“What about the small one?”

  “It’s my office. You’ll have to crash in the basement with me, but I do have a spare room there. We’ll get you up and down the stairs when you need it until you can manage yourself, okay? But let’s not tell them that, because I don’t think they’ll let you stay with me if that’s the case.”

  Bridget nodded. “Thank you, Eli. Thank you so much.”

  “I know what kind of people they are.”

  She was almost in tears again. Fuck, this had to stop. She needed to bolster up and man up. The wuss she had become was not the person she wanted to be. Her parents didn’t come back into the room, but June did. She had a small smile on her lips as she stepped inside. “They said they’ll come visit you.”

  “I’ll only let them in if she wants them in,” Eli stated firmly.

  “I think that’d be wise. In all my years being a chaplain, your parents are some of the hardest to get to listen.”

  Bridget snickered lightly. “Welcome to my life for the last thirty years.”

  “I don’t envy you.”

  “No one does,” Eli mumbled, grasping Bridget’s hand. “She’ll come home with me, and I’ll take care of her as long as she needs until she can go home on her own.”

  “Thank you,” Bridget whispered. “Really. I’m sure you never thought we’d end up living together this way.”

  Eli snorted, her laugh echoing through the room as she wiped the tears of laughter falling from her eyes. “Oh hell, Bridget. No, I thought we’d be married first. Jesus, what would make you say that?”

  Bridget shrugged lightly with her good shoulder. “It’s true.”

  “Damn straight it is.” Eli was still laughing when she stood up. “Come on, let’s get you in this fucking wheelchair so we can spring you from this place.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Bridget gave a half-salute. She shifted slowly to the edge of the bed, knowing every movement was going to be slow. Nurses came in to help her, but soon enough they shooed Eli out to go get the truck.

  She cursed when she thought about that. Getting into the truck in her condition was not going to be fun. The nurses were just about to wheel her out of the room when Jerica showed up at the door, a smile on her lips and her hands folded together in front of her.

  “I heard a rumor you were leaving.”

  “Finally!” Bridget smiled. “No offense, but I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

  “None taken.” Jerica walked with them to the front of the hospital where Eli had been instructed to pull the truck up. “I’m glad you’re doing so well. There are a lot of people worried about you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You came in looking pretty rough,” Jerica added. “Your fellow deputies stayed outside in the lobby until you were cleared of surgery. The chief of police from town came too.”

  “Really?” Bridget’s brow furrowed. “I hadn’t realized so many people were there.”

  “There were a lot.”

  Bridget licked her lips, taking the risk to ask the question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to. “W-were my parents there?”

  Jerica’s pitying look was the only answer she needed.

  “I suppose they showed up later.”

  “They did,” Jerica answered. “They arrived about the time we took you up to ICU.”

  “Wonderful,” Bridget muttered.

  They stopped out front and waited for Eli to pull her black truck up. Eli had the door open and was waiting for Bridget to get inside, or to help her inside. It was not going to be easy. She folded up the knee scooter she’d been given and shoved it into the back seat.

  “Are we ready?” Eli asked, a happy look on her face.

  Bridget had always admired that about her. She was someone who always found the silver lining, the glass was always half full, and there was always light at the end of the tunnel. Bridget was the complete opposite, jaded and shattered.

  “Yeah.” Bridget sighed, staring at the step up she was going to have to take. “This is going to be fun.”

  “We’ve got you.” Eli stepped in and so did Jerica and another nurse. It took all of them, but Bridget finally managed to get into the truck and buckle herself in, although it was not going to be a comfortable drive to Indigo on the rough roads with a seatbelt pushing against her still-broken ribs. It was a necessary evil, and one she wished she could do without for at least one drive.

  Eli slipped into the driver’s seat and grinned.

  “What?” Bridget asked.

  “I gave the cute nurse your cell number.”

  Bridget wrinkled her nose. “You did what?”

  “She’s cute. She obviously likes you. You can thank me later.”

  “I don’t even have a phone.”

  “Sure you do.” Eli handed a brand new cell phone over and still had that shit-eating grin on her lips. “I got it for you yesterday while I was in town since your other one got ruined in the accident.”

  “Thanks.” Bridget stared at it. “I don’t think she’s going to call me.”

  “Text, Bridge. Come on. She’ll text you.”

  “She won’t.”

  “I bet you she will, and if I win this, then you have to get married at Indigo. Deal?”

  “Sure, because you’re insane, and that won’t happen.” Bridget shook her head, but at the same time, it felt so good to be over that awkward stage with Eli, to be able to talk like they were best friends again, and chat about girls. It was almost as if the breakup between them had never happened, and Bridget honestly couldn’t have asked for more right then. She needed a friend more than anything.

  The drive to Indigo was so long, and Bridget’s ribs ached massively from sitting in one position. She managed to lean forward and push the door open, but looking at the ground below, she panicked. It was way too steep a drop for her, and there was no one but Eli to help her down.

  Eli stepped into her view, her face bright and shining as always. “Jerica told me a tip to help you down.”

  “What’s that?” Bridget stared, knowing she was pale from just the thought.

  “She said slide down the seat until your feet touch. I’ll make sure you don’t fall, I promise.” Eli reached forward and put her hands on Bridget’s hips. “I’ve got you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. Your scooter is out, and we’ll get you to the house. Then we can take a break before going downstairs if you want.” Eli looked so sincere. Bridget had to trust her. There was no other option at this point.

  Bridget bolstered herself and moved off the edge of the seat. True to her word, Eli grabbed her hips and held her so she didn’t fall. As soon as her good leg touched the ground, Bridget reached up and wrapped her good arm around Eli’s shoulder. Taking a deep breath, and a moment, Bridget pressed her forehead into Eli’s shoulder, breathing in that same musky scent she’d always appreciated.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. Bridget knew she’d disrupted Eli’s life in an awful way, but this was all she could manage to do until she got better and could go someplace on her own. Or drive again, since it had been her entire right side that was crushed in the accident.

  “Let’s get you inside.” Eli moved the knee scooter closer, and Bridget put her bad leg on it. She used her opposite hand to hold herself up and pushed forward. It was awkward on the dirt, but it was the best they could come up with for then. As they got to the stairs on the deck, Eli used her body to help Bridget maneuver up them. As they got into the house, Bridget stopped and stared at it.

  She had not been there since Eli had started the renovations, and holy shit, it looked amazing. “Eli.”

  “What?” Eli stared at her.

  “This house is stunning. I can’t believe what you’ve done with it.”

  “I forgot you haven’t been here in years.”

  The floors had been resurfaced, the old wood brought back to life. The fireplace had been redone so it reflected rustic red brick instead of the marble Mrs. Wilson had insisted on. Bridget moved into the dining room, gasping when she saw the kitchen. “Holy shit.”

  “It’s a dream, isn’t it?”

  “This is a chef’s kitchen. But you hate cooking.”

  “Yeah, but Sarah loves it.”

  “You did this before Sarah moved in.”

  Eli shrugged. “I needed it for my guests, and trust me, it’s come in handy. But Sarah does use it often.”

  “I can’t even—this doesn’t look like the same house you grew up in.”

  “The basement does, mostly.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Want to go down or take a break?”

  “You know what I want?” Bridget eyed Eli up and down, trying to decide if she could ask this one favor of her.

  Eli shook her head.

  “I want a shower, or a bath. I don’t care which, but I want to get the hospital grime off me.”

  “I can totally understand that.” Eli grinned. “Let’s get you downstairs.”

  They made it halfway down the stairs when Bridget abruptly sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her. Eli sat next to her.

  “Need a break?”

  “I think it’ll be easier if I go down like this.”

  “Then let’s do that.” Eli smiled at her. “I’ll still make sure you don’t fall.”

  “Thanks.” Bridget knew she was going to be saying that a lot in the upcoming weeks. It was going to be a long recovery, and she’d be depending on Eli for quite some time.

  They took one step at a time, moving until they got to the bottom of the stairs. Bridget had been right and it was easier to go down them that way even if it was slower in some ways. Still, she felt safer doing it, as though she wasn’t going to hurt one of her broken bones in the process.

  When they got to the bottom, Eli ran back up to the top to grab the scooter. Bridget wheeled herself into the bathroom, knowing exactly where it was. They had done so many movie nights down there when they were kids that she knew the basement like the back of her hand. It was her preferred place to be in the house, actually, since it was the fun zone, the zone where they couldn’t damage much and get underfoot of Mrs. Wilson.

  Eli followed her into the bathroom. Bridget sat on the closed toilet seat and slowly began to pull off what clothes she could. Luckily, Eli had gone to her house and picked up a bunch of her workout sweatpants and loose T-shirts, because anything else would have been a pain in the ass to wear.

  “They said you can’t get your ankle wet.” Eli bent over and started the tub full of water. “I can wrap it if you want, or you can stick it on the edge of the tub.”

  “I think the edge will work well.”

  “You can’t get your arm wet either.”

  Bridget sighed. “You’re going to have to help me in, aren’t you?”

  “Did you manage to get in on your own at the hospital?”

  “They gave me a halfway-decent sponge bath one day.”

  “That’s it?” Eli raised her eyebrow.

  “Yeah, hence why I want to get clean.”

  “I can imagine.” Eli tugged Bridget’s shirt up and tossed it onto the floor. “I can swing by your house again and get anything you want and bring it here.”

  “I’ll think about it. You’ve honestly done so much for me, Eli. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Eli knelt down in front of her, staring up at Bridget. “You know, Bridge, I would do anything for you. All you have to do is ask. You’re my best friend, and even though it hasn’t seemed that way in the last few years, I do mean it.”

  Bridget smiled, warming at the sentiment. She felt the same way, and for the first time in years, they were finally understanding each other.

  “But you do know,” Eli started and winked, “I’m going to have to see you naked again.”

  Bridget flushed. “Yeah, I understand that.”

  “And touch you.”

  “Yes.” Bridget clenched her jaw. “Not how I thought this would happen.”

  “I’m pretty sure no one thought you were going to get run over by a combine. Like, who does that, Bridget? Were you trying to win an award or something? Like the Darwin award?”

  Bridget shook her head. “No, but I think Sonny might have.”

  Eli laughed. “God, he would win that, wouldn’t it?”

  “He’s such a drunk, but at least he’s usually a fun drunk.”

  “Except when he runs the Sheriff over.”

  “Yeah.” Bridget sighed.

  “Hey, I meant to tell you, but I did vote for you.”

  Bridget’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, we need a Democrat in office around here.”

  Laughing, Bridget rolled her eyes. “Do you know how much shit I got for that?”

  “I’m sure your mother fainted.”

  “She nearly had a heart attack, but then thought about the political strategy of it and decided that it was good enough for her.”

  “She still doesn’t know, does she?” Eli’s tone turned somber.

  “What? That I’m into women? No, she doesn’t know. I don’t even know how to tell her that one. She’ll disown me.”

  “She might,” Eli stated, checking the water in the tub and turning it off. “But she might not. You never know.”

  “Oh, I know. And I’m pretty sure she knows and just doesn’t want to admit it.”

  Eli sighed. “You’re probably right. You ready for this?”

  “Hell yes.” Eli helped her to finish undressing and eased her into the steaming water.

  As soon as she was alone, with strict orders to call for help when she wanted to get out, Bridget closed her eyes and relaxed. It felt fucking amazing to be in that water, even if a lot of her body was propped up and out of it. She moved the washcloth with suds across her chest and belly, cleaning off the iodine from surgery.

  She couldn’t stop the tears this time, but since she was finally alone, she let the tears come. She needed to let it out and this was the only safe place she could. She was protected by Eli, in Eli’s house. Her parents wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near her. She could be exactly who she’d always wanted to be here. She knew that. Outside of being with Eli, she could just be Bridget. It was probably the best gift that Eli could have given her. Wiping away the tears, Bridget let more fall into the water. She would cry her share, and then she would put her mask back in place and fall asleep for the first night in a real bed—even if it wasn’t hers.

  CHAPTER 5

  The emergency room was a bustle of energy and people. Jerica enjoyed it, as harried as it was. She loved keeping busy and not having downtime, though she’d pay for it that night when she was exhausted. Doctors moved through rooms as they checked on patients, and so did nurses.

  Jerica had the opportunity to take a step up and switch to night shifts, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that to herself yet. The promotion and pay increase would be nice, but it would also mess with her life and friendships. Not to mention, she’d fought hard to be moved to day shift. She shuffled some papers around on the front desk, organizing them even though she didn’t have to. It was such a bad habit.

  Her shift was almost over, which was a good thing. She stepped into the break room and started a pot of coffee for those who were coming in. She always liked to leave them with something warm to drink, something that would perk them up for their long night. If the day had been as busy as that, then the night would be worse. It was Friday the thirteenth and a full moon. Some people—not her, of course—would think it would be the worst night in ER history.

  June stepped into the break room and smiled. “Please tell me you’re not just starting it.”

  “I am, sorry.” Jerica gave her a soft look. “If you wait about ten minutes, it’ll be ready.”

  “I’m off in ten.” June shrugged. “And I’m not on call tonight, so I probably shouldn’t.”

  “Do you have a hot date then?”

  June shook her head. “No, I was thinking about going out with some friends, see if I can just have some fun and relax.”

  “Oh, that sounds fantastic.” Jerica smiled at June. “Mind if I tag along?”

  “Sure! We’ll be at Pete’s at eight.”

  “Perfect.”

  Jerica smiled and turned the coffee maker on, letting it percolate. Within thirty minutes, Jerica had her jacket on and her phone in her hand. She leaned against her car in the early fall breeze and stared at it. She’d input the number Bridget’s friend had given her, but she hadn’t called or texted yet. She wasn’t sure which she wanted to do or if the contact would be well-received.

  Bridget had seemed to warm up to her each visit, but Jerica was still a nurse, and that could have been purely kindness wrapped in professionalism. She wasn’t sure where the boundary line was. Equally, she had no idea if she should text first or call instead. Bridget didn’t seem like someone who would readily respond to texts, at least not what Jerica had seen of her. She was never on a phone, though the one she’d come in with had been absolutely crushed in the pocket of her uniform.

  Jerica had been the one to deal with it once Bridget had been in surgery. Yet, she’d also been stuck with Bridget through most of the rest of her shift as soon as she’d come back. Bridget had been her patient, but beyond that, the only time Bridget’s heart rate stayed even and steady and her vitals stayed right in line with where they should be was when Jerica was there.

  She’d stayed in ICU all night with her, leaving only in the morning when Ann had shooed her out. Jerica pressed her lips together tightly, staring at the number in her phone. Eli had given it to her, although she was pretty sure Bridget hadn’t known. Yet, the entire week since Bridget had been released from the hospital, Jerica had struggled not to wonder how she was doing.

  Sliding into her car, Jerica started the engine to warm it up. She bit her lip as she hit the call button and pushed the phone to her ear. It rang and rang and rang. Her heart was in her throat, nerves tangling with anticipation. What was she supposed to say if Bridget actually answered?

  When it clicked to voicemail and a standard automated message, Jerica breathed out a sigh of relief. She hung up before leaving a message, staring down at her phone. What was she thinking? It was stupid of her to think Bridget would want anything to do with her, not after she’d been one of the first to work on her when she had been brought in.