Natalie opened her mouth, to say what, she wasn’t exactlysure, but Kristin steamrolled ahead. “We need to form a team. Team Kevin.”
To say Natalie was astonished was an understatement of epic proportion.She was still grappling with Kristin’s presence in the first place, and thewoman’s “Team Kevin” yanked her into a surreal world that had her inwardlyshaking her head to dislodge any unseen cobwebs. Seriously? Teaming up with my sort-of boyfriend’s ex?Help! I’ve fallen into a parallel dimension and can’t get out. Shepictured herself miming pushing against an invisible box.
Kristin seemed to tune into her thoughts. “Look, I know howweird it sounds. But think about it. We care about the same man, so whyshouldn’t we be in the same camp?”
Even in her stunned state, Natalie recognized the logic. Andreally, she had nothing against Kristin. She didn’t know her well enough to haveanything against her. But the kumbaya, let’s-be-BFFssentiment might change—quickly. Could Kristin be trusted? Sharing Kevin withhis ex wasn’t appealing on a number of levels, including, admittedly, one thatinvolved pride. Yet didn’t Kristin have as much right to be there as Natalie?Kristin certainly had more time invested in Kevin. And it wasn’t as thoughKristin had proposed running Natalie off the island. Yet.
God, sometimes she hated when her inner Lily Logical steppedup and ran roughshod over her emotions. Why couldn’t she embrace jealousy,indignation, outrage like everyone else? She wanted tobe pissed, damn it! But pissed wasn’t what she felt. More like a little buoyedat the thought of having an ally to share the load.
Kristin seemed to sense her warring with herself. “With twoof us—”
“We’ll take shifts.”
“Yes! We’ll avoid showing up at the same time, and there’llbe two of us protecting him.”
The woman was not living up to Natalie’s expectation of ashe-devil, and her internal tantrum fizzled. “Protecting him from what?”
“Crazy-ass nurses who want to poke him full of holes.Doctors who don’t order the testing or therapy he needs. I watched them do itin San Jose.”
This totally threw Natalie. She’d only just seenKevin in Denver, but Kristin merited the VIP pass that got her to San Jose?Yeah, maybe Natalie was a few rungs down the who’s-who ladder, and she justneeded to get over it.
“We’re still each other’s emergency contacts,” Kristindropped matter-of-factly, once more reading Natalie’s thoughts.
Howdoes she do that? One for Team Kristin, a fat goose egg to TeamNat.
The sting over being reminded how small a space Natalieoccupied in Kevin’s life was followed by a twinge of guilt. Unlike his ex, shehadn’t considered the possibility he might be mishandled in the hospital. Yeah,Natalie was an interloper all the way around. She decided to shove asideinsecurities and petty pride and join Team Kevin. “Okay. I’m on board.”
A genuine smile lighting her eyes, Kristin extended her hand thistime. “Good. Let’s exchange cell numbers.”
.~* * * ~.
Natalie took a seat beside Kevin’sbed, pulling her fingers through her hair to tame it. For him, she’d left itdown today, like she’d worn the sweater, though he was still sleeping and hadlittle idea. She cupped his hand in both of hers, relishing a peaceful momentalone. Colin and Kristin had cleared out, Kristin proclaiming she’d return.With a noisy sigh, Natalie mentally stacked her attributes against the ex-Mrs.May’s. On the surface, two totally different women.Physically, they stood at opposite ends of a spectrum. Andtheir demeanors? Kristin was flash and brass balls,like a hotshot hockey goal-scorer with dazzling moves, whereas Natalie was theho-hum forward who analyzed before dishing off a pass—the player with threetimes as many assists as goals.
Natalie wanted to hate her. She really did. But shesuspected they were more alike than not, and she had to admit that, together,they had powerful team potential.
Though Kristin clung to the wife title, she nudged Natalietoward sympathy. She went all the way back to high school with Kevin. Thatmerited some kind of honor badge in Natalie’s life handbook, as did being asingle mom. No, thanks. At twenty-nine, she’dentertained the idea, only to realize she preferred forming a tag team with Mr.Right. She thought she’d come close, but her candidate had proved her wrong sixmonths ago by transforming into Mr. So-Terribly-Wrong before her eyes.
Cody. She hadn’t given him a thought in weeks. So why wasshe giving him a thought now? A groan from the bed saved her the trouble ofexploring the question.
Blue eyes opened, locking on hers. “Nat?” Kevin’s voice wasa rasp, but hearing it brought stinging tears to her eyes and relief to therest of her.
She leaned closer. “I’m here. How are you feeling?”
He untangled his hand from hers and covered his eyes. “Likeshit.”
“Do you remember what happened?”
Peering at her over his hand, he frowned. “Of course I do. Igot knocked out, I didn’t lose my mind,” he bit out.
She straightened her spine, taken aback by his harsh tone. Must be because his headhurts something fierce. “Shall I get someone for you?”
A grunt was his response, then heclosed his eyes again. Before Natalie could stand, a round, gray-haired nurseslipped into the room.
“He just woke up,” Natalie offered.
The nurse nodded and fiddled with a few monitors, thenpatted his shoulder. “Hey, big boy, I need to get some vitals on you.”
He mumbled something unintelligible, and the nurse cast hera sympathetic look. “Might be easier on him if you stepped out.”
Befuddled and a bit stung, Natalie scrambled out of herseat. “Of course.” Looking around, she mentally picked up, thentossed back her belongings. DoI come back? She must have resembled a bobbleheadon steroids, her head going this way and that. Two pairs of eyes tracked her,which only made her fumble more. In the end, she snatched her purse andscurried to a water station down the hall. She grabbed a Styrofoam cup andplaced it under the ice chute. Nothing. As she pulled it away, the machine spatcubes at her, missing her cup entirely. A metaphor for my life.
An ambling walk through circuitous corridors, a stop in theladies’ room, and a successful water dispenser encounter later, she headed backto Kevin’s room, grateful to discover
