Page 28 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“Alright, but I’ll be back in the morning, with the boys before school and she can stay with me while she recovers.I work from home so I can easily wait on her,” Declan said.
Levi moved next to his grandmother.“We can sit with her for a bit if you’re okay with it?”
“I could read to her and keep her company,” his grandmother said, producing a large book.“The book club is rescheduled for when Missy is feeling better and can join us,” Gran said.
“That would be really thoughtful of you, Mrs.Hart.I appreciate it,” Declan said, as his phone started to go off.
“I’ll walk you out,” Wesley said.
Declan shook Dalton’s hand.“Thank you, Doc.I’m not sure what if any insurance Missy has.Please send me the bill.I don’t want her to worry about it.”
“We’ll see you in the morning,” Dalton said.
“It sounded like Declan just gave us both permission to stick around and sit with Missy,” Levi said, with his arm wrapped around Gran’s shoulders.
“Fine, go ahead.I’m going to write up some notes and then I need to kick you both out of her room before the hospital closes.”
Levi led his grandmother back to the surgical suite and was also struck by how small and alone Missy looked under several blankets.There was an IV in one arm and her hand was immobilized in some contraption that hung up above her bed in a sling.
“Oh, sweet girl,” Gran said, in her soothing tone.Then she sat on the opposite side of Missy’s bad arm, pulling the chair as close to the bed as she could get it.She stroked Missy’s good arm that lay outside the blankets.
Levi stood watching over Missy, feeling the strongest possessive instinct mixed with a hollowing out in his gut.Like he’d been sucker punched.
“I don’t think staying with her cousin and two rowdy young boys is a good place for her to recuperate,” Levi said.
“No, you’re right, grandson.She needs her own quiet room, her comfy bed, and us doting on her.She needs to be near her art and her studio.”
“Then we’ll just have to convince Missy in the morning,” Levi said.
“Of course I might need your help taking care of her.Going up and down those stairs.”
“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, Gran.”Levi pulled up another chair to sit just behind his grandmother and watch over Missy.
“In that case you can read this book out loud to us, while I knit and then you can attend the book club with us, when Missy is ready.”
His grandmother handed him a large black book with a red apple on the front and it looked like it was at least five hundred pages.If this was how he was going to gain access to be close to Missy, then so be it.
He opened up the book and began to read aloud, Missy’s chest rose and fell slowly while she slept, and his grandmother pulled out her knitting.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Missy
I Must Be Dreaming
Adeep voicewoke Missy.It was like a man trying to soothe an ache by talking purposefully.Then the pain in her hand began to thrum, and the pressure slowly built like a wave.But the timbre of the man’s voice kept distracting her from focusing on why her hand hurt so much.
“Are they saying he can smell her, but he can’t read her mind?”the deep voice said in a near whisper that made her want to listen harder.
“I guess,” a soft woman’s voice replied.
“So he’s like a normal dude.Which doesn’t make his vampire prowess seem so impressive.”
“Well he did just stop a truck from crushing her, which is more than I think most men could do.”The soft voice was Mrs.Hart’s but she couldn’t place the other one as it whispered.
Missy’s eyes felt heavy and scratchy as she tried to blink them open.The room was dimly lit and unfamiliar, but then she spotted Levi taking up the space under the one lamp in the corner.
“Missy honey, are you waking up?I’ll get Dalton,” Mrs.Hart said.
