Page 33 of Tart
“He said you were right to call me out. If I didn’t do something about my leg, I was going to require more than a short, forced time-out.”
Her brow went up. “Smart man.”
“I promised him I was going home to think it over. He walked me there, kissed me, and I went to bed. End of story.”
“What!” she squealed instantly. “Next time, lead with that!” Her laughter, dancing in the chair, and foot-stomping on the floor told me she was excited.
Brady came racing around the corner, nearly running into the wall when he tried to stop short. “What’s the matter?” he asked out of breath.
“Nothing,” Haylee said, finger-waving at him. “Sorry, I was just excited to find out I don’t have to do all this paperwork because Amber’s going to do it.”
Brady did a fist pump. “Excellent. Give me ten minutes to get my buns out of the oven, and I’ll help you load it all.”
“Buns in the oven, you say. I hear that was almost a thing between you two,” I said, snickering when Haylee groaned.
“One day, it will be a certain thing,” he said as he walked away.
Haylee leaned in and took my hand. “I can’t believe you kissed him already.”
I swallowed and looked anywhere but at her. “It just kind of happened. It wasn’t planned. The moment was there, so I took it. I mean, he was going to kiss me, all I did was encourage it.”
She made theout with itmotion with her hand. “Was it completely panty-melting as expected?”
“Panty melting?” I asked with laughter in my voice. Her brow lowered, and she growled until I answered. “My panties didn’t melt off, but it was close.”
She clapped her hands like a little girl, excitement radiating from her. “I knew it! I’m thrilled that you guys are moving forward with this!”
“Moving forward with what?” I asked, confused.
“A relationship!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
I stood instantly and shook my head hard. “No. No, no, no. No relationship,” I insisted, stepping toward the door. “It was just an innocent kiss, Haylee.” I took another step backward and never found my footing before I was falling to the floor.
“Amber!” Haylee yelled, grabbing me before I fell onto the hard concrete. “Stop before you hurt yourself.”
She swung me back into the chair carefully and knelt, taking stock of me. Her hand went to my forehead and held it there. “You’re warm.”
“It’s warm in here,” I said, shaken by the near fall. I had to remember to keep my crutches with me at all times now.
“No, you have a fever.”
I looked to the ceiling because making eye contact with her would only make me cry. “I think the leg is infected or something. I don’t feel right.”
She yelled for Brady again while putting the ice pack back on my knee. He came running and stopped at the doorway. “We need to get her home,” Haylee said, standing up. “I don’t want her driving. She’s got a fever.”
I swatted at her, and my dress fell to cover my leg again. “I’m fine. I drove myself here. I can drive myself home. I’m not a child.”
Brady knelt in front of the chair and gazed up at me with his bright blue eyes. “We know you aren’t a child, but you can’t let this go any longer. You have a serious problem and one that’s going to cause serious consequences if you don’t have it looked at by a doctor. If you have a fever, then you have an infection. You can’t pretend anymore, Amber.”
I nodded once. “I know. I was already planning to call Dr. Newton today.”
Brady glanced at his watch and then to his wife. “I’ll cover the bakery. The clinic is open. Take her there. She needs a doctor, whether it’s the one she always sees or not. No more waiting or she’ll be in the ER. I’ll have Taylor drive over to pick you up, so Amber has her car once she’s done at the clinic.”
Haylee stood and untied her apron on a nod, then held her hand out for my car keys. I sighed. I had officially pushed my luck.
