Jane watched as Julia’s face paled slightly. It was because Julia was madly in love with Tony, her boss, and she wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt him. Of course, Julia hadn’t mentioned her feelings for the grouchy chef even though the entire town knew that Tony was head over heels in love with Julia and had been for years.
“Good point,” Julia conceded, then took a big bite of her cloud eggs – something that Tony makes especially for her because they are her favorite.
Everyone was silent for a moment while they savored the incredible flavors of Tony’s egg casserole.
“So,” Daisy finally said, “what exactly happened yesterday?”
Jane shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. “I have no idea. I was sitting at a red light and I saw a car barreling towards us. He slammed into my mom’s side of the car.”
“He was drunk,” Marilee announced.
Everyone stopped eating with that news. “No!” Jane whispered.
“Yep. Emerson is working with the Louisville police to make sure the guy gets hit hard.”
“Good,” Jane said with feeling, angry that her mother’s life had been almost destroyed because some idiot felt the need to drink and then get behind the wheel. Never! Never drink and drive, she thought with increasing vehemence.
They changed the subject then, discussing different issues, including letting Jane know that the assistant manager had the bakery open already and was making the restaurant deliveries without any issues. Jane relaxed about that, feeling slightly guilty that she hadn’t thought about the bakery. Thankfully, they had a good staff now and her assistant manager was excellent and proactive.
The four ladies laughed and talked, Jane’s headache ebbed and increased whenever she moved her head. The nurses came in, offering her pain medicine, but she declined. “I don’t want to fall asleep again,” she told them.
With the ladies help, she showered and got dressed, even putting on a bit of makeup, although nothing could hide the black eyes. The bruises were just too…purple! “He saw me like this!” she gasped.
The man in question walked back in at that precise moment wearing jeans and a black tee-shirt, looking just as yummy as he had in scrubs. He’d shaved and Jane had a moment of disappointment at that. But goodness, he looked amazing!
“Your eyes are gorgeous, Jane,” he announced.
Jane’s pulse picked up with his words, and even more so with his approach. He didn’t stop until he was right beside her, one hand above her head bracing against the wall and the other on the opposite side of her. If he leaned forward, he would be hugging her. The idea had more appeal than she’d thought possible.
“You okay?” he asked, his tone suggesting that the question was just for her.
“Yeah,” she replied softly. “I’m good. I’ve showered and changed into real clothes so I feel much better.”
He looked down at her leggings and soft sweater, then back up at her eyes. “I spoke to Doctor Astrov. He agreed to release you under my care. Are you okay with that?”
Another increase in her pulse rate and she wasn’t sure what to say. “My friends…”
Julia, Daisy and Marilee were already packed up and heading out the door. “Call us when you need to come home. We’ll be there for you!” And then they were gone! Traitors!
Caleb turned to look at her again, amusement in his eyes. “Now you’re all mine.”
Oh, she liked the sound of that too much! “What are you going to do with me?” she asked, her voice a soft whisper as several ideas popped into her head.
“Kidnap you, maybe. Take you to my place.”
She licked her lips, thinking she could truly get into that idea.
“But how about if we go visit your mother first? Then I’ll take you home so that you can get some rest.”
Her mother! Good grief, how could she have forgotten that her mother was lying in a hospital bed?
“She’s fine,” he told her gently, laying a hand on hers. “I checked on her before leaving to shower earlier and I stopped by her room on the way here again. She’s alert and surrounded by about six people from LowPoint at the moment. There are probably ten bouquets of flowers as well. She’ll need to be here in the hospital one more night and her recovery is going to take a while because of the broken bones in her arms and her ribs as well as several deep cuts that needed to be sutured, but she’s going to be fine. Full recovery.”
Jane looked at him carefully, realizing that there was more to it than that. “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.
He laughed softly. “There was some internal bleeding. I fixed that yesterday but she’s strong and healthy. So she’s recovering well. But because of the incisions, I want her to stay one more night. If there are no complications and no side effects to the pain medicine, she can go home tomorrow. It’s usually easier to recover in a place where the patient is more comfortable and familiar. Regular checkups with her doctor are a must though.”
“Got it,” she said. “I need to see her though.”
“Come with me,” he told her.
The nurse arrived that moment with the wheelchair and Jane pulled back. “I’m fine. No need for that.”
“It’s hospital policy,” the nurse informed Jane.
“I’ll take care of her,” Caleb told the nurse. She looked like she was going to argue, but then she looked up at Caleb and relented. “Okay, but if anyone finds out, you ordered me to do this and it’s on your head,” she told him and wheeled the chair out.
Caleb looked down at her. “Now you’re really mine,” he teased, putting a hand on her arm. “Just in case, hold onto my arm, okay? You’ve been laying down for a while. No reason to risk a fall after yesterday.”
Jane didn’t mind holding onto him in the least. She wrapped her arm around his, pressing her breasts against his strong arm. At first, it wasn’t conscious, but when she felt his muscles flex, she pressed harder against him, needing that connection.
“She’s just one floor over,” he explained.
“Lead the way.”
They walked slowly and several of the staff looked up as Caleb walked by. They gave her a strange look, but no one dared to argue with him.
“They think I’m a walking zombie,” she laughed.
“They are all jealous of you,” he told her.
Jane thought he might be right. Many of the female staff members seemed to want to take her place. But she kept silent and just kept walking. It was slow at first because Caleb was right. Her legs weren’t working properly. But as she walked, it became easier and she was able to move more regularly. So she was moving almost at her normal pace when she stepped into her mother’s room.
“Jane!” Loretta gasped, trying to lift her head but she cringed and relaxed against the pillows. “Oh dear, look at your eyes! Your face! I wish I could…”
“I’m fine, Mom,” she said, bending over and gently hugging her mother. She was connected to a few more IVs and monitors, so it wasn’t easy, but it was a huge relief to see her mother. It was one thing to have someone tell her that her mother was okay, but seeing her confirmed that in her mind.
“Are you sure she’ll be able to leave tomorrow?” Jane asked Caleb.
He nodded, those yummy arms crossed over his chest. “Sure. People leave the hospital three days after open heart surgery. So as long as she takes it easy and stays out of the kitchen,” he said, looking pointedly at Loretta, “she’ll recover easily. The incisions will be tender. And I’ll check in on her often.”
Jane felt better, just hearing those assurances. “Thanks,” she said and in a moment of weakness, leaned her head against his shoulder, giving him the hug she’d needed a while ago.
His arms instantly went around her and she didn’t want them to stop holding her, but she caught her mother’s eye and knew that she was thinking there was more to the gesture than there really was. Jane might wish it were different, but the truth was, he was simply a doctor reassuring a patient. Nothing more.
/> “How are you doing, Mom?” she asked, sitting down in one of the chairs another visitor just vacated.
“I’m fine,” she said softly. Her voice was weak, but she didn’t look nearly as bad as Jane did. “Really I am. I understand that my good health is due to the fast work of your Caleb here,” she said, turning to smile up at the doctor.
“Just doing my job.” He walked over and put a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “I’m going to make my rounds and check on my other patients. I’ll be back in a couple of hours to drive you home, okay?”
“I don’t want to go home. I’m going to stay here. I want to be with my mother.”
Loretta shook her head. “No. You need your rest as well, Jane.” She looked around at all of the other guests. “Trust me, I won’t be alone. I know that several of my friends are coming over for the afternoon shift. You go with Caleb and get some rest.”
“She will. Doctor’s orders,” he announced. “And not my orders,” he said before Jane could argue. “That’s from Doctor Astrov and is the only reason he allowed you to leave under my care.”
Jane smiled up at him, but she wasn’t sure what was going on. She wanted to question him, but…she didn’t want to know the truth just yet. For this moment, she wanted to live in a fantasy world where they were back together and the past was forgotten.
He walked out and, once again, Jane admired his backside in his jeans. It truly was a nice posterior.
Jane heard someone clear a throat and turned, realizing that her mother and several of her friends had witnessed her lack of control. Just as Jane’s friends had earlier this morning – but in that case, they’d all been doing the same thing.
Jane wondered if her mother’s friends had been looking, then realized that she didn’t want to know. Nope, not anything she wanted confirmed.
She spoke with her mother and learned that she was still tender in several places, bruised down one side of her body, but the pain killers were helping to alleviate that for the moment. They talked until Caleb came back.
When he walked into the room, he literally took her breath away. He was so tall and handsome and amazing!
And she’d messed it all up.
“Time to go, Jane. You need to rest.” He turned to Jane’s mother. “Loretta, I’ve left instructions with the nurses, but if you have any problems, they know to call me immediately, okay?”
Loretta smiled and took his hand. “Thank you!” she whispered with heartfelt sincerity. “And take care of my Jane, okay?”
“I intend to,” he promised, then took Jane’s hand, leading her out of the room.
Jane walked down the hallway by his side, feeling better every moment. The mild headache she’d had earlier this morning was waning so it was only a minor inconvenience now.
“Here’s some ibuprophen,” he said, handing her a couple of tablets that the nurse brought to him along with a cup of water. “Take these.”
“I’m okay,” she told him.
“Take them so that you can stay ahead of the pain. You still have bruises and the ibuprophen won’t help them, but it will alleviate the pain in your head and take away some of the swelling.”
“Right.” She tilted her head up towards him. “You’re kind of a bossy doctor, aren’t you?”
The nurse snorted, but Caleb didn’t glance in her direction. “You have no idea. Take the pills.”
Jane took them, then sipped the water, looking up at him with a challenge in her eyes.
He only laughed, then put a hand to the small of her back to guide her out of the hospital. “Save it for when you’re one hundred percent, Jane.”
It took only ten minutes to get to his house from the hospital and Jane supposed that he would need to be close in case of emergencies. But when they pulled into his driveway, she was stunned by the huge house. “This is where you live?” she asked.
It was a craftsman style house with multiple levels. And it was beautiful! The stone accents on the outside gave it a cottage feel and the well-maintained landscaping made it feel more approachable. “I love this!” she sighed.
“Where are you living now?” he asked.
She stepped out of his SUV and looked up at the house, still taking it all in. “Remember that old Victorian on Second Street?”
“The one that looked like it was about to fall down in a spring breeze? Yeah.”
“Daisy’s husband, Rocco, converted that huge place into smaller apartments. I moved out of my mom’s place into an apartment there.”
“Why didn’t you just stay with your mom and save the money?”
Jane snorted. “Because I’m an adult? I love my mom, but I needed my own space.”
“I can understand that.” He led the way inside and she sighed at the huge kitchen with bright overhead lights, white cabinets that went all the way up to the ceiling. The floors were a dark hardwood, but the best part was the huge marble island. There was plenty of space to cook and bake there!
“Wow!” she sighed and ran her hands over the edge of the countertop. “Do you do a lot of cooking?”
“Not at all. I eat out or microwave.”
She laughed, remembering that he used to like baking. “Why did you stop baking?”
He leaned against the wall with one shoulder, watching her. “Because you weren’t doing it with me.”
She turned to look up at him. “You mean…?”
“I mean,” he said, and pushed away from the wall, coming to stand right in front of her, “that I only liked being with you. I wasn’t a big fan of cooking, Jane. I was a fan of you.”
He didn’t touch her, but he was close enough for her to smell his aftershave. And boy, did he smell good!
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. “I was wrong!” she announced. His eyes widened and she shook her head. “I’m sorry, that was abrupt.”
“What do you mean?”
“Years ago. I was wrong,” she said, trying to explain. “I was so wrong, Caleb! I was wrong to have broken up with you the way I did. I was wrong when I saw you kissing that other woman and jumped to conclusions. And I was wrong to not talk to you about it. To just let things go and run away like a coward. I know that you’ve moved on with your life. And I’m so happy for you,” she lied, ignoring the crack to her voice. “You’ve obviously found a good place to be and have a wonderful career and I think that’s wonderful and I think you are great and all that but…”
She couldn’t continue with her litany of things she wanted to tell him because he was kissing her. And not just any kiss. This was the kind that made her whole body spring to life in ways she hadn’t experienced since the last time he’d touched her like this. His hands were gentle, but firm as he held her, pulling her in tightly against him.
It took a long moment for Jane to realize what he was doing, but once that hit her, she joined in with the kiss, kissing him back and showing him all the ways that she’d missed him for too many years. Her fingers dove into his hair, holding his head close so that she could show him everything she was feeling, all of the nights she’d cried herself to sleep because she ached not being in his arms. All the times she’d thought about contacting him again but stupidly didn’t for fear of being rejected.
“Jane!” he growled, leaning his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Damn it, why didn’t you come to me years ago?”
“I was afraid that you’d moved on,” she told him. “I was so wrong, Caleb! Can you ever forgive me?”
“I was stupid to let you go!” he said, lifting her up and carrying her over to the sofa, sitting down with her on his lap. “I shouldn’t have let you go! Damn it, Jane, I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you too! So much!”
His hands were moving over her waist, her back, stopping for a moment before moving again. “You’re not married. Tell me you’re not married.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “No. I’m not married. I’m not even dating an
yone. I gave up on dating because…”
“I stopped too. No one was you. I couldn’t stand it any longer.”
She smiled at him. “I stopped because no one was you.”
He kissed her again and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you so much, Caleb! I never stopped loving you!” Jane froze, hearing the words and she started to pull back, shocked. “I mean…”
He threw back his head, laughing. “No, you can’t take the words back, Jane. Never! I heard them and I love you too. I never stopped! I tried so many times. I almost convinced myself that I was over you, that I didn’t love you anymore.”
“How?” she asked, laughing, bubbling over with intense happiness. “I never could convince myself of that.”
“I’d tell myself that we were better off alone. But then I’d fall asleep and you’d invade my dreams.” His hands gripped her upper arms, shaking his head. “I tried so hard, Jane. But you were always there. Always in the back of my mind.”
“I couldn’t move on either.”
He kissed her a long moment, showing her with actions that he felt the same way. When he pulled back this time, he chuckled slightly. “I’m here in Louisville because of you, Jane. I couldn’t stay away.”
She pulled back again, amazed by what he was telling her. “Did you ever come to LowPoint?” she asked.
He cringed. “Yeah. I needed to see you, Jane.”
She laughed, hugging him. “I thought I was going crazy. I dreamed about you so often, but then I started seeing glimpses of you and…well, I just thought I was nuts because I was dreaming about you so often.”
He slid his hands up and down her back, resting against her hips. “What did you dream?”
She instantly blushed. “I don’t think I can tell you.”
His grin widened. “Oh, you know that never worked,” he said softly.
Jane leaned in, kissing him softly this time. “Is this real?”
“I hope so,” he said carefully. “I don’t think I could survive you leaving me again, Jane.”
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