“First comes marriage, then comes love, then comes a baby in the baby carriage,” he sang, laughter in his voice. “We got married first, but my little tart, I still want to date you. I have since that first day you ran over me with a cart full of cupcakes.”
I swatted at him with laughter on my lips. “I didn’t run over you. I bumped into you slightly because you were in the way.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, since you bumped into me slightly with a cart full of cupcakes. When I turned around and locked eyes with you, I’ll admit, I was a goner. When you cowered in that van, and I couldn’t do anything to help you, I was instantly gutted. My soul kept telling me I had to get to know you. That’s why I finally showed up at the bakery. I just had to see you again. If only I’d known that you lived next door.”
I broke eye contact with him and stared at the floor rather than his face. “I was equally as taken, but the difference is, I know a guy like you doesn’t end up with a girl like me.”
“To begin with, never say that again. I don’t play leagues. I never have, and I won’t start now. Second, what do you mean by a girl like you?” he asked in confusion.
“No chest, no hips, a bum leg, and no hope of ever being able to keep up with you, at least recreationally speaking.”
“Recreationally speaking.”
I nodded with exaggeration, so he understood how important it was. “Hiking, biking, tennis, volleyball. Those are all out for me. Hell, even walking is out for me right now.”
“There are plenty of other things you can do recreationally speaking while sitting down.”
“Name them,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Canoeing, kayaking, biking with the right kind of bike, and sex.”
My head snapped up, and there was laughter in his eyes when I punched him playfully. “Sorry, but you walked right into that one,” he said.
“More like limped into it,” I moaned, shaking my head. “It’s late, but I think I could use a drink. I can’t stop all these weird thoughts that keep running through my mind, which means I probably won’t sleep.”
“If they’re anything like the ones running through mine, I think a drink is in order. I’ll bring it in here. I bet you would like to relax without the brace on, right?”
“Like you don’t know. My knee is improving, but overall, it still sucks in the pain department.”
He stood and scooped me up out of the chair, carrying me to the bed while stealing a kiss from my lips.
“You shouldn’t carry me, Bishop. You’ll hurt yourself.”
He lowered me to the bed with a laugh. “Yes, your whole one hundred pounds is going to give me a hernia.”
“I’ll have you know it’s one hundred and nine.”
“I stand corrected,” he said, still laughing. “Let’s take the brace off and prop the knee up.”
Since I was wearing sleep shorts, it was easy for him to get to the Velcro, but I clasped my hand over his. “I’ll do it. You don’t have to do it.”
“I don’t mind,” he said patiently, stripping the Velcro off while I let my head fall back to the pillow slowly. He took my shoe off, and the brace stayed inside it when he set it next to the bed. “Better?” he asked, moving my shorts aside to check the skin. “It’s still red, baby,” he sighed, running his finger over it gently. “I’ll be right back.”
While he was gone, I let my body sink into the soft, down mattress topper. The bed was easily a queen size, and much bigger than the one I had at my apartment. It was much easier to sink into, too. I was afraid I was going to like it too much by the time I moved back to my apartment. I decided tonight I’d enjoy a little bit of comfort for once in my life. Maybe I should enjoy Bishop, too. I wondered if what he said was true. That his soul had to see me again. It was a poignant thing to say, and my heart melted when he said it. I had to admit that I wanted to get to know him better, too. Even when I was in the middle of a terror episode during a storm, he calmed me. I hadn’t met anyone before who could do that.
He came back in the door carrying a tray full of drinks and other various bottles. He set it on the nightstand and held up the Tylenol. I nodded eagerly, and he dumped two in my hand. I swallowed them with the glass of water he brought, and then he handed me a bottle of cold hard lemonade. “Not a lot of kick, but I figured with the meds you’re taking, you didn’t want anything too strong. It will take the edge off. So will this.” He sat next to me and pushed my sleep shorts up higher, his fingers trailing the inside of my thigh and making me suck in air, a skitter of pleasure flowing through me at the sensation.
He unfurled something and rested it across my thigh and knee. It was cold and sent a shiver through me, but offered instant relief. I glanced down at it and then to his face. “What is it?”
He grabbed a bottle of lemonade and crawled over me, sitting on the other side of the bed. “It’s an ice blanket. I found it online and ordered it. I thought it might help the pain more if you could ice the whole thing down at once. When you’re not using it, you can roll it up and leave it in the freezer.”
“You thought to order me an ice pack?”
He motioned at it. “Did I overstep?”
I waved my hand and lowered my bottle from my lips. “Not at all, I’m just not
