Page 28 of I Still Do

Grey’s older brother knelt next to his son and nodded grimly.

“I’d be happy to take a look if you want me to.” Cora’s voice brought everyone’s attention to the back of the crowd. “I even brought my medical bag with me—I don’t go anywhere without it. I’m sure we can get his hand fixed up in no time.”

Abby hesitated only a moment before moving so Cora could get closer. Flynn didn’t argue, but it was clear he was less than happy about this turn of events. Grey wagered that if it’d been Flynn’s own hand, he’d have used a staple gun or duct tape before he would’ve let Cora help.

Zac buried his hand in his shirt and shook his head, adamant that Cora wasn’t going to touch him. Blood from his finger had already smeared across the front of his shirt.

Cora sat cross legged on the floor and patted the rug next to her. Zac sat too, looking wary. “I’m going to go get my medical bag. When I bring it down, do you think you can help me? I have a stethoscope you can use to listen to your own heartbeat. What do you say?” Zac only hesitated a moment or two before he finally nodded. “Wonderful! But I need to look at your hand first, just so I know what size bandage to bring down in my bag. Do you think I can do that? I promise I won’t touch it right now.”

Zac held his shaky hand out and opened it to reveal a cut on his thumb. It wasn’t more than an inch long, but even Grey could see how it was split open from his vantage point.

Cora gave him a kind smile. “Good job, buddy. Okay, hold it against your shirt again and wait right here. I’ll go get my bag, and we’ll see if we can find that stethoscope.”

She stepped away and headed for the stairs. Pogo broke away from Dare to lope after her while Grey jogged to catch up. Once they were out of earshot, he said, “Zac’s going to need some stitches, isn’t he?”

“Maybe. But I think I can use a butterfly bandage and some glue to close the wound.”

“Let me guess, you have everything you need in your bag?”

Cora grinned at him as she opened the door to her room. “There was a legitimate reason why my suitcase was so heavy.” The playful wink she gave him made his heart stutter.

Pogo jumped onto the bed and watched as she rummaged through her suitcase until she produced a large, leather bag with a shoulder strap. “You’re not the only one that goes everywhere prepared.”

“Thank goodness for that.” Grey watched as she retrieved a towel and a washcloth from the bathroom.

When they got downstairs, Zac was still sitting on the floor, clearly hurting. Cora motioned for Flynn and Abby to join her. Mom patted Emma on the back and walked to the window to talk about what they saw outside.

“Zac’s going to need more than a bandage to close that cut, but I don’t think stitches are going to be necessary. Since I don’t have a good way to numb the skin first, I’d rather avoid that anyway. I can use a butterfly bandage and some glue to fix it. Are you both okay with that?”

Flynn and Abby looked at each other a moment before nodding.

Once she had permission, Cora sat down in front of Zac and gave him a reassuring smile. “Let’s see if I can find my stethoscope. Did you know this bag has so many things in it, it may as well not have a bottom?”

Zac’s eyes widened as she made an exaggerated search through her bag.

“Ah, here we are.” Cora withdrew the stethoscope from her bag and helped Zac listen to his own heart.

The boy’s worried face broke into a smile. Then he pointed to the bag with his uninjured hand. “What else?”

“I’m going to show you. But first, I need to tell you something. You know that cut on your thumb? A bandage isn’t going to be enough to help it get better. Have you ever watched your dad fix something that’s broken by using glue?” Zac nodded. “That’s exactly what I need to do for you. I have some magic glue that’ll fix your thumb all up.” She tickled his side a little and managed to get a giggle out of him. Pogo joined them then, lying on the floor with his chin resting on Zac’s shoe.

“Wow, Cora’s really good at what she does, isn’t she?” Dare’s voice held a measure of awe.

“Yes, she is.” When she’d told Grey she was a registered nurse, he had no doubt she was good at her job. But watching her in action was a whole different thing. Even though Zac was worried and hurting, she had him trusting her to make him better.

He pictured her tending to their own child had things gone differently. Cora would’ve been an amazing mom. He tried to push the image aside, unprepared for the way it made his heart trip inside his chest.

Truthfully, every time he thought he might be getting serious about a woman he was dating, he’d picture their future together. When he did that, it was like staring into a thick fog. Unlike when he was dating Cora. Back then, he’d had no doubt where their relationship was heading. The inability to see that with anyone else was more than frustrating.

It didn’t take long for Cora to clean Zac’s wound, pull the skin together, and apply glue to keep everything in place. Once she’d finished, she put antibiotic cream and a bandage on his thumb.

“There we go. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Zac shook his head. He held his thumb up for everyone to see, a big grin on his face.

Abby gave her son a big hug. “Come on, sweetie. Why don’t we go upstairs, get you a clean shirt, and then I’ll find you some Tylenol in our bathroom bag.” She smiled at Cora before leading Zac to the stairs. “Thank you.”

“Of course. I’m glad I could help.”

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