Page 80 of Forbidden Kisses
“You don’t want it?” Jack asked, knowing that wasn’t at all what the kid meant. The RV had belonged to him and Chris. They’d taken it on a lot of wild trips back in the day. Since the accident, though, it’d just sat in Jack’s backyard. He couldn’t imagine ever using it again without his friend. Chris would approve of passing it on to someone like Tristan.
“Yeah, I want it.”
“There’s a campground down the street. You’ll have to pay rent for the lot there. I figure you’ll make more than enough working for me.”
Tristan’s eyes were like saucers. “I can’t believe this! This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“Well, go in. Look around. See it from all angles. It should be spacious enough for one eighteen-year-old.”
Tristan ran inside and popped back out in less than a minute. “Seriously?” Enthusiasm poured out of him.
“Happy birthday, Tristan.”
The distraction and the kid’s reaction made it all worth it. Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked for missed calls. As he looked, the phone started buzzing in his hand.
He pulled it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Get over here, man,” Noah said into the receiver.
“Over where?”
“The docks. Krista, Abby, and Joey are bringing in the big one!”
Jack had completely forgotten about the East Coast fishing tournament going on today. “What?”
“They’re doing it for Grace. Now get your butt over here.”
“Is it big enough to win?” Jack asked, waving at Tristan and climbing into his truck.
“Could be.”
“No way,” Jack said, sounding like the eighteen-year-old he’d just left. Minus the childlike enthusiasm. He couldn’t muster excitement when Grace was still lying in room 211. He still hadn’t gotten his chance to talk to her.
“Krista just called. I’m heading over to check it out myself,” Noah said. “If she wins, I owe her dinner because I told her she’d never pull it off.”
“Never tell a woman she can’t do something,” Jack said, having learned that lesson the hard way.
“Why, thank you, O wise one. See you in five?”
Jack turned his truck in the opposite direction of the community docks. “I can’t. I’m going to the hospital to see if Grace is awake yet.”
“Got it. Well, tell her we’re all thinking about her,” Noah said. “And this doesn’t get her out of anything at work.”
Jack laughed. “It’s really weird that my brother thinks of my girlfriend as a sister.”
“She was my sister before she was your bedfellow,” Noah pointed out.
“Yeah, yeah.” Jack nearly ran through the parking lot once he arrived at the hospital. He took the stairs over the elevator because he didn’t want to wait a second longer to talk to Grace.
When he turned the corner into her room, Tammy was seated at Grace’s bedside.Of course she was.
Jack frowned, his gaze moving over Grace. Her eyes were still closed, just like they’d been when he’d left her this morning.
“Jack,” Tammy said, turning and offering him a smile.
He didn’t want her smiles. “I’ll wait outside until you’re done visiting.” He turned to walk back out.
“No, you don’t have to—” Tammy used her arms to push up from the chair.
