Page 70 of High Density

The hospital tray they brought me this morning had little edible on it, so JD had grabbed me a breakfast wrap from the sandwich shop. That was the last food I had. I should probably eat something.

“Let me get up first.”

“Or I can bring it to you in bed,” he offers sweetly.

I shake my head. “I need the bathroom, and I think I want to move about a little.”

He bends down and brushes a kiss on my lips. It strikes me how natural the attention already feels, even though this is all very new. Although, given the intensity of the past few days, we should count those in dog years.

“Take your time. I put your toiletry stuff Ma brought over on the bathroom counter, and your pants are over there.” He points at the top of the dresser. “Yell if you need a hand.”

I take a good look at my reflection while I wash my hands after peeing. My face looks like a bad caricature, swollen in all the wrong places and, with the bandage covering the stitches on my cheekbone, a bit like Frankenstein’s bride. Especially with my hair a knotted mess around my head. It needs to be washed.I only got it wet this morning at the hospital and didn’t even run a brush through it.

Rummaging through the bag on the counter, I dig up not only my hairbrush—bless Ama’s heart—but my toothbrush as well. My teeth feel like they’re growing mold, and I’m sure my breath smells like something died in there. I can’t believe I let JD kiss me.

I feel instantly better with my mouth clean, and I do my best with my hair, but what little energy I had is fast depleting. I’ll try again after I’ve put something in my stomach.

It’s not until I walk into the small kitchen I’m hit with the smell of rich spices.

“What are you cooking?” I ask JD, who is standing at the stove.

“Beef and broccoli stir-fry with cashews. That okay?”

“Sounds delicious. I’m surprised at how hungry I am,” I admit.

He turns around and one corner of his mouth pulls up.

“You look a little better.”

I snort. “Hardly. I’m a mess, I can’t even get my brush through my hair.”

“Ah.” He runs a hand over my hair. “The hair will have to wait until we get some food in you. But first let’s get you off that leg.”

He takes my hand and leads me through the sliding doors and onto the deck. I hear the thump of Ginger’s tail on the wooden boards before I see her. She’s on her bed between a pair of wooden chairs, and gets up to greet me the moment she sees me.

“Hey, girl. Are you glad to see me?” I smile at JD. “I guess Jackson dropped her off? I never heard anything.”

“Maybe forty-five minutes ago. We were trying to be quiet.”

One of the wooden chairs has a blanket draped over the back and an upside-down bucket with a pillow on top beside it. Thebucket serves as a footstool, as I discover when JD helps me into the chair and carefully lifts up my injured leg, resting it on the pillow.

“There’s a little chill in the air,” he explains as he drapes the blanket over my legs.

Ginger comes to sit down beside me and nudges her wet nose under my hand, looking for a few more scratches.

It strikes me what a surprisingly thoughtful man he is. I’ve seen it in the way he handles animals—caring, and with respect—but I’ve only recently discovered he’s the same way with the people he cares about. I smile at the thought I’m included in that group.

Dinner is simple but so tasty, exactly what I needed. After we’re done, JD disappears to the kitchen with the empty bowls but returns holding my brush.

“Lean your head back.”

I do as he asks, keeping my eyes on the pretty view as he carefully works on the tangles and knots. I feel pampered. A full belly, the fresh air, and the feel of those strong, long fingers combing through my hair have me so relaxed, I’m almost dozing off again. But the faint sound of a phone ringing cuts through my moment of pure Zen.

“I think that’s yours,” JD says, letting go of my hair as he ducks inside.

He returns a moment later and hands me my phone.

“Hey, Logan,” I answer, after checking the name on the screen. “I was going to call you later to see how today went.”

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