Page 127 of Time to Bounce

“What was that?” she asked. “How?”

I knew what she was asking.

I dropped my eyes from her intense gaze, then dropped into my seat beside Gable’s bed.

I dropped my forehead to his hand—his blissfully warm hand—and drew in a few shaky breaths before I picked up my head again and blurted out the entire story.

Garnett listened to it all, not saying a word.

She waited until I was done before she said, “I don’t know what to say.”

I didn’t either.

The man at my side however…

“Kick her out,” he urged. “Tell the hospital she’s not welcome here, and don’t allow her in anymore. We’ll deal with her when we are out of this place.”

I whipped my head around to see Gable’s eyes wide open.

And angry.

Holy hell, was he angry.

“Gable,” I breathed. “How are you feeling?”

“Angry as hell,” he admitted. “That fuckin’ bitch.”

“Language, Gable Buchanan Carter,” Garnett snapped.

Gable’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile.

“I’m talking about your chest,” I hovered my hand over said chest. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Sore. Every time I take a breath, I feel like I’m stabbing myself in the heart with a screw driver. But other than that…” he trailed off.

I smiled. “They have you on a morphine pump, but the last time they were in here filling it up, you told them to fuck all the way off with their pain meds. So they put you on different ones that you have to ask for.”

“Could you ask?” He smiled.

I got up to do that and he caught my hand. “Not you. She might still be out there.”

I nodded and sat back down.

Garnett pressed the button instead of leaving, asking a nurse to bring Gable some pain meds.

Just as I was about to say more, the door pushed open, and Maven and baby Lola pushed inside along with Hollis and Dalia, Ande and Tex, Shayne and Cillian, and Ellodie and Cam.

“Where are the rest?” I found myself asking.

“At a play date at the circus,” Hollis laughed. “Dalia wanted to stay, but she has a checkup for an ear infection she had last week. You’re awake!”

“I’m awake,” Gable confirmed.

“Why do you look angry?” Ande asked. “Does it have to do with that woman crying in the hall?”

“Yes,” he snapped.

“What’s going on?” Ellodie asked.

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