he stepped into the room. She whipped her head around and looked at him with both fear and hope. Nothing could’ve happened to Patsy. She wouldn’t survive it.
“Yes?” she said barely above a whisper. She was terrified but needed to know.
“Your sister is out of surgery and it looks like everything will be fine. The next few hours are critical but it looks like your sister is going to make a full recovery,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she sobbed and threw her arms around the doctor, clinging tightly to him. He patted her back and whispered reassurances. She was so relieved the nightmare seemed to finally be over. She had to see for herself she was alive and breathing.
Nicole didn’t know when Patsy was transferred but she noticed her sister was being held by Ryan. The doctor was nowhere to be seen. He was rubbing her back and whispering reassuring words to her. She finally managed to pull herself together and was led into Patsy’s recovery room.
Ryan sent the rest of the family home, as Patsy wouldn’t be awake more than minutes at a time. There wasn’t any point in them staying there. They reluctantly left and exhaustion took over Nicole as she lay in the chair next to Patsy’s bed. She fell asleep for the first time in a long while, with peace in her heart.
The night was long, with Patsy only waking for short periods of time. Every time the nurses came in to check on her they assured both Nicole and Ryan, who also refused to leave, she was healing fine and it looked like she would be okay. Nicole wouldn’t completely believe them until she walked out of the hospital but she was happy.
“You’re coming out with us today. You’ve done nothing but sit here and worry about your sister and she’s fine. She has a million magazines, doctors and nurses at her beck and call and food being brought in. You, on the other hand, look like you haven’t eaten in a month, have dark circles under your eyes and are in desperate need of a manicure,” Jasmine said to Nicole.
Nicole stared at the two women before her, feeling slightly shell shocked. They were trying to get her to leave the hospital room but she would feel so guilty doing so. Patsy needed her there and she had an irrational fear if she left her side something would happen to her.
“I can’t leave her,” she pled with them.
“Nicole we simply aren’t taking no for an answer. You can either walk out of here with us, or we will get the guys to come and drag you out but you’re going out for a day of much needed pampering,” Trinity said.
“Go with them Nicole. You have been amazing and I love you to pieces but you need to take care of yourself and not just me all the time. Now get out of here and I’ll tell the doctors you aren’t allowed back in until tomorrow,” Patsy told her.
“Patsy, you don’t mean that, you need me here,” Nicole said, a little hurt by her sisters words.
“I do need you and I love you more than anything. I know how much you sacrifice for me and how much you have always given up for me. Get the shocked look off your face, I’m not blind. You make sacrifices every day to take care of me and I love and appreciate you even more for that but please take care of yourself. Now get out and I mean it when I say you aren’t allowed back until tomorrow,” Patsy reinforced.
“You’re never a sacrifice because I love you,” Nicole told her.
“You heard your sister, let’s get out of here,” Jasmine said.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get out for a few hours,” Nicole conceded. Both women nodded encouragingly to her. She gathered her purse and made sure Patsy was properly covered before reluctantly following the women from the room.
“First thing we are doing is getting you a hot lunch,” Trinity said.
“Then, we’re going to the salon for manicures and pedicures,” Jasmine added.
“After all that fun we’re doing some shopping and don’t you dare shake your head at me. It looks as if you haven’t pampered yourself in a long time. I’ve demanded Ryan’s credit card and your day’s on him. Seriously, you’ve got to quit shaking your head at me. The man isn’t going to go broke because you purchase a few outfits,” Trinity said.
Nicole was thinking there was no way she was going to spend Ryan’s money. He’d already forked out an arm and a leg on Patsy’s operation but she could live with that because it wasn’t for her. She didn’t find it acceptable to have him buying her personal clothing, though.
“We can argue about it more once you’re fed and pampered, then I’ll feel better winning because my opponent doesn’t look like she’s about to blow over in a small wind,” Jasmine said with a smile.
The three women ate an amazing lunch, which had Nicole groaning and wishing she could unbutton her jeans. On the way to the salon, she realized that she’d never had either a pedicure or manicure and the thought of that luxury was out of the world. She sat back in the plush chair, while a woman rubbed lotion over her feet and knew in that moment she’d died and gone to heaven. If there was a greater pleasure in life she wasn’t sure what it was.
“Okay that was a slice of heaven, now let’s do some shopping,” Trinity said with a pleased look on her face.
“Seriously, the lunch and the salon were amazing and I really am feeling much better but Ryan and I have just started seeing each other and I’m not comfor
table with him buying me clothes,” Nicole told them. She couldn’t tell them she was basically selling herself to the man for her sister’s operation.
“Nicole, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Jasmine once again threatened.
“Why don’t we wander around and I can be with you guys while you get new things,” Nicole tried to compromise. The two women smiled at each other and dragged her off toward some fancy store.
Nicole ran her hands along the silk of some gowns and knew it was all beyond her normal price range. She wouldn’t even be able to afford a pair of panties in a store like the one the girls had brought her to. When Patsy graduated and she was able to get some more education, maybe she’d be able to spoil herself a bit but that would be several years away. She really didn’t mind the menial sacrifices though, as long as her sister turned out okay. It would be a miracle considering the parents they were unfortunate enough to have received.
“Derek and I are throwing a masquerade ball and you need a stunning gown for it,” Jasmine told her.
“I probably shouldn’t go to a party and leave Patsy, anyway,” Nicole said with reluctance. The thought of going to a large party was very appealing, especially all dressed up. It would be really nice to feel like a princess for a night but she couldn’t justify spending the funds.
“Patsy will be well taken care of and it would truly hurt my feelings if you didn’t come,” Jasmine said, sealing Nicole’s fate. She wouldn’t want to hurt either of the two women who’d been so good to her.
“Okay, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get one dress but seriously it doesn’t have to be extravagant,” Nicole conceded. Both Jasmine and Trinity squealed with delight and by the end of their shopping day Nicole was regretting those few simple words.
She didn’t know how the women had managed it but she ended walking from the stores with several bags and the most stunning dress she’d ever seen. She’d felt like amazing when she tried it on. She couldn’t imagine how she was going to feel when her hair was all done and she had on the heels and accessories. She was looking forward to the masquerade but she was terrified to know how much she’d spent. She was determined to pay every cent back.
Trinity and Jasmine had refused to let her see any of the totals but she would tell Ryan she wanted to know the amount and she would pay him back. She wouldn’t allow him to refuse her. She felt too much like a call-girl, with him buying her clothes.
“I’ll take your dress and accessories back to my place. I want you to come over early so we can all get ready together,” Jasmine told her. She’d still not let her see what she’d bought to go with the dress.
“That would be nice,” Nicole told her. By the time they headed back to the hospital, Nicole realized she’d had an amazing day but she was certainly exhausted. The women left her and she quickly fell asleep in the cot the staff had brought in for her.
It was her first night to sleep soundly, the whole night, since the surgery. She was grateful Patsy had been sound asleep herself, or she figured her little sister would’ve carried through on her threat and made her leave until the morning. Nicole would’ve been too stressed to sleep at the house and besides she was trying to avoid Ryan. She really didn’t think she’d be able to resist him.
“I’m fine, you can really stop fussing over me now,” Patsy said, with some impatience with her overprotective sister.
“I’m simply worried about you. You did have major surgery and are finally safe and sound and out of that horrible hospital,” Nicole told her little sister with all the patience of a saint. Patsy had been in a dreadful mood the last few days and was incredibly sick of laying in bed. She’d always been an active child and she was thoroughly sick of bed rest.
“Remember your doctor said you can’t overdo it, only mild walks and no school for at least another month,” Nicole reminded her.
“Trust me, I have you here to remind me,” Patsy told her with a sincere smile. She may be grumpy but she knew her sister was only trying to make sure she’d be okay.
“I love you so much,” Nicole told her, fighting back the tears.
“I love you too sis, now go relax for a while. I promise you I won’t melt away while I sit here and watch a movie,” Patsy told her. “I can’t believe we are in this amazing house and I really hope we get to stay for a while,” she added.
Patsy had been just as amazed of Ryan’s home as Nicole had initially been. She’d stayed there for a little over two weeks now though and had adjusted to the palatial place. For Patsy, it was all brand new and she wanted to explore everything. She was still getting winded too easily though, and had to take it easy. Nicole was going to make sure she did indeed relax.
“What is it?” Ryan snapped at his poor receptionist when she buzzed him.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you Mr. Titan but you have a call on line one,” she said to him. His entire office staff had gone out of their way to avoid him over the last two weeks. He’d been a bear to be around and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Nicole had been living with him for a couple weeks and he hadn’t been alone with her since the night her sister had gone in for surgery. She’d stayed night and day at the hospital and though he’d wanted to drag her from the room by her hair and insist she share his bed he couldn’t do it.
He convinced himself he was only thinking about Patsy and didn’t care about what Nicole had actually needed. Even though he wanted his revenge on her he couldn’t hurt her as bad as he would’ve been by making her leave her sister. Nicole had only started to look better in the last few days. She was finally sleeping and her skin was getting a healthy flush to it. It would feel much better to challenge her if she was able to give as well as she got.
Patsy had finally been moved to Ryan’s house that afternoon and Nicole would be back in his bed. Maybe after he satisfied his needs, he’d stop snapping at every person who dared to even look at him.
“Thanks,” he said shortly and took the call. He barely managed to be civil to the man on the other end of the line and wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t call back for a very long time. Ryan gave up on work and headed out the door. He was in no state to be around decent people.
His driver got him home in record time, since there wasn’t any rush hour traffic to deal with. He slipped inside and worked the rest of the day from his home office. He didn’t trust himself to be around Nicole yet because he was sure she was tending her sister and it wouldn’t be good for Patsy’s heart to watch her sister be ravished right in front of her. Man, he was acting like a horny teenager.
His door opened and he was about to growl at the person who dared to interrupt him, when Derek stepped in through the door. He still grumbled a bit at his cousin.
“What’s up your burr?” Derek asked with a laugh. Ryan ignored the question.
“What do you want, Derek?” he asked instead. He knew he was being rude but his arrangement with Nicole was seriously killing him. He was supposed to have her in his bed every night and so far all he’d gotten was one night in two weeks.
“I was just coming to remind you about the party tomorrow night,” Derek said, barely able to suppress his humor at his cousin’s mood.
“I did forget about that. I don’t know if I can make it with Patsy just getting here,” Ryan said. He was certainly in no mood to be at a party and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to drag Nicole away.
“Well that’s too bad because then you’re going to miss out on Nicole looking hot and sexy,” Derek said, knowing he would get a reaction out of his cousin. Ryan’s head flew up in surprise.
“I didn’t think she would be willing to part from her sister, even though I have round the clock care for her,” Ryan grumbled.
“She’s already over at the house. Jasmine insisted she and Trinity stay the night so they could do the whole beauty thing together,” Derek said with a shrug.
“Crap, I feel out of the loop, I didn’t even know she’d left. Her and I are going to have a serious
talk,” Ryan said, a bit of a threat in his tone.
“Sounds as if you’re being knocked off your feet by a woman,” Derek told him, with far too smug of a look on his face. Ryan simply glared at him, until Derek chuckled. He then went over and helped himself to a generous amount of Ryan’s best bourbon.
“Well, Drew is on his way over. We figured if the girls were kicking us out, then we would make it a guy’s night,” Derek told him. “So put your work away and let’s go out to the grease joint.”
“Sounds good to me,” Ryan agreed. Drew showed up and the men headed out. Being with his cousins helped his mood slightly but he knew he wasn’t going to feel better until he had Nicole back in his bed again. He couldn’t wait until he got her out of his system for good.
Chapter Five
“So I know it’s completely over the top but we have a hair stylist and a make-up artist coming in tomorrow. I want to wow my husband and I have spared no expense,” Jasmine said, with a giggle.
