probably try to wake him.”
“He’s not drugged,” the other nurse added. “He could wake up any time.”
Sophia nodded, and she stayed out of the way as the three of them got him ready for the stitches. They all left the room, and Sophia migrated over to his side. She reached up and brushed his hair back off his forehead. He’d let it grow out since the last time she’d seen him, which admittedly was months and months and months ago.
Nine months.
He’d been a cop then, and he kept his hair shaved and short. Now, it had definitely grown out a few inches, and he was still the sexiest man she’d ever met. Easily.
“Ames,” she said. “It’s Sophia, and you’re in the hospital in Three Rivers. Can you wake up?”
He stirred, and she pulled a chair closer and took one of his hands in both of hers. “Ames, wake up.” She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. His eyelids fluttered open, and Sophia’s heartbeat increased. “You nailed your thumb to the cabinets, and I found you in the drugstore.”
Those dark, beautiful eyes found hers, and something powerful hooked them together. “The drugstore?”
“You were trying to buy gauze and Band-Aids,” she said with a small smile. “You need stitches, Ames.”
He looked around then, more of his awareness returning with every passing moment. “You brought me to the hospital.”
“That’s right,” she said.
“How long was I out?”
“Maybe ten minutes?” she guessed. “Not long. But we barely made it here.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought I could just patch myself up.”
“You’re pretty amazing at a lot of things,” she said with a smile. “But even you can’t will your wounds to miraculously heal.”
He managed a smile in return, and just then, the doctor came in. “Ames Hammond? Good to see you awake.”
Sophia pulled her hands away from Ames’s and backed up, putting the chair back against the wall where it had been.
“So I heard you nailed your thumb to the kitchen cabinets.” The doctor wore a big smile to go with his big personality. He grinned around the room, his charisma palpable. “I’m Doctor Willis, and I’m going to get you put back together right.” He stepped over to Sophia. “You’re the girlfriend?”
She pulled in a breath, glad she couldn’t see Ames past Dr. Willis. “Sophia,” she said without confirming. “I’m going to go call his brother.”
“Probably best if you’re a little squeamish,” Dr. Willis said.
Sophia was, but not about the stitches. She stepped past him, unable to make eye contact with Ames.
“Sophia?” he asked behind her, and she turned in the doorway.
“Yeah?”
“You’re not leaving-leaving, right?”
“No,” she said. “I’ll just go call Cy for you.”
“Okay,” he said. “But maybe try Colton. Cy’s getting married in a week.”
“Colton,” she said. “Got it.” Then she got the heck out of there so she wouldn’t have to watch the doctor put Ames back together—or face him and admit she’d told complete strangers she was his girlfriend.
A couple of hours later, Sophia had made multiple phone calls, sat with Ames for a while, and driven him back to the drugstore. She’d stayed with him while he bought a few things inside, and she turned into a long driveway that led to a home that sat back from the street and parked behind his truck.
He got out and turned back to reach inside and get the painkillers and medical supplies he’d bought at the drugstore while Sophia watched. Marcy had said to take as much time as she needed to make sure her “friend” was okay, and a deep exhaustion pulled through Sophia.
She didn’t need to go inside with Ames. The color in his face had normalized by the time she’d called Colton, Cy, and Marcy and returned to the room. With nurses and doctors in and out, they hadn’t spoken about the girlfriend issue, and the only reason she’d followed him home was because she’d promised Lora she would.
Ames glanced in her direction, and she couldn’t decide how he was feeling. He wore a dark pair of sunglasses, and with the slightly longer hair and those broad shoulders, Sophia darn near swooned.
She climbed out of the car and closed the door, facing him. “Do you want me to come in?”
“If you want.” He didn’t move either.
It was far too hot to be standing outside in the Texas heat, Sophia knew that. “Why didn’t you call me at Christmas?” she asked anyway. No sense in going in if she was going to get her heart ripped out. Just because