Soaring with Fallon (Big Sky 4)

“It looks worse than it feels.”

His eyes find mine. “Don’t bullshit me.”

“Okay, it hurts. I’m sore. But it’s getting better, and that’s not a lie.”

He helps me step into the shorts and gently tugs them up to my hips, then slips the tee over my head.

“Ah, that’s already better. I’ll tackle the shower later tonight. I don’t think I have the energy for it now.”

“You need to rest,” he says, kissing my forehead. He helps me get settled back against a mountain of pillows and then pulls a rolling tray I haven’t seen before over beside me.

“Did you buy a hospital tray?” I ask.

“No, Nancy and Jeff had it from when they took care of my grandparents. It’s on loan for a couple of days.”

“It makes me feel old,” I say, wrinkling my nose. “But also grateful. Thank you. Also, I don’t think that TV was there before.”

“Good eye,” he says. “Gray and Autumn bought it for you.”

“Wow, that was nice of them.” I stare at the black screen for a moment, overwhelmed by the love Noah’s family has shown me.

“Do you need to sleep right now, or are you up for some more gifts?”

I scowl. “Why on earth would anyone get me gifts?”

“Because they love you,” he says casually as if it’s no big deal at all. “What do you say? Are you up for it?”

“Heck, yes.”

He grins and kisses my head, then disappears from the room for a moment. When Noah returns, he has gift bags and even a few shipping boxes.

“Holy shit, Noah.”

“There’s a lot of love in my hands,” he says with a chuckle. “Let’s start with the shipping boxes. I have a knife.”

He pulls out his pocketknife and slices the tape on the boxes, then sits them next to me.

I pull the card out of the first one and smile. “This is from Penny. Shit, I haven’t called her.”

“Willa did,” he replies. “Obviously.”

“Right.” Noah has to help me pull the wrapped box out, and I smile widely when I unwrap it. “A new essential oils diffuser. Oh, this is beautiful. I’ve wanted to get one for our bedroom. It’s perfect.”

“We’ll get it all set up when you’re done,” he says, setting it aside. Before me, Noah probably didn’t give a rat’s ass about essential oils, but he doesn’t even think twice about me incorporating them into our home.

He’s amazing.

The second shipping box is from Lacey, which also surprises me. “Whoa.”

“She was worried sick,” Noah says, watching me open the gift. “She asked me to call her every day. She really loves you, Fal.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, running my fingers over the soft faux fur of the slippers she sent me. “These are so soft. This is thoughtful of her.”

Noah sets the boxes on the floor next to the bed and passes me a half dozen gift bags.

“This is crazy,” I mutter, but by the time I’ve opened them all, I’m teary-eyed. Noah’s parents got me a new robe that matches the slippers Lacey sent. Gray and Autumn gave me a subscription to Netflix so I can comfortably binge on the new TV, and the rest of the family sent snacks and little things to keep me occupied. “It’s too much.”

“We’re not done,” he says with a laugh. “But for the last thing, we’ll have to go outside.”

I stare at him for a moment, completely overwhelmed. “Noah.”

“Come on. I’ll carry you if you’re up for it.”

“Is there another surprise party out there? Because I’m not feeling up for that. I might split my incision open from crying too much.”

“No, no one’s here but you and me.” He kisses my head. “What do you say?”

“Let’s do this, and then I’ll sleep for a week.”

He lifts me and carries me out the back door onto the deck, and I can only stare, sure I’m seeing things.

“Am I still under anesthesia?” I whisper.

“No.”

“Noah, that’s a brand new Jeep with a red ribbon on the hood.”

“That it is,” he says as he sits in a chair and cuddles me in his lap. “We’ll go check it out later, but I wanted to show you.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“I didn’t,” he says. “At least, not by myself. The whole family, including the Hulls, went in on it.”

I stare at him, too shocked to cry. “Are you telling me that Josh and Zack, your parents, Jeff and Nancy, Gray and Autumn, Brad and Hannah—”

“Christian and Jenna and Max and Willa,” he finishes, nodding. “Even Lacey helped. All of us, babe.”

“But.” I stare at the bright red Jeep with the top off, gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.

“But what?”

“But it’s too much,” I finish with a whisper.

“No,” he says, pressing his lips to my temple. “No, it’s not. We love you, so much.”

“I can never repay them for this.”

“Family doesn’t ask to be paid back,” he says. “And that’s what you have here, Fallon. A big family.”