She saw the way I was watching her, and her eyes widened for an instant. “The skinny?”
“You’re not all that skinny, babe.”
“I’m wearing a hospital gown, Max.” She plucked at the offending article.
Still didn’t hide all that much.
“Yup. So maybe I’m the one who’s sick here.”
Her laugh was tired and emotional, but she opened her arms to me.
I moved back against her, tenderly easing her onto her good side.
I kissed her on the forehead, and both cheeks, and then those lips no one else could ever touch like mine did.
She didn’t flinch when I kissed her gently.
“Shy. Have I ever been your nurse?”
She shook her head.
“Ever acted like I didn’t want you because I think you’re fucking hot and smart and incredible?”
“Noooo . . .”
I tipped her chin up. “And you’ve helped me more than I’ve ever helped you. The stuff with the brewery. Convincing me to do it.”
“I guess so.” She shrugged.
“Bullshit. I know so.” I kissed her once more. “Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“I love you, Shy.” Cupping the nape of her neck, I hauled her against me. “Love you so much. I’m just sorry, so goddamn sorry I didn’t get to you faster. Sorry it—” I gulped down an ocean of regret. “Sorry it happened at all.”
I broke down, right there, in her arms.
Imagining what had been done to her.
Thinking it could’ve been so much worse.
Wishing I’d killed Diablo.
“I knew you’d come, Max,” her whispered words eased some of the torment.
I dried my face and hers. “So no more talk about being a burden or whatever. Got it? Because I’m a mess without you, see?”
She stroked a bandaged hand along my jaw and plucked a kiss from my lips. “Okay.”
“You need to sleep, baby.”
Her eyes were drowsy and drifting closed. “My parents?”
“They’ll be here soon.”
Shy nodded off, and a few minutes later Haines checked on her.
She seemed satisfied with the bandages on both Shy’s legs, but added, “We’ll have to watch her progress closely before any decisions are made about more surgery.”
I was almost asleep myself when Thomas and Justine appeared.
I moved off the bed without disturbing Shy, and the two of them hurried to her side.
They looked absolutely stricken, and I was sure they must’ve had the full police and medical reports.
I’d never felt guiltier than when they turned their furious stares on me.
“I want you out of here, Max.” Shy’s dad came at me with a heated whisper.
I nearly caved. But I wasn’t leaving Shy. Not after what I’d just promised her.
“I think we should talk in the hall,” I said.
Thomas jabbed me in the chest. “I told you to leave.”
“I’m sorry, sir, ma’am. I’m going nowhere. I love your daughter.”
“How dare you?” Justine hissed at me. “You’ve endangered her life! Not to mention her leg and—”
“You’re going to wake Shy up if you keep shouting at me. Please, let’s talk outside.” I opened the door, grateful when they followed me into the quiet hospital corridor.
“You’re a bad influence, Max. You always have been. We should’ve put a stop to this . . . this thing between you and Shiloh the first time we caught wind of it.” Thomas, who was usually a southern gentleman through and through, looked like he wanted to beat my head in.
“I’ve changed.” I wasn’t about to get dragged into my past again.
After last night that shit was done.
Except for making sure Diablo and his crew went to jail for a very long time.
“You’ve changed?” Justine asked, increasingly pissed off. “Our daughter wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you!”
“That’s why I’m not leaving. I intend to make up for it.” I straddled my legs wide. “Every day. So no, I’m not going anywhere. Not right now. Not tonight. And not for the rest of Shy’s life.”
Thomas sputtered, getting ready to lay into me again.
“You have no idea how sorry I am about what happened.” I squeezed my eyes shut as a tight knot formed in my throat. “I would kill anyone who tried to hurt her again.”
Justine gasped.
“I know that’s not exactly the kosher thing to say.” I looked at them with a harsh expression. “But I’m taking care of her. I love her. I may have made some mistakes in my past. And that’s it right there. My past. I paid my dues. You’re only going to alienate Shy if you try to force us apart. And I don’t want that to happen.”
“Maybe that’s true,” Justine admitted grudgingly. “Maybe we should give you another chance.”
“But I want you to know something, Maxwell Rush.” Mr. Lockhart aimed his steel-hard gaze at me. “If anything like this happens to Shiloh again I’ll have you killed.”
I briefly wondered who his connections were, but figured it wasn’t an idle threat. “Fair enough.”
“You should think about going into the law. You make a very convincing case,” he grumbled.
****