Punc gestured toward the doorway and Alanis went into the room. “I brought you some sugar cookies.”
“Awesome,” Savannah said.
“What did the doc have to say?” Punc asked, following his sister.
Disappointment washed over Savannah’s face. “I’ll likely be discharged this weekend, but I can’t drive for over a week. I’llhave to wait and see about exercise. Maybe I can dance after six weeks, but no flips for two to three months.”
“Like you’re getting on that stage again,” Alanis said.
Savannah gave Alanis a pointed look. “I got bills to pay, Alanis.”
His sister sighed. “Right. I still think—”
Savannah shook her head. “Let’s not talk about that right now. I need a cookie.” Her eyes slid to Punc. “Do you want one, Punc?”
“No thanks. What kind of bills do you have to pay? The club’s covering your medical bills, and Rita said she’s paying you even while you’re laid up. Did your mom have a second mortgage on the house or something?”
With a cookie midway to her lips, Savannah grimaced. “Yep. The house isn’t even close to being paid off. Her mortgage is more than what I was paying in rent, since I had a roommate, but I don’t want to make Catalina move yet. Plus, Mom’s Buick isn’t paid off, and my insurance went up after I added Cat to my policy. What little Mom had left went toward other expenses, Punc.”
He watched her eat her cookie while exchanging a look with his sister. “Savannah, I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me here.”
She shook her head. “There really isn’t, Punc. Like I told you, I need money and Platinum’s needs dancers. It’s not like I want a career as a dancer… or that I could be a dancer for years on end. At some point, I’m sure I’d be too old or someone else would be more appealing.”
The thought of anyone else being more appealing than Savannah was ludicrous. He propped a hip on her bed. “You’d be appealing no matter what your age.”
A skeptical expression lit her eyes. “Thanks for saying that, but if I can earn anywhere near what I made Sunday night, that will give me and Catalina a cushion and make me feel more secure.”
That he understood.
“There are other alternatives,” Alanis said.
Savannah glared at Alanis for a moment before she shook her head. “I’m sure there are, but I’m in no shape to do much now. The doctor said to take it easy for two to three weeks.”
“Savannah,” Punc said in a stern tone.
Her eyes darted to him.
He fought a smile since he liked that reaction from her. “Don’t worry about it. If you need help, say so.”
“I don’t need help,” she said in a small voice.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I said ‘if you need help’ because it might have been a while, but I remember how independent you are.”
She opened her mouth to argue, closed it, and then schooled her expression. “Being independent isn’t a bad thing, Punc.”
He grinned. “I didn’t say it was.”
Alanis gave an exasperated sigh. “Okay, this is weird. If you can ignore my brother’s attempts to flirt with you, why can’t you perform strenuous activities? Is it because they put you in a coma or is there something else going on?”
“Both, really. The doctor said the hits I took to my head were so severe, they had to induce the coma. Either one would limit my physical activity for a little while. Both of them, though, they want me to use plenty of caution.”
Alanis nodded. “That makes sense. If you’re getting out of here over the weekend, call me. I’ll drive you home so Cat doesn’t have to do it.”
8
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Savannah
