Forbidden Heir (The Heirs 8)

I brush my thumb over his stubble. “You’re perfect.” He begins to shake his head, and it has me giving him a stern look. “You’re perfect, Ryker.”

Sarah and the oncology nurse come into the room with a wheelchair. “Time for the MRI and radiation.”

“Can I come along?” Ryker asks.

“Of course.” Sarah grins at us. “I think it’s amazing how close the two of you are. Couple goals.”

Her comment fills me with warmth. “It’s all Ryker. He’s the best.”

He helps me out of bed and into the wheelchair, then he presses a kiss to the top of my head. “When you get the woman of your dreams, it’s easy.”

As we leave the room, Sarah asks, “Have you always loved each other, or was it something new that crept up on you?”

“I’ve always loved her,” Ryker replies.

Sarah glances at me, and it has me saying, “Honestly, I felt like a perv for crushing on him when he was a senior.” My comment has Sarah frowning, so I explain, “I’m almost seven years older than Ryker.”

She glances between us. “That can’t be. You look the same age.”

“What age is that?” I ask.

“I’d guess around twenty-seven, twenty-eight.”

“I’m totally taking that as a compliment,” I chuckle. “Ryker’s twenty-five, and I’ve just turned thirty-two.”

She lifts an eyebrow at me, then looks at the oncology nurse. “She doesn’t look thirty-two, right?”

“Hell no. Not like any thirty-two-year-old I’ve ever seen. I had a truckload of wrinkles by then.”

Ryker leans down and whispers in my ear. “See, the age gap doesn’t bother anyone.”

I let out a silent burst of laughter, then admit, “Fine, you were right.”

Entering the room, Ryker makes the nurses swoon when he picks me up then sets me down on the bed for the MRI. “Careful, Mr. West,” I murmur. “You’ll have all the nurses crushing on you.”

“Too late,” Sarah laughs as she pushes the wheelchair out of the room.

Ryker just shakes his head, a sexy smile playing around his lips. “I’ll be on the other side waiting.” He gives me a tender kiss then leaves so they can start the scan.

While I lie still, I send up a prayer it will show the growth is gone. As soon as the scan is complete, Ryker comes back into the room. His expression is filled with love as he slides his arms beneath me, and then he gives me a kiss.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I say, “A girl can get used to being carried around.”

He lets out a chuckle then places me back in the wheelchair.

I’m taken to another room, and this time the oncology doctor is present. I lie down on the bed, and once everything is ready, my stomach churns with nerves.

I hear clicking and buzzing noises, and after a short while, fatigue sets in. By the time the fifteen minutes are up, I’m nauseous and struggling to stay awake.

This time I have zero energy to joke with Ryker. We make it back to my room in the nick of time, and then everything I ate comes up.

Sarah helps me while Ryker keeps rubbing my back and where I thought I’d be embarrassed, I couldn’t care less now. I feel too sick to worry about what anyone thinks.

RYKER

God, this is hard.

Danny finally stops vomiting, but she’s completely drained. It has me asking, “Does this mean she’s staying?”

Sarah shakes her head. “No, she should be good to go home. Obviously, we have to wait for Dr. Friedman to check on her one last time.”

Nodding, I ask, “Can I place her back in bed?”

“Sure.”

I slip my arms under Danny, and her head just falls against my chest. It has me murmuring, “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” Once I have her back in bed, I rush to the bathroom to wet a cloth. Using some bottled water, I help Danny rinse her mouth, and then I wipe over her face and neck.

Within seconds she’s asleep, and then I drop down on the chair beside the bed.

“How did it go?” Aunt Della asks as she and Uncle Carter come into the room.

“As well as can be expected,” I whisper, not wanting to wake Danny. “She just fell asleep.”

Uncle Carter comes to stand next to me, and placing his hand on my shoulder, he gives me a squeeze.

“Would you like to sit?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I’m good.”

We all stare at Danny for a moment, then I whisper, “She vomited.”

Uncle Carter squeezes my shoulder again. “Thank you for sticking with her through this.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

For the first time in a long while, Aunt Della meets my eyes, and then she smiles. “We’re lucky to have you.”

Her words mean a lot to me, especially after taking their power to make medical decisions about Danny away.

Dr. Friedman comes while Danny’s still asleep, but he touches her shoulder. “Danny.”