Page 19 of In Your Wildest Dreams
“I’m not buying it. You’re not telling me something.”
Now I’m rolling my eyes. “There’s nothing to tell. He just won’t sleep.”
“O-kay,” she says the word slowly like she’s trying to decide why that’s a problem.
“He needs rest to heal and instead of doing that like I keep suggesting, he’s wandering the halls and signing autographs for every person on the floor.”
Liza nods slowly. “He’s probably just bored or lonely.”
“It’s only been a few hours.”
“Yeah, but hospital time isn’t like normal time. I swear the minutes go by twice as slow here. There’s nothing to do and nowhere to go. Everyone inside either feels crummy or is preoccupied taking care of the people that feel crummy and at this time of night everyone outside of here is sleeping or busy.”
I try to hide the pity in my expression at her admission, but she must see it because she’s quick to smile and add, “I’m used to it by now. That’s why I always make sure to bring my own entertainment.”
Liza presses play on her show and turns back to watch it. Guilt settles in as I think over everything she said. Maybe I was too quick to dismiss Ash’s need for socializing. He’s a professional athlete who is going to be sidelined for weeks. Who wouldn’t want to take their mind off that?
Dammit. I think I screwed up. Standing, I head for the door.
“Are you leaving?” she asks, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“I am, but I’ll be back. I forgot something.”
6
WILDLY TALENTED
BRIDGET
After gettingthe okay from Mindy, I call up and ask Hannah to bring Ash down to the pediatric floor. I’m standing in front of the elevators waiting for him when it dings and the doors slowly open.
He wears a skeptical but humored expression as he steps out. “Are you exiling me?”
“Where’s Hannah?”
“She got a call as we were about to leave. I told her I could find it on my own.” He looks up and around. “Where am I?”
“Welcome to the pediatric floor.”
I’m not sure what I expected his reaction to be, but when he smiles, my stomach does a flip. “We’re going to hang with kids?”
“Just one. The others are sleeping.”
“Right.” He nods and falls into step beside me as I lead him back down the hall toward Liza’s room. “I don’t have any merch or anything with me, but if I make a couple calls—”
I stop abruptly in the middle of the hall and look him square in the face. “This isn’t about what you can do for her, it’s about what she can do for you.”
“I’m intrigued,” he says, aiming that arrogant and flirty grin at me as I walk backward a few steps. I can feel my smile widen in response to his. I’m glad he’s on board. I think this will be good for Ash and Liza.
As I always do, I knock on Liza’s door as I enter.
“What’d you forget?” she asks, staring ahead at her TV show. She’s still sitting on the bed, legs crossed. The book of Sudoku rests in her lap.
When I don’t immediately answer, she glances over and goes very still.
I take another step and look back at Ash hovering in the doorway. “Liza, this is Ash. Is it okay if he hangs out in here with me for a few minutes?”
She still doesn’t speak. I’m worried I might have broken her brain.
