I slowly nod.
“Well, it looks like you being here is all she really needed, judging by that monitor. It’s been acting crazy all night until now. Visiting hours are over, but I’m guessing I won’t be able to get rid of you either. G.I. Joe over here made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere.”
She pins Sterling down with a stare that’s much more flirtatious than scolding.
“You know you’d be bored if I went home.” He winks at her.
“Mm-hmm, I would be, sugar.” She smiles as she inserts something into Dolly’s IV bag. “This is just going to help reduce any swelling or water retention in her limbs.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
The nurse smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She pushes her dark braid over her shoulder. “Dolly’s condition is unique. With her particular type of congenital heart defects, most patients live a decently long and somewhat-normal life as long as they eat healthy, take their medication, and don’t drink alcohol in excess or take any recreational drugs. With the level of her blood alcohol content tonight, her heart could have failed. She can’t be doing that anymore. She needs to recover with rest, take her medication, and avoid any strenuous or overly exciting activities for a while. And of course, no alcohol for at least a month.”
She reaches over to adjust Dolly’s pillows underneath her and grabs one from the sofa to tuck underneath my head. “She’ll be okay, and I can see that she’s in good hands. You just keep in mind that she needs to be babied for a while, give her heart a chance to learn how to work properly again.”
Any guilt I felt over what I did to Stanley eases when I look down at Dolly’s face. The urge to wrap myself around her body and shield her from the traumatic and cruel world she’s had to survive in overwhelms me.
“Let me know if you need anything,” the nurse whispers before silently exiting the room.
I wrap my hand around her shoulder, tucking her closer into my chest. I close my eyes, finding myself whispering a prayer in my heart for the first time in years.
Please let her be okay. Please strengthen her heart. Take mine and give it to her. I’ll trade with her, if you just help her get better.
32
DOLLY
“Iam perfectly capable of walking out of here. Let them use a wheelchair on someone who actually needs it.”
Sam clenches his jaw. “Either get in it or I’ll carry you. You choose.”
His hands are already full with the bouquet of white magnolias and the velvety soft giant brown teddy bear he got me from the gift shop while I was sleeping. It has a big yellow bow around its neck, and I’m already sad, thinking that I’ll be forced to cuddle with it instead of him someday.
“You can’t carry me. What will you do with Buttermilk?”
“Buttermilk?”
I point at the teddy.
He steps toward me. “You underestimate me. Come here.”
I want to see how he plans to accomplish this, so I move toward him. He hands me the bouquet of flowers before he bends down and easily scoops me up. Buttermilk must be dangling underneath us. My small tote bag of toiletries and clean clothes that Rosie brought me is already slung over his shoulder.
He strides out of the hospital room, like carrying me is his morning routine. I inhale the rich scent of the magnolias and settle into his arms. Sterling left sometime early this morning tohelp the guys with bull testing day at the ranch. Sam punches the down button on the elevator.
I want to ask what they did with Ben, but I’m too afraid of the answer. The elevator doors part to reveal two nurses who are chattering until they spot us. Approving smiles cut across their faces as they scoot over to make room for us.
“Good morning,” he says to them.
“Good morning!” they reply in unison, grins widening.
I nibble on my lower lip, laying my head against his shoulder as the doors close again. Sam has some serious stubble on his jawline, which I find myself wishing it were scratching against my inner thighs. My cheeks turn pink, which only causes the nurses to start giggling and whispering.
They think we are the cutest couple they’ve ever seen. Just being mistaken as together makes my insides flutter.
“Ladies.” Sam tips his head to the nurses once we get to the lobby.
We get a few curious looks as we exit the hospital. He readjusts his hold on me when we get into the parking lot, where the morning sun is streaming through the trees.
