"You miss him, don't you, girl?"
The dog let out a whine, laid her head down on the expensive leather and covered her eyes with her paws.
“I’ll take that as a yes " Micki said, laughing.
She checked her watch and realized it was almost time to relieve Sophie at Uncle Yank's bedside. It had been two days since the accident and the doctors wanted him up and out of bed to begin the difficult process of making him mobile in order to prevent pneumonia or infection from setting in. It wouldn't be fair to subject Sophie to that hell all by herself.
Micki grabbed her purse and walked out of her office. "Amy, if anyone needs me I'm at the hospital. I’ll check in when I can, okay?"
"Don't worry about anything on this end. We've all got things covered. You just get your uncle back to his cranky old self."
"Put that way, it shouldn't be all that hard after all." Micki laughed. "Wish me luck," she said and headed for the hospital and the grouch of the century.
Yank lay in his hospital bed and pretended he was sleeping while Lola paced the floor, muttering to herself. Only a blind man couldn't see he had a choice to make, he thought wryly. He just wasn't ready to make it yet.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me Spencer was gay? Why didn't he tell me himself?"
Lola turned around, obviously startled he wasn't sleeping. "Why? Are you interested in him?" she asked.
"Ha-ha."
Lola walked toward the end of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
At the reminder, he winced and pushed the pain medication button on his IV. "Like I broke my hip and had major surgery."
She nodded. "I figured."
"You're avoiding my questions."
She grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to his bedside, then smoothed her skirt and sat down.
Her new position gave him a direct view of the tank top beneath her blazer and her cleavage, which looked dam
n good for a woman her age.
"I didn't tell you because it wasn't my secret to tell and Spencer didn't tell you because…I don't know why. He kept it quiet because the industry's so male-oriented, he didn't want to make any of his clients uncomfortable."
"That's bullshit," Yank muttered. "Nobody cares about his personal life, only his ability to negotiate the best damn contract he can."
Lola's eyes sparkled with appreciation and he squirmed beneath her gaze. He wasn't used to her looking at him with anything other than frustration and disgust. He'd nearly forgotten what her approval felt like.
It felt good.
"I sent Sophie home for a shower and Micki's coming back in time for the physical therapist to help get you out of bed"
"I can't move."
"You have to move or else you'll end up with twice as many problems. Here." She shoved a contraption the night nurse had brought by. "Breathe into this and make sure you get that pressure thing up to ten. You don't want to get pneumonia on top of everything else."
He scowled. "Damn bossy woman."
"And you love me, Yank Morgan-don't tell me you don't."
"Even if I did, and I ain't admitting nothing yet, don't you think you deserve a helluva lot better than a man who's going blind and now has a busted hip?"
She glared at him, the frustration and annoyance back full force. "Don't you think that's my decision to make? That's been my point all along."
"Are you saying I could tell you I love you just so you could turn around and make the 'decision' to say I'm not what you bargained for anymore?" he asked, outraged by the thought.