“You’re difficult. Open up.” The small pill cup rattled in front of his face, drawing his attention back to the here and now. Landon opened his mouth without questioning every medication she held out for him. Maybe whatever he was taking would knock him out so he could stop the flow of questions starting to race through his head.
Chapter 3
“Two questions. Are you interested in some company and have you had dinner?” Dr. Adams asked, coming through the door of Landon’s room carrying a tray of covered dishes.
The man was a welcome sight. The sour mood plaguing Landon immediately dissolved. His bad attitude had developed from being forced to sit in this damn bed, feeling very much out of place, trapped with nothing to do. Landon was bored off his ass. Shockingly, his already terrible day had been made worse by the horrible tasteless meal they’d tried to serve him for dinner.
Whatever look he had on his face caused Dr. Adams to lift his brows and flash that sexy motherfucking grin, instantly having a sedative effect on Landon which made him lower his brow and consider such a visceral reaction.
“What’s bothering you more? The food or the being tied to the bed?”
Landon used his good hand to shift his current dinner tray to the side, wanting more than anything to dramatically send it flying across the room in a show of his disgust and frustration. Good thing he’d matured over the last few years because there was damn sure a time in his life he would have done that very thing.
“Equal irritants.”
“I figured as much.” Dr. Adams pushed the tray he’d brought in front of Landon while, at the same time, efficiently removing the one the hospital had given him. “There’s reasons why they’re giving you certain foods, but I think we can do better. Here, how’s this?” The doctor lifted the lid on the two plates he’d brought. One looked delicious. The other looked okay for healthy food—a large salad and a big serving of sliced fruit. In his heart, he knew that one was his. “I also read through your file. You’re stuck in a room by yourself because you’ve been a bit of a rabble-rouser while here. Know anything about that?”
There couldn’t have been a more perfect diversion for his thoughts. “You offering me food to get the inside track?” His grin broadened when Dr. Adams lifted his brows at such a cocky answer and reached for the salad and fruit plate. His heart soared that the Salisbury steak plate had been left for him. “Hey, thanks for this. I really am going stir crazy.”
“You’re welcome. I cut the meat into bite size pieces before I came in. You’re going to have to drink the juice so I don’t get into too much trouble.” He saw the small container of dark brown liquid and didn’t need to read the packaging to know for sure it was prune juice, understanding better what it was for.
He crinkled his nose and reached for the silverware, pushing the cup to the edge of the tray. “I took care of that today, Doc.”
“I didn’t see it in your chart,” Dr. Adams said, taking a big bite of the almost dry salad. In no world could Landon see that tasting good. He picked up his fork, scooping up a bite of the steak and mashed potatoes before the doctor changed his mind and tried to share his food.
“Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” he replied, taking his first bite. Salt had to be the most underrated seasoning on the planet. Man, it tasted good. After swallowing, he reached for his glass of water, giving a nod toward the food. “Thanks for this.”
“You’ve already thanked me,” Dr. Adams said, crossing one leg over the other as he concentrated on his bowl, moving the vegetables around to create the perfect bite.
“You eat any meat?” Landon asked. When Dr. Adams looked up, he pointed to the meatless salad before taking another hearty bite of his own food.
“Not usually. I’m not a hundred percent plant-based but close. Heart disease runs in my family.”
Landon gave the doctor a small nod before he took another bite, chewing it as the remnants of his bad mood dissipated.
“I thought I was flying under the radar here. You burst my bubble when you knew who I was.”
Yeah, right. The idea of Robert Adams not being recognized tickled Landon, and he rolled his eyes for good measure, again reaching for his glass of water. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I suspect every person in this hospital knows who you are.”
Dr. Adams looked up from the salad, confused, stopping with a bite midway to his mouth and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“They absolutely know who you are.” Landon left no room for argument, stopping just short of telling the sexy doctor how all the single women and even a few of the men had tried to catch the guy’s attention. The doctor seemed truly unaware of all the subtle flirting going on around him. In fact, he acted somewhat dejected as he continued eating. “Why’s it a bad thing they know you?”
“It’s not,” Dr. Adams answered, running a paper napkin over his mouth.
“Not convincing. Everybody’s trying to figure out why you’re here. Rumor has it you’re running for office and want military credentials under your belt,” Landon explained before again filling his mouth just about as full as he could. He couldn’t seem to
