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“But she needs to be paid,” her mother said. “She shouldn’t use her vacation time either or go without pay.”
“She won’t be,” she argued. “She’ll work from home. My bosses are great. There is nothing to worry about.”
“Let’s not make any decisions today,” her mother said. “We should hear what the doctor has to say first. You might be here a few more days.”
Heather wanted to grind her teeth, but she was pretty sure she might get released today. “We’ll see,” she said. “Dr. James came in first thing this morning and said he’d be back in a few hours. I could go home this afternoon.”
“That is too soon,” her mother said.
“Let the doctor make that call,” her father said. “Your brothers are on the road now. They are at least staying tonight. Maybe longer.”
“They didn’t even need to come now,” she said. “They could have waited until the weekend.”
“They are working this weekend. Both of them ended their shifts yesterday so they will be off and here.”
Guess she was going to have more guests than she wanted. Not like she was in a position to physically kick anyone out.
Hell, she was lucky she had more of her wits about her after Luke left.
Talk about embarrassing. She looked a mess and even had food on her face. But he kissed her like she’d asked and she knew it wasn’t a sympathy kiss either.
“Hope you guys have fun at the hotel. Remember, I don’t live alone and I shouldn’t have you all crowded around my place. It’s not that big.”
“You made it sound like Daisy had no problem caring for you, but if she doesn’t want your family there then I think it’s best you come home with us. Even if it’s just for a month.”
She put her foot in her mouth with that. “No,” she said. “I’m staying here. End of discussion.”
But it wasn’t the end of the discussion five hours later when she was being discharged. She was thrilled to be going home but knew she was going to struggle on the crutches to just get around her place until she was used to it.
She supposed it could have been worse, that it could have been her arm that was busted, but just having her left leg made it easier for her to do things if she was sitting.
The elevator dinged, and her brother Noah said, “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you? I’m used to carrying women out of fires. I’ll just throw you over my shoulder.”
“Good thing Luke rescued me and not you,” she said. She was assuming he cradled her and didn’t toss her around like a sack of potatoes. She’d have to ask him to find out. Or maybe she didn’t want to know.
“So it’s Luke now?” Gavin asked.
“Stop,” she said. “You know he’s best friends with my boss’s husband and how we met.”
Her brothers knew the story. They’d had to be told when they arrived and, as usual, her mother exaggerated things and she had to lessen it somehow.
Her brother didn’t need to know how close she’d come to being stuck in a car on fire. As a fireman, she’d get that lecture and maybe more information than she wanted to know.
She was afraid she was going to have nightmares as it was, so the less she thought of this the better.
“Yeah,” Noah said. “If Heather was seeing anyone, we’d know because we’ve got to meet and approve them. Right, Heather? It doesn’t matter if you live here, at home, or in Alaska.”
“Whatever you say,” she said. She wasn’t in the mood to talk about this even if they were joking.
They got to her door and Daisy must have heard them in the hall talking because she opened the door. “Come in.”
Daisy held the door, her mother walking in first, her father next, her brothers all but arguing about who was going to catch her if she fell.
“I’m not going to fall,” she snapped. “Not unless you two don’t get out of my way and trip me.”
She was louder than she figured and everyone just stopped and stared at her. “They are only trying to help,” her mother said.
“They can help by not arguing and making my headache worse. And I need a shower. I’ve got to clean up. I feel gross.”
