Page 82 of Home for the Holidays

Iris started to laugh but ended up coughing, which made her head and her ribs hurt even more. “Wait, oh my god, my ribs,” she said with her hand in the air. “Are you actually admitting you were wrong?”

He groaned as he wiped at his wet cheeks. “Yeah, you jerk, that’s what I’m fucking saying.”

“So, what does this mean?” Hope gently started to percolate in the pit of her stomach. “You’re not going to make me stop seeing your mom?”

“Ugh. Can you just call her Heidi? It makes it so much easier for me.” He kissed the top of her hand. “Just don’t fucking hurt her, or I’ll be the one hitting you with a snowplow.”

“My god, it was a snowplow?”

He nodded, sadness and fear all over his face.

“Fuck,” she whispered. It could have been so much worse. She could be in a full body cast. Christ, she could be dead. “I won’t hurt her. I swear.”

“Also, the rental? Is, like, totally totaled. Obviously.” He shrugged. “This has been a really fucked-up trip.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s fine. I have great insurance. And thank god I got the Land Rover—that’s about the only reason you’re okay.”

She adjusted herself in the bed so she could see him better. “How long do I need to be here?”

“The doctor said he would release you once you woke up and he could assess everything. And as long as you were going home with people who could keep an eye on you, since you have a concussion.”

“Oh,” Iris whispered.

“So,” Zac summed up, “you’re obviously coming home with us.”

“Zac, no, I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Shut up,” he said and squeezed her hand. “You are not now nor will you ever be a burden.”

“I agree.”

Iris’s breath caught in her throat when she heard that voice. Heidi was standing at the door, a relieved smile on her beautiful face.

“Hi,” Iris said softly. Seeing Heidi after not thinking she’d ever see her again was causing her very sore brain to backfire.

Zac stood and offered the chair he had been sitting in to Heidi. She sat, her hands folded in her lap, her back straight as an arrow. Something wasn’t right.

“Jesus, Ma, I told her it was fine. You can touch her.” Zac groaned as he unfolded his mom’s hands and pulled her closer to Iris. “You can be together. You can do whatever it was you were doing.” He shook a shudder off and said, “Just don’t be weird about this, okay?”

Heidi’s eyes hadn’t left Iris’s.Noweverything was right. “We won’t be,” she said as her warm hands held on to Iris’s. “We won’t be.”

“Ugh, you’re already being weird.” Zac groaned, though he winked at Iris. “I’m going to give you some space. I’ll also tell the nurses you’re awake so we can get you the fuck out of this place.” Another shudder ran through him. “Hospitals are theworst.” And he disappeared.

“Hi.” Heidi kissed Iris’s knuckles. “You scared the shit out of me, Iris Abbott.” Her lips never left Iris’s skin.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“Shh…” Heidi stood and kissed Iris’s forehead, then her cheeks, before her lips landed on hers. “I never thought I’d get to do that again.”

“Kiss me?”

“Yes.” She breathed in and let out a small laugh. “We gotta get you a toothbrush. Stat.”

Iris started to laugh, which again caused a coughing fit. “Hey, you’re the one who just barged in and started kissing me.”

“Shut up,” Heidi said as she kissed her again. “You’re okay, and that is all that matters.”

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