Page 28 of Andy

She got up and moved to stand next to Ava. They clung to each other because there wasn’t anything else they could do. Andy had been injured, and it was bad. At least bad enough, he’d had to be flown to Germany and operated on.

After they got the kids to school, she and Ava stopped by a bakery. Mel thought a cinnamon roll sounded good. She picked at the treat over the next few hours, trying to consume calories because she couldn’t afford to lose any more weight. Even though she’d eaten a lot during their weekend together, she’d lost all the gains once she heard Andy had been injured.

At around the time the plane carrying Andy was supposed to land, her stomach cramped so badly she almost doubled over.

“Nervous?” Ava asked as she stepped into the room.

Jessica, Rory, and Ingrid were there with them. Mel sat on the couch, her legs tucked in tight. Suddenly, the door opened, and her head jerked up.

“Hey, hey,” Wild said as he stepped inside.

Ava flew into his arms. Next was Bear and then Harry. Jax stepped in, and then Peach had his arm around Andy’s shoulder. Mel stood and took a step closer. Shock coursed through her, and she froze.

Andy’s lips spread into a huge smile and he held open his arms. She ran to him but didn’t jump into his arms like the rest of the women had with their men. His beard was gone and so was his hair. He had a bandage on his head behind his ear.

“Are you okay?” Her voice shook with all the fear and worry she’d carried over the last few days.

He nodded. “I’m good. I need some rest and a few weeks of just hanging out, but I’ll be back on the horse soon.”

She closed her eyes and almost sagged, but Peach caught her and held her up. “Thank you,” she said as she reached out and took Andy’s hand. “Let’s go sit.”

They moved to the couch, and she sat so close to Andy that she was almost on his lap. Fear still rocked through her. She hadn’t known it had been a head injury. She needed to know everything but knew he would tell her, eventually.

“So what happened?” Ava asked. “And don’t tell us it was a scratch like you all did when Harry was shot.”

“When I got shot, it was a scratch,” Harry said.

“Just tell us straight,” Ingrid said. “For Mel’s sake. She needs to know he’s okay.”

“A piece of shrapnel hit me. The doctors were able to get it out without having to cut open my skull. Yes, it’s a head injury, and I need to be careful about pressure until it heals a little more.”

Mel’s nerves sizzled as he told them about shrapnel hitting him. It felt like someone was squeezing her spine, and she crossed her legs, trying to take in the information without reacting too much. After he told them about the shrapnel they took out of his arm, she put her hand on his leg, needing to make sure he was okay.

“Were you really okay leaving the hospital?” Mel asked.

He nodded. “I have an appointment tomorrow morning for another scan, but I feel much better than I did when I got hit.”

“Jesus,” Mel said. “I’m glad you feel better. Now then, how about I drive you home, and we can get you into bed?” He waggled his eyebrows, and she rolled her eyes. “We’re not having sex until your doctor tells me you can.”

His lips turned down in a frown and his eyes got puppy dog sad. “Aw man, I’m sure we can find a way.”

She pursed her lips together and shook her head. “Not tonight. We’ll talk to the doctor tomorrow and ask.”

Jax chuckled. “I like her. She’s not afraid to tell you no. That’s a good sign.”

“Yeah, that’s good,” Peach said.

“Dude,” Andy said to Peach. “You’re not even dating anyone. How do you know what’s good?”

“I know what I’m talking about,” Peach said.

Bear laughed. “You may know what you’re talking about, but you don’t have anyone.”

“Give him a break, guys,” Ava said. “Peach will find someone one day.”

“Come on, big guy,” Mel said as she stood and helped Andy up. It was weird having him seem so weak. He’d been larger than life, and now he felt small. Her heart squeezed. This weekend, she would spend time making sure he was okay. She didn’t want to think about how bad it could have been.

Chapter 15

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