Page 86 of Broken Ice, Mended Hearts

I blinked several times, hoping she got the message.

“Okay, here we go.”

I blew, and then coughed and sputtered until there were tears in my eyes. Gasping, I sucked in as much air as I could.

“It’s out, Mr. Holmer.”

I nodded, glad I could move my head but wincing at the pain.

“Easy,” Charlie said. “You have a concussion, so no sudden movements.”

Dr. Crew patted my arm. “Charlie will give you your pain meds, and he’ll be right here if you need anything. Try to rest. I’ll be back to check on you.”

“Where’s Gagné?” My whisper was like sandpaper in my throat, but she understood.

“I’m going to speak to Mr. Gagné right now. After you rest a while, we’ll bring him back to see you.”

He said he loves me. If I’m dreaming, let it last forever.

Three Days Later

It was dusk outside when I came around. Since they moved me out of the ICU, I’d been able to get more rest. I tried to stretch, but the ugly pain shooting up my leg made me groan, and I reached for the button and tried to give myself a dose of pain medicine. The damn stuff didn’t do nearly as much good as what I’d had the first day after I woke up.

“Hey, big guy.”

I turned my head and broke into a grin so big it hurt my face. Pip was there.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked, adjusting my blanket. “Where are you?”

My voice croaked, so I switched to a husky whisper. “If you’re not Pip, I’ll kick your ass. And if you are Pip but moved, this is the ugliest damn house I ever saw.”

His mouth twitched, and there it was, the smirk I could never resist. “You woke up with a smart mouth,” he said, broadening his snarky grin. “I’m Pip, all right, andI’llkickyourass if you aren’t a good boy.”

“Fuck off, Gagné.”

“You fuck off, Holmer.” After shooting me a stern look, he smiled again. “By the way, I love you, D-man.”

My grin wouldn’t budge, regardless of the headache pulsing behind my eyes. “Love you too, dumbass. You going to kiss me or what?”

He leaned over and cupped my cheek before pressing his lips against mine. They were soft, and he brushed his tongue into my mouth, sending flickers of pleasure up my spine. He tasted like coffee and peppermint gum, and when he drew away, I moaned with disappointment. Giving him a cross look, I asked, “Why’d you stop?”

“Don’t worry, Holmer, there’s more to come. Much more.”

He sat down in the chair beside the bed and held my hand.

“Will you tell me what happened?” I asked. “I know there was an accident, but…”

“Don’t you remember? You asked me yesterday, and I told you.”

I shrugged. “The hazards of being on powerful drugs.”

“You were on Massachusetts Avenue. When you were turning onto Wisconsin, a car barreled into you on the driver’s side. The other driver was flying down the road and ran the light. They say it’s a wonder you weren’t hurt even worse than you were.”

The glint of pain in his eyes made my heart sink. “I’m sorry, Pip. I hate what I’ve put you through.”

Carts rattled in the hallway while he looked into my eyes and brushed the hair back off my forehead. “Where were you going, baby? You were supposed to be watching my game. I didn’t ask yesterday because you were trying so hard to remember the accident.”

“The last thing I remember is picking up some takeout in Dupont Circle. I was going to your house to watch the game there.”

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