Page 57 of Coulda

“Yeah, I need to be able to do that, too,” Rio answered with a wink.

“Dancing moves,” she corrected with a laugh before leaning in to whisper, “Those other ones, too. I like them a lot.”

“They’re ready for you downstairs,” a nurse announced from the doorway. “Transport is on his way to get you. I’m going to give you some pain meds before they rattle you along the floor.”

“Thank you,” Amber rushed to say as she moved away from his IV tubing.

“It’s definitely what I’d want someone to do for me,” the nurse answered and injected the liquid into his line. The two nurses watched Rio’s face relax before she patted his tattooed forearm. “I’ll see you back here in a few hours.”

“Could you let me know when he’s back?” Amber asked. “I’ll be working in the emergency department.”

“Definitely.” She looked at the information board on the wall where Amber had noted her name and number as the contact person for his care. “Are you Amber?”

“That’s me.”

“I’ll let you know when I have him settled.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Amber atebreakfast in the cafeteria before clocking in for her shift. She kept an eye on the clock to judge how the surgery was going. When her phone rang three hours after she’d kissed him for good luck, Amber breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing he’d sleep for a while, she delayed taking her lunch. When she got to his room, Rio’s luxurious eyelashes lay against his skin. Trying to be quiet, she looked over all his vitals with a practiced eye.

“Hi,” he rasped.

“Hi. Have a sip of water. That will help your throat,” she encouraged, holding the straw to his lips.

“Ahh! That’s good. Thank you. Is it all done?”

“I’m assuming so. You’ve got a big bandage on your leg and a non-weight bearing sign on your wall.”

“That’s going to suck.”

“You’ll need some help to negotiate for a while. We’ll figure it out,” she assured him.

“Yes. Can I eat? I’m starving,” Rio asked, pulling himself up in bed and wincing at the pain.

“Slow movements are going to be your friend,” she advised. “What sounds good?”

“I heard you rustling around in here and brought you some sherbet and sunflower butter crackers,” a nurse’s aide said cheerfully as she walked in.

Catching her first glimpse of Rio awake, she blurted, “You are as good looking as everyone said.”

Amber couldn’t help laughing at the young woman’s words. She didn’t dare look at Rio. If they both started laughing, Rio would jostle himself badly in bed. “He is.”

“And taken, I guess,” the aide said, opening the small container of rainbow sherbet.

“Completely,” Rio answered. “Thank you. Rainbow is my favorite sherbet flavor.”

“Crap! And you even have good taste,” the aide joked. “I’m Stephanie. Need anything else?”

When Rio shook his head, Stephanie added a plastic container with a lid. “This is a urinal to use here until they clear you to get up with help. Therapy will be here later. Press the button if you need help. I’ll be back with fresh ice and water.”

“Thank you, Stephanie,” Rio answered politely.

After she left, Rio asked, “Please tell me I can use that thing myself.”

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