by Amber Lynn
“Go ahead and head on back. I’ll grab some coffee and give Wendy a call to let her know everything went okay.”
Dylan didn’t protest. He hopped up and followed the nurse behind the door to the surgery recovery area. He was a little worried about what she’d have to say right after surgery. His grandma had one time come out of anesthesia and said all sorts of unfiltered things that ended up scaring a nurse away.
When the nurse opened the door and ushered him in, worry disappeared the second he saw Casey’s smiling face. He’d expected her to still be groggy and flat on her back, but the bed was tilted, so her torso was up in the air. Dylan didn’t think the position was really the best based on the surgery she’d had, but he didn’t have a medical degree.
“Hey, beautiful, the nurse says you couldn’t wait to get your eyes on me.”
Casey laughed. “If you’re calling me beautiful, they must have been handing out some of the drugs they’re giving me in the waiting room.”
Dylan heard the door close behind him, with the nurse outside the room. He took a second to look at Casey, noting that her hair was a little out of control and that she was pale, but nothing else seemed different. There were odd noises in the room and he could kind of see tubes running under the blanket on both sides, but he wasn’t able to see their destinations.
“I’ve seen you look worse, and thought you were beautiful then,” Dylan said as he made his way over to the chair next to the bed.
“One of these days, I’m going to have to meet your parents, just to verify exactly how many times you were dropped on your head as a baby. I’m pretty sure the number has to be in the hundreds.”
“It’s nice to see the doctor didn’t cut out your sense of humor. I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I’m afraid you’d tell me the truth.”
Casey moved her hand, reaching for Dylan’s, but her movement caused a slight wince to show around her eyes. Dylan hurried to make sure she didn’t see the pain as a battle and try to fight through it.
“I think the whole being run over by a train analogy works pretty well in this instance. I’ve actually been up for a while now, but I wanted to wait until I thought I could speak sensibly before I let you come back. Whatever they gave me during surgery did a number on me. My plans are to not have to hit the little button for pain medication, because I don’t even take ibuprofen and this stuff is a bit stronger.”
“Since I’m the same way, I can’t lecture you, but don’t sit in pain if you don’t have to. Are you supposed to be up in that position?”
“The nurse kind of freaked out when she walked in, so I’m guessing it isn’t usual. They shouldn’t have showed me the buttons if they didn’t want me to sit like this.”
“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t give the people taking care of you a heart attack. Are the numbers on that machine good?”
It was hard to look away from her, but Dylan couldn’t help but take note of the monitors across the bed from him. Nothing was flashing red, so he thought it was a good sign.
“Yup. Everything seems to be great. Steve will check on me a little later, but I’m not seeing anything that will keep me in here more than one night.”
“And your degree in medicine is hanging on what wall exactly? I hope you understand that I’m waiting to hear that from someone who doesn’t hate hospitals. I’ll also be asking about your crazy idea to show up at a hockey game a day after surgery. I’m pretty sure Steve is going to side with me on that one.”
“But Steve doesn’t live with me. Can you imagine what a pain in the ass I’ll be if I miss that game?”
Dylan leaned down and kissed Casey on her cheek. It felt cold to him, a temporary side effect of the surgery and medication. There was supposed to be some possibly permanent numbness in her chest, but nothing he’d read said anything about turning her into an icicle.
“I’ll have to ask if being chained to your bed would cause any setbacks to your recovery. I’m pretty sure there’s enough room to put in an eye bolt in the loft to attach the chain to.”
“If I could hit you right now, I would totally wind up and punch you with everything I got.”
“Lucky for me, I’m safe from your assault. Your dad went to call Wendy and get some coffee, but I’m sure he’s chomping at the bit to get in here. He spent three hours covertly grilling me on my intentions for you.”
Casey made a humming noise and adjusted her head to get to a comfortable part of her pillow. Dylan wanted to take it from her and fluff it, but he was afraid of moving her around too much.
“That’s one of his favorite things to do. He’s really good at getting you to reveal things without realizing what you’re doing.”
“Yeah, he waited until the end to tell me what was going on.”
“I’m surprised he even bothered telling you. I guess that means he likes you.”
Dylan still wasn’t sure about that. “I suppose. He didn’t tell me to get lost once he showed up. By the way, I didn’t have to tell him what was going on. He was just like ‘I’m on my way.’”
Casey nodded her head imperceptibly. “Now you know what I’ve had to deal with all my life, and why I asked for you to come back and keep me company before him.”
“I figured that was just because you spent your time knocked out dreaming about me and couldn’t wait to see me in the flesh.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that claim. As far as my dad goes, as tough as he seems, he’d be in here babying me, and that’s not what I need right now. I need the crazy guy who jumped on board this journey and immediately went to work trying to help me without putting on the kid gloves.”
Just hearing her say she needed him was as good as her saying she loved him. Casey had probably never needed another person in her adult life, and Dylan was pretty sure the only reason she admitted it was because of the medication she was on.
“I’m good with bogarting your time, as long as you don’t get tired of me. You know, we really haven’t talked about what I’m doing tonight. Do you think that half a couch over there looks comfortable?”
Dylan hadn’t really looked around the room, but thinking about his plans to stay with Casey made it a necessity. The beige loveseat looked barely big enough to fit two people, which was odd in the moderately sized room. There was no reason for there not to be a full-sized couch.
“I sort of believe anyone who willingly wants to spend the night in the hospital should get their head checked.”
“That’s reasonable thinking, but maybe I’m not sure I can sleep without your quiet little snores as a lullaby. Since I have a game tomorrow, I need to get a good night’s sleep, and I think you’ve spoiled me.”
“Yup, you definitely need committed. It’s been a while since I’ve heard anyone say something that crazy.”
“Glad I can remedy that. When do I get to learn how to change your bandages and give you sponge baths?” Dylan didn’t think she was going to immediately admit she wanted him to stay, so he tried to move the conversation on.
“We should probably finish talking about you staying overnight. Don’t you think trying to sleep on that will be even worse for you than remembering how to sleep when I’m not around?”
“It pulls out into a pretty comfortable bed. I wouldn’t suggest it for long term, but a night or two won’t stiffen the joints too bad.”
Casey glared around Dylan at the woman who’d entered the room. Dylan remembered Katherine, and was glad to see her checking on her patient.
“I was aware of that, but I didn’t want to clue him in. We like to play a game that consists of me trying to do and say anything to scare him away.”
“She likes to play that game. I think this is the first time she’s been deceptive about the situation, though. I’m going to chalk that up to the drugs.”
Katherine chuckled as she walked over to the opposite side of the bed, glancing at the monitors as she did. Dylan assumed she had a little better idea about what they meant, and since she didn’t
lose her smile, he figured they were okay.
“Your nurse tells me you’ve been trying to battle with the pain medications helping you, and knowing you, I’m guessing you’re winning, so I’d say it’s just her normal crabbiness at work. I was going to come in and make a joke about how it feels to have that weight off your chest, but I think I’ll save it for later.”
“Very funny. I’m guessing I’m your only patient who wouldn’t sue you for inappropriate bedside manner after hearing that.”
Dylan wished he would have thought of the joke, maybe changing it around a little to reinforce the fact that the lack of breasts didn’t make a difference to him. Casey had a sheet over her, blocking him from really seeing the difference. That was probably part of the reason she’d sat herself up. It’s easier to not look flat if you aren’t lying down.
“One of very few. You guys seemed to be in the middle of a conversation, so I won’t interrupt long. I just wanted to see how much trouble you were giving the nurses, and from what I hear, it’s a lot.”
“She wouldn’t be Casey if she wasn’t giving someone grief. I’ll do my best to keep it focused on me. I’ve been one of her favorite targets for days now, so it should be easy to keep her busy.”
“Let me know how that works out for you, Dylan. I saw your dad waiting down the hall. Are you ready for a second guest? He looked like he was starting to wear a path in the carpet from his pacing.”
“If you happen to walk by him, send him this way. I’m sure he wants to get back to work, and delaying that isn’t very nice of me.”
Katherine shook her head and left. Dylan hoped she knew Holcomb well enough to know Casey was joking about her dad and work.
“For some reason I thought you were only allowed one visitor.” It’d been a while since Dylan had visited anyone, so he wasn’t sure of the rules.
“Two or three, usually only family members. You’re breaking the rules, like usual.”
“If the only way to see you was to be related, I’m sure I’d come up with something to get me back here. Do you want me to leave, so you can talk to your dad alone?”
“You will not move from that spot, even if he commands you to. Just sit back and hold my hand until I decide to take a nap.”
That was a task Dylan could excel at, so he did for the next hour. The conversation between Holcomb and Casey was kept light. No tears or harking about keeping secrets. It was a lot more peaceful than Dylan expected. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Casey had the ability to create the atmosphere she wanted.
Chapter Eighteen
Casey had always thought she was strong, but post-op living in her house was a lot different than a hospital bed. Simple things took twice as long, and that was frustrating to no end. The nice thing was that within the three days that they’d been home, Dylan hadn’t once tried to stop her from doing something. He hovered a little, but he waited for her to ask for help.
It was amazing how well he understood her and how effortless it was to live with him. They didn’t argue about anything, other than her trying to pick fights just to throw him off his game. It made the recovery days fly by without much happening.
For the first time she was alone after the surgery, and she had to admit she missed Dylan being around. The house was small, but somehow it felt huge without his personality filling it up.
He’d promised he was only going out to grab some food and pick up a few things from his place. He didn’t give her an exact time that he’d be back, but she was starting to worry after two hours went by with no word.
They’d spent so much time together, only really separating for work, that Casey had convinced herself he’d wise up and not come back if he spent too much time alone. The emotions rolling around in her body had turned her a little irrational. She was still cautious to put a label on those emotions, but she was getting closer.
After another fifteen minutes went by, Casey broke down, deciding to call to check on how things were going. If he answered and was just taking his sweet time, she’d claim she had a craving for something.
The phone rang once before he picked up. Casey waited for him to say one of his witty lines, but she didn’t hear anything on the other end.
“Hello?” Casey was confused, and it was clear in her voice.
If he didn’t want to talk, there was no reason to even answer the phone.
“Hello?” The second time she drew out the word slowly.
It didn’t seem to put anyone in a talking mood, because the sound of someone hanging up on the other end was all Casey heard. She hung up the phone and went to try again, but her phone rang before she could. The screen showed Dylan’s number, so she accepted the call and put it up to her ear.
“What was up with that? If you’re busy, just don’t answer the phone.”
The tone of a button being pressed was all Casey got back in response. It was followed closely by another one. Something was wrong. It could’ve been butt dialing, but answering and calling back was a little weird.
“If you can hear me, I’m on my way to your house to see what has you preoccupied enough that your phone is acting up. You better hope it’s not what my mind immediately turns to.”
The button pushing didn’t stop as she spoke, so it was unlikely he got the message. She hadn’t heard any suspicious noises during the first call, but that didn’t mean someone didn’t just roll over on the phone and muffle the noise.
Casey hung up. Her brain had worked her into a bit of a frenzy as she started thinking about reasons for the phone malfunctions. She kept trying to tell herself that it was technical issues. It had to be technical issues, because the only other thing her brain came up with was him in bed with one of the women who yelled out they loved him at hockey games.
It was a huge leap to get to that conclusion, but after being cheated on in the past, it was quick to pop up as a probable inference. She’d been downstairs sitting on the purple cushions he’d bought her, so she stood up and walked over to grab her car keys and wallet from one of the storage boxes under the stairs. She couldn’t really tie shoes very well, so she ended up sliding into a pair of sandals she kept handy after the surgery.
Her range of motion was a little better, but driving was going to be a fun adventure. She thought about calling Nelson to see if he’d check on Dylan, but he was his friend and had a lot more loyalty to Dylan than her. She opened the front door to find a surprised male visitor who had his arm raised to knock.
He looked different, a bit thinner and older, but she recognized him.
“What are you doing here?”
Casey took a little step back and thought about what she had close by to use as a weapon. She tried to sound mean, but recovery turned her usually gruff barks a little soft. Once it didn’t hurt to just shrug her shoulders, she was sure the timbre she was used to would return.
“Wow, Casey. I should’ve tried to find a picture of you before just showing up like this. How in the world did you manage to get prettier? I remember that look on your face, and know it means you’re thinking of ways to skewer me, but I promise I’m not here to hurt you.”
Even Jimmy’s accent was the same. He had a lot of southern twang in it, which had always been strange since he was from the southwest part of the country.
“I don’t know why you’re on my doorstep, or how you managed to find me here, but I have somewhere I have to be right now, so why don’t you write a letter and mail it.”
Casey tried to push by him, but it was difficult when she couldn’t put any power behind it. It was too cold to stand outside without a coat and basically bare feet. If she wasn’t worried about what was going on with Dylan, she would’ve thought more seriously about finding a knife or two and using them to make sure Jimmy didn’t get out of hand.
“Please, let me just say what I came here to say. I promise I won’t take long.”
Casey looked behind him and saw a beat-up navy blue car parked next to hers. Not being able to just push him out of h
er way helped reiterate the fact that she was going to have a little trouble driving for twenty some minutes to get to Dylan’s place.
“I need to get to town, and I’m currently not equipped for it. Can you get me there?”
For once Jimmy glanced away from her face, letting his eyes roam down her body. She’d been surprised he’d been able to focus that long on one thing, but his eyes had been searching hers for something. Whatever it was, there was no way he was going to find anything with her mind preoccupied with Dylan.
“You always warned me they’d be gone one day. I take it by your comment this is recent.”
“It’s been a few days. Now, can we get back to you giving me a ride? I’m on a quest to prove all men are pigs, and as one of the first I was introduced to, I’m sure you want to see you aren’t alone.”
Having the proof of a broken heart in front of her didn’t help erase the idea that Dylan was off somewhere trying to break off another chunk. Asking for a ride from a man she hadn’t seen in a decade wasn’t the brightest idea, but she didn’t have a lot of options.
“If you’re going to confront someone, it’s probably best you take someone along, but I don’t know that I’m that someone. You weren’t totally shocked to find me at your doorstep, so I assume you heard I got out.”
“I don’t think you understand that there’s a time element involved on my side of things here. Whatever you have to say, I’m pretty sure you can say it while you’re driving me downtown. If you were here to kill me, you could’ve done that already, so let’s go.”
“I have no plans to kill you, but I am a little worried for my own health. The last time we saw each other you told me you were going to disembowel me.”
“It’s a little low on my priority list right now.”
He’d been the one to give her an evil glare in the courtroom. Her response was totally natural for finding out he’d gotten someone else pregnant.
“Can I verify you don’t have a knife on you somewhere?”
