Just a Kiss: The Single Girls Wine Club (A Wine Country Romance #1) (20 page)

Turning her attention back to the front of the Snack Shack line, she zoomed in on a clear plastic bucket of Red Vines. That’s when she heard someone behind her yell “Heads!” and that’s when the sky turned black.

“She’s going to be fine. She’s just concussed.” Danica’s heart ached at the sound of her mother’s trembling voice.

“That sounds so gross. Is there pus on her brain?” her brother Brandon asked.

“Shut up, moron!” The voice of her oldest brother Mathew rang out. “What are you, five?”

“Shush…” her mother commanded softly. “The doctor said she might be able to hear us. We don’t want her to worry.”

Trapped in the unfamiliar deep molasses of her brain, Danica tried to lift her eyelids and panicked when they didn’t.

Although she could hear the conversation around her, the words were coming in clipped and murky like listening underwater.

Her oldest brother Mathew asked, “Was it a direct hit?”

Brandon questioned someone, “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“I will not have this kind of talk with your poor sister lying there.”

Mom, please don’t cry
.

“Of course she’s going to be all right. Boys leave the room.”

Dad?
You’re here? There all here except Jess. This can’t be good.

Not knowing if she’d ever be able to open her eyes or move again, made her sob, but not in the usual way. The pain in her head intensified. She felt no relief and couldn’t feel the wetness of tears.
Will they just stay in here, trapped in my head, with me?

She dug deep and pulled every ounce of energy to focus on seeing out of just her right eye and both opened at the same time.

“Mom,” Danica squeaked.

“Boys, come back to the room. She’s awake!” Her father’s voice boomed clearly next to her.

“Dad?” she whimpered.

Staring straight up at the dingy ceiling in her beige hospital room, without moving, Danica let go of her tears. Warm drops streamed down her cheeks, and her mother stroked her forehead with the nurturing touch that always made her feel better.

“You’re going to be okay honey. We’ve got you,” her mother cooed.

Her father leaned in close. “Don’t you worry sweetheart, I’m here.”

“Oh my God! Thank God you’re okay!” Just like their birth order, Mathew bolted into the hospital room first followed by Brandon. Danica’s landlord Lulu Castelli and her roommate Juliet St. John trailed behind her brothers.

Lulu folded her thin, freckled arms and squinted at her. “We got here as soon as we could.”

“We brought some clothes from home,” Juliet added.

Danica drew the palm of her hand to her forehead and pressed. “What happened to me?”

Brandon’s eyes got big. “You’ve concussed and—”

“Thankfully, it’s a minor concussion.” Her mother shot a pointed look at Brandon, but her voice sounded soft like a caress. “You were only sleeping a moment ago, nothing to worry about honey. You’ve had a very rough day, and you need rest.”

“It’s lucky that ball wasn’t a direct hit," Mathew said. "It ricocheted off a bicycle before you caught it with your head.”

Her Dad clenched his jaws and said “That’s enough,” to Mathew. “The CT, MRI scans, and the neurological test they gave you in the ER show no damage.”

“Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.” Danica winced at the worry etched on her parent’s faces. “My head is killing me.”

“The doctor says a headache is normal,” her dad said touching her cheek, “but they want you to stay twenty-four hours so they can check on you every couple of hours.”

“You are going to be very well taken care of, I can promise you that,” Lulu harrumphed. She
still had her arms crossed and pursed her lips. “I know people. People who work here and they owe me.”

Her dad’s eyebrows shot to his forehead, but Danica wasn’t surprised Lulu Castelli would call in favors to help her. That’s just how she rolled. Although Danica's family had been close to Eloise Castelli for as long as she could remember, now that Danica lived with her, she'd heard all the stories firsthand.

Lulu, the great granddaughter of California’s wine industry, was the fourth generation of Castellis
to live in the massive family estate up on Castle Road called Bella Villa. Castle Road was named for the Castelli family, and if Wine Country had a royal pecking order, Lulu was the queen of Sonoma.

“Sarah’s still asleep but I know she’d want to be here. Should I call her?” Juliet asked.

Danica hadn’t had time to catch up with Sarah Dupont, her other Bella Villa roommate before she left for Arnold Field. Sarah had arrived home late last night after attending a two-week film festival in Tokyo with actor Jamie Santino, Michael’s younger brother.

“No, let her sleep…I’m sure she’s fried.” Danica shrugged at Juliet. “I feel bad enough dragging you and Lulu here.”

“I came the second I heard what happened.” Juliet gave Danica a look she’d never seen before, and it made her throat tighten. Juliet broke away from the stare. “I’ve got your robe and your favorite leopard slippers in here.” She placed a large straw bag on the table in the corner of the room.

“And I brought my flask,” Lulu piped in. Everyone in the room turned to her.

“Um, that’s very thoughtful Lulu, but the doctor said Danica shouldn’t have any alcohol for at least a week,” her mother said.

“It’s not for Danica, what do you think I am? It’s for you. Want a swig to take the edge off?” Lulu reached and pulled a small silver container out of her bra and offered it to her dad.

“No, thank you.”

“You sipping?” Lulu tipped the flask to her mom.

The corners of her mouth turned up. “No, I’m good, but thanks.”

“I’ll have a swig,” Brandon and Matthew said at the same time.

Lulu took a long, loud gulp of liquid and smacked her lips. She tucked the shiny flask back into her silk fuchsia blouse.

“Nope.
No can do boys. My bra isn’t big enough to pack anything that'll take the edge off you two.”

“Okay, I don’t want to ask this, but I have to.” Danica cast her eyes down. "How long was I there in the dirt, legs splayed, in a dress?” The banging in her head turned into a jackhammer.

Her father answered, “Not long. According to Michael, a woman working in the Snack Shack called 9-1-1 when she saw you get hit. You were coming to by the time the ambulance got there but apparently were in and out of consciousness.”

“Michael?” Heat flashed over her face, and her skull seemed to crack when it dawned on her that she wasn't wearing her best underwear.

“He called from the ambulance and rode here with you,” he explained.

Danica rubbed her temples, but it didn’t stop the construction crew in her head.

“Oh my God. He rode in the ambulance with me?” She pulled the covers up to her chin. “I don’t remember any of this.”

“It’s very common for you to not remember every detail, so don't even try to think honey.” Her mother turned to the others. “Maybe we should call it a night and let her…” She kissed Danica’s cheek. “Get some rest.”

After planting smooches on her forehead, Juliet grabbed Lulu’s arm, and they left. Her family gave her goodbye kisses, and Danica heard the group making arrangements in the hall just outside the doorway before she fell asleep.

The side of Danica’s face stayed glued to her pillow. She cracked an eye open and peered at the annoying nurse nudging her arm.

“Huh,” Danica whispered from her dry throat remembering what had happened. Her head had thankfully stopped thudding.

“You’ve been out for two hours, time to wake up.” A nurse who sounded like she’d downed fifty cups of Blue Bottle coffee barked and left the room.

After shaking off her grogginess, Danica slid out of bed, tucked into the slippers and robe Juliet had left for her and shuffled down the eerily quiet hall. She passed someone mopping the old linoleum floor with a big rag mop and caught a whiff. The ammonia coming off the bucket filled the hallway with a smell of sleepy sickness and comfort that always made her queasy. Bright lights flickered at the end of the passageway, and she headed for them.

“What are you doing up honey? You shouldn’t be walking around. You knocked your head pretty good
.” The tallest of three nurses standing by the counter at the station moved toward her. “You feel okay Shortcake?” Ms. Tall Nurse reached for Danica’s wrist and checked her pulse.

“Do you guys have a candy machine around here?”

The tall nurse chuckled. “Your pulse is perfect. Maybe we can sneak you a piece of what’s in our secret stash, but only after we get something nutritious in you, Sugar.”

Danica wondered if Tall Nurse enjoyed torture because she had just called her Shortcake and Sugar but wouldn't give her anything sweet. A wave of exhaustion from walking down the hall to the nurse’s station hit her. “Never mind, I’ll just go to my room.” She turned taking baby steps back down the hall.

“You need some help?” Tall One asked.

Danica, trying to sound cheerful, called back over her shoulder, “I’m okay.” But she was a least seven notches down from being in full, confident, Danica mode. She didn’t care about tucking in her tummy or holding her head up and slouched while slowly put one foot in front of the other.

“Don’t you worry,” Tall nurse raised her voice from
the counter. “Miss Lulu has taken care of everything. Dinner will be here soon. And it’s not from the hospital kitchen either.”

Had she already thanked Lulu for this? Danica couldn’t remember.

Danica trudged toward room forty-seven. After ten more paces that felt like walking in quicksand, she reached her door and stepped back.

The sight of an unfamiliar man with broad shoulders wearing a dusty baseball uniform startled her. He stood facing the window. She couldn’t help but notice a large earth-brown colored stain running up his left leg and covering part of his perfect left butt cheek.

“Am I in the wrong room?” she asked.

“Oh thank God you're okay Danica! I am so sorry that ball hit you.”

The smolderingly sexy baseball player turned around holding an enormous bouquet of flowers, and her spirit rallied, setting of internal red flag danger warnings. This was no innocuous pretty-boy. She’d known this type of panty melter before, and wasn’t in any condition to handle his crazy magnetism.

She had to be careful to avoid his eyes in her weakened state, or she’d get seared to smithereens with one glance and swept off somewhere in his sexy undertow. It had happened before. Her legs got wobbly.

Approaching with sleek, strong, confident strides that made the room shrink, he offered the flowers. “These are for you,” he said with a deep voice connecting with that area below her abdomen.

He obviously hadn’t showered because a mix of sweat and dust stained the white rim of his Crusher’s jersey. He didn’t smell the way her brothers
did after any of their games. He smelled like sex. He looked like sex.
Naughty, bad, hot, good sex.

Danica moved a little too enthusiastically for the flowers, and when she tripped on her bathrobe, he caught her.

“What the hell have I done?” He grimaced, scooping her into his arms and cradling her close to his chest. “Will you ever forgive me?” he asked, gently placing her on the side of the bed so she could sit.