I pasted a smiled on my face. “I think I might be a little tired, too. I’m going to fall into bed exhausted tonight.” That was true, but I also hoped Pie would be in bed with me. That wasn’t going to happen.
Royal looped her arm through mine. “Chef life,” she joked. “I think mom life and chef life run along the same lines.”
Royal had way more on her plate than I did. Mom life was way more than what I was dealing with, even when it came to trying to figure out Pie. “Uh, sure,” I laughed.
“Are you sure you are okay?” she asked. “You look pretty tired.”
“Definitely.” I was okay, but my feelings were a jumbled mess when it came to Pie. We were in the middle of a pretty big conversation when his world crashed around him. Maybe that was a sign from the universe that Pie and I just didn’t belong together.
He had to be exhausted after spending the whole night at the hospital, just like everyone else was. As cheery as Meg appeared, I could tell she was hanging on by a thread.
“Maybe we could stop for ice cream on the way back to Wyndemere?” Royal suggested. “I bet Marco and the guys would like a little dessert, and you won’t have to do a thing.”
“You do know I don’t mind cooking for everyone, right?” I laughed.
“I know, but I think having a little break right now would be good for you.”
I sighed. “Only if we get Mr. Speed’s.”
“Since you’re telling me where we need to go, I have to assume the ice cream is going to be amazing.” She bumped into me. “Chef taste buds after all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Trust me. You don’t need to have chef taste buds to know that Mr. Speed’s has the best ice cream.”
I guess if I couldn’t have Pie tonight, ice cream would be a good consolation. I laughed at the hilarity of Pie’s name.
“What’s so funny?” Royal asked.
I waved my hand. “Nothing. I think ice cream sounds like a good idea.”
Ice cream tonight, and hopefully, I would have Pie tomorrow.
*
Chapter Seventeen
Lots of thinking…
Pie
“He’s awake.”
Snapper jumped up from his chair. “I want to see him,” he demanded.
Meg smiled wide and stepped into the waiting area. “As soon as they say he can have visitors, you’ll be the first one, Jonas. The doctor is just running some tests to see if he has any deficits.”
“Deficits?” Demon asked.
Meg ran her fingers through her hair. “Lo had some time where he wasn’t getting enough oxygen to his brain. The longer that happened, the more damage it did to his brain.”
Rigid stopped pacing. “He has brain damage?”
“Right now, he might, but with therapy, it should reverse.” Meg’s eyes watered. “We’ll know more soon. He looked at me and whispered me name, so he at least knew who I was.”
“Holy fuck,” Gambler sighed.
The full weight of what happened to King settled over us.
King was alive, but he might not be the same man he was before the stroke.