Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 12956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 12956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
He murmured a quiet thanks but kept his head down while we moved out of the room and down the hall. My stomach jangled with nerves.
The nurse who was pushing the wheelchair glanced at me. “You’re going to stay with him, right? He needs someone with him overnight. We sent his prescription to the pharmacy on Broad Street. It should be ready by the time you get there, and they have a drive-thru window. Make sure he eats something, too, or those pain meds are going to do him wrong.”
She continued to walk me through the rest, ice, compression, elevation protocol, and I decided to nod along rather than inform her about my EMT training. When we finally got to my truck and got him belted into the passenger’s seat, she spoke to BJ like he was an elderly invalid.
“Now, Mr. Tilstead?” she shouted slowly.
BJ met my eye with a raised eyebrow that almost made me snort. “Yes, ma’am?”
“You take it easy, okay?”
The slight narrowing of his eyes was the only indication he was annoyed. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll sure try. I heard everything you said, and I promise not to try any more black diamonds this week. I’ll stick to the blue and green trails.”
Her eyes widened in alarm, and this time I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud.
“He’s kidding,” I assured her. “BJ’s hilarious.”
That one burst of snarkiness seemed to take the remainder of BJ’s energy. When I slid into the driver’s seat, I noticed he was trembling. I reached for the heater controls. “Sorry, the heat should kick on quick since I wasn’t inside long. Bear with me.”
“It’s not that. Pain meds make me shaky.” He slumped down in the seat, clearly trying to get comfortable. “They’ve told me it’s normal. I first learned it when I had my wisdom teeth out. Then I broke my arm a couple of years ago and confirmed it.”
I drove carefully out of the lot before turning toward Broad Street to pick up the prescription. “What else can I pick up for you while I’m in the pharmacy?” I asked. “Gatorade? Snacks?”
He huddled deep in his coat and shook his head. “No. I’m okay.”
He wasn’t okay. I could tell he was trying not to put me out, but I couldn’t stand the idea of leaving him high and dry.
“If I were to get you Gatorade against your will, what flavor would you want?”
The edge of BJ’s mouth quirked up. “You have to ask? And here I thought you knew me so well, Mr. ‘BJ’s hilarious.’”
I felt my face heat. “I just… I didn’t want her to…”
“I know,” he said, still smiling tiredly. “Orange. Thanks.”
I pulled in and left the truck running. BJ tried to give me back my coat, but I tucked it more tightly against his legs. “I run hot anyway,” I said. “Just sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
After grabbing his prescription and half the snacks and drinks in the place, I returned to the truck to find him frowning at his phone.
“Everything okay?”
“Oh, peachy.” He leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed. “Lost my job.” His voice sounded flat and hopeless.
“Jesus. Over the phone?”
BJ shook his head. “Not really. I messaged one of my coworkers to ask her to cover for me next week, and she said the company just announced a change of ownership.”
“How do you know the new owners won’t keep you on?” I didn’t know what he did for a living, but in my industry, a new owner wouldn’t necessarily replace the ski patrol personnel.
“I teach fitness classes at a resort up in Jackson. Chandra says they’re being acquired by a big hotel chain that’s known for gutting wellness offerings. And when I tell them I won’t be back for a few weeks…” He sighed, and it came out more like a pained groan.
“Damn, BJ. I’m sorry.” I wished I could say something else to comfort him. Remind him that sometimes good things come from hopeless situations, maybe. Or just give him a hug and show him he wasn’t alone.
But I stopped myself. He wouldn’t be the first guy to tell me I was being too Pollyanna or touchy-feely. And the truth was, I didn’t really know BJ… even if it kinda felt like I did.
When I pulled into my driveway and turned off the ignition, BJ looked around in confusion. “This isn’t my rental.”
I began gathering the bags from the pharmacy. “Nope. It’s my place. I’m going to stay with you tonight. You can decide if you want to stay here at my place or have me stay at yours. I’m fine either way, but I’ll need to pack a few things and deal with my dog if you want me to stay at yours.”
He looked over at me as if to assess whether I was being truthful. “You’re going to stay with me? Really? Why would you do that? You don’t even know me.”