Unable to think of a snappy come-back, Suzy settled instead for sticking her tongue out at him, childish maybe, satisfying, definitely. Gray slid his hands under her as gently as he could and eased her out of the car. Each step he took caused a jarring pain in her ribs, but she kept her lips tightly pursed, determined not to look weak.
If Suzy thought she was in love with the house from the outside, the interior made it pale in comparison. The house had an open floor plan and soaring ceilings. The walls were painted a warm, pale yellow and a chandelier in the foyer bounced light off the shining hard-wood floors. “I know you would like to look around, but I think for now it would be best to get you settled in for some rest. Maybe later if you feel up to it, I’ll carry you around for a tour. Would you prefer the bed or couch in the family room?”
“The couch, I think. I’m tired of lying in the bed.”
Gray carried her through the foyer and into another brightly lit room in the same color scheme. There was a floor to ceiling stone fireplace on one wall with built-in bookshelves on the connecting wall. A row of windows framed in a light-colored wood made up another wall. A set of double French doors were situated in the middle of the windows and appeared to lead out onto a back deck. Suzy could see some lounge chairs and patio furniture arranged in seating areas around a barbeque grill and the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the background.
Gray walked over to a tan leather sofa and gently deposited her onto it. He carefully arranged two decorative pillows behind her head and then took another pillow and propped her injured ankle on it. Next he grabbed a chenille throw from a nearby chair and covered her. When he was finished, he stood back to survey his work. Suzy could no longer hide her grimace of pain. Seeing it, Gray squatted down beside of the sofa and took her hand.
“You’re in pain; will you please take some medication now?”
Suzy wanted to say no. She was tired of the drugged feeling that the pain medication was giving her. The ride from the hospital and then the trip into the house was painful though, much worse than she’d imagined. She nodded her head to Gray in agreement and decided that there was always tomorrow to be strong and take a stand, the only person to suffer today for her stubbornness would be her.
Gray soon returned with a glass of water and a pill. He used his hand to support her head so that she wouldn’t have to jar her body again. Suzy murmured a quiet thank you and snuggled back into the couch cushions as best she could. Gray went to collect her luggage, and she was dimly aware of him calling Beth and telling her that they had made it home. When he came back into the room a few moments later, Suzy’s eyes were getting heavy and her thoughts were spinning.
With what she was certain was a dopey smile, she looked at Gray and said, “Thank you for everything. You’ve been so good during this mess, and I’ve never done anything to deserve your kindness.” As if by great effort, she whispered, “I do care about you, though, but you scare me Gray, you scare me so much.”
With those final words, Suzy slipped off to sleep. Gray stood beside the sofa looking down into the face of the woman he loved more than life itself. The words that Suzy had spoken were a great admission for her. She wasn’t likely to remember them when she woke again, but he would. He also knew what she’d said was true. He felt certain that Suzy more than cared for him, she loved him. Her heart, though, was damaged. She gave it years ago to her parents, and they treated it with nothing but criticism and indifference, and then she’d taken one more chance and given it to Jeff, and he shattered it. Repairing that heart and taking it as his own had been a long road, and it was far from over. He’d not have wished her harm in a million years, but the one positive to come from this accident was that Suzy’s running days were over. She was here with him now, and he intended to show her that they were each other’s forever after.
~~~
Suzy woke to a wonderful smell, and her nose twitched in appreciation. At first, disoriented from the unfamiliar surroundings, it took her several minutes to put the pieces together again. She was with Gray at his home. Apparently, he’d either left for take-out or had something delivered and whatever it was, it smelled delicious. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation.
Soon the object of various fantasies and a lot of denial came into view. “Oh good, the patient is awake. I thought you might be hungry by now. “
Suzy surveyed Gray’s casual attire and hadn’t thought it possible for her mouth to water any more than it already was…she was wrong. The man might look like a GQ model in a suite but in jeans, he was drop-dead gorgeous. He was wearing a Nike t-shirt and jeans that were faded from use and almost lovingly hugged his physique. Great, I look like a hag, smell even worse, and he looks as fresh as a daisy. Where is the justice in the world?
“Are you ready for something to eat? It’s just simple vegetable soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches. I thought we would have something light and then maybe a slice of lemon pound cake later this evening if you like.”