Wrapped in Ink

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Because, dear God, Arden was a mess.

  “So, what are you in for?” Liam asked, leaning back into the bed.

  “Oh, just meds and fluids. Got a little too much sun today.”

  It wasn’t that she was really hiding the fact that she had lupus, but it wasn’t the easiest thing to tell people. Most didn’t know anything about it, and it wasn’t easy to explain since the symptoms were the same as about a dozen other things.

  But considering that she’d had it since she was eighteen, she knew damn well that she had it. She had a whole host of other symptoms too, though, and was constantly being diagnosed with other things on top of the lupus.

  And explaining that to a cute guy she was probably never going to see again? Not really on her list of priorities.

  “Well, I hope you get better soon.” He said the words, and from his expression, it looked like he meant them. Weird. She wasn’t used to people actually talking to her.

  “So, what are you in for?”

  “A piece of scaffolding fell on me and my sister while we were at a wedding.” He lifted up his arm and winced. “Got a few stitches, and because of what it nicked, I get to get a nice bag of blood.” He pointed up to the bag and paled ever so slightly.

  “Not a fan of blood?”

  “Not really. Didn’t really realize it until just now. They were going to admit me, but things got backed up, so they’re doing things in the ER.”

  “Same,” Arden said. “How’s your sister?” she asked quickly, hating that she hadn’t asked right away.

  “Bristol is fine. Not even a bruise. Even though I threw her to the ground kind of hard when I jumped on top of her.”

  He had thrown himself over his little sister’s body to protect her from scaffolding? Dear God, this man was just…everything. Maybe she was dreaming. A lupus-treatment-induced fantasy. If so, she didn’t want to wake up. She was fine with Liam Montgomery.

  “You’ll be okay, though?” he asked, looking concerned.

  “I’ll be fine.” At least as fine as she ever was. But she didn’t qualify that.

  “Good.”

  “And you?”

  “I got knocked out for like ten seconds, but they said I didn’t get a concussion. I think I scared my brain more than anything else,” he said with a laugh. “So, they might keep me overnight if they can get me a room. Or I’ll stay here for a bit. Or maybe go home. It’s pretty much up to the doctors at this point.”

  “Isn’t it always?” she asked, laughing sadly.

  “Very true. But I guess the scenery isn’t too bad.”

  She just raised a brow at that before he continued. “Sorry. I’m not usually this bad at the whole flirting thing.”

  “You must be pretty hard up if you’re flirting with me in an ER.” She hadn’t meant to say that, but now that it was out there, she pointed at the rash on her face. “I mean, really?”

  “I think you’re pretty cute,” he said, shrugging and then wincing since she knew he had probably moved the IV a bit.

  Cute. That was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Arden Brady, the cute one. The only sister. The sick one.

  Well, at least cute was better than sick. She’d take it.

  “I’d say thank you. But…cute?”

  “Give me a break, I’m in a hospital gown here. I’m not really at my best.”

  “Same. But thanks for making me smile,” she said, genuinely meaning it.

  “Thanks for making me do the same. And considering I can hear a group of people, either your family or mine is on their way.”

  Arden strained to listen and then heard what sounded like a stampede of feet. “How many family members do you have?” she asked, a little weary.

  “Two brothers, a sister, and two parents. Plus, for all I know, some of the wedding party is here, too. And, let’s not talk about the cousins. Dear Lord, the cousins.”

  She snorted then and shook her head. “Well, it seems we both come from big families.”

  “See? Another thing in common.”

  “And what was the first?”

  “I would say both of us sitting here in a hospital bed like we are could count as the first one.”

  “Maybe.”

  She grinned, listening to him speak, and felt lighter than she had in a long time. Yeah, her body hurt, her joints ached, and her hair felt like it was on fire, but feeling like she was normal for just a moment? That was priceless.

  So, whoever this Liam Montgomery was, she was going to thank him. Even if she never saw him again after today. Because she probably wouldn’t. That wasn’t her luck.

  It never was.

  Chapter 3

  Liam winced as he tried to get comfortable in his bed. Arden reached out as if to help him, but most likely realized that she too was confined by the tubes and machines.

  “Are you okay?” Arden asked and shook her head. “Sorry. I know you aren’t, but, yeah…” Then she smiled. The expression went right to her eyes, and Liam couldn’t help but notice that even with the rash, the evident exhaustion, and whatever else was going on with her, she was beautiful.

  Who knew that he’d find someone like her in a place like this? Wasn’t the best place to pick up a woman, but he’d had a hell of a day, and he might as well enjoy himself. And if he could make her smile like that again, he’d keep doing it.

  Her honey-blond hair, while pulled back at the nape of her neck, still tumbled over her shoulder, and he wanted to reach out and see if it was as soft as it looked. Not that he would since he just met her. But, still.

  Her face, still covered by a rash on one side, boasted milk-white skin that, even under the harsh glare of the lights of the hospital room, looked pet-able. She had a little point to her chin that made her smile infectious, and her eyes were wide, the light brown almost hazel-gold. He had a feeling they changed with her mood. He loved eyes like that.

  “I’m okay. Just moving around and trying to get more comfortable. The scaffolding didn’t hurt me as much as I thought it did. Though if I hadn’t moved when I did? Not sure.”

  “And you helped your sister. So, I guess a little pain’s worth it?” Arden asked, her voice a little low.

  “Bristol’s smaller than I am. And if she had gotten hurt? I’d never have forgiven myself.”

  “But you’re not the one who hurt her or yourself. You didn’t sabotage the scaffolding, did you?”

  “No, but I’m the big brother. My job is to protect her.”

  Arden rolled her eyes, and Liam raised his brows.

  “Was that not the right answer? Am I just supposed to let her get hurt?”

  “I’m not saying that. But you don’t have to go all big brother overprotective caveman.”

  “Are we talking about me throwing myself on top of her body because the scaffolding fell? Or something else?”

  Arden just shook her head and shrugged. When she did, she winced, and Liam wanted to reach out and help her. But he was in the same position as she was. A little too far away, and a bit too confined to the bed.

  “I wasn’t actually talking about you throwing yourself on her to protect her. That? That’s a little heroic.”

  “Only a little?” he asked, teasing. He didn’t want to think about the accident. Didn’t want to think about what might have happened if something had hit Bristol. She was smaller, and for all Liam knew, it could have hit her in the head or been a lot worse than what happened to him.

  “No, I’m talking about the fact that you said that she’s your baby sister and, therefore, you have to protect her. It was all a little too familiar.”

  “Your brothers a little overprotective, are they?”

  That could get in the way of things if he and Arden were to actually date.

  Whoa. Where did that thought come from? He was just flirting with a pretty woman in the hospital, he wasn’t actually thinking of dating her. Right?

  “To say my brothers are overprotective would be an understatement. They think they always ha
ve reasons to be up in my business and treat me like I’m six. But I don’t think their reasons are as good as they think they are.” She looked down at her hands, and his gaze followed before returning to her face.

  “Reasons?”

  She shook her head. “Long story that I’m not really in the mood to get into. But, let’s just say that my brothers are a bit territorial when it comes to me or anything I do or see or want to be near. So, if and when they show up again, I’m already sorry for the third degree they’re going to give you.”

  That made Liam laugh. “So, you can’t even sit in the same room with a guy without them getting all overprotective?”

  “At this point, I don’t even remember the last time I was in a room with a guy.” Her eyes widened, and she put her hand over her mouth, her face going pale under her rash. “Forget I said that. Pretend I was all cool and knew exactly what I was saying.”

  “Want me to blame it on the drugs?” That made her laugh.

  “Yes, let’s do that.”

  The fact that she hadn’t been in the same room with a guy for a while meant that she wasn’t taken. Good to know. And was he thinking that he was going to ask her out? Maybe he should. Perhaps it had been far too long and being around someone who made him smile—even in their current state of things—was nice. It didn’t have to be anything serious. He wasn’t ready for that. Maybe not ever. But not being alone, even for a little bit, would be nice.

  “Anyway, when do you think you’re going to get out of here?” he asked, leaning back on the bed, trying to get a little more comfortable. His head hurt, and so did his arm, but he’d be fine. And it wasn’t like his current job required a lot of heavy lifting or labor. In fact, it was only the fact that he hiked and used his home gym that he actually maintained the body that he’d had when he modeled.

  He’d been a little slenderer when he was a model. He’d packed on muscle and some weight since then. Thank God.

  He had never been into the twig thing. As he’d grown up, he’d widened a bit, mostly in his shoulders and his chest. But then he’d begun to get a few laugh lines on his face, and the modeling jobs had dried up. At least the ones that he had started in—fashion and other things.

  So, he’d walked away. Now, he had a job where he could sit at a desk staring at a computer for fourteen hours a day if he weren’t careful. Being a writer wasn’t easy, and it really wasn’t easy on his body. Thankfully, he actually liked his job. Usually.

  Arden’s voice once again pulled him out of his thoughts. “Hopefully, I’ll be out soon. I really don’t want them to keep me overnight, even if they were talking about admitting me.”

  Liam nodded. “Same. I guess it’s a little busy today.”

  “Days when the sun is out, and people do stupid things tend to make the hospital a little busier than usual. Believe me.”

  His brows rose again. “Been in hospitals often, have you?” He’d only meant it as a tease, but when her face shut down, he cursed himself. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’ve been in and out of hospitals a fair share of my time. And not just this one. You learn the ins and outs. But I’m fine.” She said the last part quickly as if she were warding off any worry or pity. He didn’t have pity. He was curious and hoped she was okay, but he wasn’t going to pry. Not when she clearly didn’t want him to.

  “I haven’t been in as many as some of my family members.”

  “Your brothers and sister are in and out of them?” Arden asked and then seemed to pull away. “And there I am, being curious about you when I kind of didn’t want you to be about me.”

  “No worries. And I was actually talking about my cousins. They seem to be in and out of hospitals more often than not for one emergency or another. And that’s not even counting births or normal checkups.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “They are now. Just went through some things over the past few years. But that tends to happen when there are, like, twenty of them.”

  Arden’s eyes widened, and she sat up ever so slightly without pulling on her IV. “Twenty? And they’ve all had to deal with emergencies like this?”

  “Not that many, really. I promise. But if you add all the children, I think we’re up to, like, a hundred family members at this point. It’s a little ridiculous.”

  “Wow. I didn’t even think that was possible.”

  “Well, one set of cousins makes up like eight of them. And then another set is four, and we’re a set of four. And then there’s a set of five. It adds up over time.”

  “That is a little ridiculous.” He laughed at that.

  “Tell me about it. Family reunions are a bitch.”

  “Where on Earth do you find the space for everybody?”

  “One of my uncles down in Denver has a bunch of land that fits us all. So we hang out in the back yard, and sort of in their house too if it’s rainy. It gets a little tight sometimes. But we make do. Actually, I don’t really know if we can all fit now that everyone’s starting to have kids.”

  “Do you have kids?”

  “No. None of my siblings do. We’re a little behind the times compared to the rest of the clan.”

  “Good to know.”

  He smiled then, and they continued talking about nothing important. Not about their jobs, or even about what ailed either of them. It was nice.

  When the doctors came in to wheel Liam out for a test, he got Arden’s number. He was surprised that she’d actually given it to him, but he was glad. Maybe he’d call her. He probably should, considering the hospital was a strange place to meet someone, but he didn’t want to come off too needy. And considering that he felt that she had a few stories of her own, he really didn’t want to push.

  “It was nice to meet you, Arden,” he said before they wheeled him out.

  “It was good to see you, too, Liam.”

  “I’d make a line about having to fall or get hit in the head to see you, but I don’t really know where to go with that without sounding like a weirdo.”

  That made her laugh, and she just shook her head. “Please don’t hurt yourself trying to come up with one.”

  “Well, it’s good that you’ve now seen me at my worst and still gave me your number.”

  “And it’s good that you’ve seen me at one of my worst, and you asked.”

  He didn’t pry into that cryptic statement, knowing there was definitely more beneath the words. But then again, there usually was more beneath the words.

  Instead, he left without meeting her brothers—and, thankfully, without his family coming at him from all sides.

  The Montgomerys were a lot all at once. And from what Arden had said, her brothers were the same way. But he and Arden had had those moments together, and Liam figure it was a good thing. At least, he hoped it was.

  * * *

  By the time he got home, Liam was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was sleep. His parents, his brothers, and his sister hadn’t left him alone. In fact, the whole family had come to double check if he was okay and to see if he needed anything. Even Craig and Cain had stopped by on their way to their honeymoon, apologizing profusely for what had happened.

  Liam didn’t blame them. He just pushed them out gently, considering it was their honeymoon, and they deserved some time alone. They shouldn’t be worrying about him. It wasn’t their fault that the scaffolding on the building had fallen on him. It was the contractor’s fault, and that was something maybe they would deal with later. Or not. He was fine. He had decent medical insurance, and his little sister hadn’t been hurt. Nothing else mattered.

  A full day had passed, and while he hurt, he had slept well thanks to a pain med or two. Of course, he wasn’t actually alone in his house. It seemed like there was going to be a mini-family reunion in his damn living room. They had propped him up in his armchair with his feet up, and a glass of water by his side. He was pretty sure if he looked at all like he wanted anything, his mom or one of his siblings would be
up getting it. He really didn’t want that though, so he stayed silent and tried to keep his face blank.

  His mom and dad were in the kitchen making dinner since, apparently, they were all eating at his house today.

  Ethan had brought his best friend, Lincoln, and the two of them were talking about the game, even though he wasn’t really paying attention. Bristol had shown up with her best friend, Marcus, and the two of them were talking books and completely ignoring Liam. Aaron sat on the couch right next to Liam, just glancing at him every once in a while but not talking.

  The fact that everybody was at his house, and yet no one was actually talking to him was weird. Liam figured they all just wanted to make sure that he was okay and didn’t really know what to do. His family wasn’t the best at telling each other exactly what they were feeling or knowing how to help one another, so they tended to overreact and overprotect, much like Arden had said about her brothers.

  Thinking about Arden made Liam remember the number in his phone. His lips quirked into a smile.

  “So, what has you smiling like that?” Aaron asked, leaning back in his chair.

  “Nothing.”

  “Could it be the girl in the bed next to you that I saw when I walked by yesterday?” Ethan asked and grinned.

  Liam frowned. “Who?”

  “Ah,” Lincoln said, laughing. “Misdirection. You totally saw her.” He turned to Ethan. “They were talking, weren’t they?”

  Ethan nodded and looked at his best friend. “Yep. They were talking. The conversation looked very much like flirting. Even though both of you guys were hooked up to IVs, you were still laughing.”

  “Oh? So, who is she? What does she do?”

  Bristol leaned forward, and Marcus laughed, pulling her back onto the couch. “Leave your brother alone.”

  Bristol just narrowed her eyes at him and sank back into his hold. The two of them had been best friends for years and acted more like an old married couple than they did best friends. Liam was pretty sure they had never actually dated because Bristol couldn’t keep a secret to save her life when it came to things like that. And he figured she’d have mentioned it to him, especially if they’d had too much to drink.