Page 37 of Searching for Bristol
“When you know, you know,” Elsie said quietly.
“How long did you know Zeke before you knew you wanted to marry him?” Bristol asked.
“Well, he was my boss for a long time before we were anything more. But here’s the thing—once we acknowledged the intense chemistry we had, things ramped up between usfast. And I’m thinking maybe you should talk to Lilly about this. She’s with Rocky’s brother, after all. And they’re twins, so I think they probably operate a lot alike. She and Ethan movedreallyfast. And the two of them are ridiculously in love and happy.”
Bristol shook her head again. She was getting way ahead of herself here. “I’m happy for you and Lilly, but my situation is completely different.”
“Why?” Elsie asked.
“Well, because I’m dependent on him for everything. I can’t even go pee by myself. And the fact that you’re here brings my point home even more. Taking a shower without help isn’t exactly easy. Rocky’s taking care of me.”
“Sure, I can see how that would make things more complicated, but you aren’t always going to be laid up like you are now. This is your getting-to-know-each-other stage. Once you’re back on your feet, literally, you can see what happens.”
“I don’t live here,” Bristol said wistfully, ignoring the little voice inside telling her that it would be easy to move.
“Neither did Lilly. But here she is,” Elsie said simply.
Bristol huffed out a breath. “You seem to have an answer for everything. It’s not that easy.”
“Of course it’s not,” Elsie agreed. “But nothing worth doing is ever easy.”
Her words made sense…and increased the longing inside Bristol to make Fallport her home.
“You ladies ready?” Rocky asked from the entrance to the hallway.
“Think about it,” Elsie said quietly, reaching out and patting Bristol’s hand. “I’m always here if you have questions. Lilly will be too, I have no doubt.” Then she turned to Rocky. “We’re ready.”
He nodded and walked over to where Bristol was sitting. “May I?” he asked.
Bristol suddenly realized that every time he picked her up or touched her, he asked permission. Thoughts of how her supposedfriendMike had constantly indulged in unwelcome touches made the differences in the two men all the more clear. “Yes,” she told Rocky.
Their eyes met—and it was as if they were suddenly the only two people on the planet.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d been staring at each other when Elsie chuckled and said, “I’ll just meet you in the bathroom,” and walked out of the room.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Rocky asked.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but thank you for calling Elsie to help me shower.”
Rocky shook his head. “Should’ve thought about it without you having to say anything.”
“You found me, went with me to the hospital, stayed with me, brought me back here, fed me, entertained me, and have basically done everything possible to make sure I’m all right. I think I can let you off the hook for not thinking about calling someone to help me bathe,” she told him dryly.
Rocky slowly reached out a hand and stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek. “What are you doing to me?” he whispered.
It sounded like a rhetorical question, but Bristol answered anyway. “The same thing you’re doing to me.”
The flare of desire…and hope…in his eyes mirrored Bristol’s own thoughts.
“Right. Shower,” Rocky said, as if trying to rein himself in.
For just a second, Bristol wondered what would happen when he let go of that iron control of his. But then he was leaning down and sliding his arms under her knees and behind her back.
“You make this seem so easy,” she grumbled, needing to move them from the intimate bubble they’d been in to something more relaxed.
“That’s because it is. In case no one’s told you, Punky…you’re tiny.”
Bristol rolled her eyes. “Wow, really? What a revelation.”
