Holding Haley (The West Contemporary Romance Series) (11 page)

“Well, I’ll leave you in her capable hands.” His father handed Haley the small white bag of his medications, which Wes had no intention of taking for very long.

“
Thanks for the lift, Dad.” He rested his head back when his father walked out.

“
How are you feeling?” Haley asked, sitting down in the chair opposite him.

“
Fine, really. It’s no big deal. I don’t know why they called you. I hope you didn’t worry.”

“
Worry?” Her eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t give me a chance to worry. By the time I found out about all this, you were already on your way here.” Her voice was laced with pain. “Your mother said your surgery was three days ago. Is that correct?” She crossed her hands on her lap. When he nodded, she closed her eyes and sighed. When her eyes opened back up, he saw the pain.

“
Haley, I’m sorry I didn’t—”

“
Don’t.” She stood up. “No more apologies.” She picked up the bag of medicine again. “I won’t listen to them anymore.” She turned and walked into the kitchen. He could hear her getting him a glass of water, then she was walking back in, the pills and water in her hands.

“
It says you have to take this when you get home.” She held them out. “Then every four hours until the pain is bearable.”

“
It’s bearable now.” He pushed the pills away, but took the water and gulped it down, hoping the pain was masked enough.

“
Don’t lie to me.” She stood over him. “Don’t be dumber than you’ve already been. Take the damn pills so I can make you some dinner without worrying.”

“
You don’t have to stick around.” He took the pills, knowing that she would force it down his throat if he didn’t take them. He hated that the pills made him loopy. The first hour of the drive home, he’d been talking about how cool butterflies were. To his father! He certainly didn’t want Haley to witness him like that.

“
What did they do?”

“
Hmm?” he asked, wishing she would sit down next to him so he could see her green eyes. He’d dreamed about them last night in his hospital bed as the medicine ran through his veins.

She sat next to him, putting her hand on his. “Why did you need surgery?”

Maybe the pills were already kicking in, but she looked softer, sexier.

“
There was a blood vessel that was blocked. They had to replace it. Sorta.”

“
What?” She looked shocked. “Replace it?”

“
Yeah,” he laughed. “They took some from my good leg”—he motioned to his upper thigh—“then stitched it to here.” He pointed to his injured leg. “Bam.” He slapped his hands together, almost missing. “I’ll be as good as new, or so they say.” His words started to slur and his head fell back again. “Damn, I hate being loopy.” He rolled his head towards her and looked at her and smiled. He tried to reach up towards her, but she was too far away. “You are so beautiful. I can’t believe how much I love you.”

W
es’s eyes closed and he began to snore lightly.

“
You are so beautiful. I can’t believe how much I love you.”

His words played over and over in her mind as she watched him sleep. If he really loved her, why did she have to find out about his surgery from his parents? Three days later!

She’d been hurt when he’d left without telling her why he was going out of town. Not that she was one of those girlfriends who needed to know where her man was at all times.

She didn’t even really think of them as dating again. After all, they had just gotten together once. It wasn’t as if he’d made any commitments to her, yet.

She stood up and walked into his kitchen to make him some soup. The hospital instructions stated that he should eat light tonight. Banging around his kitchen, she found the makings for some homemade chicken soup, something she was a pro at making. She enjoyed cooking. It was one of the first things Haley and her sisters learned to do to help out after their mom died. Their father was a wonderful father, rancher, and even seamstress, but he couldn’t cook to save his life.

By the time the place smelled of warm chicken soup and French bread, she could hear Wes in the next room. She walked in with a tray full of food for him and almost spilled it all when she saw him trying to stand without his cane.

“What are you doing?” She gasped and set the tray down quickly. Racing over, she wrapped her arms around him quickly, just before he started to fall backwards.

“
Damn,” he said into her hair as he used all his weight to hold himself up. “Stupid leg.” She helped him walk towards the table and sit down.

“
Don’t do that again,” she scolded. “You could have eaten on the couch.”

He shook his head. “I’m tired of eating in bed or on a couch. I wanted to have dinner with you.” He reached over and took her hand. “With candles.” He nodded towards the candles he’d used last week. “Will you light them again?”

“Why?” she asked, looking down at his face. She could see that his brown eyes were still clouded and he was a little paler than normal.

“
Because you look so beautiful in candlelight.” He reached up and brushed her hair with the back of his hand. “Please.”

She sighed and proceeded to light the dozen candles. Then she walked over and flipped off the dining room light. Taking her tray, she set the two bowls of soup down in front of them, then set the bread down.

“It smells like heaven.” He leaned down and stuck his nose right in front of the soup, almost dipping the tip in it. She leaned over and pushed him back up.

“
You’re still loopy, aren’t you?”

He nodded, and tried to pick up his spoon. On the second try, he got it. “I hate those drugs. I told the doctor they did funny things to me.” It took him a few tries to finally get a spoonful of liquid.

She took his hand before he spilled the entire spoonful all over himself. “Here, let me help you.”

He looked up and smiled at her. “You are so beautiful. You taste so wonderful, too.”

She chuckled at that. “Thanks, I think.” She scooped a spoonful into his mouth and watched his eyes close.

“
Mmmm, I can’t believe how good this is. Almost as good as licking you from head to toe.” He smiled.

She laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

“As long as I’m around you, I am.” He took another bite she offered.

“
Here, have some bread.”

He took the bread from her and nibbled on it.

“I don’t want you to leave me.” He frowned. “Please say you’ll stay.”

She thought about it, and after seeing what the pills were doing to him, doubted he could be left alone anytime soon. It didn’t mean that she was going to sleep in his bed, but she wasn’t going to leave him alone.

“Yes, I’ll stay tonight.”

She shook his head. “Stay.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “Please. Don’t leave.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He smiled. “Good, I have big plans you know.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

“
Yes, but I can’t tell you yet. Soon.” He took another bite of his bread. “Soon.”

After she’d fed him half a bowl of soup and a full roll of bread, she helped him walk back to his bed, where he fell back and dropped quickly asleep.

She had to push his legs up on the bed, carefully. He was wearing shorts, something he never really wore. His left leg had a white bandage wrapped around his thigh. She itched to see what was going on underneath it, but knew that it needed to heal first.

There was a smaller bandage on his right upper thigh. Pulling it back gently, she saw the small incision where they had, most likely, removed a small section of his vein to fix his other leg. She didn’t know much about the procedure and decided to step outside and call Chase to see if he knew anything more about it.

Chase informed her that it was a pretty standard surgery. Depending on the extent of the damage, he would most likely be off his feet for a few weeks. But after recovering, he would notice an increase in color and strength in that leg. There were high chances of it healing quickly and minimal risks now that the surgery was over.

He told her that if she had any problems, to let him know and he could be there quickly.

After assuring him that she’d keep Wes off his feet for the next few days, she hung up, wondering what she was going to do now.

She ended up snuggling down on his couch and watching an old movie. She even made popcorn and drank some of the wine that was left over from their dinner last week.

She must have fallen asleep, but she jolted awake when she heard Wes screaming. Rushing to his room, she saw him sitting straight up in bed, his eyes wide. His hands were flailing about, and when she flipped on the lights, she could see that he was still trapped in the nightmare.

“
Wes!” she called out over and over as she tried to calm him down, holding him still so he wouldn’t hurt himself or her.

He kept screaming until she softly touched his face. “Wes.” Tears were streaming down her face. “Please wake up.”

She pulled him close as he went still.

“
Haley?” She felt his arms wrap around her. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. I love you so much. I can’t believe I ever walked away from you. Please be real.” He said it over and over again, until she leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

“
I’m real. I am real. I’m right here.”

“
Don’t go away. Please don’t ever leave me.” He pulled her closer as they fell back onto the bed. She lay next to him, outside the covers, until she felt his breathing slow.

She knew he was asleep again and wished that she could go with him. But her mind was whirling as he held her tight. Even in sleep, he refused to let her go. His arms were wrapped around her, keeping her warm in the cool night air.

She thought of all the times they had been together physically and when she finally fell asleep, she dreamed of the first time they had made love.

When she woke, he wasn’t in the bed. She was wrapped in the blanket. She’d removed her shoes in the living room, so her socked feet were starting to get hot as the sun streamed into the window and landed on the end of the bed.

Kicking off the blankets, she sat up and looked around. Seeing that his cane was no longer leaning against the wall by his bed, she smiled. At least he’d used it.

Walking towards the bathroom, she heard him splashing around in the sink.

“I hope you aren’t drowning in there,” she called out.

“
Nope, but you can come in and watch, just in case,” he called out.

She laughed. “How about I start some breakfast. When you’re washed up, call me and I’ll help you walk in.”

“Okay, I’ll be just a few more minutes.”

She walked into the kitchen, stretching her arms over her head as she went. She felt like making blueberry pancakes, but doubted he had any fresh fruit around. Opening the freezer, she smiled when she saw the large bag of frozen blueberries.

By the time he walked in, minus the cane, she had a batch of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and turkey sausage cooked up.

She had made a pitcher of orange juice and was sipping some coffee as she set the table.

“Mmm, smells great.” She could see that his eyes were clearer and even though she saw pain in his face, she decided to let him judge if he needed more pills today.

“
How are you feeling?”

“
Great, and before you ask, no, I don’t want any more pills.” He smiled as he sat down. She saw him cringe a little, but he recovered quickly. When he looked up at her again, he smiled like nothing had happened.

“
I’ll trust you, so long as you let Chase swing by today.”

“
Chase?” He laughed. “Now I’m seeing a vet, too.”

She chuckled. “I trust him completely with all my animals.” She set a full plate in front of him. “Now eat up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled as he scooped up a spoonful of eggs.