Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“But I’m not a child anymore,” I say weakly. “I can’t keep things the way they’ve always been. No matter how much I want to please him. Or at least, not hurt him.”
“You’ll always be his baby,” Stone says. “Take it from me. Barb will always be that tiny puppy a woman fished out of a gutter and took to the pound. And you will always be Coach’s little girl. But that doesn’t mean you can’t grow or change. You can and you should, I just… Don’t be afraid that he’s gone for good, Rem. He’s never going to give up on you. And you don’t have to give up on him.”
“Yeah?” I squeak, fighting tears again.
“Yeah.” Stone rubs a gentle thumb back and forth over my knuckles. “I think you two can work it out, I really do.”
Before I can respond, the doctor, a tall woman with jet black hair and a confident stride, swings in through the open door.
“Mr. Stone, good to see you awake! I’m Dr. Kadlec.” She moves to check the chart at the foot of the bed. “How’s the pain, on a scale of one to ten?”
“About a six,” Stone says. “Better than I expected, but I’m guessing that’s because you gave me the good drugs?”
“The best available,” the doctor confirms with a smile. “I wanted you to be able to get some sleep. Now, let’s talk about your knee.”
She walks us through the MRI results, explaining that while the injury is significant—a Grade 2 MCL sprain with some minor meniscus damage—it’s not as severe as they initially feared.
“With proper rehabilitation, you could be back on the ice in six to eight weeks,” she says, wrinkling her nose as she adds, “Maybe sooner, depending on your progress and pain levels, but I don’t want to make you any promises I can’t keep.”
Relief washes over Stone’s face, so strong I feel it echo through my chest. “So, I’m not out for good?”
“Not at all. This is a setback, but I predict a full recovery. And you’re clear to head home once you sign off on the paperwork. Nancy is going to bring you breakfast first, then we’ll get things finalized.” Dr. Kadlec turns to me. “Are you his caretaker? He’ll need supervision for at least the next few hours, until the big pain meds wear off and he can feel it when he’s pushing too hard. And I’ll be calling in a few prescriptions to be picked up or delivered.”
I nod. “Sure, I can handle all that. Just tell me what he needs, and I’ll take care of it.”
She walks us through the medication schedule, physical therapy referrals, and warning signs to watch for that would mean he needs to be seen again before his follow-up appointment.
By the time she finishes, Stone looks exhausted.
“Get some rest, and let her take care of you,” Dr. Kadlec tells him. “We’ll start the discharge paperwork now, but take as long as you need to get ready to go.” To me, she adds, “We’ll have a member of staff wheel him down to your car so you can just pull around to the patient pick up.”
“Thank you so much,” I say. “We appreciate the visit and the good news.”
After she leaves, I move back to the chair beside Stone’s bed. “I wonder what you’re getting for breakfast? Hospital food is always exciting.”
“Probably something nasty and light brown. Or white,” he says, sounding as tired as he looks. “I might take a little nap while I wait for it.”
“Go right ahead,” I say. “I’ll stand guard.”
“You don’t have to,” he murmurs. “You can go call your dad if you want. I promise I won’t get out of bed again.”
“Thanks, but I think I should give him some time.” I sigh. “Give me some time, too.” I reclaim his hand, forcing a brighter note into my voice as I add, “Besides, you’re my priority right now. Somebody’s got to keep you in line, and I’m afraid I’m the only one tough enough for the job.”
His lips twitch as his lids grow heavy. “Tough as nails. But you don’t have to be all the time, Rem. Love you soft, too.” He pulls in a sleepy breath, his eyes closing as he adds, “Thank you for coming. It means a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, my throat tight. “I’ll always come, Stone. I promise.”
“Me, too,” he says, so softly I can barely hear it.
But I do.
And as I sit, holding his hand, there’s no doubt that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Hopefully, someday, Dad will be able to see that, too.
Chapter 18
Remy
Three days later…
I can’t lie, three days of hiding from the world at Stone’s place, playing nurse to my injured boyfriend, have been amazing—despite his love for cheesy cop movies from the 80s and increasingly ridiculous crafting ideas. We’ve had a very healing, relaxing, peaceful time together, filled with laughs, great food, and more Barb cuddles than any human deserves, but it’s time to rejoin the real world.