Looking down I sigh, “No, I don’t have anyone.”
“Really? No boyfriend or close friend that could take care of you?”
I shutter my shoulders noncommittally. “No.”
“Well you just let me know if we need to hire a day nurse for you. Or, you know, Dr. Sexy can do some house calls,” he says with a laugh and I join in. “Get some rest, Mallory. I’ll see you in the morning. Dr. Chang will be your attending doctor for the evening.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome.”
As he exits my room, I take a few moments to look around. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but my room is engulfed in flowers, balloons, and cards all wishing me to get well soon.
The older nurse strides into my room carrying a vase full of flowers. My breath leaves my lungs when I see the bouquet of dark purple roses with lavender calla lilies sprouting above. The arrangement is stunning.
“These are quite beautiful, Ms. Winston,” the nurse states. “The young man that brought these in the day before last asked me to set them aside until you woke up. He was certain you would be awake before they wilted. I think they are even lovelier now, then when he brought them here.”
“Who brought them, ma’am?”
“A charming fellow with an accent. I believe his name was Rock or Stone or Pebble. Something like that. He seemed heartbroken after he saw you and you hadn’t woken up.”
I think back to the voice I heard and the kiss on my head, Alex. He was here in this room.
“He didn’t stay long?” I ask as my heart begins to quicken.
“No, miss. He was ushered out of here pretty quickly. We only have room for family to wait. I believe he was hoping to see you awake. Where would you like these?”
If Alex left quickly, I doubt he wanted to see me awake. I’m sure he was hoping to leave these flowers with the nurse to deliver. The walls around my heart immediately erect themselves.
“You can place them with the others, ma’am.”
“Really? As you wish. I’ve learned a bit about flowers since I’ve worked here. Do you know what the purple rose stands for?”
Interested I reply, “No, ma’am.”
“Well, the saying goes that the purple rose stands for true love at first sight; that the sender of the flower finds the recipient irresistible, they are enchanted by that person.”
Tears spill from my eyes as I wonder if he was aware of their meaning.
“Dear, are you ok?”she asks as I swipe at my eyes with my good hand.
I respond, “Yes, ma’am. I am, or I will be.”
Allowing the pain meds to take control of my body, I find myself drifting back off to sleep.
I receive visits from Madison and my family and then by Annie and Stephanie the next day. Annie and Stephanie sit with me for a few hours and we discuss trivial things and gossip about the office. They try to keep the topics lighthearted after what Stephanie and I have endured. I let Stephanie know that Madison is still looking for a tenant in my old home and she hops at the chance to move from her parent’s place. With a hug, I thank Annie for acting quickly and saving my life. I owe a great debt to her. Stephanie and I both do. To think no one would have found us if I hadn’t agreed to dinner that night.
Later in the week, Nancy and Fred both drop in with sandwiches from our favorite deli. They get the chance to meet my parents and chat with them like old friends. It’s amazing how quickly they form a bond, mostly to look out for me.
On Wednesday, Dr. Young comes into my room and helps me locate a therapist in the area that can work on my shoulder. By now most of the wrappings have been removed from my body and I've been allowed to shower and brush my hair. Bradley seems to notice the change.
“Mallory, you should set up your first appointment on Monday since we will be discharging you on Saturday morning. Your coworker mentioned you are taking some time off?”
“Yes, they are granting me two weeks of medical leave.”
“That sounds great. Your arm and hip are healing fast since they were only small breaks so you should be out of your cast in about five weeks. Your ribs may continue to hurt from the bruising, though." Closing his clipboard Bradley looks up at me and continues, "Well, Ms. Winston, it has been a pleasure working with you. The rest of the week I am off rotation so I will be leaving you in Drs. Chang and Epperly’s care. They will make sure you’re ready to be discharged on Saturday. If you have any questions about your therapy don’t hesitate to call me.”
Dr. Young hands me his card with an additional number scrolled across the back.
Before leaving he adds, “Also, Mallory, I am sure you have heard from the nurses that I have paid special attention to your care. I think you are a very beautiful and lovely woman. I don’t ever date my patients, but since you will no longer be my patient in the coming days, I would like to take you out once you feel up to it.”
I smile at the handsome doctor and say, “Thank you, Bradley. I’ve recently gotten out of a relationship that broke my heart, but maybe we can see each other as friends first.”
“That would be fine by me, Mallory."
“Thank you, Dr. Young, for everything.”
“You’re welcome, Mallory; I wish you a fast healing.”
Moving from my bed, he comes to stand close to my head. Bradley leans in, placing his hand under my chin, and plants a small, subtle kiss onto my lips.
“You have my number, Mallory. Please, call me soon,” he whispers and I don’t respond to his words but a shy smile crosses my face.
I sigh back into my pillow as he exits my room.
My daytime nurse comes in later. She is the older woman named Francis that I have gotten to know over the past few days.
“Did he ask you out? Did he kiss you? Please tell me he kissed you!” she asks as she runs up to my bed.
I laugh at her need for an office soap opera and tell her, “He kissed me; just a soft peck after he asked me out.”
“Oh my goodness, to be young again.”
“Francis, I had my heart broken by the love of my life. Bradley and I will only ever be friends.”
“Well at least give the man a shot. Let love decide who wins your heart.”
I contemplate her words as she checks my stats and asks, “Mallory, have you called someone to pick you up on Saturday?”
“No, my parent’s needed to go back home, but I think I know who I’ll call.”
“Ok, well, I’ll leave you for now, but I will come back to gossip about Dr. Sexy later.”
“Sure thing.” I reply laughing at the nickname Madison and I gave Dr. Young.
Francis hands me my phone on her way out and I scroll through my contacts. I’m not 100% sure who to call, but I know I will need to make sure that they can get here in time. As I land on the number I have been contemplating, I gaze around the flowers in my room and stare at the purple roses in the far corner. I make my decision and press the call button.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Mallory. I’m being discharged from the hospital and I was hoping you could pick me up on Saturday.”
“Really? Message me the time and I will be there.”
“I will text you Saturday morning when I know. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome, beautiful.”
Thank you so much for reading this book.
I hope you enjoyed it!
Please be sure to leave a review.
The Stone Series
Stone Shattered
Stone Unhinged
Stone Mended
Acknowledgments
An enormous thank you goes out to Monika, Courtney, Brianna, Mimi, Chris, Tish and Vanessa. You all took the time to read and critique my work, not holding anything back. Your words of encouragement helped me to pursue my writing and come up with an amazing story for Mallory and Alex. Vanessa, I truly appreciate all your help in the beginning stages of my work and I know it helped to bring life to the scenes.
I
wouldn't have been able to chase this dream without the support of my family. To my husband and children, thank you for allowing me many late nights and days locked away to put my ideas onto paper, or rather type out onto cyberspace.
As mentioned in the novel, Prader-Willi is a syndrome that affects approximately 12,000-15,000 people. This rare genetic disorder affects appetite, growth, metabolism, cognitive function and behavior. This syndrome is close to my heart and I hope that as a reader you will take the time to learn more about this disorder. (Information taken from www.pwsausa.org)
Thank you,
Renee Harless
About the Author
Renee Harless, her husband, and children live in Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She studied Communication, specifically Public Relations, at Radford University.
Growing up, Renee always found a way to pursue her creativity. It began by watching endless runs of White Christmas- yes even in the summer – and learning every word and dance from the movie. She could still sing Sister Sister if requested. In high school she joined the show choir and a community theatre group, The Troubadours. After marrying the man of her dreams and moving from her hometown she sought out a different artistic outlet – writing.
To say that Renee is a romance addict would be an understatement. When she isn’t chasing her toddler around the house, working her day job, or writing, she delves head first into a romance novel.
To learn more about Renee Harless visit her Website or follow her on Facebook
Stone Shattered (The Stone Book 1) Page 26