Page 23 of The Candle Palace (Jamison Valley 6)
“If you keep it moisturized, I don’t think it will peel.”
“I’ll do my best.” I’d do whatever she told me to do. I’d endure a lifetime of pain if that meant lying here with her hand under mine. “No more crying, okay? I can’t take it.”
“I’ll try.” She gave me a small smile. “Is that just a guy thing? Not being able to see a girl cry.”
“No.” I ran my index finger up and over the hills of her knuckles. “I can handle tears. Just not yours.”
SARA
It was a good thing I was sitting or I might have fallen down. Never in my life had a man said something so sweet to me.
Milo’s finger continued to trace my knuckles. Tingles rolled to my elbow with every stroke. His skin was warm, hot compared to mine. His palm was wide and his fingers long. His hand engulfed my own, keeping it safe.
I shouldn’t be holding his hand—or letting him hold mine. I shouldn’t be enjoying it this much. But I couldn’t slip away. Like his sweet words, I’d never had a man touch me like this before. Like my hand was a priceless work of art to be protected, not just an appendage of bones and tendons and muscle.
I’d dated a guy in college for about three months. He’d hold my hand whenever we were walking to class, but it had never felt like this.
“We’re back.” The door opened behind me and I leapt from the bed, slipping my hand free.
I darted to the sink, my cheeks aflame, just as Teresa and Kirk walked into the room.
“Hey,” Milo muttered. He sounded irritated and disappointed.
I smiled.
When the blush left my cheeks, I turned and greeted Milo’s parents. “Hi. How was lunch?”
“Hi, Sara.” Kirk walked to the window, leaning against the sill as he patted his flat belly. “Lunch was breakfast and I had one too many pancakes.”
Kirk was lean and tall, like Milo, with a caring face and welcoming eyes. There was no mistaking father and son with their same straight nose. Kirk kept his brown hair short, like Milo’s, except his hairline had receded into a deep M shape.
“I brought you another strawberry smoothie,” Teresa told Milo, setting down the cup. The straw still had an inch of paper on the end.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Teresa went to the chair and sat down, sipping from her own Oreo milkshake as Milo started in on his pink smoothie. Her eyes were the same coffee shade as Milo’s, and when she smiled, it was impossible not to smile back.
“We’d like to talk to you both.” Kirk crossed his ankles as he leaned deeper against the windowsill.
Talk to us both? Oh, no. My heart jumped up into my throat. Had they noticed the attraction between Milo and me? Had they deciphered the reason I popped into his room so often was only so I could see his face? Did they think I was an unprofessional, silly girl who couldn’t control her feelings?
They wouldn’t be wrong. Still, I craved their approval.
I gulped. Milo set down his smoothie and nodded at Kirk. “What’s up?”
“We’ve listened to what you’ve had to say, and you’re right.” Kirk glanced at Teresa. “There’s not much we can do here. So we’re going home.”
Relief swayed me on my feet. This wasn’t about me and Milo. I wanted to bring my hand to my racing heart, but I left it palmed against my side.
“Good,” Milo said. “Thank you.”
“Before we go, I just want to make sure you’ll be fine on your own.” Teresa looked to me, her eyes pleading for honesty. “I can stay if you think it’s best.”
“I promise we’ll take good care of him. And if anything happens, you’ll be my first phone call.”
Teresa and Kirk stayed while I changed Milo’s dressings. Then I bid them farewell, going across the unit to help Kym finish up with her patients for the day. With Luna gone and no new admits, things were too quiet on my side of the unit.
I worked hard, passing a couple of hours until I retreated to the nurses station to update patient charts.
