Matter of Fact: A Hockey Romance (The Hart Series Book 7)

by M. E. Carter

  “Rise and shine, lover boy, before you embarrass the sweet nurse with that woody you’re popping.”

  I’m unconcerned with any wood I may be sporting right now. Tucker has seen my dick before. Locker rooms and all that. Still, I’m curious who all is here with me.

  Finally getting my eyes to cooperate and open enough that I can get my bearings somewhat straight, I don’t see the woman of my dreams like I’d hoped. Not that I thought the deep voice of my dream was hers, but it would have been nice to see her instead of the dickhead in my face.

  “Nice to see you, sunshine.”

  I want to slap the grin right off his face.

  “I may be down an arm, but I can still punch your lights out with the other one if you don’t get away from me.”

  “Oooh. You’re a cranky patient. I was wondering what you were like after anesthesia. Too bad. I was hoping for my video to go viral but no one cares about seeing someone be combative when they come to. Why can’t you be one of those funny patients?”

  “You’re an asshole,” I croak out, my mouth suddenly feeling really dry. “Water.”

  Tucker grabs a large white thermos style mug from the bedside table and puts the straw up to my lips while he continues to torture me with his chatter.

  “The good news is the nurse has a crush on me, so she won’t be paying attention to your piss poor attitude anyway.”

  The curtain opens just as I finish drinking and a small woman in scrubs walks in. She glances over at Tucker who of course gives her a megawatt smile.

  “Good to see you both are focused on the well-being of the patient,” I grumble, still unable to clear the fog from my brain.

  “Don’t mind him,” Tucker says, never taking his eyes off the woman he’s currently wooing in my time of need. “It turns out he’s one of those difficult patients. Unfortunate for all of us.”

  She giggles and checks some monitors. “How are you feeling Mr. Tremblay?”

  “Like the surgeon needs to come back in here.”

  She approaches my bed, her bedside manner suddenly kicking in. “Are you in pain?”

  “Yes. But it’s not my shoulder. Doc needs to remove the dick off that guy’s head.” I try to point at Tucker but my arm drops back onto the bed. I had no idea holding my hand up could be so exhausting.

  Tucker shakes his head like he’s offended. “See what I’m saying? His insults don’t even make sense. Such a shame he’s got a mean streak.”

  I have to give the fucker credit—he’s playing this up pretty well for her benefit. I bet her number is in his phone before we leave.

  Moving some wires and tubes around, she continues to flirt while getting me situated. “Believe me, we’ve had some combative patients before and he’s not one of them. Once the anesthesia wears off, he’ll be back to normal.”

  “How long will that take?” I ask, feeling groggy and sleepy again.

  “It depends on how long it takes for your body to burn it all off.” Placing her hand on my arm, she finally looks at me instead of my asshole friend. “Do you need anything?”

  I try and fail to shake my head, my eyes feeling heavy.

  “Go back to sleep then,” she says kindly. “There’s no rush.”

  I drift off, barely registering Tucker ask my nurse if she’s free tonight…

  • • •

  I startle awake, a searing pain in my shoulder.

  “Fuuuuuck,” I groan as I try to situate myself on my couch using only one arm. It’s not as easy as it sounds, especially with Patches laying on my chest.

  When it becomes obvious his pillow is trying to sit up, he drops to the floor with an irritated flick of his tail.

  The smell of food makes my stomach protest loudly at the fact that my last meal was before midnight last night. I have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve eaten. I also don’t know how I even got here.

  “Are you finally up for good?” I glance over to see Tucker looking awfully relaxed on my other couch. His feet are kicked up while he chows down on a giant plastic bowl full of cereal.

  “Are you eating my food?”

  His eyes stay glued to Sports Center on my big screen. “You’ve been out for a long time. I’ve had to entertain myself all day and I got hungry.”

  “What am I smelling?”

  “Lunch. Fish tacos. You know how the smell lingers forever.”

  My stomach rumbles again. “You ate them all, didn’t you?”

  A drop of milk slides down his chin. He uses the collar of his shirt to wipe it off like a freaking neanderthal. “I did you a favor. They’re no good reheated.”

  Still trying to sit up, I move the wrong way and hiss in a breath at the pain that shoots through my shoulder. It radiates all the way down into my arm.

  “Need a pain killer?” Tucker puts the bowl down and grabs a bottle of pills off the coffee table. “Doctor prescribed some good stuff if you want it.”

  I shake my head, careful not to move too much. “Nah. I’d rather use something over the counter if I can. Do I have any ibuprofen?”

  “Always the martyr.” He sighs with resolve, like his opinion even matters. Considering what I’m wanting is also on the coffee table, his words don’t hold much bite. “Four okay?”

  “Yep.”

  To his credit, Tucker doesn’t complain about doing menial tasks like refilling that giant mug from the hospital with cold water and bringing everything to me. This is why he’s such a good buddy. He likes to talk shit, but none of it is serious. It’s just his humor. When it really comes down to it, Tucker is loyal to a fault and one of the most reliable people I know when he cares about someone.

  I swallow the meds down like a good little patient and once I’m finally sitting upright, keep hold of my water. There’s no doubt I’m slightly dehydrated. Or maybe it’s the last of the anesthesia making me feel like I have cottonmouth.

  The sun is shining in through the windows so I know it’s well into the day, but I can’t figure out by how much. “How long have I been out?”

  “Dude. Literally all day. I was hoping you’d be up by dinnertime because I’m starving again.”

  I’m surprised by his comment. “Is it really that late?”

  He glances at his phone. “Yep. Five thirty on the dot.”

  “Holy shit.” I rub my hand down my face and sure enough, my afternoon stubble has grown in. I can’t believe I’ve slept all day. I’m still in some pain but at least my mind finally seems clear. Enough that I know there are holes in my memory now. “How did we get here anyway?”

  Tucker looks at me with surprise. “You don’t remember?”

  “Last thing I can recall, you were flirting with a cute nurse who was ignoring my pain because she was having too much fun with you.”

  “Ah, the lovely Alisa.” Tucker grins but I’m not sure if it’s the shit-eating kind or if hearts should be coming out of his eyes. “She was a nice specimen, wasn’t she?”

  “I love how you threw in a big word because it sounds science-y,” I retort with a roll of my eyes.

  “It was good, right?”

  “Not at all. Answer my question, dude. When did we get back?”

  “Oh yeah,” he says, getting back on track. “Right before lunch. It was quite an adventure.”

  “I’m hinting a little sarcasm in your tone.”

  “Not a little. A lot. It took like two hours for you to finally wake up, but since you don’t remember anything, maybe you were just sleepwalking.”

  “I didn’t make an ass out of myself did I?”

  He shrugs. “Nothing you need to send flowers for. Just your normal asshole demeanor. But don’t worry. I used it to my advantage.”

  “I don’t think I want to know,” I mutter with a shake of my head. No telling how he threw me under the bus for his own personal entertainment.

  “Alisa felt bad for how much of your shit I have to put up with that she made sure I had her number before we left. So, thank you for that. We alread
y have plans on her next day off.”

  I don’t bother responding. I could be mad but if it weren’t for my interest in one particular pixie, I’d probably have done the same thing if roles were reversed.

  “Anyway, you up for some grub?”

  My stomach growls in response. “What are you cooking? Make double for me.”

  “Pfft.” He begins scrolling through his phone. “I’m cooking nothing for you. We’re getting something delivered.”

  “That takes forever. Just do pick up.”

  “And leave your invalid ass? I don’t think so.”

  The doorbell suddenly rings stopping the conversation.

  Tucker’s brows furrow. “Are you expecting someone?”

  I shake my head, just as confused as he is. “No.”

  Tucker tosses the remote to me. “Here. I’ve watched the highlight reel too many times to count already. Make yourself useful and find something else for us to watch while I get rid of whoever is interrupting guys’ day.”

  “Is that what you’re calling today? Guys’ day? Not recovering from surgery day?”

  “It sounds better. Your grumpy ass could use some mind over matter,” he calls over his shoulder.

  I close my eyes and blow out a breath as more pain shoots through my shoulder. I expected today to be hard but that doesn’t make it any less painful. This sucks.

  Eventually, the throbbing subsides a bit and I’m able to flip on the guide to figure out what’s on. All of a sudden Tucker calls out.

  “Hot dog! Ask and you shall receive!”

  “What are you going on about?” I ask as he comes back into the room carrying some bags.

  “Someone anticipated our every need and sent food over.” He carefully drops the bags on the coffee table and begins digging through them. “Man, I love Jason’s Deli. Check it out.” He pulls a large covered bowl out and peels the top open. “Broccoli and Cheese Soup. This stuff is amazing. Are these cat treats?”

  “Who sent it?”

  He tosses the cat treats aside and digs for more food. “No idea, but we’re going to eat good tonight.”

  My phone vibrates on the table and I lean forward gingerly to grab it, trying not to put any stress on my shoulder. Easier said than done.

  I’ve got half a dozen text messages, mostly from my mom and sisters checking on me. But the one at the top is what catches my eye. It’s from Ellery.

  Ellery: I wasn’t sure how you were feeling so I sent over some soup. It’s on your front porch. If you’re hungry, there are a couple of muffulettas in there, too. Patches has some dessert in there, too. Hope you’re not in too much pain. Let me know if you need anything. ☺

  I immediately dismiss the idea of texting her back. Not with one working hand and especially not after a nice surprise like this one. Pressing the call button, I ignore Tucker as he continues to give commentary while he rummages.

  “Liam?”

  Her voice immediately brightens my shitty day.

  “Thank you for the food. And the stuff for Patches. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Feel free to do it any time!” Tucker yells.

  I try to kick him with my foot to get him to shut up but he dodges me.

  “Oh good. I’m glad someone is there with you.”

  I can’t help but smile at her concern for my well-being. “Don’t be too glad. It’s Tucker and he’s been eating my food and using up my amenities all day.”

  “Last time I hold a barf bag up to your face when you’re threatening to hurl in the recovery room,” he grumbles, snatching the remote back and dropping down on the couch with a huge sandwich in his hand.

  Ellery laughs on the other end of the call. “How long is he staying?”

  “No idea. I’m sure he’ll stick around as long as there’s food.”

  Tucker nods and raises the sandwich indicating I’ve nailed it.

  “Did you ever hire a night nurse to help you for the next few days?”

  “I didn’t,” I admit. “Time got away from me and it feels so unnecessary to have someone here if all I’m going to be doing is sleeping anyway. I’ll just put some ibuprofen next to my bed before I crash for the night. Unless you want to come be my night nurse.”

  I’m joking with her, but the phone goes silent.

  Crap. Did that sound pushy? Last thing I want to do is make her feel uncomfortable. Quickly, I try to figure out a way to backtrack without sticking my foot even more in my mouth.

  She beats me to it.

  “I know you’re joking, but it would make me feel better if you’d let me do that.”

  That is not the response I was expecting.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I know you’re a grown man and all, but what if your sutures get infected or you come down with a fever or there’s a fire or something. I would feel so much better if you had help. And I can sleep on the couch,” she tosses in. “That doesn’t bother me. I just don’t want you to be alone until you’re a little more settled.”

  I can almost hear her biting her lip with nervousness from sharing how she really feels. She has nothing to be shy about, though. I love when she tells me how she really feels.

  “There’s no reason for you to sleep on the couch. My bed is big enough for both of us.”

  Tucker’s eyebrows rise and he stops chewing. I wave him off hoping he’ll take the hint to get out and give me some privacy but as expected, he ignores me.

  “I promise I’m not trying to wedge my way into your home,” Ellery says. “I’ll just worry about you otherwise.”

  A warmth runs through me at her words. I have friends and family that love me but it’s different with Ellery. Knowing she cares about my health and well-being, and not my hockey stats or bank account, is a new kind of feeling. It’s not unexpected. Ellery isn’t even close to being a hockey fan so I know that has nothing to do with why she likes me. But knowing she cares about the guy off the ice makes this shitty situation the tiniest bit easier to bear.

  “El, you can wedge your way into my home any time you want.”

  Tucker fake coughs and says, “Pussy whipped,” then fake coughs again. Thankfully I have a pill bottle next to me that I launch at his head. Unfortunately, I only have one hand to both hold the phone and throw so I miss.

  “What time will you be here? I’ll make sure Tucker is long gone by then.”

  He flips me the bird but I ignore him.

  “I have about an hour’s worth of work left and then I need to swing by my place to grab clothes.”

  “Bring enough for several nights. I may get really sick and need you here with me.”

  I hear a small gasp and then quiet laughter. “I’ll see what I can do. Tell Tucker to stick around for a couple of hours and I’ll see you soon.”

  “Sounds good.”

  We say our goodbyes and I toss the phone down next to me, not wanting to respond to my family just yet. I need to sit in my sudden good mood for a bit before the reality of my injury hits again.

  Tucker crumples up his trash and mutters, “Puuuuuusssyyyyyy whipped,” again.

  I just smile and ignore him. He can call me whatever he wants. The woman I have literal dreams about is coming to take care of me. If that makes me whipped, I kind of like it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ellery

  I spend two nights with Liam, keeping a close eye on his sutures and his temperature. I know I’m overthinking, but a friend of mine had a post-surgery infection once and had to go back under the knife to clean the injury out. I’ll never forget how ugly the scar ended up being or how painful she said it was. I don’t want that for Liam. I care a lot. I care too much, actually.

  Logically, I know my feelings should scare me—it’s too much too soon. If I think too hard about it, I can feel my insecurities start to set in. But being with Liam is just… easy, so I find myself not getting too much in my own head. But how can I not? Liam is interested in my thoughts and feelings like I’m interested in his.
We don’t always agree, but we both enjoy listening to opposing thoughts which is so different than my previous relationship. It makes me feel valued in a way I never have before. And he doesn’t mind my overbearing ways, which is a plus.

  It also helps that the sex is amazing. Not that we’ll be doing that anytime soon. Liam has a long road ahead of him and I don’t want to risk his career for a few seconds of pleasure. No matter how amazing it may be.

  I wanted to stay with him longer, but Tucker had already agreed to hang out for the weekend to keep an eye on Liam, and I had already promised my parents I’d come for a visit. They’re my favorite people in the world and it’s been too long since I’ve seen them.

  I’m really nervous about our visit this time. They still don’t about my lavender pixie cut or that I treated myself to a second ear piercing the other day. What are they going to say about my new look? And the new me?

  I was this close to coming up with an excuse to bail out, but with everything squared away in Liam’s world, there was no real reason to cancel. Besides, I have to show my parents the updated version of myself eventually. I might as well get it out of the way before the holidays. This will give them several months to get used to my new fashion statements before the extended family gets ahold of me. I don’t even want to think about how my judgy Aunt Nelda will respond.

  Driving into the short driveway that leads to a small two-story yellow home, I take my last few deep breaths.

  “Relax, Ellery,” I say to myself. “They love you no matter what you look like. And if they don’t, hair always grows back.”

  A strangled laugh comes out of me as I think of how long it would take for my hair to be that length again. The color would be easy to change but the length would take years, probably. I wonder if Jayden could recommend something to help it grow faster.

  No. I don’t need to be thinking like that. I like my hair and that’s what matters.

  One last deep breath and I open the door before I freak myself out more and accidentally restart my car and drive away.

  Leaving my suitcase in the backseat to get later, I grab my purse and make my way up the small walkway to the front door. I don’t even make it all the way up the steps before the door flings open, my mom racing outside to greet me.