Page 69 of First Love, Second Draft

“Rachel.”

He didn’t mean to snap at her, but good night, the girl was losing it. And he was about to lose his cookies if he didn’t get some fresh air. “My head hurts, my body aches, and I’d really like to pee in something other than a jug.” He pointed to the plastic urinal hanging off the side rail. “So stop acting like a girlfriend who’s crazy in love with me and just be a friend who’s here to help me put on my shoes so I can leave.”

Outside the curtained room, voices carried, monitors beeped, IV pumps squawked, stretchers rolled past. Finally she took a deep breath, dropped her gaze, and nodded. “You’re right. Sorry. I don’t know why I’m acting like this. We’re... we’re just friends. And you’re okay. Everything’s okay.”

Now that she’d gotten the hysterics out of her system, she actually made quick work of helping him into his shoes. A few minutes later, with her arm wrapped around his waist, she led him out the exit, across the ER parking lot, and all the way to the passenger’s side of her car.

“Sorry I freaked out back there,” she said, holding the door for him as he maneuvered into the seat, careful not to jostle his shoulder. “I mean, I know how I said I’d fallen in love with you, but I do believe we’re better off as just friends, so I hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression when I acted a little psychotic. I was only acting psychotic because we’re friends. Not because I love you. I mean, I do love you. As a friend. The same way I love everybody. We’re supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves, right? Do you think I should go back and apologize to that nurse and tell her I love her?”

Matt leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes, wishing his world wasn’t spinning like a slow-moving merry-go-round, making Rachel’s ramblings that much harder to follow. “I think you should help buckle me into this seat and leave that poor nurse alone.”

He heard her sigh. “I don’t know what to do with you, Matt.”

Did she mean tonight? Or life in general?

Because he was fairly certain “just friends” never helped each other out as much as he and Rachel had this past week. Or act the way she had inside the emergency room a few minutes ago. Or look at each other the way she was looking at him right now after she leaned over him to snap his seat belt in place.

He’d cracked an eye open and was peeking back at her. “I know exactly what I’d like to do with you,” he said.

Her eyes widened and she leaned back a fraction. Whoops. Had that come out weird and creepy? It was supposed to come out smooth and sexy. And considering he couldn’t pull that off on a good day, let alone after getting his head slammed around in a car accident, he should probably stick to just breathing and not dying for tonight.

She still hadn’t moved.

Great, he’d freaked her out so much she was paralyzed. Matt started to open his mouth to apologize and blame his concussion when her weight settled on his lap and her lips were touching his lips.

Why were her lips touching his lips? Were they kissing?

Oh wow. They were kissing.

And now her lips were gone. Where’d her lips go? Why weren’t they kissing?

It took his brain way too long to catch up. By the time he said, “Hey, wait a second,” Rachel had already scrambled out of the car and was talking to Noah.

What was Noah doing here? Why weren’t he and Rachel still kissing?

“Oh, thank goodness,” Noah said, leaning into the car to unbuckle him—which for the record was definitely not as fun as getting buckledin by Rachel. “You scared your aunt and me half to death. So glad you’re okay. C’mon, buddy.” He helped Matt to his feet.

Why was Noah helping him to his feet? Why weren’t he and Rachel still kissing?

“Let’s get you home.”

Before Matt knew it, Noah had loaded him into his Jeep, and he and Rachel were headed off in separate directions once again.

40

“She had her hands where?” Noah had already told her once, but Gracie wanted to hear it again as she checked the oven to see how the brownies were coming along.

“Everywhere. She was all over him.”

“Oh my goodness.” Gracie closed the oven door with a giggle. She was so relieved that Matt was okay—well, other than a concussion and shoulder injury—that she felt downright giddy. Which must be why she was giggling and gossiping with Noah like a schoolgirl.

It certainly had nothing to do with their little kiss earlier. Not even a kiss. A peck. Minor lip contact, really. And who gets giddy over minor lip contact from her ex-husband? Nobody. Definitely not Gracie.

Nope, she was just happy that Matt was okay. They still hadn’t been able to reach Mona, but Gracie didn’t care. She felt better having Matt under her own roof where she could keep an eye on him anyway—and maybe find out what exactly was going on between him and Rachel. “You sure they weren’t just hugging?”

“I’m telling you,” Noah said, grabbing a coffee mug from one of the hooks hanging on the wall next to the baker’s rack. “When I got there, Matt had Rachel on his lap like she was his favorite teddy bear and he was never letting her go.”

“Well, see? That just sounds more like a hug. They’ve always been good buddies.”

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