Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He sighed. “It’s work. I’m on call.”
I would’ve patted his hand if I could move my arm. “It’s okay, Weaver. Get to work.”
“But I promised your sister you wouldn’t be alone.”
“And I’m not,” I pointed out. “I still have eight thousand nurses that come in to check on me once an hour.”
He sighed. “I want to tell you about Bossy…”
“When you get back,” I said. “Tomorrow. Not tonight. If you get back late, go home and sleep.”
He looked torn.
“When is their plane landing?” I asked.
“Noon,” he answered.
“Then get some sleep. Call in to work for tomorrow. And then bring her to meet me when you get her.”
He cleared his throat. “I think you’re going to be someone that changes my life, Eddy Wheeler.”
I smiled. “I know you’re someone that’s already changed mine.”
He left after that, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.
I was so caught up in those thoughts that I hadn’t realized anyone was there until I looked up and found a tall man in my doorway. He had salt and pepper hair, a well-groomed beard, and he looked achingly familiar, but I didn’t know why.
Then it hit me. “Aren’t you a senator?”
“Was,” he answered. “I’m Apollo.”
Understanding dawned. “You’re Weaver’s friend.”
He walked into the room, making sure to close the door firmly behind him, before taking the seat at my bedside.
His presence didn’t unnerve me, mostly because I’d never been alone since I’d arrived at the hospital. Between my sister and Weaver, they’d made sure there was always someone here with me.
“Do you need anything?” he asked.
“I would kill for a burger,” I admitted. “But the doctors said that I was still supposed to be on a soft food diet. So I’m stuck with hospital food for now.”
He frowned. “You could have macaroni or something.”
“I could, but it’s okay. I’ll live,” I agreed.
He studied me for a long moment before he leaned back in his chair and pulled out his phone.
I frowned when he typed away at the screen for a long moment, ignoring me.
My lips were twitching so hard by the time he looked up at me that he tilted his head. “What?”
Seventeen
We go together like drunk and disorderly.
—Eddy to Nettie
Eddy
“What are you doing here?” I wondered.
There was no fear inside of me, not when Weaver had made sure that I wasn’t alone when he wasn’t able to be here. I’d met several of his club friends and a few of their wives.
But there was a whole lot of curiosity in this man that seemed too important to be here for no reason.
Weaver’s friend was older and had salt and pepper in his hair and beard. He was a senator to boot. There was no way he was here to babysit me. He definitely had an agenda.
“A friend of Weaver’s,” he confirmed. “Figured you could use some company.”
I smiled. “I’ll take anything you have to give.”
Because lying there in a hospital bed for hours a day was so much fun.
Plus, I’d gotten used to skipping the commercials and ads. It was pure torture to watch a TV show that still showed commercials.
“I have about an hour.” He put his phone down and studied me for a long moment. “What’d it feel like?”
“Getting attacked by a bear?”
He nodded.
“I was scared,” I said. “Did you hear the 9-1-1 call? I feel like I can hear it in my dreams—that operator’s voice.”
He nodded. “I heard it. Actually, I heard it live.”
My brows rose. “You what?”
He scratched at his head. “How much did Weaver tell you about me?”
“Not very much,” I said. “I’ve just heard your name said now and then.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, and I noticed then that he was wearing a wide wedding band on his left ring finger. Lucky lady.
But his next words broke my heart, and had me blinking in surprise at his explanation into who he was and why he was here.
“I lost a little boy.”
I looked sharply at him. “I’m sorry.”
Because what did you say about that?
“So I know what it’s like to lose the thing you love most in this world.”
I blinked.
“You barely know him,” he said.
“Weaver?” I asked.
He nodded.
“I feel like we’ve talked more in the last few days while I’ve been in this hospital than I have with any of my past relationships combined,” I said. “But I did learn today, after overhearing his conversation, that I might not know it all.”
Let this man try to figure out what it was that I knew.
I wouldn’t be telling.
“I heard his conversation.” He pointed at the speaker by my bed. “I hacked into that.”
“You’re a hacker?”
He nodded. “A good one.”
“Why are you hacking into my things?” I wondered, then my frown deepened. “Did Weaver ask you to?”
I wouldn’t blame him after what I’d overheard earlier.
I may not know everything, but I had a very distinct guess, and I was trying pretty damn hard not to think about what that meant.