I stand up and stretch a little bit. “I’m guessing you have a spare key to Dixie’s place? I wanted to swing by and get her some fresh clothes so she doesn’t have to leave here.”
Jude stands up too and pulls his keys out of his pocket. He hands them to me, holding up a silver one. “It’s this one.”
“Thanks.” I take them and put them in my own pocket. “Levi wants you to call him when you can. He’s worried. And tell Dixie I’ll be back in a flash and to text me if she wants anything specific.”
He nods and I head out the door.
25
Dixie
I need to go back out there and be with Elijah before he leaves to rejoin the team, but I hate leaving my dad. He’s got his eyes closed, but I’m not sure if he’s resting or sleeping. My mom is in the corner, looking completely drained, but the crease between her eyes is gone. Still, she’s aged about five years in the last forty-eight hours. The doctor checked on Dad while Eli was at my place getting me clothes and officially confirmed we were—miraculously, as he called it—out of the woods. Dad would most likely make a full recovery. Well, as full as an ALS patient can make. His breathing ability had been on the decline before this happened. He was on the low end of normal, but at least he will get back to that level, which doesn’t require oxygen or machines.
I glance at the clock on the wall and his voice, gravelly but strong, interrupts my thoughts. “If you need to be somewhere, Little D, then go. Your job and your life are important too. I’m on the road to fine, so don’t let me mess things up.”
I smile at him. “I’m right where I need to be, Dad. But I have a friend who came to check on me, and he’s leaving soon, so I’m going to sneak out and say good-bye to him.”
I stand. My mom and dad are both intently focused on me now. “Enid, did she say ‘he’?”
My mom nods, biting back a smile. “She did, Randy. Her friend is a boy.”
“Honey, run home and get my shotgun from the hall closet, will you?” my dad jokes, and my mom snickers.
“I know you don’t own a shotgun, Dad.” I laugh. “And I know you have a few questions, like maybe a thousand or so, but right now is not the time for them.”
I walk toward the door and hear him say. “But I’m bored and I have all the time in the world right now.”
I laugh again. “Get better and get out of here. Your reward will be that you can give me the third degree.”
I glance out the door and see Eli standing in the hall outside the lounge. My mom also sees him and smiles. “Oh. He’s tall. And rugged-looking. Nice smile.”
“Wave him in here, Enid!” my dad demands.
“Family only in the ICU. Don’t piss off your nurses, Dad.” I start out the door. “I’ll be back. No wild parties while I’m gone.”
He chuckles a little at that, and I hate the way it makes the stuff in his lungs rattle. I march down the hall, take Elijah by the hand and without a word pull him around the corner to a little alcove with pay phones and a water fountain. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him hard and deep.
His hands press into my lower back, pulling me closer to his body. I started the kiss, but he’s instantly in control of it. The movement of his tongue, the press of his lips, everything exposes his hunger for me and my own fiery need for him explodes. I press my palms to the sides of his gorgeous face, scared he might pull away before I’m satiated…which may be never. I press my torso into his, relishing the hard delineation of the muscles in his abdomen and the growing fullness in his jeans. Finally, with a low moan he breaks the kiss. “If I don’t end this now, I’m going to end up in a room next to your dad being treated for blue balls.”
A laugh bursts from me, and I cover my mouth until it passes and is replaced by a smile. “It’s your fault. You brought me toothpaste and a toothbrush.”
“I should have brought you a condom too,” he retorts and winks at me. He runs a hand over the back of my head, stopping to cup my neck, tilting my face toward his. “Are you okay?”
“I will be because he will be,” I promise him. “Thank you for coming. I don’t know how you did it, but it means everything.”
“You mean everything to me,” he says in a quiet, firm voice. “I know it’s not ideal timing, and I’m working through my own stuff with a sports psychologist.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. Some incredibly good-looking, overbearing woman kind of forced me into it,” he kids with a cheeky grin. “But I thought you should know, even if the timing doesn’t work right now, I will be around when does. Because for maybe the first time in my life I’m serious about something, and it’s you.”
The desire inside me starts to flicker and reality seeps back in. “Who’s Julie?”
He laughs, which is not what I was expecting at all. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and goes through his contacts, pulling up one with that name. “You are Julie.”
I stare at the screen and it is my number under that name. “Dixie isn’t exactly a common name, and I didn’t want to risk someone seeing you call me or accidentally see one of our texts. Like the half-naked ones.”
A tidal wave of relief crests inside me. There’s no one else. I look up into those perfect green eyes. “Why Julie?”
