Page 3 of Loving Her
My gaze moves back to Iva. “Sorry, I must have spaced.”
“I asked what I could do to help you get the room ready?”
I smile. “I think I have a wedge pillow to keep his upper body elevated. I may need Coop’s help to get the portable oxygen concentrator in the house. I’m also going to need some clothes for the guy.”
“We’re already on it. Although you may not like what I’m about to tell you.”
I turn to look at Iva, a frown on my face. “What do you mean?”
“Coop was worried about you being here alone with Tinny.”
“I’m not exactly helpless, Iva,” I grumble. I hate when people see me as weak. I let myself become that way after Tinny was born, but that’s not who I am. I’ll never be that way again.
“I know that, Indy. You may not realize this, but you’re family to us. So, Coop called in a couple of favors from some of his buddies in Blackstone.”
“The mercenaries?” I squeak.
“Theex-mercenaries. Might I remind you that my husband did that work, too?”
“I don’t care about that. It’s just …” I take a breath and then forget all about the confident, independent woman I always try to be for my daughter and admit the truth. “They’re kind of scary looking.” My voice comes out way too squeaky, but she lets me away with it.
“They’re sweet as pie,” she counters, making me laugh.
“I don’t think that saying means what you think it means, Iva.” I let out a sigh. “Let’s get moving. I’d like to get him settled in a room before Tinny gets home.”
“I’ll call my man to come do some heavy lifting and I can drool,” she jokes, making me laugh.
There may be things I hate about living here, but I couldn’t have better friends than Cooper and Iva. Me and my daughter really are blessed.
Chapter 2
Breaker
“Don’t worry, big guy. You’re going to be just fine.”
Her voice.
It flows around me like warm water, reaching parts of me I didn’t even know were there. For a moment, I lose myself in the feeling. It doesn’t even matter that it’s not familiar at all. I’m positive I don’t know her. If I had heard this voice before, it would have been burned into my brain. It’s akin to molasses, smooth, thick, and clinging to me with a silky sweetness that I’d happily drown in. It makes me ache.
I struggle to open my eyes. I need to put a face to the voice. I want to see her. I try my best but can’t do it regardless of how hard I try. Darkness tries to overtake me, but I fight it. I need to look at this woman. It just isn’t familiar. Actually, nothing is.
Where am I?
I try to remember, but it’s like my mind is blank. I start to panic. This can’t be normal. My heart begins to beat erratically, getting faster and faster. There’s a mask on my face.Maybe oxygen?My nose burns.Am I in the hospital?Does that mean the voice belongs to a nurse or a doctor? Am I dying? Is that why I can’t open my eyes? She said I was going to be okay. Was she being honest or just telling me empty words to make me feelbetter? I try to concentrate so I can lift my eyelids. Somehow, I think if I can just see the woman behind the voice, I will feel better.
I feel her hand brush against my face. “Shh … Calm down. It’s going to be okay. I’ve given you some medicine to keep you relaxed so you can heal. You’ll be groggy and disoriented for a bit. Today, I’m going to start backing off it. You’ll be up and about in no time, but you need to take it easy. You’re lucky to be alive.”
Lucky to be alive.
The words keep repeating my mind. What the hell happened to me? The air around me doesn’t smell like a hospital. It’s a mixture of cherries and vanilla. Still, I’m definitely on oxygen. Plus, the woman said she gave me medicine. That would have to make her a doctor. I can feel the frustration mounting inside me. Then, once more, I feel a gentle hand slide against my forehead, fingers brushing into my hair. Almost instantly, I relax. It’s like her touch is magic.
“Mommy!” I hear a little girl yell. “Mommy!”
“Tinny, what did I tell you about running and screaming in the house?”
“Not to do it,” the girl announces proudly. If I could laugh, I definitely would right now.
“So, why are you doing it?”