of her own. Grant’s arms tightened around her. “Just stay,” he said gruffly.
“But—”
“Stay,” he said again, pulling her up against him.
And really, why argue with a guy who was saying things that you liked and wanted to agree with?
She relaxed back into his hold.
“Are you okay?” he asked against her hair.
“Um…” She thought about his question. “I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up. The pain has lessened. But I feel… weird. And still achy in my shoulder blade.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t know if it was okay exactly, but they were here now. She had to admit that she felt relieved to know that she was with medical professionals, and before they left here she’d have an answer about what was going on. Fixing it was something else. Could she afford it? What would it entail? Could she afford it?
But first she needed to know what she was dealing with.
“Hey, here you go.”
She looked up to see that Cam had joined them. He held out a duffle bag to Grant.
“Thanks.” Grant looked down at her. “Can you sit with her while I change?”
“Of course.”
“Grant, I don’t need a babysitter,” she protested.
“Humor me,” he said.
There was something in his eyes. It was almost as if he needed Cam there more than she did.
“Okay.”
He rose and crossed the waiting room to the door marked as a restroom.
Cam leaned back in his chair, studying her. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’m in urgent care after barfing on the guy I would much rather be naked with right now,” she said. “What do you think?”
Cam grinned. “Fair enough. How are you feeling? Physically?”
She sighed. She’d known Cam all her life. She wasn’t sure what it meant that Grant had called Cam. Maybe because he wasn’t currently dating one of her best friends. But maybe also because Grant knew she knew Cam well and would be comfortable with him.
Cam had always been a little rough around the edges. He’d loved to poke at people and had gotten into more than his share of fights at school and had never missed a chance to tease Zoe, or Josie by extension, but he was a very loyal friend and son and brother.
Josie was completely comfortable with him here. “I’m… fine. Ish. I guess? I’m worried about what is going on,” she confessed. “But at this very moment, I’m not in horrible pain or anything.”
Cam frowned. “You think it’s something bad?”
She shrugged. “Grant mentioned my appendix.”
Cam nodded. “Yeah. Guess that would make sense. But that’s almost nothing. I got mine out in high school.”
She remembered that now that he said it. “Yeah. You’re right. It will be fine.” She was comfortable with Cam, but no way was she going to tell him that she was worried about the money. Her insurance situation would get back to Zoe for sure. If not directly, then to Aiden. She was sure Cam wouldn’t approve of Buttered Up not having solid employee benefits either.
She’d been surprised that the bad boy Cam had gone into law. He’d seemed more the type to become a professional MMA fighter or to go into construction. Something where he got his hands dirty and could swing hammers—or his fists—and knock things—or people—down on a regular basis. She had a hard time picturing him in suits and ties and in courtrooms. But when she’d found out from Zoe that, while he did represent the guys’ company, Fluke Inc. when it came to trademarks and contracts and such, he also did a lot of pro bono work for small companies and nonprofits. He loved to go in as an underdog and fight larger corporations that were trying to screw over the smaller ones.
That actually fit. Josie, of course, knew Cam’s whole history with Hot Cakes and the Lancaster family and Whitney. She knew he felt that Whitney had chosen her family and their business and money over being with him.
That chip on his shoulder had manifested into him becoming a champion for smaller people fighting against bigger companies and Josie loved that.
Cam was a fighter, and if he could do some good for those who couldn’t fight for themselves, then it was a perfect outcome.
“So you’ve really got Grant all twisted up,” Cam said. He had an ankle propped on his other knee, one big hand resting on his leg, his arm muscles bunching. He said it casually, but he was watching her carefully.