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“You too,” they said in unison. Jo disappeared out of his hospital room and Lulah turned, smiling at him like a loon.
“I like her,” she insisted.
“Me too,” Bobbie agreed.
“Great,” Stone mumbled. “Because I wasn’t sure what I would do if you two didn’t like my physical therapist.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Stone,” Lulah said.
“You’re just being a grump,” Lulah insisted. “You can’t tell me that you haven’t noticed that Jolene is hot.” Oh, he noticed, but there was no way that he wanted to talk about that with either of his sisters.
“Remember how we just talked about boundaries?” he asked. “How about we practice some of them now? I’m tired and want to get some rest. Thanks for coming down.”
“Fine,” Bobbie said, “but, we’re only agreeing to leave because you look like hell and a nap would probably do you some good.”
“Gee, thanks,” he grumbled around a yawn. Both of his sisters kissed his cheek and promised to check on him later. All Stone could do was nod and yawn again. He was sure that they had given him something more than just antibiotics, but a nap did sound good. He’d get some sleep, and then, he’d find a way to convince his new physical therapist to get him out of there tonight. The less time he had to spend in that hospital bed, the better.
Jolene
Jolene decided to run to Stone’s place before going home to pack up some things. That way, Jacob might be at work, and she could just leave him a quick note. If she remembered correctly, he had picked up a bar shift tonight at his second job, and he’d be gone by dinner time. That would give her enough time to pack some things and get back to the hospital before visiting hours were over. Plus, a shorter visit would give Stone less time to negotiate his release with her. Jo had a feeling that was what he planned on doing and she knew that leaving him in the hospital over night was for the best. It would be the quickest way to get the antibiotics into his system.
She was shocked to find Jacob’s car still in her second parking space when she got back to her apartment. She thought about leaving and going to the hospital, but she also knew that she’d have to face Jacob at some point.
Jo sighed and shut off her car, pulling her purse across the seat with her jacket. She was exhausted and ready to crawl into bed, but she still had to run to the hospital to check on Stone. She found her brother sitting on the couch, watching a football game, as she let herself in.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I live in your extra bedroom,” he said. “You do remember that, right?”
“Don’t be stupid,” she griped. “I remember that, but I thought that you had to work at the bar tonight.”
“I did, but things were slow, so they only needed one bartender. Jeff needs the extra money right now, with a kid on the way, so I told him to take it.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you,” she said.
“Don’t sound so surprised, sis,” he said. “I’m a nice guy.” He was a nice guy—too nice. He let women walk all over him, including his ex, and that was why he was sleeping in her spare room. “Why are you home in the middle of the afternoon?” he asked.
“I have a client who’s going to need me to stay with them at their place,” she said, trying to leave out specifics.
“Would this client be the same one you got all dressed up for today?” Jacob asked.
“Shut up,” she hissed. “I don’t have time for you to be an ass. I have to pack and get back over to the hospital. I’ll probably be home tonight if they don’t release him,” she said.
“Ah ha,” he shouted, pointing in her face. “It’s a guy. I was right.”
“You weren’t right,” she lied. “And just because you don’t have anything to do this afternoon doesn’t mean that I don’t. I have a ton to get done today.”
“You really like this guy, don’t you?” he asked.
“He’s my client,” she corrected. Jo needed to keep telling herself that too. Otherwise, she was going to find herself in deep water with HR and that wasn’t something that she was willing to risk. Jolene had no black marks on her record, and she planned on keeping things that way.
“What’s he do for a living?” her brother asked.
“He’s a Texas Ranger, and he was shot on the job,” she said. “That’s why I’ve been called in. I’m supposed to get him up and walking again so that he can get back to work. But he’s a stubborn ass who doesn’t seem to listen well or follow the rules.”
“This guy sounds like just your type,” her brother accused. “You have the worst taste in men and always go for the bad boys.”
“That’s not true, and he’s not a bad boy. He’s a cop,” she hissed.
