he had glanced down, he would have seen the laminated card that had my picture and the words: Kate Asher, Sports Insider Online. I casually unclipped the laminated card and slid it into my back pocket.
“You here to see Sean?” he asked.
“Um, I’d love to see him,” I said sincerely. “But I don’t think they’re letting anyone from the press up to his room.”
“You ain’t press,” he said, giving me a scolding look. He nodded toward the elevators. “Come on, he told me all about you. He’d love to see you.”
“He would? Are you sure he’s up to it?”
“Yeah, he’s already awake and bitching about the food,” he said as I followed him to the elevators. He pressed a thick finger into the button and sighed. “Maybe you can get him to behave. He likes you.”
“He does?”
He narrowed his eyes at me and bobbed his head. “Oh yeah, he likes you a lot.”
* * *
I let Leon lead the way down the hall to Sean’s room. Following behind him was like driving behind a semi-truck. I couldn’t see anything on the other side of him. I’d never seen a man so tall and wide.
“Hey, look who I found,” Leon said, walking into Sean’s room with a big grin on his face. He stepped aside to let me pass. When I saw Sean in the bed, all bandages and metal rods and screws, it made me sick to my stomach. He really did look like he’d been mowed over by a train.
“Hey,” Sean said, his voice a weak whisper. He held out his right hand and wiggled his fingers at me. “I was hoping you’d come.”
I took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Jesus, you scared the crap out of me,” I said. My eyes welled with tears despite my best efforts to hold them back. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”
“I am okay and I feel awesome,” he said with a smile.
“He’s a little doped up,” Leon said. He went to the other side of the bed and rested his big hands on the bedrail. “He’s gonna be okay, but the docs say he’ll be here for at least two weeks, then rehab for a while. God help his physical therapist.”
“Katie will take care of me,” Sean said, the words slurring past his lips. “We’ll go to the cabin and she’ll take care of me.”
“Sure,” I said, wiping my nose on the back of my hand. “I’ll take care of you. Whatever you want.”
I heard a familiar voice in the hallway outside that made me cringe. A harsh, female voice, like a low growl. I didn’t have to turn around to see who it was. It was Madge Sinclair, talking to someone on the phone.
“I’d better go and let you rest,” I said quietly, hoping I could slip out without being seen by Madge.
“No, you just got here.” Sean wouldn’t let go of my hand. His fingers were like a vice. “Leon, have you met Katie,”
“Yeah, man,” Leon said, rolling his eyes at me. “I’ve met Katie.”
Then, like a storm that I knew was coming but couldn’t avoid, Madge burst into the room. “So, how’s my favorite client…”
Her mouth snapped shut when she saw me standing beside the bed holding Sean’s hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, giving me a look that nearly made me wet my pants.
“Madge, hey,” Sean said with a dopey grin on his face. “Do you know Katie Holmes from Playboy Magazine?”
Madge blinked at him for a moment, then glared at me. “No, but I know Kate Asher from Sports Insider Online.”
Sean frowned between us. “Who?”
Leon shook his head. He wagged a thick finger at me. “Now I know why you looked familiar,” he said. “Shit.”
“Shit is right,” Madge said. Her eyes filled with anger. She curled her lip into a snarl. “What’s going on here? Why does he think you’re someone else?”
“What’s going on?” Sean asked, confused, still clutching my hand. He gave Madge a hard look. “This is my girlfriend. This is Katie Holmes, like the actress, only hotter. Be nice to her, Madge.”