The EMTs showed up in record time and took Kenslo and Miranda downstairs with a police escort. Jordan held Tilly’s hand the whole time they put her on the gurney and into the waiting ambulance. Time stretched until the ride to the hospital seemed to last forever, even if it was only a few miles away. They pulled up to the emergency room and transferred her to an exam room. It took the doctor a few expert palpations to diagnose the cracked ribs. A bunch of x-rays and one MRI later, they wheeled her back into the exam room while they awaited the results of the tests.
“I’m gettin’ an odd sense of déjà vu.” She lay there, so pale that her soft brown freckles looked unnaturally dark against her skin. ’“My insurance company is gonna scream bloody murder.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes large in her white face. “How are you doin’?”
He managed a smile. “The hearing’s almost back in my left ear. I still hear a buzzing noise, a lot like crickets, but they assure me that will go away—one of these days.” He gripped her hand tighter. “You concentrate on getting better.” He couldn’t help it. He stooped over the side of the gurney and planted a soft kiss on her mouth.
The nurse’s aide pulled the curtain aside. “There’s a Detective Jericho here. He asked if you would be up to talking to him.”
He rolled his eyes heavenward. “The man has impeccable timing.”
“Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“Maybe I should’ve said be good.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I’m very good.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“No, hopeful.”
Jericho entered, his face hidden behind a bushel of roses of every color. “I know, it’s overkill.”
“Those will have to go in her room once she’s transferred.” The nurse’s aide took them and gave them an appreciative sniff. Her short blond ponytail bounced as she looked up. “Aren’t you the Tyler Jericho?”
“Yes.”
“You’re the man who donated bone marrow to that little kid last year. I worked on the transplant team, well not exactly worked, but I took care of the girl during her recovery.”
“Her mother set up a meeting for us right after Christmas.”
“That’s so sweet.” The nurse gave him a sugary smile and escorted him into the hall.
Dr. Skellengard came into the exam room. “Why don’t you give us some privacy?”
“Jordan can stay.”
“I want to keep you for a day or two, just as a precaution.” The doctor checked over her chart. “You have one broken rib, two bruised ribs, and a concussion. That’s quite a lump on the back of your head.”
“Okay.” She gave a slight nod of her head and winced.
Jordan wanted to be sure he heard right. “No arguments?”
“None.”
“Wow, will wonders never cease!”
Her chuckle turned into a grimace of pain. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. In the meantime, I might be your biggest fan, but I don’t want to see you in my hospital after this stay.”
The nurse’s aide came in, and Jordan went up to Tilly’s assigned room to wait. He spied her gurney coming down the hallway and breathed a sigh of relief. His woman was going to be all right. They were going to all right. However, there was one last thing he had to do.
He pulled out his phone and Googled several places before he found what he wanted. He’d do whatever it took to keep her by his side.
…
Her head still throbbed and her ribs ached out a tune to beat the band, but the sight of Jordan marching through the door with a big smile on his face made everything fade away. He held a single white rose in his hand.
“Whoa, did you open up a florist shop in here?” His eyebrow went up at the sight of every square inch of available space filled with flowers and plants.
She gave him a weak smile. “I keep sending them to different floors as fast as they come in.”
“What’s this thing?” He eyed a large plant on the windowsill with suspicion. “Will it bite?”
She agreed. It was frighteningly ugly and beautiful at the same time. The darn thing gave her the willies.
He moved the chair by the window closer to the bed and away from the mystery plant. “I think I saw something like it in, Space Cadets on Mars when I was kid. Devoured the entire mission except for the hero. Poor schmuck didn’t realize one had stowed away on board. Took off for Earth with this meaty tentacle creeping over the back of his seat.” He gave a dramatic shudder.
“I don’t know, but I have a sneakin’ suspicion that it ate the last nurse’s aide who came in to take my vitals. She hasn’t been back.” She adjusted the head of the bed higher and smoothed down the rumpled sheets. “Where were you last night and today?” It was hard to stay lighthearted. His absence had hurt.
“Oh, you know how it is, errands to run, a hundred things to see to . I had to make up a lot of work.” He sidled up and sat on the edge of bed. “Here. Truce.” He handed her the rose. “It seems lost in this jungle.”
“This is one that I’ll keep by my bedside.” She sniffed the rose, inhaling the spicy fragrance and enjoyed the feel of his body next to hers. He slid his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. That made up for some of her worries.
“I have a surprise for you.” His murmured words stirred her hair and sent little chills of delight zipping along her nerve endings. No matter how battered and bruised she was, he set her off like a bottle rocket.
“What’s that?” She gazed up at him, noticing the signs of weariness for the first time. “When did you get to sleep?”
He shrugged and stood. “I caught a two or three hour nap. Besides, this isn’t about me, it’s about you.” He went to the door and motioned with his finger for someone to come in.
The missing nurse’s aide rolled in a table set with candles and silver domes hiding the dishes underneath. Several other medical personnel peeked around the corner at the production he made of lifting the lids.
Her eyes rounded in amazement. The most delicious aromas wafted toward her, and her stomach growled with the ferocity of a grizzly bear at mating season. There on the plates were chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and country seasoned green beans. Dessert consisted of New York cheesecake with fresh strawberry coulis.
“Made it with my own two hands.” He beamed down at her. “Do you know how hard it was to make milk gravy with my eyes closed? At least it didn’t come out looking like library paste.”
She knew how much he hated milk gravy. The fact he’d gone to the trouble pleased her to no end.
“The recipes are from your new cookbook. Except for the cheesecake. That’s my contribution.” He pointed at everything with the enthusiasm of a six-year-old showing off a necklace made of macaroni.
“Wow.” She held her hand over her heart and fanned the tears that threatened to come. “I mean, wow.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He walked over to the door. “Excuse me ladies, but this is a private moment.”
For one terrifying moment, she was afraid he was going to propose. What to say? Was she ready? She was drugged and not in her right mind. No, that was a lie. They hadn’t given her anything because of the concussion. What was she going to do?
He stood before her, eyes glowing, with an even brighter smile on his gorgeous face. “Matilda Jane Danes, I’ve considered long and hard how to win your love. When I thought we were going to die, I had to tell you. You said you loved me, too. I know you’re still not sure, but I wanted to prove to you that I’m willing to work together.”
“The meal is, well, it’s a good beginnin’.” Not a ring. I don’t want a ring, do I?
“I wanted to show you how much I love you with more than a meal.” He reached down to his pants. She expected his hand to delve into his pocket to pull out a ring box. Instead, Jordan’s hands stopped at the button to his fly. His fingers worked it loose and went on to the zipper.
“What are you doin’?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or be scandalized by his strange behavior.
“Showing you my undying love.” His matter-of-fact tone puzzled her.
She waved at him to stop and looked toward the door for fear someone might come through to take her vitals. “I’ve seen your undyin’ love, and as impressive as it is, I don’t think you want to be flashin’ the hospital staff.”
“Tilly, Tilly, get your mind out of the gutter and have a little faith.” He turned around and pulled his jeans down over his hip. There, over his left butt cheek, were the words tattooed in beautiful calligraphy—Yes, I am a horse’s ass. Below the archway of words was an illustration of a horse’s patootie.
The gasp she let out hurt her ribs, the bubbles of laughter set off the hammers in her head, but Tilly didn’t care. She reached up and pulled Jordan’s head down for a kiss.
The future would take care of itself. Right now, right now, she had a banquet of love and she intended to enjoy every bite.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my husband Dennis, who never lets me give up—on anything. Also, Claire Ashgrove, Cathy Marlowe, Goldie Edwards, Deb Sturgess, and J.F. Ridgley for their friendship and critique on this book.
About the Author
Dyann Love Barr lives in the Midwest with her husband, who is also her cheering section. She read her first romance in college and was hooked. One day she decided to write the sort of book she wanted to read, because how hard could it be? Ah, the young. What do they know? Now, years later, she uses her life experiences to write and hopefully entertain.
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Recipe for Love (Entangled Select Suspense) Page 27