Barefoot Beach Box Set

Chapter 7: Yours to Keep

Chapter 7: Yours to Keep

It was almost ten o’clock in the evening and the staff at West Reef Hospital gave Brayden special permission to visit me. Nurse Ramon said, “Mr. York likes to flirt with the ladies. He had all of them wrapped around his pinkie finger.”

I had an evening treat of peanut butter and crackers, my IV bottle was changed, and my blood pressure was checked. Thereafter, Nurse Ramon left the room, in search of another patient on the seventh floor of the hospital to administer care. Upon leaving, he said, “Don’t stay up too long. Dr. Fairmont said you can be discharged if you stay on your best behavior.”

“Thank you, Ramon,” I called after him, grinning and excited with his news.

Brayden entered Room 782 shortly after Nurse Ramon left. I was pretty sure the two met somewhere on the hospital floor in passing, shared a bit of chatter, and then separated. Upon Brayden’s return in my life, he said, “How are you feeling, drama queen?”

Surprisingly, I was doing well, and sort of snickered at his comment. My temperature was normal, as well as my blood pressure, and my head wasn’t throbbing like an hour before. I had kept my dinner down, many liquids, and was now happy to see him.

The man walked up to my hospital bed, pressed an endearing kiss to my forehead, and said, “You’re looking great compared to earlier today.”

“I’m sorry about all this,” I said, waving my right hand over my torso. “The heat has always bothered me. People often ask me why I don’t move to New England.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re feeling better.” He took a seat next to my bed, crossed his legs, and brushed a palm and fingers through his blond hair. I noticed that he was no longer wearing his pair of summer shorts and sandals. Instead, he was dressed in jeans, a tight T-shirt which outlined his popping pecs, and expensive looking loafers. He looked sexy as hell, of course, and caused me to lick my lips.

I enjoyed his company; any fool could have seen that. Life seemed to have joyfully plumped a bit when I was in his presence, energy that had lifted my spirits to a higher level. “They say I can maybe go home tomorrow.”

“Do you have a headache?”

I shook my head. “I did, but not anymore.”

“That’s good. I was worried about you.”

I laughed, but it hurt too much near my jaws to continue and I stopped. Then I said, “You hardly even know me, Brayden. Why would you be worried about me?”

“Never mind that,” he said, stood, and reached inside one of his front pockets. “I have something for you.”

“For me?” I asked, having no idea what he was talking about.

“Yes you. Who the heck do you think I’m talking about?”

What he pulled out of his jeans and passed to me was the most darling thing I had ever seen. It was small and round, dotted with brown spots, and felt cement hard. I took the outstretched gift from him and said, “It’s the smallest sand dollar I have ever seen.”

“It’s a good luck token from me to you. No more accidents, buddy. I don’t want to have to worry about you like I have today.”

I twirled the sand dollar in my hands and looked from it to my visitor. “This is special,” I said, adoring the stranger, and not really knowing who he was. Part of me believed he was Prince Charming or Mr. Right, but I still had to be cautious. Every guy had baggage, and I just didn’t know what Mr. York’s was as of yet, but I imagined I would soon find out.

“Yours to keep. Just remember who gave it to you when you’re having some bad luck, then it will work.”

“So you’re saying it has some special powers, right?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Ian.” He reached out and patted my right shoulder. While doing so, he gazed into my eyes and said, “You’re even handsome when you’ve had a bad fall. Do you know that?”

I didn’t. And nor did I know if he liked men or women, which I was still confused about. Why did he share a compliment if he were straight, into women? I was baffled at his side to the nth degree and decided to change the subject so neither of us would feel awkward. Mentioning Ging and Nick’s whereabouts was my best option, since both men were my closest friends, and neighbors. Therefore, I asked, “Does Ging and Nick know I’m here?”

“They do,” he said, removing his paw from my shoulder. “Both are quite blitzed and can’t make it.”

“I thought it was in bad character to get bombed at the party you’re hosting.”

He shook his head, grinned with delight, and said, “Not these days. That’s old school. Guests recommend that the hosts get completely zapped.”

His smile was warm and left me fuzzy. There was something sweet about the edges and folds of his mouth, and the shimmering pools of blueness of his eyes. I could fall hard and quickly for the real estate guy, but I didn’t want to be careless. Not only was he sweet and charming, but he was also at the hospital when my closest friends weren’t.

Just before I was going to thank him for calling 911 when I fell to Barefoot Beach, and currently sitting at my side, Nurse Ramon entered my room with a pill. He studied Brayden and said, “I hope there’s no hanky panky going on between you two studs in here.”

I laughed, and then Brayden laughed.

Nurse Ramon shuffled up to my bedside, told me to take the offered pill in his right hand with a sip or two of water, and said, “It will help you get through the night, sweetie. You’ll sleep like a baby bear cub and have amazing dreams. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have this naked hottie right at your side while you sleep.” Ramon pointed a pinkie finger at my new friend, winked at Brayden, directed his attention back to me, and said, “I’m sorry to do this, sweets, but I’m going to have to take Mr. Right with me. Visiting hours are long over.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“I won’t bite him,” Nurse Ramon said.

“I just hope he doesn’t bite you,” I told the nurse. “Something tells me it would be rather nice.”

It was Brayden’s turn to wink at me, which he did as he stood. Once he was up, he leaned over my bed, kissed my cheek, and said, “I’ll be by tomorrow to check on you. Don’t go anywhere.”

“You could always take me with you tonight.”

“I’m afraid not, Ian. You need to spend the night here. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to forget about you.”

“Promise,” I said, which was a bit out of my character, but I blamed the drug that Nurse Ramon had made me take; anyone would have in my condition.

“I promise,” he said, decided to kiss me on my lips like the gentleman he was. And before I knew it, Brayden was gone, vanished from Room 782, and left me alone with his gifted sand dollar, a token of luck and maybe protection from harm, in my left hand.