Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Are you okay?” the nurse asks, resting her hand on my shoulder.
I wipe away the memory and slap a smile across my face. “Yeah. Just tired. Stressed. I have a lot to figure out. I don’t even know where I’m going. Know any good halfway houses?” I joke. But my humor falls flat. “Sorry. I just—”
“Don’t be sorry. What you went through was scary. I can’t imagine. But I can tell you have a great support system. Your friend has been here since this morning. They were instructed to wait outside because the hospital has been a madhouse.”
That news offers me an ounce of relief. “Is it my friend Jenny?” I ask, sliding on the light cardigan.
She shakes her head. “I’m not sure. I didn’t see. The staff nurse just relayed the message to me.” She hands me a bag of ointment and bandages. “Your hands are looking much better. Make sure to switch out the bandages once a day, okay?”
“Will do.”
“Okey dokey! Let’s get you on your way!” She pulls up the wheelchair and waits for me to climb in. I feel silly being wheeled out, but if I’m honest, my thigh kills, and putting pressure on it only makes it worse.
We exit my room and head toward the exit. The closer we get to the door, the more I can’t hide my growing anxiety. I get to leave, but I have no home to go to. I’m thankful to Jenny for stepping up, but even that is temporary. I need to figure so many things out. The fire. My father’s insurance. I cry inside knowing the chances that he even had any are slim to none. The house is gone. And it’s my fault. All those damn times I joked about setting it up in flames and—what if I sleepwalked and set the fire?
Okay, I’m losing it.
Crazy or not, I can’t deny my luck has been complete shit lately. I can’t seem to catch a break. From my miserable marriage and divorce to my father, the fire. . . Ben. He never came back. He said he needed to go to the station and get answers, but a hopeful part of me thought he would return. I tried convincing myself that he had called, told me he got caught up with work, life, anything, and I missed it because my phone went up with the house and all my belongings.
He seemed so genuine. He wouldn’t just blow me off.
Would he?
The debacle from the other night comes to mind. Shocked at Ben putting in his bid to take me would be putting it mildly. It was sweet he offered. And when he wouldn’t let it go, one-upping Jenny perk for perk, it was. . . flattering. But then he left. It’s fine. I’m fine. It makes the most sense to stay with Jenny anyway. I mean, why would I stay with Ben? That’s crazy! It is crazy.
“Your ride is waiting just outside the exit, if that’s what’s making you fidgety,” she says, turning the corner to the main hallway.
“That obvious?”
She wheels us to the exit doors, and the sliding glass opens. A flutter forms inside my belly. My lips part as I stare up in disbelief. Ben casually leans against his Jeep. “Your chariot awaits, Ms. Fischer,” the nurse teases. Ben pushes off his car and walks forward, reaching for my hand.
“Do you need help?”
I eye him suspiciously. “Yeah, with understanding why you’re here and not the more reasonable option.”
His lips curl into the sexiest grin. He takes my hand and helps me stand. “She must not have wanted it as much as I did.”
He guides me to the passenger door, but I stop, demanding to see his eyes. “And you did?”
His smile settles something inside me. “Damn straight I did.” He helps me climb into the Jeep and shuts my door, then rounds to the driver's side and gets in. “You hungry? Want me to stop for food?”
“Ben?”
“Yeah?” He looks at me while pulling away from the hospital.
“What are you doing? You know this isn’t the best option. I can’t just move in with you. We’re not even—”
“We’re gonna figure it out. Just until you get everything worked out. Let me do what I do best.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, and what is it you do best?” I question, my dirty mind zeroing in on one thing I know he does well.
His low chuckle teases the insides of my thighs. “You wish. This is about making sure you heal and helping you figure out the fire. I’m not some piece of meat. If you think that’s part of this arrangement, I can take you back.”
He’s insane. And beautiful.
“Fine. One night. Then I’m going to find a hotel until I get things worked out.”
“Oh, I wasn’t giving you more than that—”