Page 85 of Finding Forever

“I told Eric I’d stay with you while he slept.”

I sighed. Apart from when the nurse helped me shower and when I went to the bathroom, Alex hadn’t left my room. “Why are you and Eric so stubborn?”

“It’s because we care about you.” He looked at the crossword puzzle in front of him. “What’s a five-letter word that means dangerous?”

Jonathan smiled at Alex from the doorway. “Risky.”

Alex’s eyebrows rose. “You’re right. What about an eleven-letter word that means premeditated?”

Jonathan frowned. “What does it start with?”

“I don’t know. But the third letter is a ‘T’.”

“Intentional.” He grinned at Alex’s disbelieving face. “You’re looking at the winner of the Queen Bee Spelling Competition at Scotsdale Elementary School. Three years in a row.”

I started to smile, but the pain in my face brought tears to my eyes. “It’s not fair,” I moaned. “I didn’t know until now that I smile too much. Why can’t I be grumpy all the time?”

“If you were grumpy,” Jonathan said with a grin, “I wouldn’t have brought my super-delicious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate fudge with me.”

Alex’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the day.”

Jonathan handed Alex a box, then rolled a suitcase into the room. “I heard about your bacon and egg muffins. It was nice of you to look after Eric.”

“How did you know I brought Eric breakfast?”

“The walls have ears,” Jonathan whispered. “And Riley’s mom texted me after Eric told her what you’d done. I was going to bring everyone breakfast, but you beat me to it.”

Alex glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly mid-day. If you brought some food with you, we could have lunch together.”

“Are you sure we’re not related?” Jonathan asked. “Wait here.” He walked outside the room, then reappeared a few minutes later with another box in his hands.

Alex opened the flaps and sighed. “If you weren’t my friend, I’d marry you tomorrow.” Out of the box came the deepest pie I’d ever seen.

“It’s my mom’s favorite apple pie recipe,” Jonathan told us. “The apples make it a healthy hospital choice.”

The grin on his face told me there were a lot of not-so-healthy ingredients in the pie as well.

Alex licked his lips. “Anything that looks this delicious has to be good for you. Would you like a slice now or later, Riley?”

I looked at Alex, then across at Jonathan. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh, no,” Alex moaned. “Just because Jonathan’s here, it doesn’t mean you can gang up on me. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Your rough-and-tough image is safe with us,” I assured him. “This is more of a compromise. What if you eat a slice of pie while Jonathan helps me get changed? I’ll feel better if I’m wearing normal clothes.”

Alex tilted his head sideways. “Your hospital gown has a certain jail-bird quality that I find appealing.”

“Until I stand up. I can’t wrap it around my waist far enough to close the gap at the back. It’s practically indecent.”

Jonathan reached into the box and gave Alex a plate, knife, and fork. “Happy eating.”

Alex jumped from the chair and slid a slice of pie onto his plate. “I’ll be in the family room if you need me.”

“I don’t believe it,” I said. “If I’d known all it took was food to move Alex, I would have ordered takeout.”

Jonathan grinned and lifted the suitcase onto the end of the bed. “He’s a man of simple tastes. What would you like to wear today?”

I watched Jonathan lift half a dozen shirts out of the case. “You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

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