“Oh crap,” she says with a groan. “I forgot to call the caterer back.”
I swallow my bite. “You planning a party?”
“Yeah, for Dad’s retirement. Darienne needs to add another twenty people to the guest list.”
“I’m sure you can still add them tomorrow.”
She forks a small bite of salad. I’m pleased to see that she’s eaten most of her pasta.
“When’s the party?” I ask.
“July twenty first.”
“That’s coming up.”
Her eyes turn serious. “I know.”
I get her talking about the location and all the planning she’s put into this gig, her eyes lighting up. I only spoke with her dad for five minutes. He introduced himself and his wife, a slender woman in her forties who seemed bored by my brief retelling of Meg’s rescue, then kept interrupting with her insistent huffs of displeasure.
Is this woman the reason Meg and her dad are no longer close?
I carry the dishes inside while Meg swings into the guest bathroom. While she’s busy, I clean up, then make sure there are plenty of pillows and extra blankets on the guest bed, plus a fresh glass of water on the nightstand.
When she swings into the room, her face looks tired and from the edge of discomfort in her eyes, I know she’s hurting.
“Need anything?” I ask as she lowers to the edge of the bed.
She shakes her head. “I just took some more ibuprofen.”
I set the crutches on the floor next to the bed so she can reach them, then slide out my cell. “What’s your phone number?”
“Why?”
“If you need anything, call me.” I help her get under the covers then tuck a pillow under her injured leg.
“On the phone?” She glances at the ceiling with a frown. “Are you a heavy sleeper?”
I grunt. “I’ll be outside.”
She scowls. “All night?”
I laugh. “Yep.”
Her look turns thoughtful. “You aren’t taking care of me out of guilt, are you?”
“I need you back on your feet so you can get back to tormenting me.”
Her eyes soften, but her gaze flits away. After she shares her number, I send her a text.
When she opens her phone, her eyebrows shoot up. “World’s Worst Neighbor?”
“It’s catchy.”
She laughs, then lays back, her wavy blonde hair fanning out on the pillow.
The instant our eyes lock, a wild energy fires beneath my skin. Before I do anything stupid, I rock to my feet and pocket my phone. “Hope you can rest.”
Her smile looks more like a grimace. “Thanks. For everything.”
