Ryan stares at his palms, voice small. “I can hire someone, or ask one of my sisters—”
“He’s staying with me,” I say, voice firm. Ryan’s head whips toward me, eyes wide, looking shocked. Not as shocked as I am, honestly.
I keep my gaze on the doctor. “I can work from home for a few weeks. He’ll try to push it if he’s left alone.”
The doctor nods, approvingly. “Very well.” He lowers the sling, careful, and checks the wound. “Looks great, Ryan. I have every confidence you’ll heal well if you follow care instructions.”
Then Dr. Kravitz sighs, prepping us for the next blow. “Now for the hard part.” I turn to Ryan as he swallows, nervous.
The doctor’s eyes are kind. “Be realistic. Give your leg every chance to heal, but it may not perform the same ever again.”
Ryan just blows out a breath and shrugs. “I’m completely okay with that.”
One of the residents gasps—probably a football fan. Dr. Kravitz nods. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you again. Let the nurses know if you need anything at all.”
Ryan’s face splits into a grin, vision of pranking the nurses likely swirling in his head. I scrub a hand over my eyes, relief and worry coiling tight in my chest.
The team of doctors file out, and the room finally goes quiet again. I blow out a breath, relief and tension blending in my chest, but I can feel Ryan’s eyes burning into me. I turn, and the soft look on his face nearly undoes me.
“What?” I ask, voice rough, and take a step closer to the bed.
Ryan reaches up, grabs the hem of my t-shirt, and tugs me down to sit on the edge of the mattress. His eyes are gentle but glinting with mischief. “You don’t have to do that. Take me in. Seriously, I can just hire a hot male nurse to come take care of me. Bathe me—”
“You’re staying with me and that’s final,” I cut him off.
Ryan laughs. “Now you’re really going to break your rules. That definitely counts as a sleepover.”
I fold my arms. “It doesn’t count unless you’re in my bed.”
He grins, twirling a finger through my messy hair. “You don’t want me in your bed?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “As soon as you’re physically able, I will fuck you in my bed—and then I’ll kick you back out to the guest room.”
Ryan barks a sharp laugh. “Brutal. But I won’t turn it down.”
I shake my head, trying not to smile.
Then a light knock raps the door and it creaks open. Chance is the first to appear, and I jump up off the bed like I’ve been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.
Chance rolls his eyes.
Ryan grins wide. “Hey, Chance—” He stops short as Anthony steps in behind him, a little bundle in his arms.
“Oh my God!” Ryan shouts, startling the room, and Chance hushes him. Ryan drops to a whisper, voice wobbly with emotion. “Is that—?”
Anthony nods, beaming. “Do you want to meet her?”
Ryan nods, eyes shining. “Are you supposed to be wandering the halls with her?”
Anthony shrugs, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Not really. But we figured we’d make an exception for Uncle Butters.”
I watch Ryan swallow, his Adam’s apple jumping. For a second, he’s speechless.
Chance steps forward, pulling out a little bottle of hand sanitizer. “Hold out your hands.”
Ryan obeys, and Chance squeezes sanitizer onto each palm. “Rub it in. Give me your arms, too.” He adds a few more drops, and Ryan dutifully rubs them in.
When Chance is satisfied, Anthony walks over and places the baby—tiny, pink, perfect—into Ryan’s arms. “Uncle Ryan, meet Mary.”
