The doctor continues, “Okay, here’s the deal. I have a massive car pileup coming in, and I need to know who needs me first.”
Josh goes El Capitan. “Dereck, you have Serenity, now do what the doc says.”
Dereck has dirt and sweat all over his beautiful face. He stares at only me. I glance up at the doctor, letting him know Dereck is listening.
“Thank you,” the doc says. Then he grins. “Mr. Hamilton, with all your yelling, I’m presuming you’re having no difficulty breathing?”
Dereck’s chest rises and falls at a fast pace. He stares at me while answering, “Breathing fine.”
“Good. And seeing how you were making this gurney shake, you have feeling, but I just want to home in on some other areas. I’m going to poke you in different spots. Let me know when you feel me, okay?”
A different nurse removes Dereck’s cleats.
Everywhere Dereck is prodded, he responds—his eyes still on me. “Yep… yep…”
“Mr. Hamilton, do you know where you are?”
“Yes, but I don’t know why.”
“No memory of your accident?”
“No. I was at school, having lunch with my wife. Now I’m here.” He mouths to me, “What happened?”
I lean over his face and softly say, “You took a hard hit during a game tonight, but you have feeling. Do you understand?”
He pauses. “I’m not paralyzed?”
I shake my head and smile as my eyes water in relief.
The doctor writes something on a chart while talking to Josh. “We’re going to run a series of tests. Even if he is clear, we will keep him for a twenty-four-hour observation.” The doctor shakes Josh’s hand. “Mr. Dukes, got tickets for your game tomorrow. Got to run to my six-car pileup.” The doctor disappears.
Holding a bag with Dereck’s shoes in one hand, Josh lets his other hand rest on Dereck’s shoulder. “I’m going to the waiting room to fill the girls in and call your mom back.”
“Serenity, don’t leave me.”
I touch Dereck. “No, I’m staying by your side.”
Josh leaves, pulling his cell from his pocket.
Dereck says, “Please, come closer.” With my face to his, everything around us fades away. It’s as if we’re in a bubble of clouds, just the two of us. “I’m scared,” he whispers.
My heart bleeds for his confusion. I need to settle him. My lips meet his in a rush. Dereck’s neck strains, fighting the straps to get closer to me, so I press harder to him. His body begins to release its tension, and his head settles back to its resting place. Slowly, I pull my lips away just enough so we can talk.
His breath crosses my wet lips as he whispers, “Thank you.”
Dereck is in a hospital room for the night, and his painkillers are kicking in. A doctor with a cheery disposition walks in. “Hi, I’m Dr. Milan. And I will be watching over our football star tonight.”
Faith, at Dereck’s side, reaches out. “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Sams.”
Still shaking her hand, Dr. Milan asks, “Do I know you?”
Faith reveals a smile I have yet to see before, and she is still holding the doc’s hand. “Umm, you do look familiar.”
Lying in his bed, Dereck watches with an expression of horror as his mom flirts right in front of him—literally. “Hello? Patient here?”
Faith snaps out of her trance, and Dr. Milan starts chuckling. “So sorry, uh, umm, yeah… yes, patient. Back to the patient.” He nonchalantly gestures, rushing through his words as if Dereck hadn’t just had the scariest night of our lives. “Umm, Dereck, you seem to have a minor concussion and a sprained neck. Nothing that won’t heal in time, so I should be releasing you tomorrow. I will check on you later.” Then he slows and observes Faith again. “Umm, Dr. Sams, it was very nice to meet you.” He leaves the room with even more pep in his step than when he first entered.
“Gross! Mom, my doc?”
Shaking her head, she laughs. “I have no idea what that was all about.”
I smirk. “I doooo.”
Dereck’s loopy head swivels to me. “Do not start.”
“What? He’s cute.”
Faith keeps laughing.
Dereck squints at me. “Well, I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
I don’t appreciate his drug-induced bossiness. “Maybe I need to find a hot doc, too.”
“No!” he shouts. “For either of you. I’m the only one getting the hot doc tonight.”
Faith and I study him with much curiosity. His brows crunch. “Wait. No… I don’t want a hot doc, either.” Dereck lazily peers at his arm. “What’s in my IV? I’m so confused. I’m a victim. You’re ganging up on me. Nurse!”
As if on cue, a nurse happens to walk in. “Are you in pain?”
“Pain in my ass,” Faith mumbles.
The black woman, dressed in all white, says, “Oh, I have several rooms full of those tonight. Am I adding you to that list, Mr. Hamilton?”
Dereck’s eyes fight to stay open. “Nooo, ma’ammm.”
“He wants the hot doc.” I can’t help but take advantage of this easy prey lying in the hospital bed.
Dereck can barely shake his head while telling the nurse, “This is why I need you.”
“Me, or the hot doc?”
Faith and I love the addition to Team Pick-on-Dereck.
Pitifully, Dereck tells the nurse. “My team. You’re supposed to be on my team.”
She checks his IV. “I’ll put in a good word for ya, Mr. Hamilton, but you have a long line ahead of ya. Dr. Milan is single and is being heavily pursued.” She glances down at Dereck. His eyes are already closed. The neck brace is holding his head upright. “Gosh darn, he’s pretty.”
I nod as I push his matted hair from his forehead.
“Ooh, girl. You got it bad.”
My eyes well. The scare is finally ending. Dereck is resting, and now my heart has a chance to let go.
Faith puts her arm around me as the nurse says with compassion, “Scary stuff, I know, but he is lucky. He is safe now, baby.”
Tears fall with my silent sobs.
In the hospital hallway, I ask Dr. Milan, “Have you seen Dereck?”
“Is he not in his bed?”
“I can’t find him.”
I follow the doctor as he rushes into Dereck’s hospital room with urgency, but then he stops. “Uh, he’s right here, Mrs. Hamilton. Are you okay?”
Dereck’s light is finally in my sight. He glows in his bed, resting peacefully. I want to be close to him. My body crawls into bed with him but stops when I feel unfamiliar hands touching me. “Wait. Mrs. Hamilton, you should not—”
“No, don’t touch her. Night terrors,” Faith says.
When released, I continue to Dereck. I’m snuggling to him, and he rolls to me as he does every night. His arm comes over me and pulls me to him. I settle into my cave, my safe place, where I rest best…
“Good morning, my sweet.”
I love Sky’s voice. My eyes open to see Rocco standing behind her. Jolene is next to them, holding her cell up, taking a picture of Dereck and me in the hospital bed.
“Your Pops needs confirmation that Dereck is alive and kicking. He couldn’t come on game day. I needed that pic because you two are so cute.”
I smile to myself. Pops. I guess that’s Josh’s new nickname.
Sky bites her finger, studying Dereck.
Dereck observes. “Come ’ere,” he says, patting his bed.
Skyler quickly climbs aboard and snuggles to him. She whispers, “I was scared for you.”
I grab her hand, feeling guilty for not giving her a second thought till now.
Dereck squeezes her. “I’m not that easy to break, apparentl
y.” He taps my thigh. “When did you come to me?”
I have no idea.
Faith sits up on her cot, rubbing her eyes. “Michael brought her in.”
Rocco asks, “Who’s Michael?”
“Oh, sorry. Dr. Milan.”
Roc nods with a mischievous grin. “Ma, first-name basis with the doc?”
Dereck doesn’t give her a chance to answer. “Wait. What happened?”
Last night’s nurse walks in. “My shift is ending, Mr. Hamilton. Oh, two girls in your bed now? You sure are a busy young man. And I know just who you get it from.” She observes Faith half asleep. “Awake? Even with your late evening? How was coffee, Dr. Sams? Hmm?”
“What?” Dereck winces. “Coffee? When?”
Faith suddenly exhibits a major case of the smiles. “Well, Dr. Milan found Serenity looking for you in the hallway.”
“Me?” I point at my chest.
“Yes. It all worked out. And then… we—we… had coffee. That’s all.”
“Twice,” the nurse chimes in, hitting buttons on Dereck’s beeping machines. “Oh yes, the security guard, who happens to be gay, is also hoping to win Dr. Milan and was not pleased with the two coffee dates. He observed those TV screens like a hawk!” She smirks at Faith. “Girl, you have some serious enemies. And FYI, your car might have been keyed.” She moves to write on a white board hanging on the wall, erasing her name and replacing it with another.
Jolene says, “Dereck, breathe. Moms need some lovin’, too.”
Exiting the room, the nurse comments, “And she picked a hotty! Dereck, you need anything, sugar?”
“No, ma’am.” He pouts.
After we eat the breakfast Jolene brought us, the partial Crew heads out so Dereck can rest. Still in bed with us, Sky kisses us both goodbye. “I love you.”
Dereck’s eyes gleam at her. “We love you more, monkey.”
Rocco backs up to the bed, ready for transport. Monkey climbs aboard. Jolene smacks Sky’s butt—seemingly adoring her clinging to Rocco—and blows us kisses.
With Sky securely attached, Rocco shakes hands with Dereck. “Scared the hell out of me, my brother.”
“Need a kiss, Big Guy?”
Rocco smacks Dereck’s face. “Asshole.” He walks to the door then stops. Spinning back to us, he says, “Dereck, when Serenity has those night terror things… you tell her to open her eyes?”
Dereck tilts his head. “What’s up, brother?”
Skyler grins with her chin resting on Roc’s shoulder.
Roc answers, “You were out like a light, dude. Your wife yelled at you with a heart-wrenching plea for you to open your eyes.” Rocco glances down then back at Dereck and visibly swallows. “And damn it, man… you did.”
It’s clear Dereck will be fine as he stands on his hospital bed, screaming at the TV during Josh’s game. Josh is the quarterback, and the Longhorns win a home game. Later that afternoon, hours after the game and press conference, Jolene swings by the hospital so Josh can see Dereck with his own two eyes. Rocco already dropped Sky off with us earlier and then went home because his uncle is in town from Italy. Having homework to do, Jolene leaves Josh with us.
A few minutes later, the nurse—nowhere near as funny as our first nurse—pushes Dereck’s wheelchair through the hospital’s sliding doors.
Flash! Flash! A couple of photographers are waiting and immediately start asking questions. It’s so weird. Who would care about Dereck’s condition? Apparently, his famous name, his famous quarterback friend, and his marriage to a young girl with a past of cops and ambulances seem to be grabbing some media attention.
“Dereck, is it true that Serenity is divorcing you since you’re now paralyzed?”
“What?”
Sky giggles—till someone takes her pic. “Hey! Bad hair day. Lay off—”
Josh covers her face with his massive palm. “She’s a minor and not newsworthy.”
He guides her into Faith’s backseat. I follow. I think about the word newsworthy and remember Dereck having said the same thing. It must be some media term, because they redirect their cameras as Josh turns to assist Dereck into the front seat.
As Dereck rises from his wheelchair, a reporter asks, “Dereck, is it true your father is having a spinal column for your transplant flown in on one of his planes?”
Standing, Dereck stares at the dumb guy. “Yes, I’m having a spinal transplant next week. The one presently supporting me is on loan. Please move so I can walk to my car.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Happy Birthday
The night Dereck was injured, his team ended up losing. Per his doctor’s orders, Dereck is not allowed to play the few remaining games. According to Dereck, Josh is kicking ass and taking names with his college games.
Dereck seems so proud of Josh. “Serenity, he’s doing even better than expected, with a transitional team. Winning more games than he should for such a young quarterback.” He laughs. “What’s that look, Baby Doll?”
“Josh is just one player. Why does all this weight fall on his shoulders?”
“A quarterback doesn’t just throw the ball, they—how do I explain, uh… Remember that movie we watched, the remake of Star Trek?”
I nod.
“Remember the captain, who sat in that chair and oversaw everyone’s job and gave out orders? That’s Josh on the field, and the ship is his team, and his flight crew is made up of three-hundred-fifty-pound college students.” A horn honks outside from our driveway. Dereck gives me a kiss. “There’s El Ca-pee-ton now.”
I can’t help thinking that is how Josh is with us. Is he a leader by nature? Does he have more purpose than that? Walking out our front door, I ask, “Does his new team respect him, like you do?”
Dereck’s admiration glows. “They do, Serenity. And that’s hard for a rookie.”
It’s my first time going to the outdoor concert venue Nutty Brown. And it’s my first concert ever! “Dereck, it’s your birthday, yet we’re all seeing my favorite singer.”
Jolene bursts out laughing as Josh mean-mugs me from behind Roc’s steering wheel.
Dereck says, “Don’t you worry, baby girl. I’m gonna love this concert.”
Jolene smirks at me from the front seat. “Destiny is Josh’s mental affair.”
Sitting between them, Sky says, “Little cougar action, Joshy Poo?”
Roc sits to my left. “She’s, like, what—thirty-six, or forty?”
“Who cares?” Josh replies. “Destiny has a MILF status that no male would deny.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know if Destiny is technically a mama.”
Jolene asks, “Didn’t she have twins?”
“Yes. Ava and Aurora, but they passed during delivery.” The truck goes quiet. I quickly add, “No, don’t pity Destiny. I saw an interview with her about the loss, and she was courageous, with some sort of understanding that her girls are still with her. Men are right to crush on that woman. She may not be tall or supermodel material, but there is something so womanly about her. I idolize her.”
My heart soars. I’m about to see Destiny live in concert. As we’re pulling into the dirt parking lot, people are already dancing around their cars. Everyone’s so excited! As if immersed in an energy pool, my body wants more. “Roll down the windows,” I plead then crawl over Dereck’s lap to feel the energy firsthand.
As we pass a woman, she’s screaming, “Can you believe Destiny just drove by in the golf cart, singing to us?”
“What?” I screech, trying to crawl out the window.
Dereck grabs hold of my belt loop, laughing. “This is going to be a long night.”
In line with my ticket, I’m practically jumping up and down. The buzz is contagious. Unaware of what I’m experiencing, Dereck obser
ves. “Happy?”
Electric waves zing through me. “Everyone is!”
This venue has been in some music videos, but passing through a gate, I understand the magic. Oak trees with lights. Little booths for beverages. Dirt under my boots. It’s like a gigantic picnic. No seating chart, just stand where we want. Dereck said there’s a VIP area, but for my first concert experience, I need to be close to the front. “Up front” has been my plan all along. The farther we go, the more people there are to fill in the gaps between bodies. We get our bearings and decide where we want to head.
“Ouch!”
Rocco peers down. “What’s the matter, Sweet Pea?”
“Someone stepped on me.”
“Didn’t even see ya there?”
“No! Assholes.”
Rocco chuckles—“Poor Lil’ Mama”—as he pulls her back to him. His hands slide under her arms, and he lifts Sky off the ground, raising her effortlessly over his head. She’s so calm with being placed on his shoulders, as if it’s an everyday occurrence in her Rocco world.
She holds his head, studying the surroundings she can finally see. “Thanks, Roc.”
Jolene hugs Rocco’s waist. “I love how you spoil my baby.”
“Pray for me, ’cause I can’t stop.”
From above Roc’s head comes, “No need to fix what ain’t broke, freaks.”
That is one beautiful odd couple with their matching blue eyes, her white hair, his dark. Not to mention their sixteen-inch height difference, along with the one hundred twenty-five pounds he has on her, which is more than Sky weighs altogether.
Jolene leads us through the crowd, Josh behind her. I’m at Josh’s back and Dereck’s front, Roc and monkey following. As Jolene walks by a guy, he reaches for her butt until his wrist is in a vise grip—a Dukes vise grip. Unaware of the male confrontation taking place behind her, Jolene continues with her travels, assuming we’re all with her.
Serenity (Forever Book 1) Page 39