Page 31 of Bear Boss's Mate
“Don’t move. You’re pretty banged up.” Austin leaned forward and touched her cheek.
She looked surprised to see him. “What happened?” After a moment, a look of panic crossed her face. A couple of silent tears slid down her swollen cheeks.
Austin lifted his brows. “You don’t remember?”
“I was in the parking lot of my building. Mick, he...” she paused and closed her eyes. More tears began to trickle out the sides of her eyes and roll down her face toward her ears.
Austin grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and stood, gently dabbing away the tears. “You’re okay now. You are safe,” he murmured. “He’ll never be able to hurt you again.”
A few silent moments passed between them. He cleared his throat as he gazed down at her.
“Sorry,” Marcy said through swollen lips.
Austin stopped wiping her cheeks and leaned in closer. “For what?”
Tears continued to trickle out of her eyes and down her cheeks. “For pushing you away.”
He understood why she’d pushed him away, even though he didn’t like it. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
They were both silent for another minute before Marcy’s weak voice warbled, “You found me, didn’t you?”
Austin nodded and choked back the emotion, unable to speak. Marcy laid perfectly still while Austin moved strands of hair off her face and dabbed at her eyes. He didn’t want to hurt her already fragile skin.
He sat back down as the door to the room opened, clearing his throat again.
Expecting it to be Bern, he was surprised when a nurse entered the room. Austin cradled Marcy’s hand. The nurse looked at Marcy, not noticing him. It was a different nurse than the one who’d shown him to her room.
“You’re awake? How are you this morning?” The nurse didn’t wait for a response. She looked at Marcy’s chart and cross-checked the listed medication on it with what she held in her hands, along with a syringe. The nurse moved to the opposite side of the bed and injected medicine into Marcy’s intravenous tube.
“Has she spoken?” the nurse asked Austin, as if she’d suddenly noticed he was there.
“Yes.” He narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t like her abruptness.
She turned her attention to Marcy to examine her and take her blood pressure. “Looks like you’re doing fine, dear,” she said as she finished her check-up and left the room without another word.
Austin turned to Marcy and placed the back of his hand against her cheek, stroking it. “You need to rest. Doctor’s orders.” Austin didn’t move from where he sat. He didn’t want to leave Marcy, but he knew that the medication they’d given her for pain would make it difficult for her to keep her eyes open.
Austin felt a great sense of relief that she was going to heal and be okay. “I’m happy you are okay,” he said, standing. He bent down and cautiously kissed her lips without a second thought.
He didn’t expect her to kiss him back, but when she did she winced. Feeling a stab of hope that all wasn’t lost between them, he smiled at her.
“Thank you for being here,” she whispered.
“If I have my way, I’ll never leave your side again.” And he meant it with all his heart.
Marcy soon was fighting to keep her eyes open.
Bern entered the room with two cups of coffee in his hands. He glanced at Marcy, looking delighted. “She woke up?” he asked.
Austin, who was still standing next to her, took a coffee from Bern and sat down again. “Yes, she spoke. The nurse was in and gave her some painkillers. She’ll be asleep again soon.”
They heard a soft laugh come from Marcy. “I can hear you,” she said in a sing-song voice. She forced her eyes to stay open for a moment. “Bern? Why areyouhere?” she asked in a sweet voice.
Austin could see the medication was taking effect and grinned at her. “Bern’s here to see why you aren’t at work,” Austin teased.
Her unsuccessful attempt at scrunching her nose caused her to flinch. Her reaction was to roll her eyes instead.
“I’m here because I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Bern said, grinning at both of them.
