Before my gurney got pushed through the doors, I yelled, “I love you, Hellcat.”
Then there were doctors in my face, and so many damn questions. It took more than an hour for them to give me migraine meds—after they finally managed to check my history.
Of course, my body was a network of scars, so they had tons of questions about my previous surgeries.
I managed to remember my old doctor’s name for them to find the records.
Thankfully, this time I didn’t need surgery. The gash in my back was a superficial one, and it would just be another sexy scar for Dahlia to croon over.
At least that was what I told myself as I was put down face-forward for another fourteen staples to add to my collection.
Finally, sometime later, I was put into a room, and I grinned at my sister’s voice in the hallway.
“I don’t freaking care when the visiting hours end, I’m seeing my brother.”
After a few more murmurs, my door busted open. Macy’s hair was disheveled, and the teal of her bangs were sticking up as if she’d put her hands through her hair. Gideon came in right after her.
“Hey, Mace.”
“Don’t ‘hey, Mace’ me. What the hell are you doing, scaring fifteen years off my life?” She smacked my good arm.
“Hey. I’m a wounded man here.”
“What the hell happened?”
“I have no idea. No one will freaking tell me anything. I just finally got a room.” A coughing fit hit me. When I could breathe again, I sat back. “Where’s Dahlia?”
“She was getting checked out, last text I got.” Gideon came up behind Macy and put his hands on her shoulders. She leaned back on him, seeming to relax into him.
Forget horror movies. Love was the scariest, most incredible thing going.
“Did she tell you everything was okay?”
“She seemed fine. Just a little smoke damage to her perfect hair. Damn her.”
I pushed at the oxygen tube in my nose and flung it away. “Just the smoke?”
“What else would it be?” She frowned. “What’s going on?”
I coughed. Damn smoke had done a number on my lungs. “I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Man, you are sunk, huh?” She grinned and craned her neck up to Gideon. “Didn’t take him long.”
Gideon laughed. “Never does.”
“More than sunk, Aunt Macy.”
“Aunt—oh, you did not!”
“Looks like that Crescent Cove lore holds steady. Even though I’m pretty sure I got her pregnant while we were in Kensington Square.”
“Doesn’t matter. You live in the Cove, you bring that shit everywhere. It’s like some magic dust that sprinkles all over you no matter where you go. Just like Lucky and Tish.”
“I believe it, and I really don’t care.” I coughed again. “I love her. The baby just sealed it up tight.”
Macy ruffled my hair. “Always the grumpy ones who fall the hardest.”
“She should know.” Gideon brushed a kiss at her temple. “I’ll leave you guys to it. I’ll check on Dahlia. Or not.”
I peered around Macy to see Dahlia in the doorway. She was a little pale, and she was wearing scrubs instead of her dress from before. “How long were you there, Hellcat?”
“Long enough to hear the ‘I love you’ not directed at me, but about me. Twice in one day.”
Macy’s eyebrows shot up. She gave me a tight smile. “Okay, I’m just gonna go.”
“Coward.”
“Damn right.” Macy kissed my cheek. “Glad you’re okay. I’ll be back in a little bit.” She squeezed Dahlia’s hand on the way by before closing the door after herself.
I held my hand out toward her. “Take pity on a guy. Not every day when you show off your favorite place to your girl and lose it on the same day.”
“You just won’t let me stay mad at you anymore.”
“I don’t mind a good fight, but maybe on another day?”
She rushed forward and caught my hand and held it against her chest. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Ditto, babe. Are you okay?” I shifted on my bed, then I hissed out a breath. The anesthetic was definitely wearing off on the staples.
