Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
Poppy
“Purple, pink, blue, or red?” the tech asks.
“Purple,” Storm says before I can answer.
“You remember my favorite color?”
A shrug, the movement belying everything about his next words and how they make me feel. “I remember everything, Poppyseed.”
The tech sighs softly and I turn to look at her. “Ignore me,” she says, blinking rapidly. “You guys are cute and I, uh, well, my boyfriend and I just broke up.” She starts gathering supplies, says with forced cheer, “Purple it is!”
I reach out with my uninjured arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Eh,” she says, putting on a very brave face. “He cheated, so he wasn’t worth it in the first place.” She brushes her hands together. “Now, let’s get you casted so you can get the heck out of here, yeah?”
My eyes connect with Storm’s. Hold. “Yeah,” I tell her gently, “that sounds great. Only,” I add as she reaches for a package of purple cast material, “would you mind making it red?”
Gray eyes fill with heat.
And I know he’s thinking about precisely what I want him to be thinking about.
The tiny red bikini.
“I still have it,” I mouth as the tech—Emma, I see on her badge—straightens from searching the cabinets, a red packet of casting material in hand. “Here were go!”
His mouth quirks, need bleeding into his expression, and I know I’m likely going to pay for that—
Or more likely have to pay up.
But it’s worth it.
And I do still have the bikini.
“Ready?” Emma asks, and the next few minutes are filled with her putting on my cast.
I wish I could say it was my first experience with the process. Alas, it’s my third broken bone—and the second time breaking this wrist.
Though, the first time around, I opted for purple.
“All set,” Emma says, squeezing the cast lightly to finish forming its shape. It’s weird how warm it feels as it dries, weird how within a couple of minutes it will turn rock hard.
But that’s science for you.
“Thanks,” I tell her. “And if you ever come down to Sully’s in Cedar Hollow, your drink is on me.”
She smiles, and though it’s genuine, those eyes of hers are still a little sad. “I’ll take you up on that.”
Cast in hand—or on hand, pun definitely intended—we leave the hospital a little while later.
The doctor called in a prescription for pain killers, something I’m thankful for. Though I won’t be using them unless things become dire.
Being hopped up on drugs and trying to mother effectively aren’t exactly conducive to one another.
So…ibuprofen for the win.
“Tired?” Storm asks.
“A little,” I say. “But I’m more worried about Holly. I didn’t really get to talk to her and reassure her before we left.”
“Shep texted me this a little while ago.” He taps at his phone screen then passes his cell over.
I glance down…
Then laugh outright.
Because Blossom and Clover definitely distracted Holly with flower crowns.
It’s just…
They apparently also distracted Shep with them too.
“That pink really goes with his coloring,” I say lightly.
“I was thinking it’s the ribbon that really ties it all together,” Storm adds dryly.
I laugh again, pass his phone back.
He takes it, shoves it in his pocket, then comes close. “Are you hurting?” he asks, gently winding his arm around my waist, his fingers lightly brushing over my hip.
I shiver, and when he clearly mistakes that for me being cold and tucks me closer, I don’t fight the contact.
I lean in.
Evening has fallen and the temperature has dropped and…
Frankly, it’s kind of nice having someone take care of me for a change.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he murmurs as we reach my car and he helps me in.
“About what?”
“Whether you’re hurting.”
I pause, consider that. “I’m a little achy, but they gave me the good stuff earlier. I’m fine.”
He bends down, buckles me in, and it sends my pulse racing, same as it did the first time he did that for me. “You’ll tell me if that changes?” It’s phrased as a question, but it’s most definitely an order.
I wrinkle my nose.
A grin and he taps the end of it. “You’ll tell me,” he says confidently.
“Storm,” I warn.
He straightens, closes the door, and even though I glare at him as he rounds the hood and climbs in, he just smiles at me. “You’re beautiful even grumpy and with a broken arm.”
“I’m grumpy because of the broken arm.”
“Yeah,” he mutters, backing out of the stall and driving out of the stall. “Shep definitely has it coming.”
“I—”
But he just turns on the radio.
I glare, but it’s not long before the soft rock music soothes the edges of my temper and the last hours catch up to me.
My lids grow heavy.
The silhouettes of the pine trees outside the window grow blurry.
And…
The next thing I know is I’m being lifted from the car, cradled against a strong chest. “I can walk,” I say sleepily, fighting against Storm’s hold.
Well, fighting is a strong word for the slight struggle I put up.
Mostly because it’s not for one second that I don’t know it’s Storm holding me with gentle hands and his spicy scent all around me, his soft, “I’ve got you,” in my ears.
I close my eyes, bury my face in his chest.
And I let him carry me into Sully’s.
It’s not until we’re walking down the hall, the din of the bar in the distance, that it hits. “Stop!” I order.
He halts immediately, arms tightening around me. “What’s wrong? Do you feel sick?”
“You don’t want to carry me in there,” I say. “We’re already the talk of the town. I can walk—”
“Look at me, Pop,” he says, but I’m struggling in earnest now, trying to wriggle out of his hold. He just hugs me closer. “Baby.”
I freeze, and if I thought I hated commands then I’ve never received one like this.
All hot and rough and…
What would it be like to hear a command like that when we were both naked?
Heat blooms in my belly, spreads between my legs.
It would be glorious.
I know it.
“Pop,” he murmurs, “I meant what I said.”
My still sort of sleepy brain can’t quite process that. He meant what he said about Holly? Or he meant what he said about what he feels for me? Or maybe he meant what he said about staying in Cedar Hollow?
I hope that it’s all three.
I hope that it’s all the ones I’m not thinking of.
A soft laugh as he busses a kiss over my forehead.
“God, you’re adorable.” He straightens, keeps walking. “I meant that I hope we make the front page, Pop.” A wink. “Because we are definitely going to give the townspeople of Cedar Hollow something to talk about.”