“Hey there, son. Yes. Your old man is just fine. A bit banged up, but I’ll live. At least that’s what they tell me.” A lighthearted smirk filled his face. “Kassie. Nice to see you, dear. I didn’t expect to see you here, but I’m glad you are.”
“I’m glad you’re okay Mr. Marcella.” She slid her arm around Luc’s waist, pulling herself as close to him as she could get.
“I feel like I missed something. Does someone want to fill me in?” his dad asked, with a curious look on his face.
Luc shook his head. “Dad, you didn’t miss a thing.”
His dad swung his legs over the side of the bed and proceeded to slip his shoes on. He stood up and put his wallet in his pocket.
Luc grabbed his father’s arm and steadied him as he wobbled back and forth. “Woah, Dad, you sure they said you can go home?”
His dad nodded toward the doctor entering the room. “Yes—ask him, son. I can’t wait to get this blasted gown off. My dear, you may want to step out for that. No one really wants to see what’s under this.” He pointed to the hospital gown.
“Dad.” Luc groaned.
“You must be his son. Yes. Mr. Marcella can go home. He’s got a few bumps and bruises, and he’ll probably be sore in the morning.”
“Son, at my age, I’m sore every morning, accident or not.” At Luc’s insistence, his dad sat with a grunt back down on the edge of the bed.
The doctor snickered and shook his head. “Yeah, he’ll be sore. He was lucky, though. Broken bones were limited to his nose, and looks like one of his ribs. He’ll have to take it easy for a few days and see how he feels. He does have some whiplash and has possibly sprained his shoulder. I’m thinking the seatbelt did its job and yanked him back in the seat at impact. Unfortunately, that’s going to hurt for a while. I’ll send him home with the sling in case that shoulder gives him too much problem. He should limit how much he lifts. Take it easy for a few days until he feels better. But otherwise, he won’t need to wear it.”
“That’s great news. Thanks so much, doc.” Luc took a deep, cleansing breath.
When that car had hit them, the first thing that went through Luc’s head was never seeing Kassie again. When the impact was mostly on the passenger side of the car, his brain went into overdrive, worrying about his dad. His dad was all he had left. His mom was gone, his grandparents were all gone, and he was an only child. Their family was small; if he lost his dad… He couldn’t lose his dad.
The last few years had been rough for them. His father seemed to get into more messes than usual. And being so far away, Luc wasn’t easily able to help.
Luc could take his dad home and make sure he healed like he should. Hearing the doctor say the words meant that everything was really going to be okay. That he still had his little family. And that gave him an idea.
“All right you two. Unless you want to see an old man with his shirt off, I suggest you step outside while I change out of this gown. Then we can get the heck out of this place.”
Luc nodded. “C’mon, Kass, let’s go take care of the paperwork while Dad gets changed.”
She nodded and clung to him again. Not that he minded her neediness. Having this pretty girl glued to his side was something he could get used to.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Kassie
Kassie’s head was spinning by the time they got to Luc’s loft. She had offered to drive, since it was her car and he had been through a rough night. But Luc could obviously tell she was still shaken, and he wouldn’t hear of her driving. Luc’s father seemed to be in good shape, and she was relieved that things hadn’t been worse.
When she heard there had been an accident, her mind had gone to the worst case scenario. She couldn’t stand the thought that she might not see Luc again, and she’d never told him how she felt about him. She’d never said those three words that mattered.
But by some miracle, her worries did not come to fruition. Luc was okay, and his dad’s injuries were minor. The Porsche not so much, but cars could be replaced. People could not.
They quietly sat down in the living room. She could only assume they were all trying to unwind from the events of tonight. Kassie was snuggled into Luc’s side, her head resting on his chest. His poor dad looked uncomfortable, judging by the way he winced each time he changed his sitting position. It was as if even breathing hurt him, but he’d never admit it.
“Dad, you sure you’re okay?” Luc asked.
“Yeah.” His dad waved him off. “I’m fine. Just sore. That’s to be expected.”
Luc sighed heavily. “I feel so bad. I should’ve swerved sooner to avoid that asshole.”
Kassie could feel his pain, his regret. His body tensed as he spoke.
“Son, don’t beat yourself up about it. It wasn’t your fault.” The look of concern dropped from his dad’s face, and was replaced by exhaustion. “Did the police find you at the hospital?”
Luc shook his head. “No, why?”
“They found the other driver not far from the accident scene. His car was mangled, and the paint scratches on his car matched yours. Drunk driver.”
Luc shook his head and sighed. “Well, at least they caught him.” He wrapped his arm tighter around Kassie.
“Plus, you’re both okay,” Kassie added. To her that was the most important thing to note. Insurance and lawyers would figure out the rest. None of that mattered right now.
Luc’s dad nodded in agreement with a half wince, half smile. “I’m going to go get cleaned up. Need to get the smell of hospital off me. Excuse me.”
“Hang on, Dad. Look, this shook me bad. It’s made me think about how far away you really are once you go home. I’d like you to think about moving here. Even if it’s just during the season, or just part of the season. I can help you keep a place here in the city—and one back home, if that’s what you’d like. But I’d feel better if you were closer.”
Luc’s dad took a moment and just looked at him. There was a soft look on his face. “I’ll give it some thought. But it doesn’t sound like a half bad idea.” He nodded with a smile and left them alone in the living room.
The room was quiet for a few minutes until Luc spoke, not only breaking the silence, but taking with him her feeling of security as he moved away from her side. “Kass, you want something to drink?” Luc stood up from the couch, leaving her cold and uneasy without him by her.
“I’ll come with you.” Even though his dad was in his room changing his clothes, dirty from the wreck, she felt odd being here. Almost as if she was in the way. Or it was all her imagination, and after the events of tonight, she just couldn’t stand to be more than a few inches from him?