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“Yet?”
“Yeah, I love her but don’t tell her I said that. She’ll freak out.”
That’s a fair assumption since my heartbeat just tripled. It’s only the anesthesia talking. He probably loves everybody right now with all the drugs washing over his brain. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.
“Your secret is safe with me,” Liam assures him, patting his arm.
Cooper closes his eyes and quiets for a moment before they pop open again, and he sits up suddenly. His hand wraps around my arm. “Maren. Maren. Maren.”
He whispers my name while I’m looking him in the eye. “I’m right here.”
“God is a toaster. Remember that.” With that, he lies back and lets out a loud snore.
Liam has done his best not to laugh so far but he can’t keep the smile off his face.
I’d love to know where that statement came from. My joke about giving him a toaster bath? “If you believe in a god that sends people to hell, I guess that’s technically true,” I remark with a chuckle.
Heading out of the room, Liam tries to reassure me. “It’s far from the strangest thing people have said.”
Cooper sleeps for almost an hour before waking again without any memory of his anesthetic babble.
It’s late in the evening when Cooper gets discharged. After swinging by the pharmacy to fill his medicine, we pull into my driveway just after dark.
They gave him a shot before we left and he’s feeling no pain, moving around like it’s no effort at all. I remember that stage. It passes fast. Once we’re out of the car, he turns like he’s going to go to his trailer. “No, you’re staying with me. I’ll go get whatever you need.” My place is a lot more comfortable than his bedroom.
“You have an early flight. I’m fine. Just grab me a couple of bottles of water?—”
“Oh, sure,” I interrupt, my tone light. “I’ll mount one of those hamster sipper bottles above your bed, throw you some beef jerky and go lay on a beach. Don’t be an idiot. Louise is taking my ticket. Now get inside before your shot wears off or you’re going to be hurting.”
For a second, I wonder if I’m going to need some help because he sort of freezes in place, blinking at me. “You’re missing your vacation.”
“There will be others.” When I slide my hand into his and walk, he accompanies me up the steps and into the house.
He’s quiet while I get him into my bed, propped up on a pile of pillows. “Are you hungry? Do you want to try to eat something?”
“No thanks, I don’t have an appetite.”
“Okay, I’m going to grab some drinks and I’ll be back.” My plan is to hang out with him in my room, maybe watch some movies if he stays awake for a while.
As I start down the hall, a knock at the door is followed by Lila’s voice. “Mare?”
“Yeah, come in!” She steps inside with a sheepish grin. “I’m not alone.”
Cara, Monroe, Louise, Freda, and Jarret follow her inside. My little living room is stuffed with people. Louise holds up a basket. “We wanted to check on Cooper and bring him some stuff.”
“Let me go see if he’s awake. He was pretty out of it.” I’m sure he’s not too drugged to visit but he may not be up for it, or comfortable with it right now. They wait in the living room while I poke my head into my bedroom.
“Did Lila come to try to talk you out of staying home?” Cooper jokes.
“Actually, she and some other neighbors are here to visit you if you feel up to it. If you’d rather rest…”
“I’m good. Send in the fan club.”
“I guess your arrogance wasn’t stored in your appendix. Come on back, you all!”
The group crowds into my bedroom. Lila puts her hands on her hips. “You’ll do anything to keep Maren to yourself, won’t you? This is a little dramatic.”
“I told her I’d be fine but a week away from me would be too hard for her right now. She’ll miss me too much.”
