Page 17 of After All

Peyton looked at him. She’d told him that once. A month ago. He’d remembered that? And more, he’d taken her seriously?

There was something funny in his voice when he said that. Pride? No way. She stared at him. Yes, that was freakingprideon his face when he talked about her being in school. Which she no longer was.

He gave her a smile that was a bit goofy and a lot adorable. And she knew that no one used the word “adorable” with Scott Hansen much. Or ever.

They could maybe turn the drug drip downa little, Peyton thought. “The kind of care I want to give you is probably not the kind the doctor is going to prescribe,” Peyton told him. “In fact, it might be on the list of thingsnotto do for a little while.”

“Well, Kyle is a really good friend. I don’t think he’d put that on the list,” Scott said.

Yeah, he was definitely drugged, because Scott never went along with her teasing about sex.

“I definitely think that you should move in and nurse me back to health,” Scott said, just before yawning big.

Peyton narrowed her eyes. Wait a second. Scottneverwent along with her teasing about sex. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure he was as hopped up on morphine as she’d thought. He was being all sweet and kind of off-kilter, and he’d sensed she’d been worried. Hell, the way she’d gripped his hospital gown when he’d kissed her, as if she’d needed to hold on tight for fear of losing him? Yeah, that was one thing. But then she’d brought him Corn Nuts? That had been a stupid move. Like flying back here because all she’d been able to think about since the second Hope had said, “Scott’s in the hospital,” was that she couldnotlose him, couldn’tnotbe there.

Crap.

All stupid. Becauseallof this—from his goofy smile and big fake yawn and “she’s in nursing school” bullshit—added up to one thing. He wanted to play house. He thought this was the perfect chance to show her how a “real” relationship could be between them. The thing he’d been pushing for over a year now.

Yeah, he was stone-cold sober. And conniving. And nuts.

Well, he wasn’t the only one. On all of those counts.

“I guess youwillneed help bathing, won’t you?” she asked, running her hand up and down his lower leg. “Wouldn’t want Kyle or your mom or a total stranger doing that.”

Scott suddenly not only looked sober, but a little concerned. As he should be.

“I’m not going to need help bathing,” he said.

“And you won’t be able to get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water or anything without help, so it’s probably best if someone sleeps over—right next to you,” she said, still stroking his leg.

He tried to shift away from her touch, but he couldn’t do it without using his hand and being completely obvious about it. It was not a nice thing, but Peyton gave herself points. She also gave him a two-can-play-this-game smile. He wanted her around, fussing over him and spending extra time with him, just the two of them? Well, his left thigh was theonlything not working properly on him. He had to know that if she was taking care of that leg, she’d want to take care of the rest of him too.

“I think I can handle pissing in the middle of night,” he said with a frown. “Maybe if you could just bring over a casserole or two…”

Peyton flat-out laughed at that. Scott had no idea if she could cook. At all. The most he’d ever seen her eat was pizza at the Stop or a burger at the Come Again. He might be a little woozy if he thought he could have her at his house, hanging out, being together in every wayexceptnaked in bed. It seemed he was now realizing he’d made a mistake. Thinking Peyton would be sweet and concerned about his leg andnotmake any other moves on him? Yeah, big mistake.

He’d started this and she was so finishing it.

Peyton looked at Angie. “I definitely want to see him naked. And that’s a lot of what goes on with home health, right?” She had friends who worked as nurse’s aides in the local nursing home and for home health. There was a lot of bathing, dressing and undressing that went on in home health.

“Um, well, that would probably work,” Angie said slowly. She was clearly a little surprised by the blunt naked comment.

Though she shouldn’t be. Scott Hansen was gorgeous and strong and a freaking knight in shining armor with a dry sense of humor and a quick mind and an alpha streak that made Peyton weak in the knees.Of courseshe wanted to get him naked.

She just didn’t want to marry him.

“That’s great,” she told the nurse enthusiastically. “Just tell me what to do. I mean,Scottloves to tell me what to do…” She winked at Angie and squeezed Scott’s leg at the same time. “But I mean medically.”

She didn’t need to glance at Scott to know that he was part ticked off and part turned-on. Because St. Patrick’s Day had proven that he was every bit the bossy, demanding dirty talker she’d pegged him for early on. He loved the idea of her letting him boss her around. As much assheloved the idea. In the bedroom only, of course. Or on the hood of his squad car…

“Well, he will need dressing changes, and it’s much easier if someone else does those initially,” Angie said, pulling Peyton back to the present. “And he won’t be able to drive with the pain meds. Not until we can get him on something milder. And he’ll be on crutches for a time.”

“Crutches?” Peyton and Scott said at the same time.

“Yes. The gunshot tore some muscle. Until that heals, the doctor will want you resting that leg.” She looked at Peyton. “Simple things like getting up for a glass of water become a lot more difficult. You don’t have to be a nurse to help him with those things.”

Well, that was a good thing, because her two classes didn’t even qualify her to do CPR. “Great. I’m in.”

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