Page 56 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Eighteen
Someone shook Tom and he opened his eyes to see Sam smiling at him. For one moment he forgot where he was—at the hospital. Kendra had left early wanting to be home when Connor woke. Living across the road from her was working out mighty fine. Tom’d had to get to the hospital anyway for the tests, so although he didn’t want her to leave, he had his own commitment to his family to consider.
Now, he’d had his tests, and he was resting from last night’s marathon love session with Kendra, in a really uncomfortable hospital chair, waiting for the results.
“Long night?”
Images of his and Kendra’s special night played in his mind. “Yeah, but the best kind of long night.”
Sam grinned. “I’ve had a lot of those myself.”
Tom looked around the hospital waiting room, which was just outside the laboratory where he’d been poked and prodded. Surprisingly, there were only two other people in it and they were across the room.
He leaned closer to Sam. “No, it wasn’t just sex. Until last night, I didn’t understand what lovemaking meant or why it’s called something besides sex. I mean, it’s sex, but more, you know?”
To his credit, Sam tried to contain his mirth, but he lost the battle. “God, you’re adorable. My baby brother is growing up.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tom said under his breath. “Forget it.”
Sam chuckled. “I’m sorry, Tommy. I know exactly what you mean. I had plenty of sex in college, but when I met Tonya senior year, that was it. Love at first sight. We didn’t sleep together until we’d been going out for four months and I never once cheated on her.”
Tom raised his eyebrows. “Four months? Wow.” Then he frowned. “Wait a minute. You guys started dating in February that year and you got married in June right after graduation.” Tom gasped. “You waited for your wedding night?”
Sam pounded on Tom’s thigh. “Why don’t you just tell the whole hospital? Lower your voice.”
Tom resisted rubbing his leg, even though it hurt like hell. “Sorry. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
Sam smiled. “So was I. Tonya was saving herself for marriage and I knew as soon as we met that I wanted to be with her forever. I took a lot of cold showers and did some other things to blow off steam, but she was worth waiting for.”
“And that night, I discovered that being with someone you love has so much more meaning. Sure, sex is fun and feels good, but lovemaking?” Sam shook his head. “Infinitely better.”
Tom was about to respond when his number was called, but in his mind, he agreed wholeheartedly with his brother. Being with Kendra last night had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and he wanted to always share that with her.
“What gets me, little brother, is why did you never read any of Kendra’s emails?”
His stomach clenched as he looked at the floor. “I was scared about what she would say. I never imagined it would be to tell me that she’d got pregnant. The condom broke, but the hospital had indicated she might not be able to have children from the chemo. She even froze some of her eggs in case. So, we didn’t think much about it. Not reading those emails was more about my feelings for her and not being brave enough to face them. Let’s face it, good old mum and dad didn’t set a very good example of happily ever after.”
“You were young. You just needed time to work out what is important in life. It’s not cars, wine, and women. It’s love and family.”
“You and I have plans tomorrow, Sam,” Tom said, standing.
“Oh, yeah? Doing what?”
Rising, Tom let out a happy sigh. “Ring shopping.”
He turned away, leaving Sam laughing behind him.
A nurse appeared from the laboratory and suggested, “Why don’t you go visit your father while you wait. I’ll come find you if we have any news.”
The bother’s nodded in agreement and went to find their dad.
Tom stood looking down at his sleeping father, who lay in a hospital bed. Tubes and wires connected Vincent to IV bags and a heart monitor, among other machines that Tom wasn’t familiar with.
Although he’d been at the hospital with Sam for his father’s surgery, Tom hadn’t visited Vincent. His father’s eyes had sunken and his pallor was tinged with yellow from his failing liver transplant. He was much thinner than when Tom had last seen him. His throat closed as he took in his father’s declining condition.
“Remember what we agreed,” Sam whispered.
Tom nodded. They’d decided not to tell Vincent that Tom was being tested as a possible donor in case he didn’t qualify. They didn’t want to get Vincent’s hopes up.
