use that land than for a bunch of VIPs to run around after a ball. Do you know how many affordable homes you could build on one hundred acres?”
Rory quirked her lip and looked at him quizzically. “Hmm. You’re an interesting dude, Jack Rothman.”
“Not really,” Jack whispered. “Just sounding interesting doesn’t count.”
The attending doctor came in and drew the curtain between the two men. Rory disappeared behind the swishing fabric, and Jack felt an inexplicable disappointment. He listened in as the doctor talked to Spencer about his ankle. Jack offered a silent prayer that the damage wouldn’t be permanent. In the short time he’d gotten to know Spencer, it had been perfectly clear just how important climbing was to him. Jack understood what it meant to be kept from something that brought you happiness, to feel stunted, restricted.
The doctor promised X-rays with a goofy chuckle. “Just to count how many bones he has left,” he said. The joke fell like a stone to the bottom of a well.
Spencer’s voice was tight. “I can hardly even feel my foot. It’s all just a clusterfuck of pain.”
“We’ll see what we’re dealing with soon enough. Try to relax. They’ll be here to take you down to Radiology within the hour.”
Then swish again, as the curtain parted for Doctor One-liner to push his brand of bedside manner on Jack. He prescribed a local anesthetic and talked about gently massaging his shoulder back into place.
Jack nodded and the doctor continued, describing the sling that he’d be given, after which he’d be free to go. “If you don’t have anyone coming to pick you up, you can arrange for a cab at the nurses’ station.”
Jack started to speak, but was cut off by the sudden swish of the curtain.
“We’ll take you home, Jack. If you can wait for Spencer’s cast, that is.” Rory didn’t even apologize for the interruption. Her warm smile said that she didn’t even see why she should.
Jack might have been taken aback by the intrusion—they put the curtain there for a reason, after all—but those shiny eyes said her intentions were nothing but golden and pure and who the hell could be mad at that?
So Jack wasn’t mad, but he had his pride: “Thanks, Rory, but I really don’t want to take you two out of your way. I’ll take a cab and…” Jack patted his pants and cursed his luck.
Rory eyed him and smiled softly. “You lost your keys, huh? Looks like you’re taking a ride home with us up the parkway after all.” She pulled the curtain far enough for him to see Spencer nod in agreement.
“No way we’re leaving you here at this time of night without being able to get into your place. We’ve got a guest room, plenty of space. You’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Spencer seemed quite casual about it, inviting a guy he barely knew to stay over. It was bighearted of him, of them both. It wasn’t often Jack got to see real life big hearts up close. He stared at them as if they were aliens offering blood grafts.
“Unless you can get someone else here to pick you up, I’m not taking no for an answer,” Rory said with her hand on her hip. Jack had seen her do that a few times now, always with the same result. That hip must have secret powers. No one seemed to be able to resist her when she put it to use. He found a smile and gave himself over to her.
“Thanks.” It was all Jack could manage. Rory shrugged and nodded. Jack caught the curtain as she started to close it again. “Really, thank you.”
She placed her hand on Spencer’s shoulder and he caressed her fingers. With a quirked lip, he tossed a congenial nod toward Jack. “After what the two of us went through, dude, that’s the least we can do.”
Jack couldn’t help but bask in the warmth of their invitation. In the back of his mind he wondered if he deserved it; he wondered what he would have done without them.
* * *
“For such a small injury, they sure give you enough drugs to put you
Rory quirked her lip and looked at him quizzically. “Hmm. You’re an interesting dude, Jack Rothman.”
“Not really,” Jack whispered. “Just sounding interesting doesn’t count.”
The attending doctor came in and drew the curtain between the two men. Rory disappeared behind the swishing fabric, and Jack felt an inexplicable disappointment. He listened in as the doctor talked to Spencer about his ankle. Jack offered a silent prayer that the damage wouldn’t be permanent. In the short time he’d gotten to know Spencer, it had been perfectly clear just how important climbing was to him. Jack understood what it meant to be kept from something that brought you happiness, to feel stunted, restricted.
The doctor promised X-rays with a goofy chuckle. “Just to count how many bones he has left,” he said. The joke fell like a stone to the bottom of a well.
Spencer’s voice was tight. “I can hardly even feel my foot. It’s all just a clusterfuck of pain.”
“We’ll see what we’re dealing with soon enough. Try to relax. They’ll be here to take you down to Radiology within the hour.”
Then swish again, as the curtain parted for Doctor One-liner to push his brand of bedside manner on Jack. He prescribed a local anesthetic and talked about gently massaging his shoulder back into place.
Jack nodded and the doctor continued, describing the sling that he’d be given, after which he’d be free to go. “If you don’t have anyone coming to pick you up, you can arrange for a cab at the nurses’ station.”
Jack started to speak, but was cut off by the sudden swish of the curtain.
“We’ll take you home, Jack. If you can wait for Spencer’s cast, that is.” Rory didn’t even apologize for the interruption. Her warm smile said that she didn’t even see why she should.
Jack might have been taken aback by the intrusion—they put the curtain there for a reason, after all—but those shiny eyes said her intentions were nothing but golden and pure and who the hell could be mad at that?
So Jack wasn’t mad, but he had his pride: “Thanks, Rory, but I really don’t want to take you two out of your way. I’ll take a cab and…” Jack patted his pants and cursed his luck.
Rory eyed him and smiled softly. “You lost your keys, huh? Looks like you’re taking a ride home with us up the parkway after all.” She pulled the curtain far enough for him to see Spencer nod in agreement.
“No way we’re leaving you here at this time of night without being able to get into your place. We’ve got a guest room, plenty of space. You’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Spencer seemed quite casual about it, inviting a guy he barely knew to stay over. It was bighearted of him, of them both. It wasn’t often Jack got to see real life big hearts up close. He stared at them as if they were aliens offering blood grafts.
“Unless you can get someone else here to pick you up, I’m not taking no for an answer,” Rory said with her hand on her hip. Jack had seen her do that a few times now, always with the same result. That hip must have secret powers. No one seemed to be able to resist her when she put it to use. He found a smile and gave himself over to her.
“Thanks.” It was all Jack could manage. Rory shrugged and nodded. Jack caught the curtain as she started to close it again. “Really, thank you.”
She placed her hand on Spencer’s shoulder and he caressed her fingers. With a quirked lip, he tossed a congenial nod toward Jack. “After what the two of us went through, dude, that’s the least we can do.”
Jack couldn’t help but bask in the warmth of their invitation. In the back of his mind he wondered if he deserved it; he wondered what he would have done without them.
* * *
“For such a small injury, they sure give you enough drugs to put you
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