she’d taken liberties in his absence. “The kids don’t scare you. It’s just me.”
“Who’d be afraid of you?” She got out of the bed and walked to the other side.
“Had a dream.” The words became harder to understand. More asleep than awake, he struggled to tell her something. “Dreamed a beautiful 58
Whisper
woman—my bed—come home to her.” She pulled the sheet and blankets up to his chin and stroked the side of his face, removing long strands of brown hair. “And all you found was me.
Sleep now, you’re home. I’ll check on you and get your medication when it’s time.” 59
Kathleen Lash
Chapter Six
Keith woke in a haze of pain and confusion. He kept reaching for the little plunger that’d bring relief and oblivion, and couldn’t find it. Instead, he found the nurse. “Sorry.” He removed his hand from her thigh.
“Are you finally awake this time?” A soft voice and familiar scent drifted in and made his brain start firing on more cylinders. Whisper .
He ventured prying his eyelids apart. The shades were drawn; the room remained fairly dark.
He never closed the blinds, liking the first rays of light to get him going in the mornings. At least he used to.
“Thanks.” He squinted in even the subtle light.
“It’s pretty bright outside. Figured that headache of yours wouldn’t appreciate the glare.” He suddenly remembered something and tried to sit up. “The kids.” He got as far as propping himself on his elbows before giving up and slumping back down.
“They know.”
“What did you tell them?” Damn, he hadn’t meant for it to come out like that. He hated having to think about what he’d say before engaging his mouth. It’d become a regular habit to regret words with the pain medication in his blood.
“Not much,” she said, her voice sounding faint.
“I said you were home and that you’d had an accident. I fed them breakfast and told them you’d explain when you woke. I also told them you got 60
Whisper
home in the middle of the night and that we’d let you sleep. Was that all right?”
Did he dream what happened between them?
She sounded kind of scared, or hesitant. Shit, a drug induced hallucination got him off last night. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fallen asleep with her soft voice and body, and woke to find himself attached to a pain pump in a hospital gown covered in sweat. He’d been thinking about her prior to the accident, too. She left one hell of an impression during the five minutes he’d spent with her a few months back. The kids constantly talking about her hadn’t helped.
“Yeah. I just didn’t want to scare them, you know?” He remembered something else. She’d told Heather she’d been in a car accident rather than say she’d been jumped and beaten up. She knew all about protecting kids. He sighed. “You have a choice.
Give me a few more pain pills and I’ll shut my mouth and enjoy the buzz, or help me up so I can clear my head. It’d really piss me off, if every word I said to you today was an apology for something.”
“How bad do you hurt?”
“Not too bad right now. My brain feels thick, though.” He opened his eyes. She had a calm expression on her face.
“How’s your leg?”
“No worse than yesterday. Better than the day before.”
“I have breakfast ready when you are. I’d be happy to bring up a tray. The kids could come and see you here.”
He tried again and this time managed to sit up the whole way. “Not a great idea.” She stood and he threw back the covers. She helped him swing his leg over and onto the floor. “They’ll think I’m dying.” He froze, realizing he sat there in his underwear. If he’d been dreaming about Whisper 61
Kathleen Lash
and the night before, he’d be really embarrassed in ten seconds when he looked up to see her face. Hell, why wait! Glancing up, she tilted her head off center and gave him a questioning look. No embarrassment or discomfort on her
“Who’d be afraid of you?” She got out of the bed and walked to the other side.
“Had a dream.” The words became harder to understand. More asleep than awake, he struggled to tell her something. “Dreamed a beautiful 58
Whisper
woman—my bed—come home to her.” She pulled the sheet and blankets up to his chin and stroked the side of his face, removing long strands of brown hair. “And all you found was me.
Sleep now, you’re home. I’ll check on you and get your medication when it’s time.” 59
Kathleen Lash
Chapter Six
Keith woke in a haze of pain and confusion. He kept reaching for the little plunger that’d bring relief and oblivion, and couldn’t find it. Instead, he found the nurse. “Sorry.” He removed his hand from her thigh.
“Are you finally awake this time?” A soft voice and familiar scent drifted in and made his brain start firing on more cylinders. Whisper .
He ventured prying his eyelids apart. The shades were drawn; the room remained fairly dark.
He never closed the blinds, liking the first rays of light to get him going in the mornings. At least he used to.
“Thanks.” He squinted in even the subtle light.
“It’s pretty bright outside. Figured that headache of yours wouldn’t appreciate the glare.” He suddenly remembered something and tried to sit up. “The kids.” He got as far as propping himself on his elbows before giving up and slumping back down.
“They know.”
“What did you tell them?” Damn, he hadn’t meant for it to come out like that. He hated having to think about what he’d say before engaging his mouth. It’d become a regular habit to regret words with the pain medication in his blood.
“Not much,” she said, her voice sounding faint.
“I said you were home and that you’d had an accident. I fed them breakfast and told them you’d explain when you woke. I also told them you got 60
Whisper
home in the middle of the night and that we’d let you sleep. Was that all right?”
Did he dream what happened between them?
She sounded kind of scared, or hesitant. Shit, a drug induced hallucination got him off last night. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fallen asleep with her soft voice and body, and woke to find himself attached to a pain pump in a hospital gown covered in sweat. He’d been thinking about her prior to the accident, too. She left one hell of an impression during the five minutes he’d spent with her a few months back. The kids constantly talking about her hadn’t helped.
“Yeah. I just didn’t want to scare them, you know?” He remembered something else. She’d told Heather she’d been in a car accident rather than say she’d been jumped and beaten up. She knew all about protecting kids. He sighed. “You have a choice.
Give me a few more pain pills and I’ll shut my mouth and enjoy the buzz, or help me up so I can clear my head. It’d really piss me off, if every word I said to you today was an apology for something.”
“How bad do you hurt?”
“Not too bad right now. My brain feels thick, though.” He opened his eyes. She had a calm expression on her face.
“How’s your leg?”
“No worse than yesterday. Better than the day before.”
“I have breakfast ready when you are. I’d be happy to bring up a tray. The kids could come and see you here.”
He tried again and this time managed to sit up the whole way. “Not a great idea.” She stood and he threw back the covers. She helped him swing his leg over and onto the floor. “They’ll think I’m dying.” He froze, realizing he sat there in his underwear. If he’d been dreaming about Whisper 61
Kathleen Lash
and the night before, he’d be really embarrassed in ten seconds when he looked up to see her face. Hell, why wait! Glancing up, she tilted her head off center and gave him a questioning look. No embarrassment or discomfort on her
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