She smiled at her sister and reached over to squeeze her hand. “You go, girl. I think you have more of me inside you than we either imagined. Never apologize for being honest with me, and by the way, I agree. Now, about these ugly clothes you packed for me, where the hell did they come from?” As they both doubled over in laughter, Beth admitted that they were hers, and she’d just been trying to pack things that would be easier for Suzy for relax in while she was healing. Beth promised she’d go pack some of Suzy’s things that afternoon. Soon Suzy was starting to feel loopy from the pain medication, and Gray came back to carry her to the sofa in the living room where he had a breakfast tray waiting for her.
Chapter Ten
Both she and Beth looked at the tray almost drooling. Gray had prepared French toast, and bacon along with a glass of orange juice. He put her tray over her lap and gave her a playful tweak of the nose as he was straightening. “Beth, I made you a plate, as well. Would you like to eat here or in the kitchen?”
Beth looked at Gray like he’d just announced he’d run over her cat. “I…I already had something before I came. Th…thanks, though.” Beth turned away from the sight of her sister eating the mouth-watering French toast and murmured something about straightening the bathroom.
“Beth, you don’t have to do that, I’ll take care of it,” Gray offered.
Gray looked puzzled as Beth hurried from the room, as if she hadn’t heard him. He looked at Suzy in confusion. “Did I do something to offend her?”
“No, don’t worry about it. She’s funny about food. She used to be heavier, and she worries a lot about what she eats. I’ve always been able to eat like a horse without gaining weight, but it’s been a struggle for Beth all of her life.”
Nick had walked in from the kitchen and was obviously listening to their exchange. “Wow, that’s hard to believe. She’s really too thin now. I can’t imagine she’d ever have a problem with weight. She should chill. Men like a little something to hang onto.”
Suzy waved her fork at him in warning, “Don’t mention anything to her about it, and you better not hurt her feelings or I’ll club you upside the head with my cast when I get it.”
Nick held up his hands in surrender. “Even I have my limits. I don’t go around hurting feelings. She may not be able to see it herself, but I think your sister is beautiful. A little uptight maybe, but beautiful. Before you throw in the last lecture, I’m not going to hit on her, so don’t get your panties in a twist.”
Suzy looked over at Gray, “I like him; your life will probably be miserable with both of us in it.”
~~~
Soon Gray and Nick left for their meeting with Declan Stone, and Beth had insisted on cleaning every inch of the house even though it didn’t need it. A medical supply company delivered some items that Gray had ordered. Suzy was now the proud owner of a pair of hot pink crutches, the shower seat that Beth had been unable to find in a store, and a cast cover for showering. She could maneuver on the crutches with Beth’s assistance enough to get to the bathroom and back. She was still so sore from the fall that using the crutches caused her some pain, but she was desperate to have some mobility.
With Beth’s help, she finally got her first real glimpse of Gray’s home. To the left of the entry way was a formal dining area, in white. The tall ceiling and exposed wood-work were all in white, as well as the built-in cabinets. “Now this finally looks like a beach house. I feel like I should be wiping my hands and feet before I walk in here.” A table for eight took up the center of the room with plenty of sunlight streaming through the huge windows dominating one wall. Next to the dining room was a beautiful, airy kitchen. The walls were a light, slate-blue with white trim. Stainless-steel appliances and a large island in white and granite sparkled in the afternoon light coming in through the floor-to-ceiling wall of windows on the opposite end of the kitchen. Even though everything in the room was high-end, it still had a comfortable, homey feel to it. Suzy eyed what was obviously a back stairway, but Beth put her foot down saying they’d explored enough for one day. Truthfully by that point she was tired and her ankle was again throbbing.
She asked Beth to get her some over-the-counter painkillers; she was tired of feeling zoned out on the stronger medication. After Beth helped her settle back on the couch, Suzy could feel the urge to close her eyes for a few moments. I’m napping more than a ninety-year-old lady now, what’s next, bingo and support hose?
Suzy woke sometime later to the feel of a hand caressing her face. She opened her eyes and stared at the face of the man who was fast becoming the center of her universe. With a smile she said, “Hi, dear, how was your day?”
“It was a long afternoon; I was worried about you. I called to check on you, and Beth told me you were sleeping. She also said your doctor called, and you can have your hard cast put on tomorrow. “
“Yeah,” Suzy held up her hand to high-five him. “I think that will make life easier. Thanks for the pink crutches. Where in the world did you find those?”