Page 125 of You First
“Oh, Grayson, darling…” His mom swept him into a hug, and the spice of her gardenia perfume, a scent so familiar and ancient and grounding, made a few tears squeeze from his eyes. “…it’s all right. It’s going to be all right.”
Tangled up in her arms, Gray felt his father close in on them, clamping a hand on his shoulder and steadying his mother as she wept. He looked up at his dad to find the man’s eyes red and swimming.
“I love you, son,” he rasped. “Thank God we still have you.”
Gray was going to lose it, so he did the only thing he knew how to do. He pulled away, reached for the marker board, and wrote.“Where’s Bax?”If anyone could lighten the mood, it was his baby brother.
Wiping her eyes, his mother beamed. “He’s in the waiting room with that angel, Meredith. They only let you have two guests at time.” She grabbed her husband by the wrist. “Come on, Lowell, let’s give the young people a chance to see him. I’m sure he’d prefer their company anyway.”
Gray’s father patted him again on the leg. “We’ll be back to see you in a bit.” Gray watched him heave a great sigh. “I think this’ll be the first night in two-and-a-half months I’ll sleep all the way through.”
His dad hooked his mom around her shoulders and steered her out of the room, leaving Gray with a list of questions. What had kept his dad awake a month before his diagnosis?
And had Baxter really brought a girl?
Before he could consider either question, Bax walked in with this girl, and Gray’s breath left him.
Oh God.
With one look, she made beauty new, surpassing anything he’d ever seen. Bax guided her through the room with a hand on the small of her back, and Gray’s emotions got the better of him again, giving him over to irrational thoughts. Bax couldn’t touch her if his fingers were broken.
His brother usually attracted beautiful girls, and Gray had never felt jealous before. It had to be the brain swelling.
Still, why had Bax brought her along? His head was half-shaved. He kept wiping drool from his lip. He was peeing into a bag for Christ’s sake. This was no time to meet a stranger. Gray found himself scowling at both of them.
As they approached the foot of his bed, Bax frowned at his brother, but the girl stopped short, surprise widening her eyes.
“Gray, that’s some bandage,” Bax said with a wince, dropping his hand from the girl’s back and coming over to give him a quick hug. “Glad to see you, man.” His brother drew back, and they locked eyes. “Mom says the talking’s pretty rough. Give it time, brother. We’re all here for you.”
A measure of resentment left him. So what if he was embarrassed about his condition? Bax had clearly been as worried as his parents. His hair was a flyaway mess, as though he’d been running his fingers through it for hours. Maybe he’d needed his new girlfriend’s support. Maybe she’d made the ordeal better.
Gray brought his eyes back to the young woman beside him. Yes, by the looks of her, she’d make even the worst day better.
To his surprise, he realized she hadn’t taken her eyes off him. An odd tugging in his chest made him want to sit up straighter. How wrong would it be to keep ogling his brother’s girl? He looked back at Bax, who seemed undisturbed, almost amused to find Gray checking her out.
Of course, he was amused. His brother was probably as proud as hell to have someone so beautiful in his life. Of course, he’d want to show her off. Bitterness spiked in him, and he busied himself with the guardrail controls, bringing the head of the bed as high as it would go. At least sitting up straight would feel more dignified.
“Gray? You okay?” Bax asked, studying him.
Gray looked from his brother to the girl and saw a thousand emotions pass over her face. Her expression finally settled on something like worry.
“Gray?” she asked, her voice brushing over him like a touch. She took a tentative step forward and placed her fingers on his left hand. A jolt like a power surge moved up his arm.
Did he have nerve damage? He felt sensitized and raw. It unsettled him.
“Are you in pain?” she asked, frowning with genuine concern.
“Nnnn…” he tried before stilling his tongue. He didn’t need to sound like an idiot in front of them. In front of her. Instead, he shook his head.
The girl’s lungs emptied, and she sagged a little. “Oh, thank God.” Before he knew it, she was hugging him. The soft press of her body and the sweet smell of her hair was so arresting, so alluring, Gray almost groaned with longing. Against his will, he folded his arms around her, spreading his fingers to take in the contours of her back. He glanced up to see Baxter’s smug look again. Was this what he got to feel every night?
With that torturous thought, he took the girl by the shoulders and eased her away from him.
“I’m sorry.” She tensed, pulling back quickly, her hands fluttering. “I’m probably hurting you. It’s just that you scared the hell out of me.”
Gray felt his brows lift. He looked at Bax for an explanation.
His brother nodded. “You scared the hell out of all of us. If Meredith hadn’t been with you when it happened, you could be dead right now.”
