He stopped and smiled at her.“Thanks for picking me up.I appreciate it.”
“You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to.You were one of the first people that came to mind when I needed a ride.I hope that’s okay.”
She was thrilled that he’d thought of her, but was it only because she was convenient?After all, she worked closest to the clinic.They also lived together.
“Of course it’s fine.I worried the injury could be really bad, since it’s not like you to leave work in the middle of the day.”
He made a face.“I didn’t have a choice.Boss told me to go so I went.The bandage they put on at the site had already bled through and needed stitches.That and the huge dent in my hard hat.”
She winced at the thought of how hard he’d been hit if his hard hat had gotten dented.“Don’t do it again.”
His grin was faint but there.“I’ll certainly try.Now, I need to take a shower and clean off all this dirt.”
His clothes were as filthy as usual, but a thought hit her.“Aren’t you supposed to keep your stitches dry?Let me check the sheet.”She pulled the paper from the pocket she’d shoved it in earlier.Yup.No getting the stitches wet for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
His face appeared set in granite.“I need a shower.”
“Let me see if I can wrap a few plastic bags around your arm to keep the stitches dry.”
He nodded, resigned.Another thing she wasn’t used to: Evan Jameson simply giving up and agreeing to something he didn’t want.
“While you search for a bag, I’m going to ditch the clothes.”
He strode off to his bedroom, and Mercedes dashed into the kitchen.A small trash bag was procured along with some duct tape, and she met Evan in the hallway on his way to the bathroom.Her breath hitched when she saw him standing there in only a pair of navy boxer briefs.She wasn’t expecting that and needed a moment to begin breathing again.
“Here.Let me wrap it up.”She tried to keep her eyes on the bag and his arm, but every now and then her gaze slipped to his incredible chest and long legs dusted with hair.
“All set.”Thank goodness he couldn’t hear, her voice somewhat worse for wear, given his proximity.She told herself to turn away as he headed into the bathroom, but the little devil on her shoulder taunted her to take in his fine form from behind.And it was fine.
She lingered in the kitchen so she could hear him in the shower.In case he got dizzy and fell.That’s what she told herself, anyway.It wasnotto get another glimpse of him in his underwear.
Sadly, she missed him when he scurried from the bathroom to his bedroom.A few minutes later, he entered the kitchen in gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt, his hair damp.The bag was still wrapped around his arm.
“Can you take this off, please?”
She got some scissors and took care when cutting the tape she’d used to keep it on.There were a few wet spots on the bandage, but it had stayed dry for the most part.
“Are you hungry?I didn’t make anything for supper yet, but we’ve got leftover shepherd’s pie from two days ago.”
“I’m starving.I can get the leftovers.You go do whatever you need to.I’m sorry I made you leave work early.”
“Don’t be sorry at all.Tasha was being especially annoying today.I earned an hour off.”
“Glad I could help.Guess you owe me, huh?”His crooked grin found its way onto his face, clearly to charm her.
He was too much.“I’ll repay you by calling the doctor’s to make that appointment.What’s the information?”
When she got his doctor’s name and number, she made the call and checked with him to see if the date and time was okay.He nodded, focused on his own phone.He’d texted his boss to give him the details of his trip to the clinic.
Once the appointment was made, and Mercedes had noted it in her calendar, she pulled out the leftovers and reheated them.When the food was on the table, they both sat and ate in silence.It wasn’t that uncommon for the silence, but typically Evan was teasing her or telling some funny story about people he knew.Today, the pain on his face was the only thing she could see.
“Do you want some ibuprofen for the headache?”she asked.
He narrowed his eyes.“How do you know I have a headache?”
She reached out and stroked his cheek.The skin there heated and turned pink.Wow, he could blush from only her touch.She liked that idea.“The pain is right there on your face.”
