“Hey, gorgeous.” Elliott’s tired, gravelly voice wafted over her.
She tilted her face, smiling. “How do you feel?”
“Kiss me, and I’ll let you know.”
She put her work aside, pulled to her feet, and kissed him lightly on the mouth. He tugged on her heart in a way nothing else did. Not even her wine. “Okay, I’m waiting for an answer.”
“Kiss me again.”
“You’re ornery. You can’t even hold your eyes open.”
“I don’t need eyes to kiss you.” She leaned over him again, and he cupped her nape, pulling her closer. “I probably can’t do anything about it, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you.” Their lips touched, warm and inviting, tender without the impatience of unbridled passion.
“Get well. Then we’ll see what we can do about the other situation.”
He scratched under his chin and around his neck. “Where the hell is Kevin? I need a shave.” Elliott’s tone matched the abrasive sound of his bristly whiskers.
She put her hands on her hips. “I’ll shave you.”
His eyes opened, showing a slight trace of fear. “I’ll wait for Kevin, but you can climb in bed with me.”
She went warm with pleasure gazing at him. “I don’t think that’s allowed.”
He cocked his head to the side and looked at her from underneath his eyelashes, giving her a teasing dare. “What? Will they kick us out? Then let’s do it.”
Meredith swiped a quick glance out into the hallway and spoke in a low tone of voice. “Nurse Hathaway will kick me out. If she notices your vital signs fluctuating, she’ll run in here waving resuscitation paddles.”
“I’ll unplug so she won’t see the blip on her monitor.”
“The reason you’re in ICU now is because you didn’t take care of yourself. You’re a lousy patient.”
“I bet you’re worse.”
“My assistant would agree with you.”
He licked his lips. “I need ChapStick.”
She dug into her pocket for a stick of lip balm and started to put some on his lips. He shook his head. “You first.”
“Sneaky.” She rolled the balm across her lips, smacked them together, then kissed him, rubbing her lips against his. “I think you’re good now.”
He smacked his lips. “More.”
Just as she kissed him, a man entered the room clearing his throat. Meredith straightened. Her cheeks flamed with the heated guilt of a caught lover.
Dr. Lyles winked.
She winked back. “Your surgeon is here, Elliott. Maybe he’ll give you marching orders.”
He pushed the up arrow on the remote, and the head portion of the bed rose. “Give me good news, Chris. I’m ready to go home.” His voice had lost its undertone of amusement.
The doctor stood at the side of the bed, thumbing through Elliott’s chart. “You’re not leaving until we’re sure the repairs to the graft are providing sufficient blood to your foot.”
Elliott’s nostrils flared. His eyes widened, ready for battle. “That could take days.”
The doctor glanced at Meredith, ignoring his patient’s outburst. “What time do you expect David?”
“He’s scheduled to land at six.”
“I’ll release Elliott to a private room when David arrives.”
“You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here,” Elliott said.
“David can be the bad cop, and you, Meredith, can go back to doing what you were doing when I came in. It might put our boy here in better spirits.”
Her face heated again.
“I saw Kevin down the hall. He said he didn’t want to intrude on your time. He’ll come in when you leave,” Chris said.
“I don’t think I can compete with Elliott’s need for a shave,” Meredith said. “We better get him in here.”
Chris lifted the sheet and checked the dressing on Elliott’s leg. “I’ll leave a message at the nurse’s station along with the order that you’re not to get out of bed.”
“Take the catheter out,” Elliott said, scrunching his face. “I don’t need it, and you know I don’t. It’s just to keep me in bed.”
“The notes said you tried to pull it out while you were asleep. You know you could seriously damage your penis,” Chris said.
“Asleep or awake, I don’t want a tube in my dick or unwanted hands fondling it. I want it out.”
Meredith slowly backed away from the bed, unable to look either man in the eye.
“When you get to your room—”
Elliott cut Chris off with a blast of fury. “Now. I can use a urinal.”
“When David gets here—”
Elliott set his jaw, threw back the covers, and grabbed his penis.
Meredith bumped into the chair, and her shoes squeaked against the floor. Both men shot her a look, and she threw up her hands. “I’m going to step out, and you two can decide what you want to do,” she wagged her finger at Elliott’s penis, “about this situation.” On the way out, she spotted Kevin at the nurses’ station.
“Hi, Ms. Montgomery. If Dr. Fraser’s ready, I’ll give him a shave.”
“He’s arguing with Dr. Lyles right now.”
“Probably about the catheter.”
After a couple of minutes, Chris made his way to the nurses’ station. “You can go back in,” he said to Meredith. “You’ll keep his temper manageable.” Before she could ask, he added, “We reached a compromise.”
Kevin shook his head. “He got his way.”
Was there any doubt?
Chris entered notes on Elliott’s chart before dropping the file on the countertop. “I’ll be back tonight.” Then he left the ICU, walking with a purposeful stride. His obvious displeasure could steam a nice crease in Elliott’s khakis.
“I don’t think he’s happy. Do you?”
“It’s not the first time. I’ll get the nurse to remove the catheter. Then, when I give him a shave, his mood will improve.”
Meredith took a deep breath, and rolled her eyes. “I hope so. I’m going to the coffee shop. I’ll be back in forty-five minutes.”
Several minutes later, she sat in the coffee shop staring at the menu. Bacon and eggs or a bagel? She set the menu aside, chuckling. How could she think about bagels with the memory of Elliott grabbing his penis so fresh in her mind? He had a special affinity for the well-and-lovingly-used appendage and showed no discernible reaction to her presence during the discussion. He was a doctor. He had a different view of bodily functions than non-medical people. But even she knew he wouldn’t risk hurting himself by doing something so dangerous.
A cell phone rang with an unrecognizable ring tone. She ignored it until she heard the ring again, coming from her black bag. She dug through the contents and found Elliott’s mobile. “Hello.”
“This is Jim Manning. Is Elliott there?”
Meredith recognized the attorney’s name. “This is Meredith Montgomery. I’m a friend of his. I know you met with him last night. He relayed most of the conversation before the paramedics rushed him to the hospital for emergency surgery.”
“Good God, they didn’t take his leg, did they?”
“No,” Meredith said. “The arterial graft had to be repaired. He’s in ICU.”
“That’s a relief. He mentioned giving up his leg yesterday, but I didn’t think he was serious.”
He was considering it? Then why’d he make me promise? “His doctor is confident he’ll recover. And if orneriness is a sign, then he’s well on his way.”
“He must be fighting with Lyles over the catheter.”
Does everybody know his personal business? “You know him well.”
A woman’s voice buzzed through on Jim’s intercom. “Give me five minutes,” he answered. “Elliott’s friends know how he feels about certain situations, including what he’ll tolerate and what he won’t.”
A waiter stopped at Meredith’s table and poured her a cup of coffee. She pointed to the egg special, and the
waiter nodded. “He has a close network of people who care for him.”
“Ms. Montgomery, Elliott hasn’t mentioned you, but the fact that you’ve got his phone that’s an extension of his body tells me all I need to know. Are you from Lexington? I haven’t heard your name before.”
“I own a winery in the Napa Valley. Elliott and I met in Edinburgh.”
“Montgomery Winery?”
Meredith smiled. “It’s always nice when someone’s heard of your wines.”
“Great article about you in Wine Digest. You’re launching a new chardonnay. February, isn’t it?”
“Would you like an invitation?”
There was a short pause in the conversation while he shuffled papers. Finally, he said, “I have a trial scheduled for the month of February. If our case settles, I’d love to come.”
“I’ll put you on the guest list, and you can let me know the status of your trial. Now, what can you tell me about your investigator? Have you put him to work?”
“Tell Elliott the clock is running, and I’ll get back to him as soon as I have something to report. How long will he be in ICU?”
“He’s moving to a private room this afternoon.”
“I suppose David is coming now.”
She forced a smile. “And Louise.”
“David and my investigator worked together on a previous case. Tell David to call me.”
“Anything else?” Meredith asked.
“That’s it for now. Welcome to the inner circle.”
“Out of curiosity, how many members are there?”
A rumbling laugh came from the other end of the phone. “It’s getting smaller but currently has seven members. Eight counting you: David, Kevin, Louise, Evelyn, Chris, Ted, you, and me.”
“Who’s Ted?”
“Elliott’s trainer.”
“What about Jake?”
“He’s on the perimeter.”
Now it was Meredith’s turn to laugh. “I guess that means he doesn’t know about Elliott’s propensity for threatening to yank out catheters.”
Jim laughed again. “I look forward to meeting you. Have a great day, Meredith.”
After Jim hung up, she sent Elliott a text message from her phone, letting him know she talked to Manning and would give him a report of the call in person. The message documented that a call took place and was a reminder to Elliott, when he was able to check his messages, to ask in the event she forgot to tell him.
When Meredith finished breakfast, she returned to the ICU and found a smiling, clean-shaven patient sitting up in bed.
“I’ll be at the nurses’ station, Boss, if you need anything,” Kevin said on his way out.
Elliott held out his hand to her. “Come here. I want to kiss you.” He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips.
She pulled away and leaned on the bedrail. “You’re an unusual man.”
“I’m just a man and we all—”
“Need rescuing. I think I’ve heard that one before.” She stroked his arm with her fingertips.
“Lyles and I’ve had an ongoing battle about catheters. I got an infection with the first surgery, and I never want another one. I take care of my penis.”
She blushed. “So you’ve told me.”
He studied her face. “I should have worn a condom when we made love.”
“Are you afraid I’ll give you an infection?”
“Not at all.” This wasn’t a good time to talk about it, so she changed the subject. “I took a call from your lawyer. He said the clock was ticking, and he asked David to call him.”
Elliott pressed the reverse arrow button, and the bed began a slow descent. “If I’m asleep, will you tell him?”
“Yes.” She straightened the thin hospital blanket and fluffed an extra pillow for his head.
“Are you leaving today?” He gazed at her with the same hot, dark chocolate eyes, and she barely kept from tumbling into them again. She kneaded her slightly trembling hands together.
“Tonight.”
He clasped his hand over both of hers and squeezed, surprising her with his warm strength. “You can work from the farm.”
She slipped out one of her hands and slowly stroked up and down his arm, lightly scratching her fingers through the short dark hair. “I wish it were that easy.”
“The farm has video-conferencing. It’s the same as being on location.”
“Maybe that works for your staff, but not mine. I need to go, Elliott. Louise and David will be here. Kevin’s here.”
The nurse poked her head into the room and told Meredith visiting hours were over. She slung her bag over her shoulder and her coat over her arm. “They’ll move you into a room before the next visiting hours. I’ll see you there.”
He pulled her down for a kiss. “If you see Kevin, send him in.”
A technician entered the room. “I need to draw blood.”
“That’s my cue to leave. I’ll see you later,” she said.
“Meredith, see if you can arrange to stay longer. You haven’t had a Hot Brown yet.”
She wasn’t going to argue with him. When it came time for her to leave, she’d leave. “I’m sure Mrs. Collins could whip something up for me.”
Elliott smiled. “Probably, but she doesn’t have the magic ingredient that will leave you begging for more.”
Kevin poked his head into the room. “Need anything, Boss?”
“He’s all yours, Kevin. I think he’s well on his way to recovery,” Meredith said. “I’ll be back later.” She tossed Elliott a kiss and left, wondering what ingredient he could possibly put in a turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese sandwich that would make it magical. Knowing Elliott, it was probably a spice that would set her on fire. She chuckled. He didn’t need a spice to do that.
Chapter Thirty-Four
University of Kentucky Medical Center – December 27 (Late Afternoon)
MEREDITH’S BOOT HEELS made a clicking sound against the tile floor of the private suite on the third floor of the hospital while she paced, listening to Cate. Her assistant had ducked out of a meeting to take Meredith’s call and was expounding on a litany of issues: a heated discussion with the wine master, a threat to sue the printer, and a crying fit with the culinary gardener over his child’s outbreak of chicken pox. Meredith’s normally organized and efficient executive assistant was teetering on the edge. She could either talk Cate down or hope the fall would snap some sense into her. Meredith’s earlier conversation with Gregory was almost as chaotic. What the hell was going on at the winery? If she didn’t return soon . . .
Her ears perked up at the sound of clacking gurney wheels out in the hallway. Elliott?
“Go back to the marketing meeting. I’ll call you later,” Meredith said, hanging up on her assistant.
A burly young man dressed in hospital greens wheeled Elliott into the room. His chocolate eyes came alive the moment he saw her. A wink from those sensuous, dark depths held power that could almost make her forget the troubles at home. Fear got a quick chokehold around her neck to remind her that she didn’t want anyone to have that much power.
“I didn’t know if you’d be here or not,” Elliott said.
“I told you I’d be here.” She stood beside the bed as the orderly hooked Elliott to the monitors. “How’s the pain?”
“Better.”
The orderly funneled the cord to the call button remote through the bed rails and placed the remote next to Elliott’s hand. “Is there anything else you need, Dr. Fraser?”
“The secret to getting out of here,” Elliott said.
The orderly laughed. “You’d be surprised how many times a day I’m asked that. Your nurse should be right in.” The man left the room.
“Give me some good news and tell me you’ve made arrangements to stay for a few days.”
“I can’t. I just got off the phone with the office. It sounds like everyone is having a crisis.”
“Can’t you handle them from here?”
&
nbsp; Meredith puffed up. “You left Scotland because you had an emergency.”
“Damn, Meredith. I had a twenty-five million dollar dead horse. You’ve got an event almost two months out. What’s so important that it can’t be handled remotely?”
Meredith bit her tongue to smother the retort so the smoldering fire didn’t erupt into bright orange flames.
“Here’s his room,” they heard Louise say from the hallway.
Meredith cringed.
Elliott barked a humorless laugh. “Great. Perfect timing.”
Meredith retreated from the intensity of his eyes by lowering hers.
“Elliott?” Louise asked, peeking around the wall dividing a small entry hall from the rest of the suite. “Are ye’ here?”
“You’re in the right place, Lou.”
She flitted in, in all of her butterfly glory. “We came straight from the airport. How do ye’ feel? Dreadful, I’m sure.” She hugged him and then glanced at Meredith. “Thank ye’ for letting us know. He never would have told us.”
Meredith, be gracious. “I’m glad you’re here. I need to go home.”
“Oh,” Louise said, surprised. “Can’t ye’ stay longer?”
Elliott glanced at Meredith. An expression of disappointment twisted his mouth. “She’s got work that won’t let her enjoy the holidays.”
Meredith bit her tongue hard enough this time to almost make it bleed.
David followed Lou into the room. “How’s the leg?”
“Been better.”
“Any news?” David asked.
“Call Manning. He already has his investigator working on the case,” Elliott said.
“Chuck?”
“I’m sure that’s his name. You’ve worked with him before,” Elliott said.
David flipped on the room’s perimeter lights, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and scrolled through his contacts. “Does Manning want me to call him or Chuck?”
“Manning,” Meredith said.
David punched numbers on his sat phone. After a few seconds, he said, “David Werner calling for Jim Manning. Yes, I’ll hold. No, I’ll take his voice mail.” He paused a moment, then said, “This is David Werner. I’m with Dr. Fraser now. You can reach me on my mobile.” He left the number and disconnected the call.
The Last MacKlenna Page 20