Wicked Game (17 page)

The announcers spoke over the crowd, trying to get word of his condition. Referees consulted and reviewed the play. Then it was as if time sped up. Jaime was loaded onto a golf cart, and still unconscious, driven into the heart of the stadium, presumably to the ambulance on standby.

The security guard who had escorted her in showed up at her elbow, startling her. “Miss Pendleton, you need to come with me.”

“Oh God,” was all she could think over and over and over.

“Come on, hon, I’ll walk with you.” One of the Texas ladies grabbed her around her waist.

“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, I have to get you down below as quickly as possible. Miss Taylor, I don’t have room on the cart for you. Come on, Miss Pendleton, we need to hurry.”

“Call me Pepper.” She let him take her arm, and then they broke into a run. The concourse cleared for the security cart he barreled through twisting and turning hallways until she was lost and confused. The scene in the locker room was bedlam. The players were still on the field, waiting for news. The medical team gave over to the EMTs. She could feel the tension and fear as she walked into the room. The drone of a helicopter made her heart skip too many beats to count.

“Pepper.”

Her knees threatened to give out. He said her name a second time, and she stuffed her knuckles into her mouth to stop the sob from escaping. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

“Good.” He smiled a weak smile, his eyes swimming with pain. “Hey, Pepper, I guess I’m not Ironman after all.”

“You just need the proper armor, Jaime. That’s all.”

“That’s good to know. Hey, did we win?”

She looked around at one of the people in a Miami uniform who nodded. “Yeah, baby, you won.”

“Good. Stay with me, Pepper.”

“Nothing can stop me, Jaime. Nothing.”

“Let’s go.” One of the EMTs grabbed her by the elbow, and they ran out just as the helicopter landed. Seconds later, they were flying over the lights of the stadium and into the dark night. Jaime’s warm hand in hers was the only thing keeping her from having a total breakdown.

Chapter Eighteen

She walked the long hallway outside radiology with her stomach in knots. So far, they knew for certain that his shoulder was dislocated on impact. Possible rib fracture, neck and spinal injury, and concussion were on the list to rule out. That he’d stayed unconscious for so long swayed heavily toward concussion. She waited along with a member of the coaching staff for news. Jaime’s mom on the phone kept her company.

“Yes’m, he is awake and talking. They have him immobilized, but he held my hand, and he says his chest hurts when he breathes. Yes’m, that is a good sign. He’s in MRI now, but you know hospitals—they forget there are people worrying. I know the footage is horrifying, him lying in a twisted heap like that. Yes’m, you’re on the first flight in the morning. I’ll be there. Yes’m, I’ll be here all night. I’ll let you know as soon as they tell me anything.”

After she hung up with Jaime’s mother, Cass’s mother called. Her worry was about Cass first and Jaime second. Cass was able to calm her down and promised her she would call her the second she heard anything. When she was finally able to disconnect, Cass turned her phone completely off and went and sat beside the coach.

“His mom? Man, I don’t envy you that call.” Marcus Wells, the offensive line coach took her hand in his and patted it almost as if she were a little dog. He was older, but not old, somewhere between forty and fifty; large, like most ex-football players of that age were; and almost jovial.

“I grew up with Jaime. His mom and my mom were friends. She’s a nice lady. God, I hated hearing the fear in her voice. All of the news networks are running the footage. She’s scared out of her mind that he’s paralyzed, or heck, I’m not even sure what is running through her mind at this point.”

“Well, what did you call him? Jaime? Jaime, I like that better than Jay. Makes him a little more human.” He laughed, and she knew that if Jaime made it back out onto the field, he was in for a world of trouble. “Jaime is tough. If his helmet hadn’t gone flying, he wouldn’t have been knocked out. It’s the neck and shoulder. How much damage? Will he need surgery? The concussion is the least of our worries right now, to be honest. A spinal injury can end his career tonight.”

“Well, thanks for that. I am so relieved.”

He laughed again. “You seem like you have a brain on your shoulders. He knows who we all are, and he can move his hands. He is complaining very loudly about being trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Sounds like he’s probably fine to me. How about you?”

“Sure, Jaime is tough. He’s going to be just fine. Probably drive me crazy while he’s recovering. Pepper, get me this. Pepper, what’s to eat? Pepper…”

She stopped talking when the technician and attending doctor stepped into the hallway, their faces grim as they talked. Dread clamped hold of her stomach and wouldn’t let go.

“Well, Doc, what are we looking at?” Marcus rose to greet him, his voice going from teasing to determined.

“Concussion, definitely, there doesn’t seem to be any damage to his spine. The shoulder is going to be his worst problem. We’ll fix that and immobilize it. Two cracked ribs. His temperature is fine, so really we’re just going to admit him for a day or two. If he rests and gives his body a chance to heal, he should be fine.”

“How long does he need?” The coach seemed relieved. “I’ll bench him for as long as it takes.”

“He’s not going to like that.” Pepper shook her head, pity in her voice. “I don’t envy you that conversation.”

“Oh, I’m not crazy, I’m going to tell him while they still have him trussed up, and then I’m going to run like hell. You’re probably the one who’s going to have to deal with the fallout.”

“Yeah, well, thanks for that.”

“One week, maybe two, but we’ll make that decision later in the week.” The doctor raised an eyebrow at their byplay.

“Thanks, Doc.” Marcus shook his hand just as Jaime was wheeled into the hallway. “Hey there, killer. You look pretty good for a paraplegic.”

“I am not in the mood for your jokes, Mark. Just give it to me straight, and I won’t kill you when I get up from here.” There was no humor in his voice, only pain.

“Okay, it’s bad. I’m putting you on the injured list for at least a week. If you take it easy and let that shoulder heal and don’t knock that thick skull of yours up any worse than it already is, we’ll talk more in a week.”

“So I’m benched, then.” He wasn’t happy about it. Injury or not, Jaime wasn’t going to miss a game easily.

“One game, Jaime. Do what the doctors and this nice young lady tell you to do for the next week, and we’ll see if you’re going out to Dallas in a couple of weeks.” Marcus stopped kidding around and made sure Jaime understood before he drew in a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to go talk to the press now. Wish me luck. And Pepper, take care of yourself. Don’t let him push you around.”

“His mama is coming in tomorrow, so that shouldn’t be a problem, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir, honey. Just Mark will do. Jaime, be good, or I’ll have the whole offensive line come and babysit you.” He leaned over, placed a kiss on her cheek, and ran off down the hallway.

“What a nice man.” She stepped beside Jaime as the orderlies wheeled him slowly down the hallway.

“Nice man, my ass. He’s a sadist. Why did you have to go and tell him my childhood nickname? Now I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

“You know, I think I like you tied up like this, but I can do without the sass, young man.”

“Bite me, Pepper.”

“If you are really, really nice to me, Jaime Dalton, I might let you bite me.”

* * * *

Sometime after midnight, Jaime was finally settled into a private room, this time only half trussed up like a turkey. His neck was at least out of the cage, and he could use his left arm, but that was about as free as he was going to get for a while at least.

“Are you in pain?” The nurse fussed with warm blankets and making sure he was safely wrapped in a vented gown.

“If I said I wasn’t in pain, could I go home?” he growled back at her. “And no fucking needles. I don’t need or want anything dripping into me.”

“Someone is cranky tonight.” Pepper walked in on the end of the exchange and shoved a phone at him. “Here, your mom wants to talk to you.”

He gave her his best go-to-hell look, but she wouldn’t run. He liked her better when she was afraid of him. She shoved the phone again, and this time he took it, offering up a long-suffering sigh before he put it to his ear. “Hey, Mama. Yeah, I’m going to be just fine. They gave me something nice to help with the pain, but they won’t let me sleep, so I don’t see what the point is. I am not being rude to the staff. Or Cass either. Yes, I know I’m lucky to have a woman like her taking care of me.”

“He’s rolling his eyes,” Cass said very loudly. “And being rude to the nice nurse standing beside him.”

“Pepper, do you mind? I’m talking to my mother. Can’t you go find me something to eat or something?”

“And he’s starving. He’s going to be just fine,” she said just before she disappeared into the bathroom.

“Yeah, Mama. Cass is a living doll, and I need to stop treating her badly. I know. Really, Mom, it’s not necessary. All right, I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you too.”

The nurse set Cass’s phone on the nightstand beside her purse as she went around closing the blinds. “Is your lady staying with you tonight?”

“I’ve tried to send her home, but she won’t go, so I guess she’s sleeping in that chair over there,” he answered, secretly relieved not to have to spend the next few hours of forced wakefulness alone.

“I’ll bring her a pillow and a blanket, then.” She handed him the TV remote and the buzzer to the nurse’s station, explained how they worked, and said that someone would be in to check on him every so often. “Buzz, if you need anything.”

“Is it too late for dinner? I have a sudden craving for turkey.”

“I ordered a pizza. You’ll just have to manage on just one. And you’re cleaning it up, if it comes back up.” Pepper chose that moment to walk back into the room. She dropped wearily into the uncomfortable-looking hospital chair.

“You certainly have thought of everything.” He didn’t mean for it to come out sounding cranky. “Well, no. If I’d thought of everything, I’d have something more comfortable to sleep in besides jeans and a too-tight T-shirt. I’d have brought a book, too, but I probably won’t be able to read with all the whining.”

“I am not whining. I’m hungry and I can’t move my arm and I’m wearing a gown that opens in the back.”

She just rolled her eyes at him. “And a toothbrush. I would have definitely brought a toothbrush.”

“Pepper.” He drew her name out, hoping she’d take the warning.

“Jaime,” she mimicked as she kicked her shoes off and wiggled her toes. “God, that feels so much better. What were you saying, your lord highness? I wasn’t listening.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” he said after the nurse bustled out of the room. “I had plans for tonight that didn’t involve an MRI machine.”

“I’m sure you had plans that involved some sort of bondage and nudity.” She laughed pointedly at his bound arm.

“Well, I guess we’re halfway there. If you’d take pity on me and strip, then I’m sure we could salvage the evening.”

“Mmm. Do you know what kind of liquor this hospital serves? Because, Lord Ironman, it’s going to take a whole lot of booze to get Pepper Potts naked and in bed with you after the night she’s had.” She closed her eyes, her voice becoming soft and dreamy.

“Hey, Pepper, wake up. If I can’t sleep, neither can you.”

She opened one eye and smiled at him. “When the pizza comes. Until then I need a few to recharge. Deal?”

“Deal,” he said, just as the nurse came back in carrying a stack of blankets and two pizza boxes. “Hey, Pepper, the pizza is here.”

“Oh, fuck you,” she said irritation ringing in her voice, but she sat up anyway. She looked too pale, too tired. He knew in that moment that he’d never seen anyone as beautiful as Cass, even if the glare in her blue eyes was telling him exactly where to stick himself.

“In your dreams, honey. In your dreams.”

Somehow, Pepper managed to carry on a half-coherent conversation until around two, when she fell asleep sitting in the chair.

“Pepper,” he called out to her. “Cass. Wake up.”

She sat up quickly, her eyes barely in focus. “I’m awake. Are you all right? Do you need anything?”

“Cass, why don’t you come lay beside me, baby? You’re breaking my heart.” He pulled the blankets up and with a little effort scooted over against the rail. “Come on, Pepper, before you fall on your face.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She sat there listing sleepily in the chair, her speech slightly slurred.

“You won’t hurt me. Take your jeans off, baby, and come lie with me.”

Too tired to argue, she looked at the door, and within seconds, she stripped out of her jeans, a pair of pink panties clearly visible below her short T-shirt. She carefully climbed into the narrow bed with him and curled against his uninjured side. Sleep snatched her before he could tuck the blanket around her shoulders, her hand resting lightly on his chest. “That’s my girl.”

He spent the next hour flipping through the pitiful selection of sports news channels while Cass lay on his shoulder. Watching in horrified fascination the double hit that he’d never seen coming. The cuts to Cass standing in the seats while he lay motionless on the ground had his heart racing. The two Texas T’s supporting her seemed to be the only thing keeping Cass on her feet. She had her hand pressed over her mouth; her eyes filled with pain as he continued to lie there. Ten minutes. He was out for ten minutes before being taken off the field. Damn. The entire stadium was silent for that entire ten minutes.

His throw just as time ran out was good, despite the hit he took. Cut to Marcus Wells speaking to the press waiting downstairs, his relieved face saying more than the words ever could. Hurt but not as bad as it could have been. Right now, the concussion and the shoulder were their chief concerns. No, there was no discernible spinal damage. He’s resting comfortably for now. With at least one game out, possibly two.