Fashioned for Love (A Silver Script Novel Book 3) (10 page)

“Butter so far. I figured I’d make some pasta for us. Are you hungry?” She dumped some garlic into the pan next and pulled out a pot for the noodles.

“That sounds fantastic. It feels like it’s been hours since the sandwich you brought me.” He pulled the cutting board toward him to cut up some mushrooms that Debra had pulled out of the fridge.

Debra took out two plates and cups and set them on her table. “I’m glad, because I usually make way too much, so it’ll be nice to have someone to share with.”

Lance pushed the mushrooms toward the stove. “You can share with me whenever you want. I’ll take it.”

“Sounds good to me.” Debra dumped the mushrooms in and sautéed them before adding flour, then heavy cream and parmesan cheese. “But that means you might have to deal with tomatoes.”

“Oh, you’re killing me.” Lance put his hand over his heart. “Anything but those.”

Debra gave him a sly grin, then turned to stir the food. “Okay, I wouldn’t do that. Besides, I don’t usually have many tomatoes until the summer when I get them from my parents’ garden. Nothing beats a homegrown tomato.”

“I agree with you there. Even if I can’t eat them anymore.”

Debra drained the noodles and added them to the sauce to mix them up. She dished the food out on the plates and set the pan down. “Oh, I guess I should have set the table up there.”

“It’s fine. I can come over there.” Lance slid off the stool and took the couple of steps toward the table. “It’s getting better all the time.”

“That’s great.” Debra picked up her fork and watched Lance try to eat with his left hand. “Maybe I should have made something easier to eat.”

“No, I need to learn to eat with my left hand.” He spun the fork until the noodles collected, and took a bite. “See? I’ll be fine.”

Debra took a bite of her noodles. The flavor was just perfect. Her mom had taught her to make the Alfredo sauce when she was young, but it was hard to get it to taste just like it should. “You know, even though you don’t want to go back to the hospital, I think you need to get those stitches out.”

Lance sighed. “I know. They’re starting to itch, but I really don’t want to go back.”

“There’s always Dr. Carter. He gave you the painkillers. I’m sure he’d do it without charging you through the nose.” The thought of taking him back was bittersweet. She knew that once he went back to Staten Island, he’d probably go home, and it had been nice to be around him for the last couple of days.

“That’s probably what I’ll do. But I have those photos that need to get done in the morning. So maybe after that we can go.” Lance picked at his food.

Debra thought through everything she needed to do the next day. She could get a lot of it done before noon, and then she’d need to be there to get the pictures done. But she could work there as well. “That’ll work. For now, I need to get these dishes washed and get to bed.”

Lance pushed away from the table and took both plates over to the sink. “I can’t do the washing part, but I can help you load the dishwasher.”

“Thank you.” Debra took the rest of the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off before handing them to Lance. Once they were done. Debra helped Lance into the guest room and up into his bed. She leaned against the bed so she was close to his face. “Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He pulled her close and kissed her. Debra couldn’t think as she leaned into the kiss. He pulled on her, but she resisted. What if she were to hurt him? She broke away, trying to catch her breath. Lance reached out and caressed her cheek, sending a thrill through her. “I hate to end this, but I forgot my pills, and I shouldn’t have tried walking to the table. Could you get them for me?”

“Of course.” Debra leaned down to kiss him again, then stood. She went to the kitchen to get a cup and then grabbed his pills from the table next to the window.

Lance took the pill, and Debra helped him get a drink. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She kissed his forehead. “Good night.”

She turned the light off as she left the room and went to her own. It was nearly two in the morning when she was finally tired enough to sleep. Thoughts of Lance and everything they’d done that day kept running through her head. She’d only known him for a couple of weeks, but it felt like she’d known him forever. And in that moment, she knew she didn’t want to lose him.

The alarm didn’t go off the next morning, and Debra was running late. She had to settle for toast, and made a couple of extra pieces for Lance. She poked her head into his room to find him still asleep.

“Hey, Lance? Wake up. You’re supposed to be at the office.” She walked closer.

Lance jerked awake. “Wha—oh. Okay. I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Do you need help?” Debra searched for the dress pants and shirt that he’d picked out the day before.

“I’ll be fine.” He pushed himself up with his good hand and rubbed his face. “What time is it?”

“After nine.” Debra grabbed the pants off the chair and tossed them on the bed. “I’ll get you in your chair when you’re ready.”

By the time Lance was ready to get out of bed and into his chair, Debra had collected her work into her laptop bag and eaten her breakfast. As she helped him out of bed, he gasped and nearly fell, but she managed to get him into the chair.

“What’s wrong?” She crouched down so she could look in his eyes.

“I don’t know. I’m in more pain today than I’ve been in since the accident. It’s probably good we’re heading to the doctor today.”

“So, you made the appointment?” Debra pushed him into the kitchen to grab his food and then headed for the door.

He shook his head. “Dr. Carter will see me whenever. I’ll call when I know we’re done with the shoot. Let’s just hurry and get that done first.”

Debra bit her lip as she pushed the button to the elevator. “I feel like I should just take you now.”

“No.” His response came out harsher than she’d heard him speak before. He clenched his fist. “Sorry. I’m in more pain than I thought, I guess, but I just really want to make sure the shoot happens first.”

“Okay. We’ll do that.” She helped him climb into his Porsche, noting his gasps of pain every time he moved his legs.

The trip was silent as they drove to Walker Apparel. Debra helped him out, hoping that Erin was on her way. She wanted this to be done as soon as possible. She didn’t want to admit it, but having him snap had rattled her. They made their way up to his office, and she avoided looking at the button that would have taken them to the basement. The happiness from the night before was gone, and it bugged her that she was letting it get to her.

A photographer stood in the middle of the showroom with his camera, studying the gowns in front of him. After dropping off their stuff, they watched the photographer at work. Lance pulled away from Debra and pushed his way between the different models who wore the gowns. He had them adjust waistlines and collars to make sure they looked just right and then moved on to the next model.

Debra sat in the armchair she’d used the day before and pulled out her laptop so she could work until they were ready for her. She wanted to show Lance what she’d come up with, but he was still talking to the models. It could wait until later when they had the real photos to use.

The delivery came right at noon, just as Lance had expected. Erin, Carissa, and their photographer showed up shortly after and they got everything set up. Debra waved at them and walked over.

“So what do you think?” She nodded toward the displays.

“I think I need him to design my mom’s dress for the wedding.” Erin studied one of the gowns. “These are amazing. I’ve seen his work before in the ads, but this is the first time I’ve seen them up close.”

“You should watch him design. It’s fascinating.” Debra watched him work. He seemed at ease, which helped her relax. Maybe the pain had subsided.

Erin moved in closer. “So, what’s up with you two?”

Debra shrugged. “We’ve done a few things together. I’m helping him out, but there’s not much else to tell.”

“Right.” Erin smirked. “And he just happens to be living with you.”

“In two different rooms. You realize he’s injured, right? He can’t exactly do things on his own.”

“I know, but I still think it’s incredibly romantic. Oh, I think it’s our turn.” Erin waved the photographer over.

Debra pulled up the ads she’d designed so they’d know what poses they wanted, and the photo shoot began. She smiled over at Lance as he watched, and kept working. She was determined to make this as perfect as possible for him.

Lance rubbed his leg, hoping to get rid of the dull ache that had plagued him all night. The shoot was finally done, and he was waiting for Debra to wrap up with Erin and Carissa. He tried to keep his temper in check after everything she’d done for him, but he hurt and needed to get to the doctor.

When they continued to talk, he wheeled himself out into the hallway and called Dr. Carter to make the appointment. The only available time was in an hour, and it would take at least that long to get there. He thanked the receptionist and went back into the room.

“Hey, Debra? I need to go. My appointment is set, and if we don’t leave soon, I’ll be late.”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll be right there.” She continued talking and handed Erin a business card with a few more instructions before running to grab her coat. She wheeled Lance out of the showroom and toward the elevator. “What time is your appointment?”

“It’s at four o’clock.” Lance rubbed his forehead, trying to get rid of the headache that was now throbbing along with the pain in his leg.

Debra unlocked his car and opened the car door. “I thought you said he’d get you in whenever.”

“Yeah, well, that was all they had, and I really need to get in as soon as possible anyway.” He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, but noticed her frown. By that time, the pounding was bad enough that he couldn’t bring himself to apologize.

Debra tried to make small talk as they drove, pointing out sights along the freeway. Lance did his best to reply, but halfway into the trip, she’d given up.

Once they got onto Staten Island, Lance directed Debra to his doctor’s office. He couldn’t help sighing with relief when the building came into sight. As soon as Debra pulled the chair over to his door, he climbed out and into his chair on his own.

They went into the office and checked in. The waiting room was filled with kids who were playing with the toys, and moms who gossiped together. He picked the opposite end of the room and pulled out a random magazine to look through. It wasn’t until they called him back that he realized it had been a fishing magazine.

The nurse asked questions about his health and the care he’d been given, then handed him a robe and left the room. Debra blushed and walked out with her, leaving Lance to change.

Dr. Carter came in a few minutes later with his laptop in his arms. “Hey, Lance. I hear you’re having a rough time.”

“I’ve been better.” He scooted back on the table and adjusted the back of his robe.

“Let’s take a look at the stitches and go from there.” He inspected them and nodded. “Let’s get the stitches out. It looks like those are healed just fine.”

“Great. They’re driving me crazy.” Lance reached down and rubbed his legs where his bones ached from the pressure Dr. Carter had put on them.

Dr. Carter scratched his chin and made a note in his laptop. “It sounds like something didn’t heal right. I’m sending you in for an x-ray.”

Lance nodded. He could have argued, but this aching was new, and it worried him. “I guess that means I have to go to the hospital?”

“Yes, but just go to the one near your house. No need to go to the other one. Plus, they might tie you down if you go back.” Dr. Carter chuckled. “Everything else looks good. Let’s see what happens with the x-ray and we’ll go from there.”

“What about my hand?”

Dr. Carter sighed. “That’s going to take a lot of therapy to get the muscles and tendons working the right way. It’ll happen. I’m going to take out the stitches, but we’ll need to cast it after that. A splint would allow it to get bumped, and it still needs time to heal.”

That was the last thing Lance wanted to hear. A cast meant he wouldn’t be able to use his computer. “Wonderful. I guess we should just get it over with.”

Taking the stitches out of his hand was painful as it pushed and pulled on the injuries, but the legs weren’t too bad. The scars wouldn’t be pretty, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He took the slip for the x-ray order from Dr. Carter and changed once he’d left the room. He wheeled himself out to find Debra on the phone. As soon as she saw that he was out, she hung up and stood.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Her beautiful hazel eyes showed concern as she hurried forward.

“We need to head to the hospital. If you want, I can have my parents take me. That way, you can get back to work.” He let her push him out to the car.

Debra didn’t say anything until she started the engine. “Let’s see what the news is and decide from there. I don’t need to get back to work tonight. We got things done at the shoot, and Erin is taking over my other accounts until I can get back.”

“Okay. Take a left up here and the hospital isn’t too far.” Lance rested his head on the seat. He should have asked for some painkillers while he was there, but he could get some at the hospital.

Debra nodded, but didn’t say anything. This time it was Lance who tried to make small talk, and while she answered, it wasn’t with her usual excitement. She pulled in next to the entrance, and two attendants came out to help Lance into his chair.

Lance explained what was going on, and they helped him over to the registration desk to check in. He tried to find his insurance card in his wallet, but his bandage made it difficult to pull it out. Debra took it from him and gave it to the receptionist.

“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled back at him.

Debra helped Lance over to the waiting area and sat in the chair next to him. She pulled out her laptop and found the WiFi. “Oh, hey, Erin sent me the unedited versions of the photos.”

Lance leaned toward her so he could see how they looked. The lighting and angles they’d used were perfect. “I’m impressed. I may have to hire your photographer for our shows.”

“He’s one of the best. That’s why I stole him from another company.” She chuckled and pulled up another program.

“Stole him, huh? That sounds like a great story.”

“Not really. I told him what a great job he was doing and offered him more money than what he was making. He couldn’t refuse.” She swapped out one of the photos and rearranged the page to fit.

A technician called Lance’s name and came over to help him back. Lance smiled at Debra as he was wheeled away. She waved and mouthed a “good luck” just as he went around the corner. The hallway was brightly lit, and nurses smiled as he rode past them. They entered a small room with a table lying in the middle of the room.

“Normally we’d have you change, but unless you have a metal on, we’ll just have you lie on the table.”

“I’m good.” Lance waited for them to lower the table enough for him to roll onto. He stretched out, causing the dull ache to hurt worse. He listened to the instructions, then relaxed as the technician took a couple of pictures of his legs, and then one of his hand. When it was done, he was helped back into his chair.

The technician flipped through the chart in front of him. “It looks like your doctor doesn’t want you to leave until the x-rays come back. Should be just a bit. I’d go get some food and maybe a magazine.”

Lance sighed. “Okay. Do you think I could get something for the pain? I left my pills at my friend’s house.”

“Of course. I’ll see what I can do.” He smiled and pushed Lance’s chair back toward Debra. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

“Thanks.” Lance slumped down in his chair, exhausted. He just wanted a break from the pain.

Debra closed her laptop. “Ready to go?”

“I have to stay until we get the results.” Lance grabbed a magazine from the pile, making sure it had nothing to do with fishing, and flipped through it.

“Want to go to get something to eat?” she offered.

“No. I’m not hungry.” Which wasn’t true. He was starving, but he was too annoyed with everything to want to do anything at that point.

Debra stood and stuck her laptop in her bag. “I’m going to go get something. Want me to grab you a milkshake?”

He shook his head and closed his eyes. “No thank you.”

“I’ll be back.”

“Lance Walker?” a voice called out.

Lance jerked awake and sat up in his chair. “That’s me.”

The waiting room was nearly empty, and Debra hadn’t come back from getting food. A nurse smiled at him before looking down at the paper in her hand.

“We’re going to go get you prepped for surgery.”

“Wait—what? Surgery?” Was he still sleeping? Lance rubbed his forehead.

“Your x-ray showed that one of the bones in your leg moved slightly out of place, so they need to replace the pin.” She handed Lance the paper.

He glanced through it, reading off the results. The bones they’d worked on for the surgery hadn’t healed correctly and there was a stress fracture in his left leg. He knew he shouldn’t have tried dancing. How could he have been so stupid?

“Did you have anyone with you? We can wait if you’d like.”

Thoughts of the night before in the storage area ran through his mind. What had brought emotions of pleasure and enjoyment the night before, brought pain, and surprisingly, anger. He couldn’t bring himself to see Debra just then. “No, there’s no one waiting. Let’s go.”

The girl looked at him, confused. “You sure? I thought there—”

“No one,” he interrupted. Debra was here, but there wasn’t much she could do that point, anyway. “Which way are we headed?”

The nurse helped him over to the OR and into one of the changing rooms. The small impersonal room held nothing but a bed, a robe, and a few machines. It didn’t help his loneliness at all.

The nurse helped him onto the bed and set the clothing next to him. “Do you need help with changing?”

He shook his head. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

She left and closed the curtain behind her. Lance changed into his gown and set his clothes on the chair next to him. He stared at his phone, knowing he should let someone know what was going on. He sent a quick text to his parents and another to Nikki so she’d know not to wait for him the next day. His text to Debra was short, and he dropped his phone onto his clothes.

Thoughts of everything he’d done over the last couple of days, and the time he’d have to waste in the hospital bed again floated through his head as tubes were hooked up to him, and the doctors ran through their instructions. It was a relief when the anesthesia finally took over and helped him drift off into sleep. He only hoped that this time his legs would heal correctly.

“Good morning, Mr. Walker. It’s time to wake up,” a soft voice said.

Lance blinked his eyes, fighting the grogginess still threatening to overtake him. He rubbed his face with this good hand and winced as the IV tugged at his skin. “How’d everything go?”

“The surgeon will be in soon to let you know. Once you’re feeling up to it, we’ll move you to your room. Can I get you anything?” The nurse checked the monitors and adjusted the stream of fluid on the IV.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” His mouth was dry, most likely from the medicine they’d given him for the pain.

“All right. Let me know.” She walked over to check on another patient, and Lance closed his eyes again.

It was a few more minutes before the surgeon came in with his stethoscope around his neck and his mask up on his forehead. “Hey, you’re awake. The surgery went well. We’ve pinned that bone, so it can’t move this time. Everything else looks like it’s healing nicely. Once the swelling goes down and we get the stitches out, we’ll cast your leg and hand and you’ll be good as new.”