Page 8 of That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe
“Ugh.” I chew my lip, and the knots in my abdomen cinch up even tighter than theyalready were. “I’m so sorry.”
Ford glances over his shoulder at the door to the exam rooms. “The nurse is getting a wheelchair for Three now. He should be out soon.”
“Wheelchair?” I wince. “Oh no. He can’t even walk?”
“He probably could, but the meds have him kinda loopy. Either way, it’s hospital policy for patients to be wheeled to the curb.”
“He’s going to be okay, though?” I’m keeping my tone hopeful, like I might be able to manifest future positivity by speaking it out into the universe. If Three is, in fact, all right, Ford can take him home, and I can get on with my life.
My very Three-avoidant life.
“He’s gonna be all right.” Ford bobs his head. “He just needs to be watched closely for the next few days.”
I let out a small sigh of relief. Three’s got plenty of family in Abieville to keep an eye on him, which means my job here is done. I’m so relieved, in fact, my stomach growls again.
Loudly.
Ford’s brow hikes back up again. “Impressive, Hathaway.”
“Don’t mind me.” I cringe, pressing a hand to my middle. “Just your garden-variety alien invasion in my gut.”
Ford shrugs. “Happens.”
“I guess so. But that’s probably my signal to head out.” I glance at the door to the exam rooms and rise from my seat. Under the circumstances, I’m probably the last person Three will want to see again, and Idefinitelydon’t want to seehimagain. More importantly, I don’t want Ford or Three or anyone else in Abieville to think his proximity bothers me so much.
Because itshouldn’tbother me so much. Itdoesn’tbother me.
Much.
Still, a lump gathers in my throat, and I swallow hard against it. “Would you just apologize to Three for me one more time?” I ask. “Please?”
Ford stuffs hishands in his pockets. “Sure thing.”
My legs suddenly feel heavy as lead. “So.” I shift my weight. “Do you think Three will just stay at his parents’ house?”
Ford’s jaw tenses. “Probably not.”
“With his sister then?”
“Doubt it,” he says grimly.
I blink. “But he and Nella used to be so close.” In fact, the way Three cared about his sister was one of the things I loved most about him. A man who’s good to his family is more attractive to me than just about anything else. And Three was already stupidly attractive even when he was nowhere near the other Fullers.
“Oh, they’re still close.” Ford scratches the scruff at his chin. “The thing is, our whole family’s supposed to spend the next two weeks on a cruise from California to Hawaii. All the aunts, uncles, cousins.”
My heart plummets as I realize Three probably won’t be cleared to travel with a concussion. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.” Ford looks down at the floor, scuffs his shoe along the carpet. “We’re all booked on the red eye to LAX tonight. Then tomorrow, we’re boarding a ship in the Port of Los Angeles. Even our grandmother’s going.”
I suck in a breath. “Big Mama?” The last time I saw her, she was a rickety wisp of a thing with puffy white hair and a dry sense of humor. She must be in her nineties by now. “She was always so nice to me. I’m just so glad she’s still …” My voice trails off.
“Yeah. She’sstill.” Ford lifts his gaze. “That’s why we all wanted to take this cruise with her while we could.” His eyes cloud over. “Everyone’s planning to carpool to the airport in a couple hours. Three’s folks have never even been on a plane, so there’s no way he’s gonna let them or Nella miss this trip.”
Before I can ask who’ll take care of Three, the door from the hallway opens and a perky nurse wheels Three into the waiting room. He’s got a bandage stretching from the nape of his neck up and around the top of his skull with auburn spikes poking out around the edges.
“Hello, kidsss,” he slurs at us. Then he looks up at the nurse with a sleepy grin. “Hello, Hairy.”
“Close.” She offers him a patient smile. “But my name isMary,remember?”
