“We’ll send the next two in,” my mom says, waving for Remi to join her. “Oakley, make sure he gets some rest tonight?”
“I’ll tie him down if I need to,” Oakley responds, the shit.
My mom blows me a quick kiss, Remi sends me a one-hand‘I love you,’and then they’re out the door, leaving us in relative quiet.
“How long have I been here?” I ask Oakley.
He checks the clock on the wall. “Few hours.”
“Sure you don’t mean days?”
He huffs a small laugh, walking over to the side of my bed. There’s a pinch in his brow I wish wasn’t there. “How’s the neck?”
“Stiff but not too bad,” I tell him truthfully. “When we get home, I want beef stew.”
That pinch smooths out, Oakley looking faintly amused. “That right? As it happens, I know a perfectly good cow.”
“You’re not talking about Belladonna,” Wendy says from the corner of the room, her tone indignant.
Oakley winces, his back to Wendy before he turns ever so slowly. “No?”
Wendy huffs, grabbing her phone and looking busy, even as there’s a tiny smirk on her face.
I chuckle, giving Oakley’s hand a tug. “When can I get out of here?”
“Nurse said you’ll need to stay the night—”
“Oak,” I groan.
He huffs again. “Lawson, it’s not my decision. Christ, don’t give me those fucking eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“You know damn well what they do to me,” he says. My heart patters, and Oakley lowers his voice, his gaze running softly over me. “As soon as I can get you home, I will. Just sit tight and rest.”
“Home,” I repeat, not sure if Oakley means the ranch or…his house.
Before I can ask, there’s another knock at the door. Jackson peeks his head in, Ash behind him.
“Oakley?” my brother says. “There’s an officer in the waiting room who’d like to get your statement real quick if you have a minute.”
“Sure,” Oakley answers, turning back my way and running his fingers through my hair, the simple touch making flutters set off in my stomach. He goes to step back, but I grab his hand before he can get far.
“Don’t be long?” I all but beg.
His smile is warm, eyes bright with something that looks a lot like hope. “I’ll be right back. Promise.”
I nod, and he steps past Jackson and Ash, the door shutting behind him.
“Well,” Ash says, a cheeky grin on his face. “Does this mean we can stop pretending nothing is happening between you two?”
“Ash,” Jackson groans.
The blonde man’s shoulders deflate. “What? I’ve beensogood. But come on—we all saw that.”
Jackson walks to my bedside, a serious set to his brow. His eyes run over me quickly. “How are you? Truthfully?”
“It was unexpected, but I’m fine. Healthy enough and whole. You didn’t all have to come.”
