Page 26 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
Missy closed her eyes and tried to let the tension in her shoulders go.There was a dull throbbing ebb of pain from her hand and she knew once the numbing wore off it would be brutal.
“I’m going to give you an IV for fluids, a pain reliever, and a sleep aid,” Dalton said and her eyes popped open.
“I don’t want any narcotics.”
Dalton paused and looked at her.
“Good because it’ll just be a stronger dose of ibuprofen until the numbing wears off and we can see how you manage the pain with a topical pain reliever.Is there something I need to know about your medical history that might influence our treatment plan?”
“Only that my mother battled a drug problem her entire life, and I’m terrified that if I ever have to have anything stronger than a Tylenol I’ll get addicted,” Missy said, meeting his eyes.Not only was Dr.Dalton treating her burn, but he was also her employer.
“The science isn’t clear on if you’d be more predisposed for an addiction based on one parent’s history, but I understand your caution.”
He removed his gloves, grabbed a tablet to type in some notes, and then faced her and the nurse.
“Nurse Jackie is going to proceed with the IV while I try to distract you, and we’ll see in a few hours if you need a stronger dose of medication, but I’ll plan to avoid narcotics.And we’ll talk about it if I think it’s needed.”
She nodded, and turned her head away from the nurse while she prepared her arm for the IV.“How are you going to distract me?”
“Did I ever tell you about the time my little brother got stuck in a tree and he was too scared to climb down, so we had to call the firemen to get him down?”
“Levi or Wesley?”
Dalton smirked.“Who do you think?”
“Levi was a scaredy-cat?”
“Well technically he was only responding to a dare by one of his older brothers, but then he got scared and wouldn’t come down.He wouldn’t even let my dad help him.”
“Is that the tree he has tattooed on his back—the one from the front yard at Hart House?”Missy said, feeling groggy.
“I’m surprised he told you about it.”
She realized her mistake in admitting she’d seen Levi with his shirt off.
“He was out on a run when I was painting on the beach.”
“Interesting.”
Her eyes started to feel heavy, she could hear Dalton’s voice but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying.All she could think about was Levi with his shirt off walking toward her with the ocean crashing behind him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Levi
What Kinda Man
Sitting in thesmall waiting room next to Declan made it abundantly clear that Levi was in over his head.He was waiting to find out how bad Missy’s burn was but also hoping for a chance to see her and beg for her forgiveness.Declan was at least a foot and probably thirty pounds bigger than him, and he looked mad.
“Tell me again why you’re still here?”Declan said.
“It was my fault and if I don’t stay here my grandmother and her entire book club will converge on this hospital until they’re assured Missy will be okay.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed on him.“Why is it your fault my cousin burned her hand?”
“When I walked in through the kitchen, I was carrying a few bags so I made a sudden entrance, and she wasn’t expecting me.She’d just started to move the full Dutch oven and stumbled back onto the stove.”
“So it was an accident,” Declan said.
