“So you asked her to marry you?” Pop asked.
He rubbed his beard. “I didn’t come right out and ask. I just told her I wanted to have it all with her — marriage and babies.”
“Babies?” Pop choked out. “Where’s the fire, son? At least let’s have a wedding first.”
Billy shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not interested in any of that.”
“Maybe she’s not ready now, but she will be someday. You have to decide if she’s worth waiting for. And if you love her, my guess is that should be a yes.”
He did love her, but this kind of love meant commitment. Facing fears. If she couldn’t meet him halfway, he didn’t know what he could do with that. She could fall out of airplanes and bungee jump off a bridge but loving him felt like too much of a risk?
He’d been no stranger to fear, even if he’d been reluctant to admit it. Worried he’d never throw again. Fear had settled inside his soul for a while, and built a stronghold in his heart. Only his family, Gigi and his coach had managed to pull him out. Three more surgeries had followed, and then the news nothing more could be done. He’d reached the end of his fairy tale.
And until he’d laid eyes on Brooke again, he’d believed that. He’d assumed he would bide his time pretending to care about a vineyard. Until she made him care.
When he got home, they would talk. It couldn’t be avoided any longer if they were going to work together, and live so near each other. And if nothing else, he’d tell her he wasn’t going anywhere.
Before boarding the plane, he’d made the call to his agent. He’d passed on the sports casting job. He’d called Coach, and told him they’d work something out with the coaching job. The man had been ecstatic, and nearly sobbed on the phone.
Billy had a vineyard to run, a little patch of land where he’d grown accustomed to seeing the sun set every evening. But baseball would never be completely out of his life or his blood. Brooke, more than anyone, had helped him realize it. And if it meant for now he’d coach high school baseball, that’s what he would do.
When they landed thirty minutes later, Billy turned his phone back on. A flurry of messages waited for him, none of which he wanted to see.
Call me when you land. A text from Scott.
Brooke has been in an accident. From Mom.
St. Francis Hospital. From Scott. Headed there now.
“What’s wrong?” Pop asked, grabbing Billy’s arm.
Clearly, the news showed on Billy’s face. His stomach had dropped to the soles of his feet.
“It’s Brooke. We’re going to the hospital.”
*****
Someone wanted Brooke to wake up, but she couldn’t. Not now when the dream was so wonderful.
She wasn’t afraid any more. The baby was cute, too. She looked to be around one and had Billy’s eyes. Like her father, she loved to smile. Everyone adored her, but none more than Brooke.
“Wake up.”
I’m a mom, Brooke thought, but fear didn’t come into the equation. Only a love that reached far beyond fear. Love that made fear a chump.
“Brooke, please wake up.”
“I don’t want to,” she managed to mumble.
She floated on air, sucking up all the happiness in the atmosphere. Feeling sorry for all the people in the world who weren’t her.
When she finally decided to open one eye it wasn’t because anyone asked. Her arm hurt as though a wild rabid animal had chewed on it, and before she could get back to her dreams she clearly had to do something about that. Also, her mouth felt so dry that a drink of water would be nice.
“Oh,” she heard someone groan. Possibly her. Ouch. Correction, her arm felt as though someone had lit it on fire, ripped it off and then tried to sew it back on. Someone cruel and inhumane. Her legs too felt sore and bruised.
Her other eye opened to bright light, a comforting sight.
She recognized the first thing in her line of sight — a full head of dark brown hair lying on her stomach. Fortunately, she’d know that head anywhere. She lifted her left arm, the one that didn’t hurt, and ran her fingers through his hair. Billy.
Then she remembered it all— the drive to the airport in traffic, the lane change, the accident. Flying and landing. Not much after that, but she did seem to remember some screaming in the emergency room. Quite possibly coming from her also. They’d hooked her up to an IV and she didn’t remember much after that.
She had a cast on her right arm. Great.
Billy shifted, lifted his head and grinned. “Finally.” He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He smiled and her heart did a silly ping followed by a somersault. Her heart had become a genuine acrobat.
“Were you the one who wanted me to wake up? I was having a great dream.” She would like to get back to it but she needed water first.
Billy read her mind and had a straw to her lips. “Here.”
She took a sip, and then groaned. “My arm really hurts. Kind of bad. Strike that. Horrible. That’s the word I’m looking for.”
“That makes sense since you broke it. A compound fracture. You had surgery.”
“Oh, right. Now I remember. When I saw the bone sticking out of my arm I think I might have screamed a little. How long have you been here?”
“Since Pop and I landed yesterday.”
An entire day had passed? I might not be Christmas anymore, but The Holidays seemed to be the gift that kept on giving.
Brooke shifted and her arm hurt even worse. “That was yesterday?”
“Yeah. I’ve been here all night. They tried to kick me out.” He grinned again, and her heart flipped in the now familiar way.
“They wouldn’t do that. How many people wanted your autograph?”
“Well, two or three but then they left me, I mean us, alone. For the most part. They’ve been coming in all night to check your meds. You probably need more of that, don’t you?” He glanced at the IV.
“Where’s my mom?” Brooke didn’t want to worry Mom, but she should probably be told.
“She’s been here all night as well. I sent her home only a few minutes ago.”
Then she remembered the rest. Trying to meet his plane at the airport. Failing big time.
“I have to tell you something.” They both said it at once.
“You go first.” She understood that he’d been waiting. Asking her to wake up, she had to assume because he wanted to say something important. She wouldn’t blame him if he’d changed his mind about her, since he’d had the misfortune to fall in love with a complete idiot. Someone who didn’t recognize the right man when he was right in front of her.
“Listen—” He began, but was interrupted by Eileen, who walked in with Giancarlo.
“My dear,” Eileen reached over, nearly shoving Billy out of the way. “What on earth happened?”
Following her were Scott, Pop, and Wallace, bringing up the rear. The entire Turlock clan in her hospital room.
“I had an accident.” Wasn’t that obvious?
“Your Harley looks totaled,” Scott said. “Sorry about that.”
Brooke groaned.
“At least she’s not totaled,” Eileen said, straightening and tucking in Brooke’s bed sheets.
“Thanks for coming guys, but we need to let Brooke rest,” Billy protested.
“We brought some flowers,” Wallace came forward with a large vase of yellow mums and put them on her nightstand.
“Thanks,” Brooke said with a forced smile.
“How did this happen?” Giancarlo asked. “And why do you ride a motorcycle?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” Eileen said, filling Brooke’s glass with fresh water from the plastic pitcher. “They’re dangerous. I don’t allow my boys to ride them.”
“Right.” The boys answered like a chorus.
Brooke stifled a laugh, and that hurt. She happened to know all three boys had motorcycles they rode occasionally.
“Please. You c
an’t tell grown men what to do.” Pop waved Eileen out of the way, and sat on the edge of Brooke’s bed. “Now I want you to know we’ll take care of everything while you’re recuperating.”
“Uh, you will?” She hadn’t thought about that— exactly how long would she be recuperating? Even though it was her right arm, maybe she could figure out a way to work with her left one. Or one of those dictation programs for any emails she’d have to send out. No, she couldn’t be out of work for weeks.
“We’ll take it from here.” Pop patted her shoulder gently.
She was digesting that information, thinking what an idiot she’d been to risk life and limb for a cool ride, when Billy was at her elbow. “Time for everyone to file out of here.”
Scott and Wallace didn’t need to be asked twice, and Pop and Giancarlo followed them out.
Eileen took Pop’s place on the edge of Brooke’s bed. Then she turned to Billy, who was staring at her. “Oh. You don’t mean me, also?”
Billy helped his mother rise from the bed. “ I’d like to be alone with Brooke.”
“Fine,” Eileen said. “But I’ll be at the house every day helping out. Don’t worry about a thing, Brooke. I’ll bring all your meals. Believe me, after a while you won’t miss your taste buds. And best of all, it’s healthy. You’ll recuperate faster.”
“All right, Mom.” Billy led her to the door.
Alone with Billy. At last. Too bad everything hurt. She’d come here by way of an ambulance, and she didn’t want to think about the bill. Another thing. Brooke was in a private room. That had to be costing her a great deal, and even though thanks to Billy she had great insurance she’d probably have to dig deep into savings for her deductible.
“How long do I have to be here and how much is this going to cost me?” Brooke asked.
“Just another day. Don’t worry, I’m paying for everything.”
“No, Billy—”
“I asked them to put you in a private room. Believe me, you don’t want the co-pay for that.” Billy had just reached her side when the nurse walked in.
“Excuse me,” she said to Billy, as if wielding her power like a battle ax, “You’ll have to leave for a few minutes.”
Billy scowled at the nurse as though he were about to protest, but then he turned to Brooke. “I’ll be right back.”
When he’d left, the nurse whose name tag read ‘Renata’ turned to Brooke. “If you want him to stay out I can make it happen.”
“Why would I want that?”
“Well he’s been here all night. He wouldn’t leave, and honestly I’m no baseball fan so I was about to kick him out. Unfortunately Dr. Harrison loves the Sliders.” Renata sighed, overcome with woe, apparently.
“Yeah, I’m no baseball fan either.” Brooke squirmed a little as Renata checked her IV line.
“What are you doing with a man like that?”
Brooke wanted to ask if perhaps the kind nurse should have her eyesight checked. But it wasn’t just his looks. It was— him. Jock or not. He was one of the good guys, even if it had taken her the better part of ten years to realize.
“He’s not a ball player anymore. He owns the Mirassu vineyard in Starlight Hill.”
Renata slipped the blood pressure cuff on Brooke’s good arm and started pumping. “Is that right? Well he’s an odd duck, that one. Wouldn’t let me shut the lights off all night long. I know baseball players have their quirks, but let me just say right now that was a strange one.”
“He wouldn’t let you turn the lights off?” Something inside Brooke’s heart burst open.
“Said you needed the light. Right. I asked him if he was aware that your eyes were closed. You know, athletes are not always the sharpest tools in the shed. But he insisted.”
He insisted. Because he knew how afraid of the dark she’d been, knew she still slept with a nightlight even with his big capable body right next to hers. Might have realized after the accident she didn’t want to wake up in the dark and in strange surroundings.
“Hmmm. Your heart rate is a little higher than earlier. You feeling okay?” Renata asked as she slipped off the cuff.
Better than ever, actually. Except, of course, for the road burn, scratches and broken arm.
“I love him. Big time.” Had she just said that out loud? From the dumbfounded look on Renata’s face, Brooke had.
So what if the first person in the room she confessed this to was a nurse she might never see again? She was working up to telling the man himself. This was like a running start. A rehearsal. A dry run.
“I don’t know why patients feel like they need to unburden themselves to me. I have that kind of face, I guess. Fine. He’s a good looker. I’ll give you that. Although the hair? Maybe a little too long. Get a haircut every now and then. Even men get split ends. But try telling them that. Anyway, is that kind of man really the settling down type? Now think about it.”
“I’m the one who’s not marriage material.”
“You?” Renata didn’t seem to buy what Brooke was selling.
That was okay, because things had changed. “I wasn’t, but I am now. He loves me and I love him.”
“Well. Maybe the kind of love that can be a little suffocating.”
“Not to me,” Brooke said and for the first time in her life she meant it.
Every relationship had fizzled out in the past, and she’d walked away if a guy got too serious. Often ‘too serious’ meant wanting her to meet his family, or vice versa. She’d been strangling from the inside out. She’d always thought it was because she wasn’t cut out for long term, not that she’d just never met the right man.
But of all the times to declare her love for the man, this had to be the worst. In a hospital bed, banged up, with a broken arm.
At that moment, he walked through the door.
“Looks who’s back,” the nurse said without enthusiasm. “You’re like a rash.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and take a guess that you’re not a big sports fan.” Billy said with his amazing smile.
“You guessed right. I’ll leave you two alone,” she said as she fiddled with the IV again. “You should be feeling less pain in a minute or two. Might even sleep some more if someone would let you.”
When she left the room, Billy lifted a shoulder. “Hey, you can’t win ’em all.”
“I’m sorry about that. I guess she doesn’t like ball players.”
“Like someone else I used to know,” Billy said as he reached her bedside.
Her heart melted a little bit more. Pretty soon her heart would slide right out of her, nothing but a gooey mess on the ground. “I remember her. I didn’t really like that girl. She wasn’t just afraid of the dark. She was afraid of letting anyone too close. Especially boys that she shouldn’t like, but somehow did anyway.”
“You liked me?”
She thought maybe she might be blushing because her face felt hot. “C’mon, Billy. Everybody liked you. You’re hard not to like.”
He glanced in the direction of the closed door. “Some people manage just fine.”
She’d give him that. “I need to tell you something.”
He squeezed her good hand. “You were going to let me go first.”
“Oh, right.” She’d waited this long, she could wait a few more minutes.
“I’m sorry. You were right. I pushed you too hard, too fast. I want things to stay the same too. Whatever you want. I just can’t lose you.” He was threading his fingers through hers, and good grief, the soul-catching gaze in his green eyes. Billy, the soul reaper. How could anyone resist him? Certainly not her.
Her hardened heart had barely resisted him ten years ago.
She yanked on his hand pulling him even closer, letting her fingers slide through dark hair. How had this hair ever seemed too long before? It happened to be the perfect length. “You’re not trying to back out on me now, are you?”
He looked confused. “No— wait. What?”
Brooke sighed.
“I had it all planned out. I was going to do better than this. For one, I wasn’t going to be in a hospital bed. I didn’t plan on this cast, on my right arm no less. And I probably don’t look as good as I did when I was practicing in the mirror.”
Even more confusion. “What mirror?”
“Never mind.” She shook her head. Ouch. Well, she couldn’t lose her nerve now. What if she’d broken more than her arm? What if— she didn’t want to go there. “Here’s the thing. I think you already know this, but I love you like crazy.”
“Yeah?” Wow. Her favorite smile. Full throttle.
“Crazy love. Are you ready for that?” The man deserved fair warning. She wasn’t sure what crazy love would look like, but it would probably involve spending a lot of time together and being a little bit jealous. She’d work on that.
“I want crazy.” He kissed her hand.
“You say that now, but are you sure? My kind of crazy means Fallon can’t clean your house anymore.”
“Actually, that makes sense.”
“So I’ll find something she can do for me at the winery.” She’d be under Brooke’s supervision. Too bad she didn’t trust ex-girlfriends who had admitted they were envious. “I know you want to help her.”
“But you come first with me.”
Tears formed in her eyes, making it hard to see his face through the blur. Love had turned her into a first class wimp. “Tell me that you still want to marry me.”
“Any time. Any place. I mean it.”
“I was worried you’d changed your mind.”
“Why? Because you like to challenge gravity every now and then? You think a little thing like that is going to scare me off?”
“No, because I’m a coward at heart. I couldn’t tell you when you needed to hear me say it. But I was on my way to tell you yesterday, when I had the accident.”
“I made my own mistake, Brooke. I shouldn’t have brought up getting married like it was the way to end an argument. If you don’t mind, I’d like to try again.”
She smiled and damned if her face didn’t hurt too. “I think we both need a second chance.”
Somebody Like You (Starlight Hill Series Book 2) Page 26
