Page 103 of Wrecked for Love
ELIA
I was never the type who slept well. Ranchers—our body clocks were designed for long days and short nights. But somehow, being away from the ranch and lying in this narrow bed surrounded by the hum of machines, I actually got a full night’s rest. I knew, though, it wasn’t the bed, the place, or even the beeps keeping me company. It was her.
“Good morning,” Claire said. She’d clearly been awake for a while—her eyes bright, and her hair swept back into a neat ponytail. She kissed me, her lips lingering.
“You look refreshed,” I said.
She smiled. “That’s my line!” With a playful touch, she brushed her fingers through my hair. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. A lot better,” I said. “Hey, you heard from Log about Bobo?”
“Yeah. The husky is with him. Though apparently, their relationship is still cold.”
“Cold is better than overheated. Well, for Log’s sake, anyway.”
We chuckled.
“Hey, do you mind if I pop out to grab some coffee?” she asked, a hint of guilt in her voice.
“Sweetheart! Of course. You’ve been here all night and morning.”
“I didn’t want to leave you.” Her hand caressed the length of my arm. Even through the bandage, I felt her touch.
“Go get your coffee,” I urged.
She hesitated, then smiled before quietly slipping out of the room.
A moment later, the door opened again. But it wasn’t her.
I blinked, and it was like the past had swung back into town, dust on its boots and all.
Noah stood there—taller, broader, and the kind of man who turned heads without trying. Not the scrappy kid I still pictured in my head, the one who used to trail after me and Tessa with a grin too big for his face. No, this was a man. One hell of a handsome one.
“Noah?” I muttered, my voice raw with disbelief.
“El…” He stood there, stock-still, like a spooked colt caught between running away and bolting toward me. Then, in an instant, he moved, closing the distance, his eyes wide with worry. “El…damn it…what the hell happened to you?”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. The years between us felt too heavy to sum up in words. But inside, I thought—love, Noah.Love happened to me.
“El…Jesus. Your face! Your hands!” he quavered, like he couldn’t believe it was really me.
I managed a chuckle, though it hurt. “Good thing you didn’t stop by yesterday.”
Noah reached out, his hand hovering uncertainly over the bandages wrapped around my hands. He looked like he wanted to hug me but wasn’t sure if I could take it. “It’s…it’s good to see you again, El.”
“Good to see you too,” I said, my voice rough but sincere. “And thanks for the flowers, I guess?”
He tensed, awkwardly holding up the bouquet. “Yeah, um…not for you, though,” he mumbled. “They’re for your, uh…girlfriend.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You met her?”
“Yeah. I mean, oh, shit!” He groaned, slumping into the chair beside my bed. “Flowers for my brother’s girlfriend. That sounds creepy, right? And I didn’t even ask you if it was cool.”
I smirked. “Hey, it’s fine.”
Noah ran a hand through his hair, looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole. “Just to be clear, I don’t have a thing for her or anything. She and I…had a bit of a fiery exchange yesterday. Pretty sure she thought I was some kind of hitman or something.”
I almost laughed but quickly regretted it when a sharp ache shot through my side. “Careful, man. No jokes.”
