Page 41 of Compelling Urges

Bodhi’s doctor picked that moment to come to check him out. With a relieved smile, he said, “I think you’re safely out of the woods now. It’s a credit to your age and your general pre-injury health that we got this resolved so quickly. Would you like to go home?”

With a huge grin, Bodhi said, “Damn straight.”

“Let’s see how well you can do walking around, and if you can manage, I’ll sign your discharge papers. You can be out of here in an hour or so.”

Slowly, Bodhi sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He’d been up a couple of times to get to the restroom, and knew he could do it with crutches. It was just a whole lot slower than he’d like, and his leg ached horribly. His head spun with the sudden motion.

“Easy, Bodhi.” Ivy grabbed for him as he swayed.

“I’m fine,” he protested.

“That’s the attitude that got you here in the first place. Just take it one step at a time,” she ordered.

When Bodhi made it to his feet, the doctor told him, “I’d like to see that you can make it down the hall to the double doors and back. It’s fine to use the crutches. If that goes okay, I’ll sign your papers.”

Ivy realized Bodhi’s butt was exposed in typical hospital gown fashion, so she grabbed the flimsy robe they’d provided and helped him into it. As much as she appreciated looking at him, she didn’t feel much like sharing the view.

Bodhi swayed a bit again and smiled proudly as Cooper, his mom, and his dad breezed into the room.

“He’s up!” Peach beamed happily.

Dr. Burton interjected, “We’re just checking his overall strength before I cut him loose and send him home. I take it he has someone who can help him get around for the next few days?” He looked pointedly at Ivy, who nodded happily at the same time as Cooper rushed to Bodhi’s free side. Cooper grasped his arm with a solid grip.

Smiling even more happily, Bodhi assured the doctor, “I have the best support a man could have.” He turned to Ivy and kissed her soundly on the lips, then turned to Cooper and did the same.

Peach gave a happy little gasp and announced, “Iknewit!”

Bodhi beamed at her and asked, “You’re not upset?”

“Upset that you have not only one, but two gorgeous souls who love you to pieces? I’d be the biggest idiot and hypocrite in the world if I objected to that.” She looked at Emmett. He was also smiling, but didn’t say anything.

“Well, okay then,” chuckled Dr. Burton. “Let’s see how you do walking, shall we? I see you have a pair of those lovely hospital-issued slipper socks on already, so… whenever you’re ready.”

∞∞∞

It took a while, but Bodhi passed the test, and they all decided to ride back to Del Mar together in Cooper’s car. Emmett and Peach seemed all too happy to stick around rather than heading back to Maui.

“You can stay with us,” announced Bodhi. “The hotels are pretty booked up during Del Mar’s racetrack season, but we have a spare room.”

On the drive home, Peach admitted to everyone, “I think Emmett and I have had our fill of the island life. We can play golf year-round just as easily in California. It will be more fun—and more important in the long run—to be closer to family.” She looked fondly at her son who smiled back at her happily.

“That would be great, Mom.”

“I will miss the coffee, though,” she joked.

“We’ll rent a car and start looking at property right away,” Emmett declared. “Does anyone know a good realtor?”

Chapter 31

The first couple of days back home, Bodhi slept a lot. Then he progressed to getting up and walking short distances with the aid of one crutch. Deciding that cramped his style and looked dorky, he ditched the crutch and gritted his teeth when he went anywhere. He still had handfuls of antibiotics he needed to finish, so everyone watched him like a hawk to make sure he took all of his pills and had food handy to take them with.

Each day he felt better and grew stronger and stronger.

Cooper and Ivy alternated taking half days off from work at first. Bodhi’s parents, although they chipped in to help with whatever they could do, spent a lot of time out looking at houses and trying to give the young people their privacy.

Each evening they all had dinner together, and Bodhi couldn’t remember a more contented time in his entire life. He felt as though he were part of the large family he’d always dreamed of.

Two weeks after arriving in Del Mar, Emmett and Peach found a house they adored in Rancho Santa Fe. It was near the golf course and had, in Peach’s words, “Just the right amount of space and yard for us, with plenty of room for when grandchildren come to play.”

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