Page 74 of My Favorite Mistake

“Oh my God,” Liza suddenly mumbled, her eyes blinking open. “That did not just happen.”

“Have you had anything to drink?” The medic gave a casual laugh. “Meaning alcohol.”

“No, nothing at all.” Liza rubbed her face with her open palms. “We’re here working.”

“Have you eaten today?”

“Yeah, I had a little breakfast.” Liza sighed. “I had the flu recently, and my appetite’s not quite back to where it should be.”

Connor’s mind had finally returned to a stable state, but he still needed to touch her just in case her being awake was a manifestation of his disoriented mind. He crossed the small space and stood next to the cot as the medic went silent to listen to Liza’s heart with a stethoscope. Leaning over Liza’s face, he brushed her hair back and kissed her damp forehead before retreating to the opposite corner.

The small gesture drew the attention of everyone present, but Connor chose to ignore that. Healsoignored the all-too-impish smirk of Jimmy to his right.

The medic removed the stethoscope from Liza’s chest, and Liza attempted to stand up. “I really am fine. I just got a little overheated.”

Connor marched across the space again. “Sit,” he ordered, pressing his fingertips against her sternum and forcing her to sit back down. “You scared the hell out of me, and you still look pale.”

The medic wrapped Liza’s arm with a blood pressure cuff, and Jimmy handed her a plastic cup of ice water.

“You said you had the flu?” the medic asked.

“Yeah, but that was like two weeks ago,” Liza said dismissively.

“It was two weeks ago that she came down with the flu,” Connor corrected. “She was sick for about a week.”

The medic unwrapped Liza’s arm and draped the stethoscope around her neck. “It’s not unusual to have lingering weakness for several weeks after the flu. Especially if it was a bad one.”

“Hers was awful,” Connor added. “Her temperature got up to over 105.”

The medic winced. “You might want to go home and rest. It’s too hot today.”

“Yes, by all means, Liza,” Jimmy jumped in, making a shooing motion with his hands. “Go home. I can handle Oscar. He’s doing great. You don’t need to exhaust yourself like this. Go home and rest.”

Liza opened her mouth as if to protest, but Connor inserted himself before she could utter a single word. “I’m taking you home. You’re going to eat something, and then you’re going to bed as soon as it’s dark.”

Liza scoffed, and her jaw dropped open. “Oh! And I get no say in this whatsoever?”

“Nope.” Connor stood in front of her, turning so that his back was toward her. “Hop on. I’ll piggyback you to your car.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yup, hop to it.”

“Connor, I’m wearing adress.”

“Well, then you’d better hang on to that skirt because you’re not walking the five blocks back to your car.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Liza placed her hands on his shoulders and hopped while he hoisted her onto his back. One of her hands hastily left his shoulder, and she tugged at the thin skirt of her dress. “I’m going to end up mooning everyone. I hope you’re prepared for people to throw beads at us.”

“First of all,” Connor said, giving her a bounce to position her higher. “That only happens on Bourbon Street. Second, it would be your boobs, not your butt. Third, nobody from around here actually does that, so if some frat boy tourist throws beads at you because he saw up your skirt, I’ll pummel his ass so he goes back to Dumbfuck, Ohio or where-the-fuck-ever with a sense of how to treat a lady.”

She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and chortled in his ear. “Awww…my hero!”

His mouth quirked into a smile. “I’m nobody’s hero. I just don’t put up with dumbasses.” He turned to Jimmy and nodded. “See you Monday, pappy. I’d shake your hand, but mine are occupied at the moment.”

Jimmy placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder and then Liza’s back. “See you then. Get some rest, Liza.”

“Thanks, Jimmy.” She reached to give Jimmy’s arm a quick pat. “Tell Oscar we’re super proud of him.”

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