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“I think you’re amazing and I love you even more than I did five minutes ago.” His blue eyes were serious, but a chuckle burst from me. “If possible.”
“Okay, remind me to bring you here to watch me volunteer instead of buying lingerie at Victoria’s Secret, then.”
His face broke into a wide grin, then laughed out loud. “Hey, now. Let’s not get crazy.”
I couldn’t help myself; I slid an arm through his and leaned my head on his shoulder as the elevator dinged and the silver doors slid open, but when I remembered what I’d told him only moments before I pulled away and took a step away and into the elevator. “Oh, sorry.”
Once inside, he nudged me with his shoulder. “Don’t apologize for touching me. I don’t have any problem with everyone knowing we’re together.”
I was thankful that Dylan was at the beginning of his professional soccer career and so the chances of anyone recognizing him were not as good as they were my father. Marcia would know who he was because I’d shown her a few of the selfies we’d taken in Pigeon Forge, and she had swooned over how sexy he was for days, but I knew she was off work today.
There were some familiar faces on the floor, but most of the nurses were stationed, each with their carts near the rooms they were each responsible for. Rory’s nurse must have been in another patient’s room, but there was a CNA in her room. I glanced at the whiteboard and gleaned that her name was Cindy. She was helping Rory find something to watch on the television.
My eyes landed on the little girl who was lying quietly in her bed watching the nurse’s aide flip through the channels.
“How about the Disney Channel?” Cindy asked.
“Okay,” Rory answered but her response was not enthusiastic.
“Good morning!” I said, touching Rory’s foot under the blankets. “How’s my princess doing this morning?” I tried to keep it light and bright.
Rory’s little head turned toward me, and she held out her arms. “Remi!”
I moved around the bed and sat down next to her and gathered her to my side leaving my arm around her. I kissed the top of her silky head. “Rory, this is Dylan. He is very special to me, and he wanted to meet you.”
Her big brown eyes landed on the man hovering in the doorway. I motioned him forward, holding out my hand until he came closer and took it.
“DeeLan?” Rory tried out his name.
“Close enough!” He smiled down at her. My heart filled with love for both of them.
“Are you my daddy?” Rory asked innocently staring at Dylan’s face. It was another clue that her father was not in the picture at all.
He looked a bit taken aback, but he handled it with ease. “No, sweetheart, but can we be friends?”
Rory blinked and nodded. “Okay,” she said.
Cindy laid the remote to the television on the tray next to a covered plate on a tray. I lifted the lid and saw scrambled eggs and half of a banana. The food at the hospital was pretty good, but I knew it wouldn’t compare to the blueberry pancakes from Bryant’s. Dylan was carrying the Styrofoam container in his other hand. “Cindy, could you please take this away and then take this to the food room and warm them up in the microwave, please?”
The woman took them when Dylan held the container out to her. “Oh! Is this from Bryant’s? You’re in for a treat Miss Rory!”
“Blueberry pancakes,” Dylan added. “They’re my favorite, Rory. I hope you like them, too.”
“I yike pancakes,” she nodded.
“Blueberries make them even better!” I winked at Dylan as Cindy left the room. “While we’re waiting, what would you like to watch?”
The Rapunzel Wig was sitting on the end of the radiator under the window, apparently forgotten for the moment. I knew that her hair would start falling out more aggressively, soon.
“Repoonal!” she spouted happily. She stretched her little arms out and wiggled her fingers, clearly wanting to wear the wig.
“I’ll get it, sweetie! The Rapunzel movie is called Tangled. I’ll see if we can find it as soon as you get your pancakes.”
“You know, Remi’s favorite princess movie is The Little Mermaid. Maybe if we can find that one, Remi will sing and dance around your room for you,” Dylan contributed. I turned a wide-eyed exaggerated expression at him.
Rory’s face lit up and she clapped her little hands. “Yay! Yittle Mermaid! Remi dance!”
Dylan broke out laughing and smiled down at the little girl. “She might even sing for you. She knows every song by heart!”
