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While she’d completely ignored all the stinging pain because Max distracted her. She should probably thank him, but that would only make him cranky again about her being polite.
“I’m going to numb you up. It’ll take a few minutes to kick in, then I’ll do the stitches.”
“Just sew me up without the numbing thing. We need to get out of here quickly.”
Max leaned down close. “We can take the time.”
She shook her head. “No. If something happens because I’m here... I can’t.” She turned to the doctor. “Just do it.”
He held her gaze, his filled with sympathy. “The IV is going to take a while. We have the time to do this without causing you more pain.”
“I have to go. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” She choked up.
Max planted his hands on the bed beside her and leaned down. “It’s the middle of the day in a crowded hospital. The likelihood someone would come after you here is probably low. We’re all just being overly cautious to keep you safe. Let the IV and the doc do their thing, then we’ll go.”
“You probably should have stayed at the ranch.” She wanted to protect him, too.
“I’m good, right here with you.”
“I’m ruining everything again.”
Max ignored that and addressed the doctor. “Let’s get this done.”
The doctor finished the stitches in a matter of minutes once the numbing agent took effect. The IV finished in about half an hour. She used the restroom before the three men escorted her back out to the truck and Max drove them home and she went up to her room to rest again.
She must have fallen asleep, because the next thingshe knew, she thought she felt someone brush their hand over her hair. But then she opened her eyes and spotted Max and guessed she’d imagined it.
“Sorry to wake you, but it’s dinnertime.” Max held a plate with a thick steak, steamed spinach drenched in butter, and heaping pile of garlic mashed potatoes. “The doctor said to eat. So eat.” He held up a fork and knife.
She sat up, wiped her tired eyes, then took the plate and utensils.
He headed for the door.
“Max.”
He turned to her.
“Thank you for taking care of me, even if you don’t want to.”
His lips pressed tight and he looked annoyed again. “You’re welcome.” He turned back to the door, then back to her again. “Are you feeling better?”
She stared at the plate of food, then him, and thought about how she’d felt riding his horse today. The rest didn’t matter. The fact that Max tried so hard to make her feel better did.
“Thanks to you, yes. I feel better.”
He nodded, then left her room.
She spotted the bottle of water he’d left on the table by her bed. It warmed her heart that he’d gone to all this trouble. She needed to do what he wanted her to do and take care of herself so he didn’t have to do it for her.
The meal was delicious. Her steak perfectly prepared the way she liked it. Medium rare. Salt. Pepper. Garlicbutter. Spinach wasn’t her favorite, but she ate it all. The mashed potatoes were divine. Also her favorite. Which Max knew and used to get her to eat.
She downed half the bottle of water, then grabbed her dirty dishes and headed downstairs. Mike was still there, sitting at the top of the stairs, probably listening to whatever game was on TV in the living room.
She rinsed her plate and utensils in the sink and put them in the dishwasher, then did the same with the other dishes left in the sink. She scrubbed the cast-iron pan with a little salt and water, rinsed and dried it, then left it on the stove. She washed the other two pots and left them in the strainer to dry.
Feeling better than she had in days, she walked out of the kitchen, Mike there keeping an eye on her and out the windows, and went to the living room.
Mr. Wilde sat in a leather recliner. Max was on the couch. They were watching a hockey game.
