“What’s so funny?” Noel called.
We women answered, “Nothing,” in unison, which set off a whole new round of laughter.
The guys finally gave up and shook their heads before returning to their game, while all the kiddos continued to play unawares in the small wading pool by the ramp to the back door.
“Now, where were we?” Reese asked, once we’d settled down enough to concentrate on the task at hand, to plan a graduation party for me, Brandt, and even Colton, since he’d be finishing high school a week after Brandt and I ended our term.
“I think we’re set,” Aspen murmured, reading over the list. “This looks good. It’s going to be the perfect party for you and the boys.”
“Great!” Caroline slapped her hands onto the tabletop and stood. “Now let’s get some food ready. I’m starving.”
As we migrated toward the house, I cast another glance toward the playing men. Brandt had just made a run with the ball only to get tagged by Noel. He was panting as he followed the others back to a new line of scrimmage for another play when he must’ve felt my stare. Glancing over, he grinned and lifted his hand to wave.
And since I was so busy ogling him, I rolled myself right into the side of the ramp. It jerked my chair to a halt, but I kept going and spilled forward, falling onto the ramp and landing on my hands and knees.
“Oh my God! Sarah!” Reese hurried back to me, but Brandt beat her there.
“Babe?” His warm hands grasped my shoulders.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” I was quick to call, even though my palms and shins felt like they were on fire. “Just clumsy.”
“Is that blood? Is she bleeding?” I heard Mason’s panicked voice.
Brandt’s fingers swept over my leg from the knee down. “I think it’s just a scrape. Let’s get it cleaned off so we can see it better, though.” He pressed his lips to my brow before announcing, “Up we go.”
He stood, bringing me with him. Then he carried me inside, and everyone trailed after us, even the kiddos.
When I heard my niece and nephew’s worried questions to Reese, asking if I was okay, I felt the need to call again. “I’m fine! Just fine.” Then I buried my face into Brandt’s sunbaked chest and mumbled, “Lord, this is so embarrassing.”
Brandt chuckled against my brow. “Suck it up, buttercup. All these worried people just mean you’re loved that much more.”
“It’s still humiliating,” I mumbled, though I was vaguely tempted to swipe my tongue out to taste all the enticing man-flesh I was pressing my face into as we entered his room.
With another kiss to my cheek, he carried me to his bed and sat, bringing me down to settle on his lap. Then he held me as everyone else mother-henned, Aspen and Caroline arguing from the bathroom which items would best clean the wound, Zoey claiming her husband was the doctor and should take the first look, while Mason, Noel, Ten, and Colton crowded around my bloodied shins, and Reese tried to keep all the kids from coming inside to gawk.
“It’s madness,” I said.
Brandt tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and grinned at me. Once Aspen and Caroline hustled into the room, their arms loaded with all sorts of medical goodies, he waved them forward and called, “Okay, now everyone out. I got this.”
Mason straightened to send him a dark look. “Excuse me?”
Meeting my big brother’s gaze, Brandt repeated, “I got this.”
Mason opened his mouth, only to shut it again and shift his gaze to me. Then his shoulders fell and he nodded. “Doesn’t look like it’s too bad,” he murmured.
He grabbed Noel and Ten and began to drag them toward the exit. The others followed, Aspen trailing at the end so she could close the door behind us and give us some privacy.
“There.” Brandt breathed out and tugged me off his lap so he could settle me on his bed. “Let’s see what we have now.”
I watched his face as he studied my legs, then carefully cleaned each shin before covering the abrasions with bandages. Next, he calmly took my hands into his and checked the palms before sucking in a sympathetic cringe and cleaning those as well.
All I did was sit there and study his face with awe as he took care of me.
It’d been four weeks since my stroke. My left side was still mostly numb. I was pretty sure full sensation would never return, but my swallowing had improved. The one thing I knew for certain: I was as recovered from it as I was ever going to be. This was me at my full capacity. The doctors had straightened out my medication and I was no longer considered a high risk.
Reese and Mason still hovered, worrying about my health, but Brandt had mellowed. He knew as well as I did that this was the new and permanent me. He’d accepted it, and that was why he’d kicked the others out just now. They’d overdramatize over my minor, stupid little fall and try to make it something bigger than it was. He wouldn’t, and he knew that was what I needed right now.