Page 16 of Courageous Yearnings

“It’s not glamorous. I use paper plates for a reason. I’m a typical bachelor, and if it can’t be shoved into a laundry basket before a girl comes over, then I don’t need it. I have a sleeper sofa, a bed, and a recliner – all three are comfortable to sleep in. You are welcome to raid my closet for anything that might fit you and I have an emergency credit card in the far back of the utensil drawer that you can use until you get your life back together.”

“Paper, p-please…” she whispered, flinching and her eyes glassy once more.

“Hold on – and don’t cry. I’ll get some paper.”

Lance bolted out the hospital room door and made a beeline for the nurses’ station again – reaching right over and grabbing a tablet.

“Sir? Wait! You can’t just do this!”

“I’ll be right back…” he yelled over his shoulder and heard footsteps behind him as he darted back into Blythe’s room. Thrusting the spiral at her and the pen, he snapped. “Write fast – I’ve got an angry T-Rex about to come through that door any second now!”

She looked at him in shock.

“Write! Write!”

Blythe didn’t hesitate – she started scribbling as fast as humanly possible just as a woman built almost the same as he slammed through the doorway, causing the both of them to look up in alarm.

“YOU!” the nurse snapped hotly, rushing toward the bed – and Blythe ripped off the paper and handed it to her mutely, shaking it for good measure.

“Hurts…” she said when the nurse didn’t take it.

“It’s hurting her to talk,” Lance added, pointing at the paper. “It was an emergency, and I needed it for only a minute.”

“Do not snatch things off the counter or desks at a hospital – and you know better than that. Do not make me call your boss.”

Lance shrugged.

“Call him. He knows I’m here. Besides, I’m an example of how to get stuff done,” he smirked. “A bad example… but hey, if there weren’t any flunkies, who’d be the winners in this world, right? You need people like me, just like my girl needs her lunch and a piece of paper.”

“Why, you little…”

“Nuh-uh,” he grinned, waving his finger. “Technically, you are working for our insurance right now, so scoot along and get some pudding, Jell-O, or broth before I decide to call your boss… eh? How’s that threat feel?” …And felt Blythe swat at him, her eyes flashing as she jabbed a finger, pointing at the nurse.

“Sorry,” he replied quickly. “She’s sorry. I’m not.”

And felt her swat him again.

“Oww?” Lance chuckled – and this time turned to put his backside toward her, looking over his shoulders and wagging his eyebrows playfully. Blythe rolled her eyes, but that adorable smirk was there on her face. She was quite aware of what he was doing. “Still waiting on the pudding pack for my little Betty Boop, Nurse Rex.”

“It’s Nurse Brummell… and I’ll have someone request a tray for the patient.”

Not two seconds after the nurse left the room again, he felt a hard slap directly on his backside that caused him to wince.

“Ooow?! Seriously, your bedside manner has got to improve. Don’t you know it’s only a thrill to a certain level of pain, and after that, it hurts. Cup your hand and slap me gently, don’t blast my cheeks like you are trying to slap the sin outta me… and FYI, you nearly got the job done. Seriously. Your tailbone and now my butt cheek.”

She scribbled something on the torn piece of paper and handed it to him. Her writing was messy and everywhere in different directions with each thing she wrote down, but he could still make it out.

Thanks – now my hand hurts too.

Don’t be rude. She’s my nurse!

And then he turned the paper sideways to read what else she had written.

I hate this! What am I supposed to do? I don’t want your charity, especially when we barely know each other. Why are you even here? I was literally moving in the morning to my new place and barely got the keys when this happened. Everythi –

Her writing had stopped because of the nurse interrupting them, but the gist of it was there. She lost everything and didn’t want to be beholden to him or take charity, and she was scared. He understood that because it was a life-altering event in so many ways.

Lance didn’t say a thing but instead pulled up a small chair beside the hospital bed and took her hand in his. He looked at her, and there must have been something written on his face… because her own started to crack. She began to cry and snatching the paper from him, wrote down something else, shoving it at him, waving it as a sob slipped out.

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