Read Online Seconds to Live (Scarlet Falls) by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melinda Leigh
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man who couldn’t connect to a goldfish, sincere compassion impressed him.
As if he needed another reason to have her stuck in his head.
“Mr. Barrett.” The doctor came in and opened a wall-mounted laptop. He glanced at Stella, then Mac. “Is it all right to discuss your medical care and history in her presence?”
“It’s fine.” Mac was tired of secrets, and he suddenly didn’t want to keep anything from Stella. What kind of luck had brought her back into his life? He’d known he was in trouble with the pretty cop last fall, and she’d been one of the reasons he’d stayed far away since.
“I’ll send you home with some prescription pain meds.”
“I already told you I won’t take any narcotics,” Mac said without breaking eye contact with Stella.
The doctor typed on the computer. “You did, which is why I injected a long-acting local anesthetic into the site. That should alleviate your pain for up to four days. The medication I’m dispensing is a non-narcotic, anti-inflammatory pain reliever. It’s not habit forming.” He closed the laptop. “I know we talked about your reluctance to take any medications, but there’s no need for you to be in agony. We have good non-opioid options for pain relief.”
The doctor turned to Stella. “His drug and alcohol tests came back negative. Frankly, I can’t believe anyone could be walking around with that injury and not taking anything for the pain. I’d be crying like a baby.” He refocused on Mac. “How do you handle it?”
“I had a drug problem in my teens. I won’t go there again.”
“And I respect you for it.” The doctor closed the laptop.
“Seriously I find the best method for controlling pain is to accept it and find a distraction.” Mac’s gaze found Stella’s.
“OK. Well, you won’t have to live with it this time. The nurse will be in with paperwork.” The doctor disappeared through the break in the curtain.
Stella propped a hand on a curvy hip. “So you want to tell me how you were shot?”
Voices hummed in the three-bed ER triage room. This was not the place for confessions. Mac lowered his voice. “Not here.”
Stella’s eyes narrowed, and that gorgeous mouth flattened out into a suspicious line. “Are you sure I can’t call your brother or sister for you?”
“No.” Mac sat up and reached for his shirt. “They have enough to deal with right now.”
Her eyes softened. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss. Isn’t your family going to be angry that you didn’t call them?”
“Maybe.” Definitely . “But I’m not ready to deal with them.” Mac almost wished for the pain in his side to return.
“I can’t keep this from Brody, and you know he’ll tell Hannah.”
Mac sighed. Relationships interfered with subterfuge. “He will.”
“They care about you.”
“I know.” The tightness returned to Mac’s chest. “This isn’t about them. I’m the one with the problem. Our family history is complicated.”
“Aren’t they all?”
Mac hated the sadness that clouded her eyes, but every family had its issues. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow. I’m just not up for it tonight.”
“Fair enough.”
He reached for his stained shirt. Stella’s gaze drifted down over his torso. Female appreciation lit her eyes, and a lick of heat warmed Mac’s belly. As much as he wasn’t ready for an interrogation session with his siblings, for the first time in his memory, he didn’t want to be alone. “Give me a ride home, and I’ll tell you everything.”
A wry smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Deal.”
What would she think when he told her the truth?
Chapter Nine
Stella blinked and turned away as Mac tugged his shirt over his head. Staring at the man’s bare chest, no matter how fine, was beyond inappropriate.
It was, however, perfectly professional to be excited about the prospect of a real conversation with the mysterious Mac Barrett, one in which he did not spend every second evading her
As if he needed another reason to have her stuck in his head.
“Mr. Barrett.” The doctor came in and opened a wall-mounted laptop. He glanced at Stella, then Mac. “Is it all right to discuss your medical care and history in her presence?”
“It’s fine.” Mac was tired of secrets, and he suddenly didn’t want to keep anything from Stella. What kind of luck had brought her back into his life? He’d known he was in trouble with the pretty cop last fall, and she’d been one of the reasons he’d stayed far away since.
“I’ll send you home with some prescription pain meds.”
“I already told you I won’t take any narcotics,” Mac said without breaking eye contact with Stella.
The doctor typed on the computer. “You did, which is why I injected a long-acting local anesthetic into the site. That should alleviate your pain for up to four days. The medication I’m dispensing is a non-narcotic, anti-inflammatory pain reliever. It’s not habit forming.” He closed the laptop. “I know we talked about your reluctance to take any medications, but there’s no need for you to be in agony. We have good non-opioid options for pain relief.”
The doctor turned to Stella. “His drug and alcohol tests came back negative. Frankly, I can’t believe anyone could be walking around with that injury and not taking anything for the pain. I’d be crying like a baby.” He refocused on Mac. “How do you handle it?”
“I had a drug problem in my teens. I won’t go there again.”
“And I respect you for it.” The doctor closed the laptop.
“Seriously I find the best method for controlling pain is to accept it and find a distraction.” Mac’s gaze found Stella’s.
“OK. Well, you won’t have to live with it this time. The nurse will be in with paperwork.” The doctor disappeared through the break in the curtain.
Stella propped a hand on a curvy hip. “So you want to tell me how you were shot?”
Voices hummed in the three-bed ER triage room. This was not the place for confessions. Mac lowered his voice. “Not here.”
Stella’s eyes narrowed, and that gorgeous mouth flattened out into a suspicious line. “Are you sure I can’t call your brother or sister for you?”
“No.” Mac sat up and reached for his shirt. “They have enough to deal with right now.”
Her eyes softened. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss. Isn’t your family going to be angry that you didn’t call them?”
“Maybe.” Definitely . “But I’m not ready to deal with them.” Mac almost wished for the pain in his side to return.
“I can’t keep this from Brody, and you know he’ll tell Hannah.”
Mac sighed. Relationships interfered with subterfuge. “He will.”
“They care about you.”
“I know.” The tightness returned to Mac’s chest. “This isn’t about them. I’m the one with the problem. Our family history is complicated.”
“Aren’t they all?”
Mac hated the sadness that clouded her eyes, but every family had its issues. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow. I’m just not up for it tonight.”
“Fair enough.”
He reached for his stained shirt. Stella’s gaze drifted down over his torso. Female appreciation lit her eyes, and a lick of heat warmed Mac’s belly. As much as he wasn’t ready for an interrogation session with his siblings, for the first time in his memory, he didn’t want to be alone. “Give me a ride home, and I’ll tell you everything.”
A wry smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Deal.”
What would she think when he told her the truth?
Chapter Nine
Stella blinked and turned away as Mac tugged his shirt over his head. Staring at the man’s bare chest, no matter how fine, was beyond inappropriate.
It was, however, perfectly professional to be excited about the prospect of a real conversation with the mysterious Mac Barrett, one in which he did not spend every second evading her
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