Page 20 of Island Protector

“Miles?” She closed her eyes. “Great,” she grumbled. “Now I’m hallucinating. Concussions suck.”

He chuckled and let the door close behind him. “You’re not hallucinating. Sharon called me.”

“Bryce wanted to see you,” Molly said. “Thanks for coming.”

“He’s doing great,” Miles said. “Aside from the hunger issues.”

Her laughter sputtered. “Diedre promised him ice cream.”

“I heard.” Miles stepped to the end of the bed. “Bryce might’ve made the request, but once I got here, I wanted to see you.”

Her legs shifted under the blanket and her gaze slid away from him. “I don’t know why.”

“Don’t you?” he challenged gently. The query probably didn’t fall under Dr. Nyland’s definition of zero stress. But seeing her like this lit a fire inside him. He wassuddenly tired of hanging back and giving her room. “I care about you Molly. You and Bryce. Sharon too.”

“We all appreciate that. Thank you.” She still didn’t quite look at him. “Bryce idolizes you. I’m sure seeing you was a highlight of a crazy night.”

“He told me all about keeping his car life preserver on.”

“That’s right.” A smile flickered across her face, there and gone too quickly. “He was getting anxious. Distracting him with your boat safety lessons worked like a charm. Thanks for that.”

“You’re thanking me an awful lot,” he observed. “How bad is it?” He nodded toward her arm.

“Tender.” She lifted her arm, studying the brace. “Could’ve been so much worse. I guess the airbag and impact combined for some soft tissue damage. They expect it to heal without any trouble.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. Fumbling, he blurted, “You’re gonna thank me again in a minute.”

“Why is that?”

He sank down on the chair beside the bed. “Because I’m going to handle dinner for y’all tonight. What did Dr. Nyland say about your discharge?”

“I have to stay overnight for the concussion protocol,” she replied. “Diedre told me they’d give me a light meal in a little bit.”

“I’m sure the Jell-O is excellent today.” He felt heroic when that earned another smile.

The clinic dealt mainly with day-to-day medical care and they were equipped to handle moderate urgent needs and emergencies. Although they weren’t a full-service hospital, they were fully staffed and had several rooms available for overnight stays.

“I’m glad you’ve got Sharon,” he said. “And me.”

“Miles, you really don’t need to worry about us?—”

“Wrong. I really do.” He decided to lay his cards on the table. Or the bed, in this case. Reaching for her hand, he said, “The accident was a serious shock for all of you. And you need to rest comfortably. So I’ll keep an eye on them and make sure your family’s okay.”

“At this rate, I’ll be thanking you for months.” She swiped a tear that rolled down her cheek. “Forgive me. I am feeling a little weepy.”

“Adrenaline fallout,” he said, easing her embarrassment. He’d never seen Molly cry. The woman was tough as nails. When she seemed steadier, he continued. “Molly, for a long time I’ve wanted to ask you out. This might not be the best day, and you don’t have to say anything right now. I care about you as a friend, of course. I’m here to help. End of story.

“But I am interested in more,” he admitted softly. “Will you think about it once you’re feeling better?”

“You’re serious?” She frowned but the expression went awry due to the minor injuries. She’d probably be annoyed that he found it cute. “I’m… I’m not sure that’s smart. Especially not now.”

“Good, because I haven’t asked yet.” He grinned. He wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily. Did he have any chance with her? “For tonight, I’m just a friend. Ready and able to help out. Can you accept that?” His breath backed up in his lungs while he waited for her response.

“All right,” she agreed. “As long as we’re not putting you out.”

He shook his head. “Not a chance.” Wasn’t like he had lessons to teach at this hour. And he didn’t have a hard timeline on the E-scow rehab. “You’ve got your phone?”

“Yes.” She pointed to the bedside table. “It was in my purse behind the seat.”

---