by Leah Brooke
Law glanced at Zach and shook his head. “I understand Hope’s frustration.” He turned to Ace. “Of course, Courtney came with us. She’s just as worried as everyone else, and we wouldn’t leave our wife behind any more than you would. Hope wasn’t kidding when she said the waiting room was full. Gracie and Garrett showed up a little while ago with enough food for everyone.”
Ace stopped fighting the fatigue long enough to let his eyes flutter closed. “They can’t afford that. Shit. I’ll make sure—”
Law bent to lean on the bedrail. “Jesus, Ace. It’s already been taken care of. I slipped some money into Gracie’s purse when she was talking to Hope, and we’ll order food from there when you get home. Listen, I heard a little of what Hope and Gracie were talking about.”
Ace opened his eyes again. “What?”
Law glanced toward the bathroom door and lowered his voice even more. “Hope’s real upset about the fact that the two of you were fighting right before the accident.”
Ace sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair, wincing when he brushed a sore spot. “I was afraid of that. I’ll talk to her.”
Zach leaned over the other side of his bed. “She’s worried that you think she’s spoiled and that she can’t handle this. She needs to prove to you that she can. She needs to fuss and take charge for a little bit.”
“Christ.” Ace searched for the remote to lift him to a sitting position. “I don’t want her to worry. She’s already upset about the thought of me getting hurt at work.”
“She loves you. Of course, she’s going to worry.” Law straightened but kept his voice low. “Love changes everything. You know that.”
Zach chuckled. “Hell, a couple of weeks ago, I had a cold and had to drink about a gallon of chicken soup that Courtney had to make from scratch. I thought I was gonna drown in it.”
Law sighed. “And if Zach can suck down all that chicken soup to make Courtney feel better, you can put up with a little coddling from your wife.”
“My job is to protect and take care of her.”
“And give her what she needs. Right now she needs to feel strong enough to handle you.”
“Of course, she’s strong enough to handle me. I never doubted that.”
“Then let her.” Law straightened when Hope came out of the bathroom. “There’s a lot of people here to see you, and we’re all gonna get kicked out soon. We’ll stay at our house tonight and be here first thing in the morning. Hope, if you need anything, call either one of us.”
Hope nodded, a determined glint in her eye. “I will. Thank you. Can you please send Beau and Charity in, along with my parents? They’ve all gotten very close to Ace, and they’re very worried.”
“Of course.” Law eyed Ace. “Do you need anything?”
“Yeah. Clothes. I’m going home tomorrow.” Ace smiled at his wife’s stoic expression. “Dr. Hansen already agreed on the condition that I let him check on me at home.”
Glancing at his brothers, he held out a hand to Hope in a silent demand for her to come closer. “They gave me something for the headache, but first thing in the morning, I’m leaving.”
He raised a brow at his wife when she ignored his hand and lifted the edge of the sheet to examine the bandage on his thigh. “It’s fine. Come here.”
Law scowled and glanced at Hope. “I’ll check with the doc.”
Irritated at being doubted on top of all the fuss, Ace gritted his teeth and reached forward to grab his wife’s hand. “I don’t lie.”
Hope smiled and moved closer. “I know you don’t. Your word is gold, and you never change your mind about anything.”
“Changed my mind about staying away from you, didn’t I?” Cursing when the hospital gown pulled at his neck, Ace gripped the gown at the neckline. “Help me get this fucking thing off.”
Hope eased the gown off, eyeing the bandages as she ran a hand over his chest. “If the nurse ogles your chest the way she was ogling the rest of you, I’m gonna poke her eyes out.”
Finding it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open, Ace wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her close. “She wasn’t ogling me, baby. Besides, you know that I’m not interested in anyone except you. I’m afraid you’ve ruined me for anyone else.”
* * * *
Hope watched over Ace as the others came in to visit, hovering over him in a way that she was sure would have driven him nuts if he hadn’t been drugged and in pain.
Even though everyone came in two at a time, and only stayed a few minutes, Hope could see that Ace was exhausted by the time Marshall and Rafe, the last of his visitors, came in.
Seeing the worry on their faces, Hope smiled. “He’ll be going home tomorrow.”
Rafe’s smile held a hint of relief, but his eyes were still sharp with concern. “I heard. Doc Hansen didn’t want to release him, but when he found out that Ace was leaving with or without permission, he negotiated. Don’t worry. You’ll have a steady stream of visitors, and Dr. Hansen’s gonna be on standby.”
Ace frowned. “I’ll be fine. I don’t need a steady stream of visitors.”
Marshall gave Hope one of his rare smiles. “The Prestons are already filling your cabinets with groceries.”
Ace grimaced. “Tell them to send me the bill.”
Rafe chuckled. “Your brothers already took care of everything. Uh, Courtney’s making a killing.”
Ace blinked. “What?”
Hope didn’t bother hiding a smile.
Her sister-in-law had the flower shop in town, and Hope could only imagine how many flowers now filled her house.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Rafe nodded. “Yep. Every flower and balloon from her shop is now in your house. They were all coming over here until word spread that you’re coming home tomorrow. Isabel’s in charge of arranging everything, but she’s in constant contact with Gracie. She’s careful to keep Gracie involved.”
Ace closed his eyes again. “Good God. All this fuss for a headache and a few stitches.”
“You’re always there for everyone else, and they want to be there for you and Hope.” Rafe straightened. “They need to help, so you’re gonna have to buck up and take it. We’re getting out of here so you two can get some sleep. Everyone else is gone. Beau, Charity, Law, Zach, and Courtney will be back in the morning with clothes for both of you.”
“Good.” Ace opened his eyes again, his steady gaze on Marshall. “You’re keeping an eye on things?”
Marshall’s eyes went hard, frigid, his entire body stiff with tension. “Of course.”
Not understanding, Hope frowned. “Keeping an eye on what?”
Ace patted her hand. “It’s nothing for you to worry about, baby.” He turned back to Rafe and Marshall and started giving them instructions, which both men waved away.
Rafe chuckled again. “You’re on vacation and loopy. We know our jobs. Hope, call if you need something.”
After watching them go, Hope turned to her husband, love for him nearly choking her. She pulled the light blanket the nurse had brought over him and turned off the main light, leaving only a dim light on.
“Do you think you can sleep now?” The nurse had given him more pain medicine about a half-hour earlier, and she could see that it had already taken effect.
“Yeah.” He opened his eyes again and started to sit up. “Put that fucking rail down and get in here with me.”
Smiling that, despite his slurred words, his voice still held an edge of authority, Hope bent to kiss his cheek. “No. I don’t fit, and I don’t want to jostle you. They brought one of the reclining chairs for me. I’ll be only a few feet away.”
His eyes opened to slits, his jaw clenched. “You sleep with me.”
“Well, not tonight, Sheriff. I’ll be right here.”
“Did you eat?”
Hope’s eyes pricked with tears at her husband’s concern. “Yes. Mom and Dad brought sandwiches, and I ate one.”
Turning his head, he watched her gather the pillow and
blanket the nurse had left for her and drop into the recliner. “What kind?”
Hope thought about it and realized she didn’t remember. “Ham and cheese.”
“Bullshit. You’re lying.”
She didn’t know how he always knew, but she assumed it was part of what made him good at his job. After punching the pillow and pulling the blanket over her, she kicked off her shoes and settled back. “The truth is I don’t remember. Mom gave me one and some tea, but I was worried about my husband and didn’t even taste it.”
“I don’t want you to worry.”
“Yeah, well, I do, and so do you. It looks like we’re stuck with it.”
“It’s my job to worry about you.”
“And it’s mine to worry about you. You’re slurring. Go to sleep.”
She closed her eyes, but it was a long time before she could fall asleep. Lying on her side facing him, she said a prayer of thanks that he was all right.
Today she’d learned a valuable lesson.
Life didn’t come with any guarantees, and she just had to make sure she made every day count.
Chapter Nine
Ace used the remote to raise the head of the bed, relieved that the slight noise didn’t wake his sleeping wife.
The sun had risen just minutes earlier, but he was too restless to lie in bed any longer.
He lowered the rail of the bed and swung his legs out, biting back a groan when each ache that had eased suddenly came back in full force.
Smiling at the sight of his wife sleeping peacefully, he grabbed the hospital gown from the foot of the bed and tied it around his waist.
She hadn’t slept much the night before, and used to having his wife sprawled over him during the night, he hadn’t slept much either.
He was anxious to get home so he could relax, reassure his wife that he was okay, and get things back to normal.
He looked up when the door opened and the nurse walked in. “Good morning, Mr. Tyler. How are you feeling?”
Hope jumped up, knocking the blanket and pillow to the floor as she leapt toward his bed. “Ace?”
Seeing him standing beside the bed, she blinked, stopping abruptly. “What the hell are you doing out of bed?”
Irritated that she’d been awakened, he reached out a hand to her, smiling when she automatically moved closer and placed hers in it. “Getting cleaned up so I can get the hell out of here.”
The nurse bristled. “Sir, I can’t—”
Ace pulled his wife closer, lifting her chin and studying her features, his irritation growing when he saw how tired she looked. “Call Dr. Hansen. As soon as I get some clothes and a ride, I’m leaving.”
The nurse left with a frown and harrumph of displeasure, letting the door close behind her.
Waiting until the nurse left, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his wife between his thighs and hugged her. Leaning back, he studied her features and pushed her hair back from her temple. “You didn’t sleep.”
Flattening her hands on his chest, she smiled up at him. “You only know that because you didn’t sleep either. Every time I looked at you, you were awake and staring at me.”
Pulling her close again, he ran his hands up and down her back, loving the feel of her in his arms. “How the hell could I sleep when you wouldn’t get in the bed next to me? When we go home, we’re going straight to bed.”
The nurse came rushing back into the room, clearly annoyed. “Dr. Hansen said that you can leave, but he wants you to eat something.”
“I’m not eating the food here.” Ace straightened and stepped away from his wife. “Can you get me some soap, towels, and a washcloth?”
The nurse pursed her lips. “You can’t take a shower. You have stitches in your head, and you have a concussion. We can’t take the chance that you’ll fall. I’ll give you a sponge bath.”
Hope’s lips thinned. “I’ll wash my husband.” She rushed to Ace’s side, gripping his arm. “You go use the bathroom, and I’ll be in when you’re done.”
Amused at his wife’s possessiveness, Ace nodded once, grimacing when it sharpened the dull headache he’d had since climbing out of bed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ace went into the small bathroom and closed the door behind him before unwrapping the gown from his waist. After using the bathroom, he washed his hands and leaned over the sink, bending to splash cool water on his face, an action he regretted when his head began to pound.
Grimacing at his pale and haggard reflection, he spotted a washcloth folded neatly on a metal shelf.
Using it with the small sliver of soap he’d unwrapped, he washed his hair, wincing at the spot that had been shaved and now had several stitches.
He’d never been a vain man but was relieved that the rest of his hair covered the spot, hiding it from his wife.
He rinsed the blood from the washcloth and used it to wash his hair again, repeating the process until no more blood appeared.
Hearing the door open, he turned, rinsing the last of the blood from the washcloth before his wife could see it.
Smiling to see that she carried a small square plastic tub, he set the cloth aside and turned to her. “I see you got supplies.”
Hope set the container, filled with soap, shampoo, shaving cream and a razor, toothpaste and toothbrushes, along with towels and fresh washcloths, on the counter. “That nurse wanted to bathe you.”
Surprised to realize that his wife’s jealousy might be more intense than he’d realized, Ace frowned and gathered her close, lifting her chin so that he could see her eyes. “You know damned well that I’m not interested in any woman but you, don’t you?”
Hope shrugged and tried to turn away, but he tightened his hold, not wanting to miss anything. “I know. You’re not the kind of man who would ever cheat.”
“And yet you think I’d be tempted?”
She shrugged again, her face flushing. “I told you, I just wonder sometimes if I’m enough for you.”
“I’m not a stupid man, Hope. I know what I want, and it’s you.” He tapped her nose. “You’re perfect for me.”
Hope stilled, a slow smile curving her lips. “I am?”
His cock stirred at the flash of dimples. Grinning, he bent to touch his lips to hers. “You are. Get busy bathing me. Law and Zach should be here soon with my clothes, and I want to get out of here.”
Hope grinned. “I’d love to. It’s been a long time since you let me wash you.”
Ace kissed her hair and reached for the toothbrush and small tube of paste. “Because I’d rather wash you. I like getting my hands on you whenever I can.”
“Christ, Ace.” Filing the plastic tub with warm water, she eyed him, her eyes filled with concern. “You got run over by a car yesterday, and you’re up and moving around. Slower, but you’re still moving. I think you should stay in bed when we get home.”
Since her suggestion fit into his plans for both of them to get some sleep, Ace inclined his head. “I will as long as you’re in bed with me and do what I say.”
Lifting her chin, Hope smiled faintly. “That sounds like blackmail.”
“Are you accusing me of doing something illegal, Mrs. Tyler?” Ace smiled and began to brush his teeth, his growling stomach reminding him that he hadn’t had dinner the night before.
“I’d never do that, Sheriff.” Turning with the soapy, wet washcloth, she began to wash his back. “Why do I have the feeling I’m going to pay for issuing that ultimatum and demanding that you quit your job?”
Ace spit in the sink, hiding a wince at the movement. “Don’t forget your threat to leave me.”
Irritated by his weakness, he braced a hand on the countertop to stay upright. “Hurry up. I can hear Law and Zach.”
By the time Hope had finished washing and drying him, Ace’s legs shook. With her help, he got dressed in the clothes his brothers brought, his mood getting darker by the minute.
He hated having to rely on her, and his own weakness infuriated him.
He’d never been the kind of man who liked being taken care of, and his physical weakness frustrated the hell out of him.
Still, aware of her own concern, he was careful not to take it out on her.
His amusement that she looked pleased with herself for taking care of him lightened his mood considerably.
When he followed Hope out of the bathroom, he found Dr. Hansen waiting with Law and Zach, all three of them plowing through breakfast. “I hope like hell you brought some of that for Hope and me. I’m not eating the crap they serve here.”
Law grinned and gestured toward the plastic bag on the tray positioned over the bed. “I know. We got here early because we knew you’d have to eat before you leave. Brought some for the doc, too, in case we needed to bribe him.”
Doc Hansen smiled around a bite of food. “So I let them bribe me. Gracie’s food is a hell of a lot better than what they serve here.”
Setting his half-eaten breakfast aside, Law gestured toward the bag. “Hope, why don’t you serve it up.”
With Hope distracted, he gave Ace a meaningful look and helped him sit on the edge of the bed. After glancing at Hope, he gave Ace a questioning look and slid his boots on. “Dr. Hansen wants to look you over real quick, but you can leave after you eat. I brought a thermos of Gracie’s coffee.”
Grateful for his brother’s help, and relieved that he didn’t have to bend to put his boots on, Ace smiled, nodding to answer his brother’s silent question—if he felt all right. “Thanks.” He glanced around. “Where’s Courtney?”
Zach came closer, unobtrusively standing between Ace and Hope while Law got Ace settled comfortably. “She went to the flower shop to reorder, and then she was going to the store to buy what she needed to make soup. She thinks chicken soup helps everything, so we’re all gonna have chicken soup for lunch.”
Relieved to be in a comfortable position, Ace watched his wife push the tray closer and lay out the food, the mouthwatering smells making his stomach growl again. “Sounds good. Let her make whatever she wants. If it’ll make her feel better, I’ll eat it.”
Lowering his voice, he grinned at his brothers. “There’s plenty of lunch meat in the refrigerator to go with it.”