Page 12 of Wildflower Hearts
After that day, she vowed never to get involved with another man again. She chose to concentrate on what she did best:helping others. She had managed to stick to that plan for years, yet here she was, inviting a patient’s brother into her home.
“Is everything okay?”
She watched ice fill their glasses. “I’m fine, thank you. What can I get you to drink?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have beer, would you?”
“It’s nine forty-five in the morning.”
“Water is fine,” he chuckled.
Smiling, she turned back to the fridge with a shake of her head. “I don’t have any beer, so you’d be out of luck anyway.”
“Not a fan?”
She filled the glasses with water and turned to hand him one. She motioned for him to sit at the kitchen table. “I’m not a huge fan of drinking. I’ve seen too many cases at the hospital that ended in tragedy to get near the stuff.” She giggled at the expression on his face. “I just insulted a whiskey man, didn’t I?”
Elias grinned, taking the plate she extended as he grabbed a knife and fork. “No offense taken, but I enjoy beer and occasionally, something harder every once in a while.”
Lyla slid the to-go boxes from the bags, placing them on the table between them. “And you’re not worried about a beer gut?”
“My body’s in great shape. You’re a nurse. I bet you’d approve. Got a hospital gown lying around here?”
She froze until she realized he was teasing her. She blushed and reached to open the boxes. “Sorry, my imaginary boyfriend took my last one and won’t return my calls, so I can get it back.”
He laughed, watching as she caught sight of the Chinese food and inhaled, a small smile appearing on her face.
“I love Chinese food.”
“I know. I asked Melissa.”
She playfully rolled her eyes and made a mental note to threaten Melissa the second she returned to work. “Good thingyou did. I would have kicked you out if you’d brought me something I didn’t like.”
“Kick me out? I’m too charming for that.”
Too strong, she wanted to correct him, but she shrugged instead, and they began to eat. She had seen the anger in his eyes when he talked with Dr. Moore. Inside Elias Kingsley lived a distraught man. She swallowed a piece of sesame chicken and chased it down with a sip of water. “How is Noah doing today?”
“Great. Dr. Stewart said he’s improved a lot on the new medication. They’re hoping he'll be awake by the end of next week.”
“That’s excellent news. Your brother is a strong man.”
“Little Brother has some fight in him, all right. A Kingsley, through and through. I won’t be surprised if he’s awake and talking by Tuesday morning.”
She took another sip of her water. “I’m pleasantly surprised to see Chief Stewart has taken such an interest in your brother. He’s usually too busy to even come down to our floor, you know how bigwigs are.”
“I think he’s curious. Noah’s doing a lot better than anyone expected. I mean, shit, I didn’t expect him to make it this far. I thought I’d lost him…” He tightened his grip on his fork, staring off into space.
“May I ask what happened?”
He directed his gaze to his plate, stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Was it gang-related? I mean, you could go to the police, and…”
“I’d really prefer not to talk about it. It’s hard enough as it is with having to remember it in my head.”
Lyla reached out to place her hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Elias. You don’t have to tell me.” She went silent for a few momentsbefore she chose to speak again. “You’re not weak if you want to discuss it with a professional.”
He removed his arm and slid his chair back from the table. “I don’t need a fucking head doctor.”
