Wondering why he didn’t see it, she inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled as she got her emotions under control. “Yes I do. If I hadn’t left without talking to you, you never would have come after me, and then you wouldn’t have crashed, and then you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
Hot tears were pushing into her eyes again. Will had trained her to blame herself anytime something went wrong, so taking it onto her shoulders had been second nature. Besides, it really was her fault and she was certain Josh saw that too, that he was just too nice to say it out loud.
One side of his mouth tugged up in a smile. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s that deer that stepped in front of us.”
Frustrated that her memory had been affected, she frowned. “What deer?”
“I guess you didn’t see it.”
Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, she said, “The last thing I remember was…” She almost said, When you kissed me, but stopped herself before blurting it out. Though it wasn’t the last thing she remembered, it still blazed in her mind, and the memory of it brought a blush to her cheeks.
“What, Shay? What’s the last thing you remember?”
Hoping her face didn’t betray her thoughts, she said, “Telling you I’d go back to your cabin with you.”
A lazy smile curved his mouth as he nodded, and she knew he was thinking about the kiss too. “Right.”
“What?”
“I think you were going to say something else.”
Glad the conversation had gotten lighter, she smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He gazed at her, his blue eyes sparkling. “Uh-huh.”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“No. Not really.”
“I do have a concussion, you know.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “What did the doctor say? Are you going to be okay?”
Touched by his concern, Shay nodded. “Yes. He said I can leave soon.”
“Good.”
She didn’t want to ask if his offer was still open. She didn’t want to put him in the awkward position of having to tell her he’d changed his mind, that he secretly blamed her for his injury even though he’d said the accident wasn’t her fault.
“Was there really a deer?” she asked, afraid he’d made it up to make her feel better.
“Yes. What, do you think I’m that bad of a driver?”
“No. It’s just…I don’t remember seeing a deer.”
“Trust me. It was there. It came out of the forest right as I reached that spot. I swerved to avoid it and… Well, here we are.” He stared at her a moment. “I should’ve had a helmet for you.”
He was blaming himself for her injuries? That was crazy. It was also the polar opposite of the way Will would have reacted. That realization gave her pause. Josh was such a good man.
“Please don’t blame yourself,” she finally said, her voice soft.
Who else would he blame? It had been his choice to go after her, and he couldn’t be angry with her for leaving without talking to him. After all, she’d left a note explicitly telling him not to come after her. This was absolutely his own fault. He should have seen that deer coming, but he’d been lost in thought. At the very minimum, he should have had a helmet for Shay. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have one in her size. He could have gotten one for her…somehow.
Josh knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t stand the idea that he was responsible for Shay sitting in a hospital bed. The idea sickened him, especially when he thought about what her ex may have done to her in the past.
He needed to stop that line of thinking. What happened on the ATV was an accident, pure and simple. No one was to blame.
A twinge of pain in his shoulder reminded him that he was suffering enough for his mistake and that he needed to look to the future.
“One of my buddies is going to pick us up,” he said. “The team doctor will want to take a look at my shoulder, so if you don’t mind coming along…”
A look of pure relief spread across her face, then she smiled. “No, that would be fine.”
Had she thought he would jettison her now? After everything? What kind of man did she think he was? He would have to prove to her that he was nothing like she was used to.
Needing to know what she was thinking, he asked, “Why do you seem so surprised?”
Her shoulders lifted slightly. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to assume…anything.”
Yep, she’d thought he was going to leave her in the hospital, helpless and with nothing but the clothes on her back. Wow. What kind of man had she been with before that she would think that of him?
Wanting to put her worries to rest once and for all, he took her small hand in his. “Let’s get one thing straight right now, Shay. You’re welcome to stay at my place as long as you want.”
Wait. Did he just say that out loud? What had he just committed to? Then again, would having her around indefinitely be a bad thing? He had to admit that there was a lot of appeal to that idea.
“Really?” Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“Yeah.” He would figure things out later. For now she needed reassurance and he was happy to give it to her.
“I…I really appreciate that,” she said. “And don’t worry. I’m sure I won’t need to stick around too long.”
Those words should have reassured him, but instead they sent a sharp pain to his heart. What was up with that?
Chapter Thirty-One
Shay appreciated Josh’s offer, she really did, but she wasn’t going to hold him to it. Just knowing he was willing to let her have a place to get on her feet gave a tremendous boost to her confidence. And who knew? Maybe there could be more between them. She already knew how she felt about him. And he’d kissed her twice, so he must have feelings for her.
Hope blossomed within her, and despite the accident, she was glad she’d chosen to get on that ATV.
A few minutes later the doctor came by. Josh excused himself, and after the doctor checked her over, he told her she was free to go. Happy to hear that, when she thought about paying all the bills—the ambulance, the doctor’s fees, the costs of the tests they’d done—fresh anxiety wrapped around her.
She had no money and no way to get her hands on some anytime soon. Her agreement with Josh just covered room and board. He’d never offered any cash. What was she going to do?
“Hey,” Josh said as he came back into the room. “The doc gave you a clean bill of health?”
“Yeah.” Shay could feel her forehead furrowing, but she couldn’t seem to stop it. Climbing off of the bed, she wondered if she could set up a payment plan with the hospital.
“What’s wrong?” Josh asked. “You look worried.”
Throwing him a smile, she shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. You’re too easy to read, Shay.”
All the stress of the day caught up with her and tears threatened. Breathing slow and deep to get her emotions under control, she turned away from Josh to pick up her purse.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Josh said. “If the doc said you’re okay, then we’ll get out of here and you can put this behind you.”
Shay had yet to turn around, embarrassed by her pitiful circumstances.
“Look at me,” Josh demanded.
Squeezing her eyes closed, Shay gathered herself, then opened her eyes and turned around, a fake smile plastered to her mouth.
“You’re hiding something from me,” he said.
His eyes were locked on her face and she felt as if he was looking into her soul.
“What’s going on?” he asked. “Did Will contact you?”
Will. She’d almost forgotten about her ex and his promise to find her. Something else to be anxious about. Her phone was still off and she didn’t want to turn it on to see if he’d texted her again.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I haven’t checked.”
Josh dipped h
is chin, his eyes never leaving hers. “Then what is it? Tell me.”
Shoulders drooping, she sighed. “I just…I don’t have the money to pay for this.” Sweeping her arms around to indicate the space they were in, she sighed again as her gaze fell to the floor.
“Oh, Shay,” he said, then he lifted her chin with one finger until she was forced to meet his eyes. “I’ve already taken care of that.” He released her chin, but she kept looking at him.
Though grateful for his generosity, she didn’t like being in his debt. First he’d bought her clothes and let her come to his house, then he’d crashed on his ATV and got injured because of her, and now he was paying her medical bills. It was too much.
“I’ll pay you back,” she said.
“No, you won’t. I was the one driving, so it’s my responsibility.”
She wasn’t in a position to argue, but she also didn’t need to agree. Instead, she just stared at him, her attraction to him deepening. And when she thought about the kisses they’d shared, it took all of her self-control to not throw her arms around him. Whether that would be in gratitude or because she just liked the feel of his arms around her, she wasn’t sure.
Moments later a man poked his head into the room.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said.
Shay could tell he was trying to speak quietly, but his voice was too deep to be quiet. Josh turned, and when he saw him he gestured for him to come in. The man was a couple of inches taller than Josh—who was six foot two—and bigger all around. With thick brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and soulful brown eyes, he reminded Shay of a giant teddy bear.
Was this guy one of Josh’s teammates? Josh had said a buddy was coming, but he hadn’t been more specific than that.
Maybe Josh really was in the NFL. Then again, at this point he had no reason to lie to her.
Though it seemed unbelievable that a famous athlete would be helping her, she tried not to think about that, and instead focused on the man she’d gotten to know—the generous, thoughtful man. The man she was attracted to beyond all reason.
“Shay,” Josh said, “this is Brock Remington. Brock, Shay Campbell.”
Brock extended his massive hand to Shay, and when she took it, her hand was completely enveloped in his.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Same here.” He released her hand and she smiled at him.
It was obvious to Josh that Shay wasn’t comfortable with him paying her medical expenses, but he knew she had no money. And he had plenty. Glad he could help her out, he hoped she wouldn’t bring it up again.
“Ready to go?” Brock asked.
Josh looked at Shay, his eyebrows raised in question.
“Sure,” she said.
“Looks like it,” Josh said, then the three of them left the room and walked into the ER waiting area, then out of the hospital.
They’d barely stepped out of the door when a man began taking photos of all three of them. Irritated that the media had already gotten wind of his injury, Josh scowled. His agent had said he wouldn’t give out the press release until later that day, but Josh knew with social media nothing could be kept under wraps for long. Most likely when he’d arrived someone had recognized him and tweeted about it, and the fact that Josh Wisner had shown up at the hospital in an ambulance had gone viral.
Used to the attention, Josh ignored the reporter.
“Josh,” the reporter called to him. “How serious is your injury?”
Josh continued to ignore the man, putting his arm around Shay to steer her away from him.
“How did you get hurt?” the reporter shouted as they moved farther away. “Is it going to impact this season?”
That was the million dollar question, and one that he wasn’t ready to think about.
Shay had been startled when the man had shouted at them and taken their picture, but with Josh’s arm around her, she felt safe. The questions the man asked only confirmed what Josh had told her and she knew he’d been telling the truth about his job.
Glancing at Josh out of the corner of her eye, she wondered why he’d bothered with her, a girl he didn’t know who had broken into his house. But she knew why. That’s the kind of man he was. Another reason she was falling so hard for him.
“Here’s my ride,” Brock said.
They’d stopped next to a tricked-out silver Land Rover.
“Do you want to sit up front?” Josh asked her.
She was a lot smaller than him, so she figured he’d be more comfortable up front. Plus with his injured shoulder it would be better for him to have more room.
“No. The back is fine.”
Josh twisted around to open the door with his left hand, and Shay felt a burst of guilt that he couldn’t use his right hand because of her. Trying not to think about that, she climbed in back.
As they drove to wherever it was they were going, Shay stayed quiet, lost in thought as she replayed the day over and over in her mind.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“How do you know Josh?” Brock asked Shay.
They were sitting in the waiting room as they waited for Josh to finish his visit with the team doctor.
Did she want to tell him the crazy way she’d met Josh? Not really. “He, uh, I’m helping him with his garden.”
Brock’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t know he was into gardening.”
Holding back a smile, Shay said, “It’s a new hobby for him.”
“Guess he won’t be working out there anytime soon.”
The reminder that he’d injured his shoulder, and that it would impact his day to day activities, not to mention his career, sent a fresh burst of remorse through Shay. “Yeah. Guess not.” She would be more than happy to do all the work in the garden. It was the least she could do.
“So,” she began, ready to get some info. “Are you on Josh’s team?”
“Yep.”
“What position do you play?”
One side of Brock’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Tight end.”
Embarrassed that she had no clue what that meant, she smiled. “I don’t actually know all that much about football. What does a tight end do?”
“I have a few responsibilities, like protecting the quarterback from the other team and opening up a hole for the tailback to run through. And a lot of times I take on the job of wide receiver.”
The names of the positions were familiar to her, but Shay didn’t know much more than that. Will liked to watch football, but when he did, Shay usually found other things to do as he would get worked up when his team wasn’t doing well and she didn’t like to be around him at those times.
Pushing aside thoughts of her ex, she asked, “How long have you known Josh?”
Brock stretched out his long legs. “We were on the same college team before we were drafted onto the Vipers, so I guess we’ve known each other for about…” His gaze went to the ceiling. “Eight years.”
Curious to know Josh’s dating history, Shay didn’t dare ask his friend, who would most likely tell Josh that she’d asked.
It was a good thing she didn’t ask as Josh came out of the doctor’s office just then. He seemed happier than he’d been earlier, which gave Shay hope that he’d gotten good news.
“What’s the verdict?” Brock asked.
“Couple weeks of rest, then I’ll start physical therapy. I should be good as new a few weeks into preseason training.”
“Awesome.” Brock stood. “Now what?”
“Now you either take us back to my place, or I call an Uber.” Josh smiled. “Either way is fine with me.”
“You know I would, bro, but I’ve got plans this evening.”
“No worries. Thanks for all your help today.”
“Anytime.” Brock turned to Shay. “Have fun with your garden.” Then he tossed a smirk at Josh before walking out the door.
“You told him about the garden,” Josh said with a half-smile.
Had that been a mistake? Was s
he not supposed to? “I’m sorry. I thought…”
“No,” he said with a laugh. “It’s fine.”
Relieved that she hadn’t screwed up again, Shay smiled.
Josh preferred it when Shay smiled—her emerald-green eyes lit up and her body relaxed. Much better than when she was worried. He’d seen that a lot with her lately and he didn’t like it. Then again, he figured she had a few things in her life to worry about, so he couldn’t blame her for feeling that way.
And now that he’d talked to the team doc, he felt better about his prognosis and he was confident he’d be ready to start when the season began. That was all that mattered.
Twenty minutes later he sat with Shay in the back of an Uber. The car was small and not much space separated him from her. He noticed her eyelids drooping and knew she must be exhausted after all that had happened that morning.
“You should sleep. It will take more than an hour to get back to my cabin.” Then, not able to help himself, he put his left arm around her and tugged her against him.
She smiled at him, then after moving to the middle of the bench seat and putting the seatbelt on, she snuggled close to him before closing her eyes. Liking the feel of her body pressed against his, Josh had to suppress the urge to lift her chin and kiss her.
Surprised at himself, he wondered what it was about her that drew him to her so powerfully. Though he knew part of it was her vulnerability, that was only a small part. He liked that she didn’t seem overly impressed with his job, and that she’d gotten to know him as a regular guy. He liked that she didn’t expect him to pay her way and, in fact, wanted to pay him back for what was basically pocket change to him. He liked her passion for gardening and her ability to work hard, and he liked that she took responsibility for her choices, even when they led her to a bad place. With a smile, he admitted that he kind of liked the stubborn streak she displayed from time to time.
And to top it all off, she was gorgeous, with those emerald-green eyes and that sweet smile that showed her dimples.
Illegal Procedure (Fair Catch Series, Book One) Page 15
