Page 52 of A Chance at Forever
Rusty lifted his head and stared at her. She cupped his face. “Will you stay until I fall asleep?”
“Of course.” He shifted his body and stretched out next to her.
She curled into his side, though the pressure on her left leg hurt. “I’ve got you, too, Rusty. You’re safe with me.”
His arms tightened around her, and he kissed the top of her head. “I know. Good night, sweetheart.”
*
Bacon sizzling ina frying pan and the enticing aroma of coffee brewing teased Victoria awake early the next morning. She groaned a little when she moved her ankle and used her left leg to prop herself up against the headboard. “Rusty!”
“Coming!”
She heard his familiar tread on the staircase along with Bud’s nails clicking on the hardwood floor. Bud pushed open the door with his nose, and Rusty followed with a breakfast tray.
He saw her chest rising and falling and set the tray next to her on the bed. “Baby, are you in pain?”
“Yes!” she gasped.
Rusty reached for her meds and handed her a tumbler of water on the tray. She swallowed the pills and murmured her thanks. “I think you’d better check the snakebite.”
“Does it feel hot?”
“No, but the bandage needs to be changed.” Victoria lifted her nightgown high enough to uncover her wound and retain her modesty.
Rusty’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gently pulled back the bandage. “It looks good, Tori. I have some time before I leave for school. Let me help you into the bathroom so you can shower. Afterward, I’ll redress the wound. I don’t want you doing this by yourself.”
She agreed and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Rusty wrapped an arm around her waist and hoisted her to her feet. Victoria gritted her teeth as a sharp pain spiraled through her ankle and affected leg. She hobbled into the bathroom, and Rusty turned on the water for her. He turned his back as she stripped and waited to make sure she wasn’t feeling faint.
“I’ll find something comfortable for you to wear, and after you eat, I’ll help you downstairs.”
“Okay.”
She showered and found a pair of dainty panties, a bra, gray sweatpants, and an old T-shirt on the bathroom counter. Imagining Rusty rummaging through her lingerie drawer brought a smile to her face, and a little heat, too. Victoria dressed but left her wounded leg bare. She covered up much as possible and yelled, “Rusty, I’m ready!”
Rusty’s eyes burned with green fire as they focused on her bare leg lying on top of the comforter. He blushed and his hand trembled as he unwrapped a sterile gauze bandage the hospital had given her.
“You’re blushing,” Victoria murmured. “And your hand is shaking.”
The color in his face deepened. He pressed the bandage on the wound and smoothed it. His hand slipped past the bandage and touched her thigh. It lingered. The sensation created an electric current flowing through Victoria, and her heart skipped several beats.
Rusty turned to throw away the package, and Victoria slid her leg into her sweatpants. “Breakfast looks delicious. I’ve worked up an appetite.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Oh no. It’s later than we thought. If you leave now, Rusty, you’ll make it in time.”
“I’m covered. Slatton said he’d watch first period for me. I’m not leaving you alone to navigate those stairs.”
Victoria rushed through breakfast. Rusty took the tray to the kitchen and came back to fetch her. She held her crutches as he carried her downstairs and laid her on the sofa. He covered her with a warm throw blanket and made sure she had everything she needed before he left. A bottle of water and her meds. Her cell phone. The novel she’d been reading. And the TV remote.
“I fixed lunch, Tori. It’s in the fridge. Under no circumstances are you to climb the stairs. If you need something, call Mia. I’ll check on you during my planning period. Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll either cook or bring home take-out.”
“You’ve got my lesson plans, right? And will you bring papers for me to grade?”
“Yes, to both of your questions.”
His gaze locked on hers. Mumbling something beneath his breath, Rusty captured her mouth in a hard, thrilling kiss. She responded in full measure, communicating her need for him.
“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he whispered and kissed her again.
“Have a great day. Wish I could be there.”
