Page 22 of Shimmering Emeralds
The nurse was a much bigger woman than me, but if this altercation became physical, I would win. I’d never appreciated being told what to do, and with the added stress of Harper’s health, I would tear this hospital apart, if I needed to in order to remain by her side.
The nurse assessed me for a long moment and evidently came to her own conclusion that I would be a vicious mama-bear if the need arose. The woman’s expression softened and she said, “I’ll see what I can do about getting another bed,” before swishing out of the room.
Once the other woman was gone, the room seemed excessively quiet. The intrusion of the television would be too much, but I wondered if the addition of music might be pleasant. Giving Levi a heavy-handed hint, I said, “I think Harper might enjoy listening to some music.”
Levi gave me a wide smile. “Yeah, that’s a great idea.”
He found the television’s remote and went to the electronic station guide. The higher numbers had a few all-music stations. After selecting one and adjusting the volume down, he set the remote back on the bedside table.
It didn’t take long for the twangy music to assault my eardrums. I scrunched up my face and said, “Ick! Is that country-western music? We don’t want to depress the poor child into thinking her dog died and her friends all dumped her.”
Levi shook his head, looking utterly amused by my opinionated rant, before pointing out, “You know, country music has changed a lot since the old days. You might find that you actually like it, if you give it a shot.”
Unwilling to even listen for a moment, I was already shaking my head. “Nope. I’m a rock ‘n’ roll girl all the way to my core. Besides, country music is what took you from me, so I hate it with a burning passion.”
He looked as surprised as I felt by my admission. I’d always acted like I didn’t really care if he stayed or left, but my words made it clear that I had actually cared… A lot… And still did.
He stared at me, obviously trying to figure out a way to ask if my apathy toward him had been an elaborate act. Before he could summon the words, the delivery person arrived in the room with our food.
“I’ve got a rare cheeseburger with extra bacon, sharp cheddar, and mayo.” He held the wrapped sandwich out toward Levi.
Levi pointed to me and was clearly delighted by the driver’s bewildered look as he handed me my food.
Seeming perplexed, he held up a clear plastic container and said, “And a vegetarian chef’s salad with almonds?”
“That’s mine,” Levi confirmed for the confused man.
He glared between the two of us as Levi dug in his pocket for money. Finding a bill that would cover it, plus a huge tip, he handed it over and stage-whispered, “She eats enough red meat for any three men.”
“And he doesn’t eat enoughrealprotein for a gnat to survive on,” I quipped.
The driver bugged his eyes out, thanked us, and made a quick exit.
I found myself amused that even after all of these years, Levi and I were still complete opposites in every imaginable way. Picking up the remote control, it dawned on me that the only area we had ever been compatible in was the bedroom. Our sexual chemistry had been off-the-charts hot, but that certainly wasn’t enough to build a real relationship on.
Once I changed the background music to a Classic Rock station, I sighed over the loss of what could have been, and dove into my perfectly-pink cheeseburger.
20
Levi
By the time I had the delivery driver taken care of, Meg had already adjusted the music to her liking and was taking an enormous bite of her disgusting-looking, overly-pink cheeseburger. I try not to be a judgmental jerk about people’s eating preferences, but if it had been anyone else, I would have felt the overwhelming urge to look away and gag from the practically-mooing meat. Somehow, everything Meg did was endearing.
She always had been and likely always would be utterly irresistible to me in every way. It had taken me a long time to get over the fact that she obviously didn’t feel the same way about me, since she had so easily sent me away to Nashville.
Although I knew I was putting my heart in peril by being here with her, I couldn’t resist the lure of being by her side. Besides, she needed someone, and I was desperate to be her go-to person. It was quickly dawning on me that my feelings for her had only grown stronger with distance and time apart.
Tucking into my salad, I decided that Meg might not feel as strongly for me as I still did for her, but she had to feel something, right? The fact that she hadn’t sent me away had to be a good sign.
The nurse we’d spoken to earlier chose that moment to open the door and push the folded extra bed into the room. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she said, “Mmm. Something smells good in here.”
I immediately stood up and went over to help her with the cot. It took some maneuvering in the small room, but we managed to fit the bed on the other side of the chairs beside Harper’s bed. It didn’t leave much walking room, but we would make it work.
Once the extra bed was situated, the nurse glanced over at Meg’s food. Obviously stunned, she covered her mouth with her palm and gasped, “Oh-my-gah!”
She gave me a wide-eyed, appalled look. I nodded my agreement with that assessment and said, “I know. It’s gross, right?”
She moved to make a quick exit before turning back to look at Meg once more as if she couldn’t quite believe her eyes.
