Page 35 of Possession

“Can you say the same?”

His eyes stayed trained on mine. There were shadows there. Not just the fatigue-soaked kind. “I’ll do my best.”

At least he didn’t lie. That would have to do.

Chapter Ten

“So, it’s not broken?” I gripped my blanket and gasped as Dr. Perrault rotated my foot. My forehead and under my arms tingled with sweat.

“No.” He lowered it into the immobilizer, then he flipped the sheet back down. “You bruised your ankle bone with the way it was pinned between the rocks but mostly ended up with a mild sprain as you tried to free yourself.”

I tried to look at him, but there were spots floating in my vision. I almost preferred a break. I’d had one of those before. In fact, Dr. Perrault had set that when I was fourteen. I didn’t remember it hurting nearly as much as this.

He moved to the right of my bed to look over my IV. Various bags were converging together to pump whatever cocktail they’d deemed necessary to get me back on my feet.

I had a feeling there was something in there for pain, as well.

Could be the needle the doctor flashed, because soon enough, I was feeling a hell of a lot more chill.

“You’ll have some discomfort for a few days, then a twinge or two as the bone heals. You were very lucky, Ms. Copeland.”

“I’ve been in that cove a hundred times since I was a kid.”

“Yes, but we’re far nimbler as children. And the rocks on our beaches erode more and more every year.”

“I have a firsthand account, thanks.”

The doctor gave me a warm smile. “Maybe you’ll think better of crawling around in there during the winter. It’s been warm this winter so far, but you’re no stranger to the ocean in these parts.”

“No.” I sighed and flopped back on my nonexistent pillow. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in there.” How my grandmother had moved around in there was beyond me.

In fact, that should have been a clue.

Annabelle was a fit older woman, but she wouldn’t have been climbing around in there. I’d been so excited to get a clue as to what could be behind the multiple break-ins that I’d jumped on the idea of the cove before thinking.

So stupid.

“You should be up on your feet in a week. If you hadn’t scared us with the hypothermia, I’d have let you go home today.”

“Great.”

I tried to straighten up at a knock on the door. “Am I interrupting?”

The familiar voice brought a stupid wash of tears. I smiled at the huge vase of yellow blooms blocking most of her body. They were a mix of roses, tulips, and daffodils. “Hi, Phil.”

“Get some rest, Ms. Copeland.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

He stopped at the door. “Just a few minutes, okay?”

Philomena Stanwick made an entrance, flowers or not. She swept in and pushed over the smaller bouquet of flowers that I hadn’t noticed before. A single white rosebud was nestled in a trio of sterling gray roses just about to unfurl.

Without looking at a card, I knew they were from Blake.

Unusual. Thoughtful and memorable with a dash of offhand romance. So much like the man. Always keeping me off-balance.

I would’ve expected red, but notthose. Those were definitely not the kind that would be ordered by an assistant. ConsideringIwas his assistant, it wasn’t exactly a stretch that he’d have to do it on his own.

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