by J. H. Croix
“You’re being an ass, aren’t you?”
“How am I being an ass? Until my trip to California, we’d never met or spoken. Why would we suddenly become chatty with each other? I’ve known you since I was a boy, and we only talk on the phone every few weeks, if that.”
I could practically feel the gleam in Simon’s eyes even though I couldn’t see his face. He surprised me, though. Instead of mocking me, he said, “Of course. Forgive me for thinking maybe you liked Anna. I think a relationship would be good for you, that’s all.”
Because I didn’t feel like engaging in that conversation, I hedged, “How is Bridget?”
“She’s great. She’s emailing Anna about buying some of that wine she loved so much.”
“Ah. Well, I’m sure Anna will be happy to send some.”
“I’m sure she will.” Simon paused, his voice becoming muted temporarily. A second later, he returned. “Sorry to cut this so short. Brendan needs a little help with his math homework. Bridget says to tell you hello, by the way.” Brendan was Simon’s stepson. There was no doubt Simon was head over heels in love with Bridget, but if there’d been any question, his dedication to becoming a father to Brendan in marrying Bridget said it all. He’d once claimed he never wanted kids. With Brendan’s father having died in a car accident, Simon had fully embraced his role in the family once he fell for Bridget.
“Well, you’d best help him with his math. Please give Bridget my greetings in return.”
I got off the phone, feeling annoyed and envious. Simon was settled and happy with Bridget and his instant family with her son. Not once, not even for a second had I ever envied him before.
Now, apparently, I did. I missed Anna, and her casually thrown together gourmet meals. I even missed feeding the chickens and getting my hands pecked and Jasper butting my knees. I wanted to be to Anna what Simon was to Bridget.
I thought about calling her or texting her, or even emailing her in a business fashion. I didn’t.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jasper
“Who?”
“Chance Bateman,” my receptionist said.
I could think of no reason Chance would call me, but I was certainly curious. “Put him through,” I told my receptionist.
“Hello,” I said the moment my office phone buzzed, indicating his call had been put through to me.
“Jasper, glad I caught you,” Chance began.
“What can I do for you?”
I wanted to ask him if he’d seen Anna recently and find out how she was doing, but I waited.
“Oh, I don’t need anything. I thought I’d call you and let you know Anna is in the hospital.”
“What?” I barked.
“Aubrey wasn’t sure if you knew, so I dredged up your number and decided to call you. Seeing as you own the winery with her, I figured you might want to know,” he explained.
Panic was tightening in my chest, and my breath was short. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know all the details, but some kind of accident. Apparently, she broke her ankle. They’re operating to set it because it’s a complicated break.”
Chance was far too relaxed and nonchalant about this. “I will be on the next flight to California. Can you do me a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Go check on the winery and make sure everything is taken care of. I’m sure with the staff there that all is well, but I’d like someone to confirm. I’ll be flying so I won’t be able to do it.”
As soon as I got off the phone with Chance, I called Anna’s number. Rather pointless because I immediately got her voicemail. Fuck.
I called the main number at the winery and got the voicemail there too. Double fuck.
“Is everything all right?” my receptionist asked from the doorway to my office.
Spinning to face her, I shook my head. “Book a flight to San Francisco for me, the fastest and earliest.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Anna
“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to inject as much confidence and firmness into my tone as possible.
The doctor, who I swore was straight out of medical school with his square glasses and boyish face, pushed those glasses up on his nose and looked skeptically at my ankle. “Ms. Lennon—”
I interrupted him. “Please just call me Anna.”
“Anna,” he corrected, “you need to be careful. This is a serious ankle break, and I don’t want you putting too much weight on it. I’m concerned because I understand you live a busy and active life. I don’t want you to change that, but you’re definitely going to need to modify how much you’re on your feet while this heals.”
“I know. I know.”
He paused to look down at something on his computer tablet, giving me a moment to try to take a deep breath. Anxiety was coursing through me, and worry was trampling my thoughts.
I had a business to run, and most of what I did involved being on my feet. I was dreading just getting up and down the stairs. As soon as I remembered the stairs, I started trying to figure out where I could sleep downstairs in the winery.
“Now, when can I be discharged?” I asked as politely as possible.
I deserved an award for the timing of this little fall. Last night, after it was dark, I decided to meander down to the winery kitchen because I forgot to bring a bottle of wine upstairs. I fell. After I went back upstairs—being the stubborn fool I could be—and my ankle swelled to the size of a football, I caved and called Eloise. Even though I knew it meant waking her up.
Even though Jasper had set up health insurance for the winery employees—another awesome thing he did—I didn’t want to take an ambulance because I knew those could cost a fortune. Because I got to the hospital so late, and they had to operate to put a pin in, they’d kept me for the night. It was now almost evening on the following day, and I was ready to scream.
“As soon as you confirm you have a ride home,” the cute young doctor replied as he looked back at me.
“I’ll call right now,” I said. I started to get up from where I was sitting on a chair with my foot propped up, only to get a stern warning look from the doctor. He didn’t look so boyish then.
“Where is your phone, Anna? I’ll get it for you. Consider this practice for most of your days for the next few weeks.”
I waved a hand toward my purse where it was hanging from one of the hooks by the door. “If you’ll just grab my purse, my phone’s in there.”
The doctor handed me my purse. Just as I was praying Eloise wasn’t too busy, there was a light knock on the door to the room where I was waiting.
The doctor called, “Yes?”
“Your patient’s ride is here,” a nurse said as she poked her head around the door.
The doctor looked at me and then back to her. “Great. Send them on back.”
I sent up a silent prayer of thanks to Eloise. She was so on top of it she’d probably already checked in and knew they were about to discharge me. God bless her.
“Be right back,” the nurse said.
The doctor was explaining my prescription pain medications to me when there was another light knock on the door. This time when the doctor called for them to come in, Jasper stepped through.
It was a good thing I was sitting down. If not, my knees would’ve given out, and I probably would’ve fallen over.
Jasper’s sharp gaze met mine, sweeping over me quickly before he shifted his focus to the doctor. “I understand she’s ready to be discharged.”
Okay, not one word of that was sexy at all. Not even a little. I felt frumpy and cranky, and my ankle hurt. Yet the moment I heard Jasper’s crisp accent, my entire body swooned, every single cell. My hormones sent up a hallelujah.
“She’s ready to go,” the doctor said, oblivious to my internal state of disarray. “You’ll need to pick up her prescription for her.” The doctor glanced at me, his lips twitching slightly. “She doesn’t think she’ll need it, but this
kind of break can be painful. Make sure she takes it at least at night.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but shut it quickly when Jasper sent me something like a glare. “Of course. I’ll make sure she takes it at night. Anything else I should know?”
“My medical assistant will give you discharge instructions. She should be fine. We have a follow-up appointment scheduled in three weeks. The most important thing will be for her to stay off that foot as much as possible and to use her crutches at all times to keep weight off it when she’s vertical.”
“Vertical?” I chimed in.
“Standing up or walking,” the doctor clarified.
I had so many things to say, but I couldn’t think very clearly. My heart was rioting in my chest, butterflies had burst to life in my belly, and Jasper was here.
Jasper. Was. Here.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jasper
My heart was thrashing in my chest, and I wanted to crush Anna to me and kiss her senseless. She had terrified me.
But here we were in this hospital room, and I needed to keep my shit together. First, apparently, I needed to get through the gauntlet of a cute ponytailed medical assistant who was taking this opportunity to flirt shamelessly with me.
“So, you’re from London?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She batted her eyes, and I looked at the ceiling. It was white and plain. Not a speck of dirt on it that I could see.
When I brought my eyes down again and glanced toward Anna, she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. Bloody hell, I had missed her so much.
After getting through that and picking up Anna’s prescription, I turned my rental car down the long driveway that led to the winery. The sun was setting, and the sky was stained lavender and pink. It was beautiful and so peaceful.
The gravel crunched under the tires as I turned into the parking area, stopping beside the path that led into the back of the kitchen. Glancing at Anna, I said, “Don’t move.”
“Bossy much?” she retorted.
I bit back a smile. We’d gotten through our greetings on the drive back from the hospital, but I was struggling. I’d nearly gone out of my mind over a girl who loved flowers and who had a goat who shared my name. It was just a broken ankle, but I couldn’t stop the overwhelming sense of worry and the need to take care of her.
To my surprise, she didn’t try to get out of the car on her own. That worried me even more. Because that meant she was in pain.
After I rounded the front of the car, I held the passenger door open, taking her in. Her strawberry curls were mussed, and her brown eyes were tired. “Are you going to let me carry you?” I asked.
Her lips pressed in a thin line. “I have crutches.”
“I’m aware of that. I’m also aware getting upstairs on crutches is no easy feat.”
If Anna could’ve snorted and pawed at the ground like an angry horse right then, I was certain she would’ve.
After a moment, she let out a little puff of air. “I’ll use my crutches to get inside, and we’ll see how the stairs go.”
I fetched her crutches out of the back seat, standing by as she eased her way out of the car. She grimaced slightly when she adjusted one of the crutches under her arm, and worry squeezed my heart. I didn’t like contemplating how much pain she might be experiencing.
The doctor had assured me she’d been given pain medication before we left and should be comfortable. Apparently, when it came to Anna, reasonable thought was hard to come by for me.
I walked at her side, keeping my pace deliberately slow. Just as we reached the back door to the kitchen, Jasper and Tinker Bell came trotting around the corner at the winery. Jasper picked up his pace and came charging toward us.
Although he didn’t even clear two feet off the ground, I felt the need to protect Anna and stepped in front of her. He promptly head-butted my calves in greeting while Tinker Bell followed at a slower pace.
“Hey there, fellow,” I said as I leaned down and scratched between his ears after another head butt. I also greeted Tinker Bell with a few pets and glanced up to see Anna smiling.
“They missed you,” she offered.
“Do you think?” I returned as the two little goats meandered along, aiming for the barn.
Anna shrugged lightly with one shoulder. “Maybe. They certainly recognized you.”
A sense of warmth settled in my chest. I didn’t even want to think about what it meant that it made me happy to consider two silly goats might recognize me.
A moment later, I was holding the door open as Anna crutched her way into the kitchen.
“There you are!” Eloise called as she turned off the faucet at the sink and reached for a towel to dry her hands.
Anna gave her something resembling a smile. “Here I am. Thank you again for coming to get me last night.”
Eloise stopped beside us, resting the towel on the counter nearby. “Of course. You do not need to thank me. I know you would do the same for me. I hope you don’t mind I sent this one to get you.” She nodded in my direction. “It’s been crazy busy here today.”
“Of course not,” Anna said. Her tone was light, but I sensed a thread of tension there. “It’s flower day, so I assumed it was busy. How did everything go?”
“Perfectly fine,” Eloise said. “You need to get off your feet.” Her eyes flicked down to Anna’s ankle, which was in a sturdy boot.
Anna let out a sigh. “I know. I’m going.”
“I need to get home,” Eloise said. “I’ll deal with the goats on the way out. Everything else is taken care of, and we’re all set for tomorrow and the wine tasting the day after. You rest.”
“I’ll take care of the chickens and the goats this evening and in the morning,” I offered as Eloise turned away to hang up the towel.
“Works for me,” she replied. After she picked up her purse, she paused and pressed a kiss on Anna’s cheek. “You could use this break, so try to take it easy and don’t fight it too much.”
Anna gave her a resigned smile, and Eloise left. I had Anna’s purse in hand as we turned to head toward the back hallway to the stairs.
In an effort to give her some privacy and some dignity, I commented, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the restroom.”
I didn’t really need to use the restroom, but I figured this would give Anna a chance to see how the crutches and stairs went. Maybe I was worrying more than necessary. Maybe it would be fine.
A few minutes later, I returned to find her leaning against the wall only three steps up with one of her crutches on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes met mine. “This sucks,” she announced.
“When the swelling goes down, and you get used to the crutches, it’ll be easier.”
I picked up the crutch from the floor and took the other one from her before propping them against the wall. I decided against asking her if she wanted me to carry her. Moving carefully, I lifted her in my arms. My heart started pounding because she felt good, and I’d missed her terribly.
She was warm and soft. The boot on her ankle lightly thumped my thigh as I carried her up the stairs. She was stiff for a moment, but then she relaxed against me. She carried a distinct hospital smell, sterile and disinfected, yet her underlying scent, floral and sensual, broke through. My heart was kicking along against my ribs as I scrambled for purchase emotionally.
I’d just taken a flight in the middle of the night to get back to a girl who’d somehow breezed through all the barriers around my heart. I didn’t even realize they were barriers until she kicked them to smithereens with a smile and a silly goat.
Once we got upstairs, I carried her to the couch and eased her down carefully. I reluctantly withdrew my arms away and straightened. “Do you need some extra pillows?”
Anna looked up at me, and I wanted to kiss her. I had to remind myself now definitely wasn’t the time. “I have plenty of pillows,” she said, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.
“I’ll go grab your crutches and my bags.”
Feeling unsettled and having no idea what to do with the emotions spinning through me like a storm, I hurried down the stairs and out to my rental car. I’d even made sure to get a car with lower clearance for Anna to be able to get in and out of easily.
I grabbed my hastily packed bag and returned upstairs with Anna’s crutches in my free hand. I didn’t even ask her if it was okay for me to stay in the guest room. I just decided I was. Sometimes, being an arrogant prick came in handy. I didn’t dwell long on whether that was okay. It was what I wanted, so it was what I did.
I propped her crutches up on the back of the couch within easy reach of where she sat. “Do you need something to drink or eat before I go take care of the goats and the chickens?”
She eyed me. “If you could bring me my purse and the remote, that would be nice.”
As I turned away, I almost tripped over the orange kitten that leaped out from Anna’s bedroom doorway and batted at my feet. “Uh, do you have a kitten now?”
Anna laughed a little. “I do. She’s harmless although she does like to play. Come here, Mango,” she said, reaching for a string of yarn on the coffee table and dangling it.
Mango batted at the yarn and then leapt onto the couch beside her. She promptly started purring madly when she scratched under her chin. “See, she’s sweet.”
I chuckled, thinking to myself I’d spent more time around animals in the time I’d been in Anna’s orbit than in my entire life. I let Mango sniff my hand and then went to get her purse.
After I handed over her purse and got her the remote, I prompted, “Anything to drink or eat?”