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I gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, ma’am. I promise I’ll eat.”
It killed me to leave the hospital, but I forced myself to get into Jensen’s Bronco and drive away. The sun had started to peek through the clouds; it was the calm after the storm. Nature had a way of being brutal, and I could only imagine what it was like for Jensen to experience it with the unforgiving sea.
My stomach started to growl, so I opened the container of pinwheel sandwiches; they were gone by the time I got to my house. When I walked inside, Nyla was sweeping the kitchen floor and I saw her suitcase in the corner. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and she tossed the broom to the side.
“Hey,” she shouted excitedly, rushing over. I hugged her hard and she let me go, her gaze searching mine. “How’s Jensen?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m hoping he’ll wake up soon. I’m just here to grab some of my things and then I’ll head over to his place to get him some clothes.”
Nyla nodded. “I understand. I was straightening up the house before leaving to catch my flight. I have to go in a few minutes.”
“I’m sorry you have to go back by yourself.”
She waved me off. “Don’t even worry about that. The sooner I get back and handle my affairs, the faster I can leave. I plan on being here permanently in two to three weeks.”
The thought of that filled me with joy. “I can’t wait to have you here.”
Her brows furrowed. “What about you? When do you think you’ll head back to Boston?” It all depended on Jensen; he was my main priority.
“I’m not sure,” I replied truthfully. The lease on my apartment would run out in three months, so I had plenty of time to get my stuff out. The only problem was my work schedule. “I made some calls this morning so my surgeries could either get rescheduled or they can find another surgeon,” I explained.
Nyla sighed. “I know that has to be hard on you. You love taking care of your patients.”
I nodded. “I do, but I’m needed here. When Jensen is on the mend, I’ll get back to work. I can’t sacrifice my personal life anymore.”
Nyla smiled sadly. “I’m just glad we both figured out our priorities before it was too late.”
“Me too,” I agreed.
If we’d continued to work nonstop, we would’ve found ourselves close to retiring without having anyone to spend the remainder of our lives with.
Nyla glanced around the house and smiled. “I know I’m coming right back, but I’m going to miss this place.” She hugged me one more time and walked over to her suitcase. “I should probably get going. Don’t want to miss my flight.”
“Do you want me to walk you out?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “I got it. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, okay? And be sure to give Jensen a hug for me.”
My eyes burned. “I will.”
Once she was gone, I packed some clothes into my small overnight bag along with my toiletries. My grandmother’s favorite pirate romance book was on the nightstand, so I snatched it up along with the wooden box full of the love letters from T. With Jensen’s recovery, I was going to have a lot of time on my hands. What better way than to spend the downtime immersing myself in a mysterious love story, even though it ended in heartbreak.
After packing everything, I locked the house and hurried to Jensen’s. There were bundles of flowers on his porch when I arrived, and it took me a few minutes to get them all inside. I couldn’t wait to see Jensen’s face when he came home to see his house decorated in every color under the sun. Surprisingly, someone had come in and cleaned. I thought I’d still see the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I’d left on the counter and Jensen’s dirty clothes by the laundry room. Instead, his clothes were washed and neatly folded on the kitchen table, and there were freshly made casseroles in the refrigerator.
I went back to his bedroom and found a duffel bag in his closet. If everything went according to plan, Jensen would only have to stay in the hospital for two to three days. I packed him some T-shirts, shorts and boxers, his toothbrush, and toothpaste. The only thing missing was socks. I pulled out his sock drawer and reached inside to grab a few pairs, but then I felt something odd. After pushing the socks aside, there in the back was a small black box, one that would fit a ring.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, my heart racing out of control. I pulled it out and stared at it, my fingers itching to open the lid. “No,” I scolded myself, putting it back.
If it was an engagement ring, I didn’t want to see it without Jensen. Quickly, I grabbed some socks and shoved them into Jensen’s bag. I had to get out of there before I snuck a peek.
Excitement bubbled in my chest as I went out to Jensen’s car and headed back to the hospital. Over the past few weeks, Jensen and I had talked about marriage, and I knew it would happen one day.
If it was an engagement ring in his drawer, that meant the next step of my life was coming up fast. All I needed was for Jensen to be okay so we could take that path together; I was ready for it.
* * *
Jensen still hadn’tawoken by the time I returned to the hospital. His vitals were excellent, which was a good sign. David and Martha stayed for a few minutes longer, and Martha told me she was the one who’d cleaned up Jensen’s house. She wanted it to be perfect for him when he got home.
Once they walked out the door, the only sound came from the beeping of the machines hooked up to Jensen. The sun beamed in through the window and it made me smile; it was cheery and bright. That was the atmosphere Jensen needed.
