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Chapter 15
I was a nurse and I happened to be a girl-scout type who carried way too much in my bag. I was so glad my bag had been recovered so I could take it with me on this trip. I was comfortable with sutures, and I was thankful that I could step in and help his aunt.
It was a nice-sized gash, and I used black stitches which had a Frankenstein quality about them. But the wound was clean and I did an even job, taking care with spacing and angles of the stitches themselves. I told Lucy to text me photos of the healing process so that I could help her keep an eye on it. But I didn't see any reason why she would have any trouble.
I offered to go back over to her house in a week to take the stitches out, and Lucy thought that was a wonderful idea and said we should plan on it. I wrapped and taped her hand as the group of people disbursed, and we all began getting ready to eat lunch.
A few others had taken over in the kitchen when Lucy had her accident, so lunch had been prepared and was ready to be served. I felt beyond relieved to have executed that procedure with three people right around me and ten people standing in the other room.
The rush of adrenaline was finally lessening, and everything felt a little dreamlike and surreal now that the whole thing was over. I thanked Mac for letting us use the phone for music, and then I excused myself, saying I was going to use the restroom and would be back in a minute.
Alec had been talking to David when I announced that I'd be right back, but he turned to me.
"Wait, Grace, and I'll come with you." He turned to speak to his brother one last time, and then he came over to me, wearing a smile. "There's a restroom in the hall, but I'll take you to the one in the laundry room."
I didn't really need to use the restroom. I just wanted a few seconds alone to gather my thoughts. I turned to walk, and Alec reached around me from behind and took me into his arms, bear-hugging me from the back. We continued to walk, although our steps were clumsy and lumbering now that we were connected. I was giddy, and I let out a quiet laugh.
I was holding a handful of trash from the stitches. The needle was wrapped and secured, but I guarded it in my fist so that nothing would accidentally poke him. Alec buried his face in my neck as we walked step-by-big-lumbering-step across the other side of the living room.
"That took you all of five minutes," he said. "How did you know how to do that?"
"I interned at an emergency clinic, and I volunteered at a vet's office. I've given hundreds of sutures. I always volunteered to do it. I don't mind them. That's why I always have that kit." Alec resituated, walking next to me, but still holding onto me. I felt his hard body next to mine. I pulled back and regarded him with a confused expression.
"How in the world are there so many people over here on a Wednesday at noon?"
He grinned. "This seems like a lot? Oh, no, if it was a holiday—or even a weekend, there'd be fifty people around, easy. And, hey, what doctor friend would you be calling if my aunt needed it? Is it the Kyle character who was at that dinner party?"
"I know a few doctors, actually. Kyle's one, but I know others—one named Debra, and one named Mimi, too." He pulled me in and kissed my neck again as we continued to walk. "Great, if she needs medicine, you can call Debra or Mimi."
I grinned at him. "Are you jealous of Kyle Hildebrand?"
"Yes," he said. "I'm so glad you know another doctor."
I held onto the side of his face with my free hand. I could feel the stubble on his jaw under my palm, and it caused a warm feeling to wash through my body. We made it around the corner where no one could see us, and Alec turned me taking me into his arms, snuggling me. It was a wonderful feeling—a welcome respite to the pressures of stitching someone's skin.
We held onto each other, smiling at the fact that we were in a private situation in the hallway now. "Thank you for doing those stitches," he said, hugging me. "I did not think you'd be thrown into that when we got here."
I grinned. "Today's already a little loosey-goosey, anyway… I might as well be up for whatever."
Alec tenderly touched the side of my face as he leaned in and kissed me. He did it two more times before pulling back to look at me. He stared at me with the most caring expression I had ever seen. In the layers of that expression, there was a promise that he would never hurt me—that he would always take care of me. I trusted him, and I kissed him back with equal emotion.
"Is the fact that your day is loosey-goosey the reason this is happening?" He kissed me again. Once on the cheek, and then I turned and we did it on the mouth, twice.
"On the contrary," I said.
"This is the only normal part of my day." I held onto his arms and he kissed me again—this time a deeper one. I wanted him so badly that I moaned accidentally when he pulled back.
"Graaaace," he said rubbing his face against mine, his voice came out as a hoarse, desperate whisper. "I am not going to beg you to make me stop."
"I don't want you to stop," I said.
Alec stared at me. He was wearing a thin, fitted, short-sleeve button-down shirt, and I glanced at the patch of skin that was showing at the base of his neck. In that moment, I appreciated his masculinity in a way that had my heart pounding. I was just about to kiss him again, but we got a warning of all of one second, and then Evie stepped around the corner. She was so surprised to see us that she yelped a little.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you two were back here. I'm taking these towels to the laundry room for Aunt Lucy." She gestured to the door. "Is someone in there?" she asked.
"No, it's open," Alec said. He kept a hold of me while Evie did her thing in the laundry room. She said something nice about the job I did on the stitches as she left the hallway headed back to the kitchen.
"I'm going to let you use the restroom," he said.
