Annie’s in?”
With the hand that says, F.R.E.E. he jogs his thumb to the side. “She’s just up the hall.” Covering his mouth, he says on a laugh, as he realizes the full scope of the pile of shit I’m in. “Oh man. Your girl is just up the hall? That’s a God-shot right there.”
I don’t bother to correct him that she’s not my girl, because… I don’t want to. Which is unsettling. “God-shot?”
He turns so that his body holds the door open. He likes to talk with his hands and he needs them to tell me, “A God-shot is what we say in Al-Anon. It’s when a power greater than ourselves does something that shows us where we’re supposed to be going. And I don’t know you, man, but you’ve got one girl put right here and another running away… you should look at that.” His eyebrows go up and his hands fall to his sides as he pushes himself out of the room with his back and lets the door close on its own.
“Wait!!” I yell through the door. I shove the blanket off me as he pops his head in and looks at me. “Can you help me out of this bed?”
He grins and comes back in the room. “Now this is what I’m talkin’ about!” He unplugs me from the heart monitor, and wraps the IV cord around the pole like Annie’s had been. “You want some socks?”
I shoot him a look. “Give me a fuckin’ break, would ya?”
He laughs, his shoulders shaking with a likable child-like quality. “Sorry. Part of the job.”
“Well, cut it out.”
“Then I won’t offer you my help.” He stands back and throws his hands up like he’s letting loose the collar.
“What’s your name?”
“Oscar.”
“I like you, Oscar.” He reaches out to grab the door as I make baby steps to it. “You’d think I got shot in the leg with how I’m walking. But other than to the bathroom, this is the first time I’ve ventured out after the surgery.”
He watches me, ready to help if I need it, his eyes and body tensely alert now. “How’s it feel?”
“Weird. But good. Funny what we’ll do to see a woman.”
He laughs, his whole body shaking with the sound as we walk out into the corridor, heading to the left. “Don’t I know it!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Annie
Staring: at a wall. Yay.
The door opens and I look over to see Brendan, his arrival stunning me completely. He’s followed by a Samoan-looking nurse pushing his IV on clunky wheels into my room.
I throw my feet off the bed, legs and IV tube dangling. “Well, look at you!”
“Not bad, huh?” He winces as he turns to look at the nurse. “I’ve got it, Oscar. Thanks.”
“Hi!” I throw a small, happy wave at the man called Oscar. He waves back with his free hand as he positions Brendan’s IV close to my bed. He ducks out of the room with a knowing smile as I pat the bed next to me.
Brendan’s concentrating so hard as he carefully sits down.
Anyone would find him handsome, sure. How could they not? It’s undeniable that he is a very good looking man. But it’s more than that for me, and I feel it every time he’s near. Something on the inside draws me to him. I feel whole when he’s with me. He is comfortable in his own skin as a man. He’s always been like that, but now that he’s grown up, it’s even more palpable. It’s striking, especially compared with a lot of people who aren’t that way at all. He doesn’t suck the energy out of the room. He calms it. And he calms me.
Brendan looks over from the corner of his eyes, pleased with himself for the journey he just made. I think he’s going to bring up what happened with Rebecca earlier, but he doesn’t. “I’ve been thinking about how to get people into your bar.”
I reach up and touch a thick lock of hair by his temple. “Yeah?”
He stares at me, eyes flitting in the direction of my fingers, then resting on my face as thoughts gather behind his eyes.
Take your time. I could watch you think, forever.
I lower my hand to rest on his. They are on the bed between our bodies as we sit facing the door, our legs hanging over the side.
“Um… yeah.” He smiles, distracted by my touch. “I think appealing to the neighborhood is the way to go, so I want to bring them