The back of the bed was raised so that she was practically sitting.Her ribs, he thought, wondering if that position was easier for her. “Are you in pain?”
Her eyes grew liquid. “I didn’t want you to see... see me.”
The break in her voice wrenched emotion from him. “No one could have kept me away.”
“The dog?”
A laugh strangled out, and then he did kneel, unwilling to chance hurting her by sitting on the side of the bed. “She’s with Addie and I’m sure she’s a happy little camper. I think she’d been on her own for a while, but now she’s in good hands.”
“She’s my dog,” she whispered, her tone fierce.
“Okay. That’s fine.” He’d have the dog brought to her if it’d make her feel better. “Tanner and Callie are here, too, so we had to leave her with Addie. She wanted to be here as well. She told me to tell you that and to give you her love.”
Glory gasped, then winced, closed her eyes and swallowed.
“Easy,” Kam said. If he could take the pain for her, he’d have accepted it gladly. He loved her. He knew that now. Nothing but love could hurt this much.
“I’ve been thinking about her,” she said once she’d gotten her breath back. The words were low, carefully moderated. “I want her. I’ve never had a dog.” Her lips trembled again. “Oh, God, I look so ugly.”
“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Please believe me.”
“Get up off the floor.”
Her strangled whisper had him smiling despite the awfulness of the moment. “I’m going to take some time off work.”
“No.”
“I want to be there with you, to help you, to do anything I can. You can’t tell me no because that would be cruel, and you aren’t cruel, Glory.”
Tears tracked down her cheeks. “I have scars.”
“We all do, baby.”
“If I could smack you, I would.”
“I’ll keep count and when you’re better, you can deliver all the smacks at one time.” As carefully as he could, he brushed the tears off her cheeks.
“I was so scared,” she whispered.
“Me, too.”
“I shouldn’t have panicked, but I was in a wreck once before...”
Should he tell her he already knew that? Or would that bother her more? “I imagine anyone who’d ever been in a bad wreck would fear it happening again.”
“For years, I would feel paralyzed whenever I had to get in a car. I did my best, but it would feel like my lungs were seizing up.”
She’d been a kid, with Liz sending her off to additional surgeries. His throat thickened until he couldn’t speak without her hearing the pity in his voice. Instead, he leaned forward and gently kissed her knuckles.
“For years now, I’ve been better about it. I didn’t really have a choice. Kids travel in cars. Adult women drive.”
“I understand.” He really did. How hard would it be for her to get back in a car again? He’d figure it out. Somehow, he’d make things all right for her.
“I don’t want to go backward. As soon as I can, I have to get back to driving.”
“We can do that together.” He’d be with her every step of the way. “There are old country roads around here, where all you’ll see is a horse or a cow, maybe a farmer on a tractor.”
Her lips trembled. “You’re going to hate me.”
