by Janie Crouch
Jordan was at least now lying in a bed—a real hospital bed—attached to an IV. Color was returning to her cheeks, and she’d actually smiled at something Violet said a couple minutes ago.
Gabe stood guard at the door, like he had been for the past forty-five minutes, ready to take down anyone who dared make even one disparaging remark in Jordan’s direction. He’d been ready to pounce every time she’d winced over the pain in her hands as they’d been cleaned. The fact that Anne had done the work herself had been the only thing that had kept him from literally growling.
The kindness, professionalism, and respect the doctor had shown Jordan had restored a little of his faith in this town. But not much.
Anne moved to the door after talking to Violet for a minute. “Again, I’m so sorry, Jordan. How you were treated was completely unprofessional. If you’d like to write up a formal complaint with the state, I would understand.”
“No,” Jordan said softly. “I’ll be fine. I just want to go . . . I just want to get out of here.”
“There’s no reason for you to stay overnight. I’ll give you a prescription for pain medication and an antibiotic ointment. But you’re going to need someone to drive you. You won’t be able to drive with your hands in this state.”
Jordan looked panicked for just a moment, like she was going to try to argue that she could do it herself.
“I’ll get her home safely,” he said without looking at Jordan. There was no way he was going to be able to let someone else do it. “I’ve set up triage care for burns before when I was in the military. I’ll make sure she has everything she needs and is able to access it before I leave.”
Anne nodded and he turned to look at Jordan, waiting to see if she would argue. “Okay, um, thank you.”
Her voice was still too quiet. Too traumatized. But at least she’d agreed.
He didn’t even try to hide the relief he felt that she hadn’t turned him down. Maybe she’d forgiven him for what he’d said or maybe she just really needed someone to lean on.
How long had it been since she’d had someone like that? The intensity with which he wanted to be that someone for her caught him off guard, but he’d learned not to fight his instincts.
She needed a guardian angel. He could be that. Her Gabriel.
The knot that had become such a part of him over the past two months eased. He wasn’t letting Jordan out of his sight. He would take care of her and make sure no one hurt her again.
Of course, his sister was staring at him like he’d grown two heads. He couldn’t blame her, given the fact that she had no idea anything had happened between him and Jordan. Obviously, Jordan had kept his asshole-ish behavior to herself.
Not surprising. He was learning Jordan kept everything to herself.
He was a little relieved when Aiden Teague entered the hospital room a few minutes later, and Violet all but threw herself at him.
Gabe didn’t even kill the other man for sucking Violet’s face off since, one, his sister was positively beaming at him, and two, he took Violet away before she could start asking questions about Gabe and Jordan.
Gabe ignored the fact that Aiden and Violet looked like they were going to tear each other’s clothes off the second they made it home. Violet may be an adult, a strong, smart, and capable one, but she was also the baby sister he’d helped raise. Some things Gabe just did not need to see.
But he had to admit, Violet had developed such an inner core of strength over the past two months, Gabe wasn’t sure his sister needed anyone to protect her. She could protect herself.
He looked over at Jordan lying against the propped-up hospital bed with her eyes closed and realized how much things had changed. Two months ago, he’d thought Violet needed protection and Jordan could look out for herself. Now the opposite was true.
He moved closer to the bed until he was standing right next to her. The urge to stroke the side of her face was strong, but he resisted, not wanting to wake her up if she was sleeping.
But those gray eyes opened a moment later.
“Hi,” she whispered.
Now he didn’t even try to stop himself from touching her. He stroked her cheek. “Hi, yourself.”
“Thank you. I—”
He moved his fingers till they were covering her lips. “No need to thank me. Just rest for right now.”
“I know you’re busy,” she said. “You don’t really have to give me a ride. I can call an Uber or something.”
“What about once you get home?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. “You’re going to need help. You’re not going to be able to cook for yourself, or even open a door. I can at least get things set up for you at your house.”
The skin across her cheekbones was drawn tight, her eyes darting around the room. “It’s just . . . I know you don’t really want to be around me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”
His face was only inches from her own. “Why would you think I didn’t want be around you?”
She shrugged. “After the last time . . .”
“Last time I acted like the biggest asshole on the planet.”
Now those gray eyes flew to his. “But you said you were sorry, even sent me those flowers, and I still didn’t talk to you. I figured you’d pretty much written me off. I don’t really blame you.”
Gabe stared at her for a long minute. He’d made a tactical error with her, not something he was used to doing. Yes, he had apologized and sent her flowers. When she’d refused to talk to him, he’d thought it was because what he’d said had been totally unforgivable.
Bile pooled in Gabe’s gut as understanding clicked in his mind.
Jordan believed all this stuff about herself. Believed the town had a right to hate her. Believed it was only someone like Allan Godlewski who would really want her. What Gabe said two months ago had just reconfirmed that in her mind. What had happened here today had just reconfirmed that.
And it was bullshit.
She was quiet and stoic. She tried to not draw attention to herself in any way. That was how she lived her life here, just staying in the background. She acted like she didn’t care or notice how people treated her, but she really did.
After what he’d said, he should not have left her alone. But she’d been very clear. Forcing himself to respect her wishes made Hell Week seem like a tropical vacation. He’d wanted nothing more than to keep pursuing her. Keep apologizing. Keep letting her know he couldn’t get her out of his mind, and she was beautiful.
He kissed her forehead. “I never wrote you off. I just figured you had the right to stay angry with me after what I said. But no more arguing right now. Just rest and let the meds soak in.” Her eyes were already drooping. “Sleep. When they release you, I’ll take you home and make sure it’s set up so you can manage.”
And by that he meant he’d be staying there with her for the next few days. He had a business to run, but he’d do it remotely for a while.
“There’s something we need to talk about . . .” Her words were a little slurred.
She’d said something similar last time, but he’d ignored her, blindly assuming he knew what was best. He wouldn’t make that same mistake again.
He brushed a piece of her soft brown hair off her for head, and touched her cheek smudged with flour and smoke. “We will. Whatever it is, we will. But for right now just go to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Confusion, doubt, and hope battled in those gray eyes before they slid closed.
Chapter 12
Jordan had never been on a roller coaster. She’d never really desired to go on one, but she imagined the experience would be similar to what she was feeling now. Unpredictable, exciting, scary, out of control, thrilling, and a little bit painful.
All these feelings at once were a lot. And utterly overwhelming.
She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened at the hospital. One minute she’d been trapped inside that little closet of her room in so much pain, the next
Gabriel had swooped in.
And the next . . . honestly, a lot of it was a blur. All she’d known was that when Gabriel had crouched beside her and wiped her nose with that tissue, she’d believed him when he said he was going to handle it.
And he had, because now she was sitting here in her truck that he’d gotten from Fancy Pants. He was walking around to the driver’s side. She’d gotten out of the hospital with no mention of payments and no questions about minimal insurance. She would fight that battle when the bill came. Right now, she had other things to worry about.
Like the fact that she couldn’t go back to her house because of the damage that had been done. Explaining this to Gabriel wasn’t going to be easy. Maybe she shouldn’t try at all.
“Thank you again for all your help,” she said as he got in the truck.
“I’m sorry my help is necessary at all, but you’re more than welcome.”
His easy smile—one she thought she’d never see again—sent her over another steep hill on her emotional roller coaster.
“I hope it’s okay,” he continued, “I had them fill your prescriptions at the hospital to make sure there was no delay.”
He cranked the truck, which, once again, started with no problem since he was the one behind the wheel. Bitch.
Jordan nodded. “Yes, that’s perfect. Annie said I should try to keep ahead of the pain, to take them as directed, not to wait for it to start hurting too badly. She said it will hurt to touch anything for a couple of days but then should be more generalized.” She was rambling, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Actually, I was thinking maybe I would just stay in town at a hotel. Just survive off junk food for a few days during the worst of it with my hands.”
But, crap. What if they wouldn’t rent her room at The Mayor’s Inn?
“Or,” she continued quickly before he could make a comment, “maybe I’ll get a room outside of town. Just call it a mini vacation. Veg out in front of the TV.”
A vacation she couldn’t afford, especially given the damage to her house and computer system, not to mention the fact that her place of employment had just caught on fire. She didn’t know when the bakery would open again, if ever.
Her heart sank as he turned the truck off.
“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest.” He shifted his body so he was facing her.
She nodded slowly.
“I would like to come to your house for the next few days and help take care of you. Not just because you need help—and you do need help, Rainfall—but because I would like to spend time with you. Trust me when I say not a day has gone by in the past two months that I haven’t wanted to see you.”
“Oh.”
“But if you’re not comfortable with me being around you and helping you in some pretty intimate ways, then I would be more than happy to hire a nurse to come stay at your house until you can get by on your own.”
She was touched at the thought. It was more than anyone had ever done for her. “Oh,” she said again. “Thank you.”
“I’d like to take care of you, but I’ll understand if you want a nurse.” Her breath blew silently out of her mouth as he reached over and cupped her cheek. “But nurse or not, you’re not getting rid of me easily again, Rainfall.”
“I-I’m not?”
That smile of his sucked the rest of the oxygen out of her lungs. “No, you’re not.”
She didn’t really want a home healthcare professional. Particularly since she didn’t have a functioning home to bring someone to anyway.
She needed help.
She’d never been good at asking for help, mostly because she’d always known there was no one she could count on help from. Could she count on Gabriel?
She hoped so. She was about to find out.
“I don’t mind you helping me.”
“Good. Then I’m coming home with you. And if you want to veg out, you can do it in the comfort of your own home.”
She flinched. “I can’t go to my house. There are some repairs that need to be done.”
He processed that for a moment before his eyes narrowed. “What sort of repairs?”
She didn’t want to tell him. She couldn’t seem to force the words out.
His thumb trailed across her cheek again. “The same kind of repairs I helped you with last time?”
She looked away from him but nodded. He let out a blistering curse under his breath.
“When did it happen?”
She shrugged. “Late last night. That was why I was at the bakery in the middle of the night to start with.”
He turned back and gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. “How many windows?”
His fury was almost a tangible thing, but it didn’t scare her because she knew it wasn’t directed at her. It was directed for her.
“I don’t know. Most of them, I think. I couldn’t stay there.”
Gabriel started the truck again. He didn’t say anything besides asking her to stay in the car while he stopped at the local hardware store. He was in there for a long time, and she expected him to come out with plywood to cover the broken windows at her house. But when he came out, his hands were empty.
He didn’t say anything, just gave her a smile and drove them to their next stop, the Oak Creek grocery store. This time after he parked, he held the door open and helped her out of the truck.
“I don’t usually shop here.” She wanted to drag her feet when he gripped her elbow gently to escort her inside. This was one of the places that had been hit hardest by her father’s theft. The last time she’d tried to shop here, when she’d first gotten back home, they’d told her to stay away.
He stopped and looked down at her. “If you tell me the food here is poor quality and you prefer to go somewhere else, I will be happy to take you wherever you would like to shop.” He raised an eyebrow. “But if you don’t shop here because the owner has some beef with your dad, and you’re trying to make them feel more comfortable, well, to hell with that.”
“But . . .”
He kissed her on the top of the head. “No. Thanks to some of the people in this town, you’re in a lot more pain and a lot more tired than you should be. Thanks to some of the people of this town, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to repair the house they damaged. So the people of this town can damn well sell you a few basic products without it harming their delicate sensibilities.”
He didn’t understand. Gabriel couldn’t possibly understand. He wasn’t from Oak Creek, hadn’t lost all his money, didn’t know what it was like.
But she let him escort her inside because what he was saying was also correct.
They did their shopping, and the world didn’t end. A few people stared, but nobody said anything. When they got to the front to check out, the cashier, someone Jordan didn’t recognize but who obviously recognized her, pressed her lips together in mutiny.
Jordan knew what was coming. It was the very reason she’d refused to go out with Gabriel in the first place, because she wanted to avoid something like this.
But before the scene could even get started, Gabriel’s arm wrapped around her waist and slid her until she was standing behind him, placing himself between her and the cashier.
“How much for my groceries?” Gabriel said.
Something about him—His deep voice? His air of authority? The fact that he roughly resembled Thor?—made the cashier forget whatever argument she’d been planning and begin scanning the groceries. Gabriel paid, grabbed the bags, and they were back out the door without incident.
Jordan was afraid he was going to want to talk about it. But he didn’t. Instead, as soon as he helped her back into the truck, he started arguing about the lack of radio station choices in this area.
It was an absurd conversation.
And perfectly normal.
She tucked her feet under her legs and turned to the side so she could study him while he drove.
“I don’t do c
ountry music,” he said. “Give me rock any day.”
“I like Tim McGraw and Sam Hunt. But mostly I like classic rock. Like real classic rock, not eighties hair bands like you probably listen to.”
“You’re wounding me, Rainfall. Mötley Crüe? Def Leppard? Twisted Sister? Those are some great bands.”
“Twisted Sister?” She couldn’t hold back her giggle.
He laughed out loud. “I will definitely concede that they were the bottom of the eighties hair band pool. When you say ‘classic rock,’ what are you talking about?”
“Stones. Pink Floyd. But mostly I love Jimi Hendrix.”
He reached over and ran a finger down her arm. “Then I think you and I are going to do just fine.”
Chapter 13
Anger boiled to the surface as Gabe surveyed the damage. Using all his military training, he managed to tamp it down. Barely. Those assholes had really done a number on it this time. She hadn’t been kidding when she said nearly every window was broken.
The first thing he did was take her in and get some food into her. He liked the feeling of feeding her from his hand way too much, since she couldn’t do it herself, and then he made her take her pain medication. She hadn’t said she was in pain, but he hadn’t missed the way her jaw had started to tighten as they got closer to her house.
Or maybe it was seeing all the damage in the daylight that made her tense. There was no way she could’ve repaired this by herself, even if she wasn’t injured.
Gabe wasn’t going to repair it by himself either. Jordan had friends in this town, and it was time she started accepting that. It had only taken one call to get more than enough people here to have these windows replaced by nightfall. He’d made that call while he was at the hardware store. With the number of prefab windows the store had in stock, all Gabe needed was the measurements from Jordan’s house. He’d prepaid for the windows and told the manager to be expecting a call and someone to pick them up.
