“I'm a silver fox,” Felix corrected. “More seasoned than you youngsters.”
“I vote Jude,” Fiona said. “You look gorgeous right now, darling.”
“I also vote Jude,” Max said. “But only because I can't vote for myself seeing as how I'm too smart to have needed a hospital gown.”
“You're only voting for Jude,” Jeremiah said to Max, “because he's the one in a hospital gown right now. That's a pity vote.”
“I have a gunshot wound, so I deserve a pity vote,” Jude said.
“Gemma,” Felix entreated, “see sense and vote for me.”
“No.” Jeremiah pointed to himself. “Me.”
She felt like a contestant onThe Voiceforced to choose between the coaches. “You can split my vote between the two of you. Jude still wins because it's now two votes Jude against a half point each for Felix and Jeremiah.”
Felix and Jeremiah tipped their heads back in mock agony.
“We're both athletes—” Jeremiah grumbled.
“—And terrible at accepting defeat,” Felix finished.
“I love you all,” Jude broke in, raising his voice. “But if your name isn’t Gemma, please go to a hotel for the night and get some sleep.”
Everyone answered with good-natured affirmatives except for Fiona. “I thought I'd stay here tonight to help. That is . . . I’ll give you two some time alone. Then come back in a bit?”
“No, thank you,” Jude said to his mother. “I’ll rest better knowing that all of you are resting, too.”
This was vintage Jude. He was a caretaker at heart, and it probably wasn’t natural for him to receive so much care. He'd be far more comfortable giving care to these people.
Fiona looked like she wanted to argue but then said, “All right,” and kissed him on the forehead. “I'll be back in the morning.”
Felix, Jeremiah, and Max approached Jude one by one and took turns squeezing his shoulder.
“I'm proud of you,” Felix told him.
“My life wouldn't be half as good without you in it, so thanks for sticking around,” Jeremiah said. “But next time, sidestep the bullet.”
“Glad you've got a scar on you now,” Max said. “You were too perfect before.”
“I wasn't even sure whether he actually worked for the FBI until now,” Jeremiah said to the others on their way out. “I thought he might have made it up to seem cool.”
All at once, the rest were gone. It was blessedly quiet and surprisingly still.
Gemma cataloged Jude's appearance. His breathing was mildly labored, and he was no doubt existing in a soup of heavy pain meds. But she was mollified to see that his color was better. His eyes were a clearer green than they'd been earlier. His hair, adorably disheveled.
Did he remember that he'd asked Dixon to tell her that he loved her? Regardless, she was not leaving here until he was good and certain that she loved him.
“Finally,” he said with satisfaction, “it's just you and me.”
She drew closer to him. “And I'm free to confide my opinion that no man since the beginning of time has ever looked as good as you do in a hospital gown.”
“A hospital gownandan IV,” he boasted. He lifted his eyebrows like,What do you think about that irresistible combo?
“I’m undone.”
“Yeah. The female nurses have been swirling around me like groupies.”
“I knew that if I left on an errand, I'd have competition.”
