by May Sage
"You need some rest, and we'll keep you here for observation through the night, all right?"
She wasn't going to argue. All she wanted was to go back to sleep.
Hester tried to eat a little so she could take the painkillers the doctor had prescribed. She found that Jell-O wasn't too much of an effort.
After eating the dessert, she was given the pain meds, and fell right back to sleep.
It was daylight when she opened her eyes again. Her head wasn't threatening to explode, but the rest of her body felt worse, if possible. Wincing, she sat up in the bed, and her eyes widened.
Edmund was lying in a chair against the wall, right in front of her. What was he doing here? She was about to ask, but she had another priority for now.
"Bathroom," she shrieked, getting to her feet and staggering toward the door to his left. It looked like a bathroom. Double ouch. Now that she was on her feet, she could fully assess the damage. She basically needed to be wrapped in a five-foot-six band-aid.
"Easy does it. Here, lean on me."
Ed half-carried her to the toilet, before getting out and closing the door to give her some privacy, saying, "I'll call the nurse."
Good. She wanted to see the wonderful nurse and her delicious painkillers again.
She peed for a full two minutes, before limping back into the room. Ed helped her back on the bed.
"What are you doing here? How did you know I was…"
"I couldn't get hold of you through the night, and at the risk of seeming a little crazy around the edges, I ended up calling the office. Your assistant told me he couldn't disclose your location, and it sounded pretty bad, so I called Desmond. He was in D.C., but he's flying back up to take care of things at the office while you recover."
Shit. Shit. Shit. For emphasis, she said it out loud, "Shit! Damn messenger."
She was supposed to take care of the company by herself for a year. That asshole might have cost her the promotion to her dream job.
"I concur."
"Was Des very angry?" she asked.
Edmund frowned. "Angry? At the messenger? Yes. So are Callum and Mav. They popped by earlier. Mav says his wife will bring you a change of clothes and some toiletries."
She listened to all of that, visibly surprised.
"I…I really wanted that job."
"For heaven's sake, Hester, you won't lose a damn job because someone knocked you over. They care about you, Hester. All of them." Then he corrected himself, "All of us."
Oh.
She found her nails absolutely fascinating and there obviously was someone chopping onions in the vicinity right now, because her eyes were watery.
Thankfully, the nurse arrived shortly to give her breakfast and meds. Then the doctor walked in and Edmund excused himself.
"Thanks for coming," she called.
He laughed. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm finding some coffee, and I'll be right back here."
Chapter 18
The woman was going to drive him insane, he was sure of it. She had no sense of self-worth. None. Suddenly, everything about her made sense.
"Desmond will show you a better way to spend your time." "Not my crowd." "Too rich for my blood." Hester was a diamond who'd somehow deluded herself into thinking she was nothing but a piece of worthless glass.
Ed found a coffee machine, and grimaced at the first sip. Disgusting, but it'd do. He hadn't slept a wink all night, and he couldn't rest until she'd woken up. Fuck. He was so glad he hadn't taken that plane.
Heading back to the room, he found it empty of nurse and doctor.
"What's the verdict?"
"I'm okay. As there's no one at home, they think I should stay here another day and night, to make sure the concussion doesn't get worse." She sighed. "I guess that's the problem with not having a roommate anymore."
There was a little color to her cheeks now; she'd been so pale in her sleep.
"You used to have a roommate?"
"Yes, until last year. Then, Ryn moved in with Desmond and he gave me her apartment. It's in the exec building, not far from work. The commute is a lot easier. I don't love it, but you know, it's free."
Ed laughed. "A pretty good bonus in the city."
She smiled. "I'm saving up to buy my own place outright."
"In Brooklyn?" he guessed.
"Probably. My heart panics at the thought of paying Manhattan rates."
Hard-working, smart, reasonable.
"I just found my phone, by the way. Your last text said you were leaving for Italy?"
He shrugged. "I was."
"Did the flight get cancelled?"
He shook his head. "Guess again."
"Business deal you couldn't resist opening up in the city?"
That one made him laugh. "Not quite. But a certain woman didn't answer any of my calls or texts, and leaving without a goodbye didn't feel right."
Her eyes widened. "You're kidding."
Edmund tilted his head. "You know, I was trying to understand why it's so surprising to you when you hear that people care, then I remembered. Is it because of your parents?"
She stilled. "What?"
"You can't believe your boss, who obviously respects the hell out of you, isn't going to punish you for an accident that's entirely not your fault. You can't believe his brother's wife is bringing you clothes. You can't believe I stayed when I got worried about you."
Hester said, "Because Desmond is a very successful, extremely strict, domineering guy and I've seen him sack people for one mishap."
"People who have worked their asses off for years? I doubt that."
"And because I don't know Lexi well."
"You're in the hospital, in a horrible green gown, and your clothes were ruined by a bike messenger. She doesn't need to know you to want to bring you clothes. That's basic human decency."
"And you are just…we don't know each other that well."
"Yes, but we're getting to know each other. So far, I like everything I hear, everything I see, except that ridiculous lack of confidence. You're it, Hester. You're stunning, intelligent, warm, sexy, incredibly naughty. Any man would be a fool to let that slip by. In fact, I'm questioning the sanity of any single guy who's ever crossed your path, because I don't get why you're still single."
"Why are you?" she challenged. "Hot, successful, funny, smart, rich…"
He shrugged. "Because no one made me care."
Until her, anyway.
He didn't say that. He didn't have to.
"I'm staying in the city," Edmund stated. "I mean, I'll have to travel, but I'll be based here for now, unless you don't want me to. I'd like to get to really know you."
She opened her mouth, and then closed it, before opening it again.
"How hard did my head hit the ground?"
He laughed. "I realize that's not a no, but I'm going to need an actual yes on this. Do you want me to stay?"
Hester's eyes darted up to his, and she watched him for a long time. Finally, she said, "I'd like that."
Good, because he sure as hell didn’t intend to let her slip through his fingers. He’d been so fucking worried when he heard that she’d been in an accident; not just concerned, but downright panicking about losing her so soon. That and Malcolm’s death reminded him that life wasn’t granted. It might end at any moment, and he didn’t want his to amount to nothing more than a list of deals that made him wealthier.
He wasn’t letting go of the one woman who’d made him feel.
Not now, not tomorrow; maybe not even the day after that.
Epilogue
The damn house was on a hill, and the wind was blowing in every direction when they got there. And it was the most beautiful place on Earth.
Hester had been raised in the city, and she loved it to pieces, but the first time Edmund took her to his home on a weekend, she decided that this was her place to breathe, take a break, smell the air.
She’d raise her children here. She didn’t dou
bt it for a second, and so she told the man next to her.
Edmund laughed. “Mama might have a thing or two to say against that. If she had her way, we’d spend all of our free time in Italy.”
They normally flew to Venice when they had time to spare. Lola still designed lingerie, but she now did it in the seaside house she’d built on her harbor. She ate at My Queen at least once a day, now that the boat had come home.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Ashworth.”