Page 20 of Take Me Home for Christmas

“I don’t think it’s broken. But we will appease Captain America here by taking some pictures just to be sure.” Gabby stood and went to the sink to wash her hands. “A nurse will come in to take your vitals while I send for the portable X-ray machine.”

“Told you it wasn’t broken,” Elle mumbled when the doctor left the room.

“We still don’t know that,” he bit out.

“Great. And now you’re angry with me because you couldn’t finish the race.”

Before she could blink, his hands were back on the arms of the wheelchair again, bracketing her in. His lips were inches from hers. His breath washed over her cheek.

“No, Elinor. I’m angry because I goaded you into running today. Livi did, too. At least I knew you had no business running a 5k. You could have been hurt. Hell, you are hurt.”

She could see the pulse throbbing frantically in his throat. An unexpected urge to place her lips to his skin there had her nearly passing out. She lifted her hand to his cheek as much to steady herself as to comfort him.

“It’s really nothing. I’m going to be just fine. You’re being silly.”

Clearly, it was the wrong thing to say. A tremor coursed through him, and he jerked back to standing. His eyes roamed her face.

“Yeah,” he eventually said.

And then he was gone.

Thirty minutes later,her sister, Kate, strolled into the room. Gabby and another man wearing a white coat hovered in the doorway behind her.

“Nothing’s broken,” Kate announced.

Elle adjusted the pillow on the bed behind her. “I could have told you that. Where’s Hayden?”

“That is the question on everyone’s lips in town.” Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “Him not crossing the finish line first—much less at all—has created quite the stir.”

“Who won?” Gabby asked.

“One of the college kids in town for the weekend.” Kate chuckled. “He promptly cast up his accounts on the mayor’s shoes.”

Elle groaned. “Thanks for the visual.”

“How’s the pain?” Kate had on her unscrupulous head-of-the-hospital face, so there was no point in lying.

“Five out of ten. But only when I put weight on it.”

“This should help.” The other doctor handed Kate an orthopedic boot.

Elle sat up and began strapping it on her swollen ankle. “I need to go find Hayden.”

“Not happening, little sister. We are going straight back to the inn where you will elevate your foot and decorate it with a nice bag of frozen peas. If you’re lucky, I’ll prescribe some spiced rum to go with it.”

“But—”

“Doctor’s orders, Elle. Do as I say, and you’ll be out of the boot in a few days.” Kate dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If I were you, though, I wouldn’t rush it. I’d milk this so you not only get out of dishwashing duty this afternoon but also for the rest of the season. Let the guys pick up the slack.”

Elle rolled her eyes at her sister. When she put her injured foot on the ground, however, the idea of being pampered by her family while enjoying a nice drink was beginning to sound better and better. She hopped into the wheelchair, instantly recalling Hayden leaning over her, his lips so close to hers.

Nothing is more important to me than the people I care most about.

What did he mean by that? And he certainly had a funny way of showing it. He deposited her in the ER, then disappeared to God knows where. She knew he cared about her. He’d told her enough times. Yet something was different about the way he’d said the words today. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

“Let’s go enjoy Thanksgiving dinner,” Kate said as she took the handles of the wheelchair.

“Yeah, about that. I’d skip the cornbread dressing if I were you. Ginger made it.”

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