She gaped at me in surprise. “Wow, people really take small town hospitality seriously around here.”
I chuckled at that. “I’m a bit biased since it’s my hometown, but the people here are generally pretty nice. But that’s likely not what’s going on. You saved the elementary school principal’s son. That makes you famous and a hero.”
Alyssa blushed. The color looked good on her face, but I didn’t want to make her squirm—not with all the injuries she had. “Who are the flowers from?” I asked.
She opened the first little card. “My brother and his girlfriend and their, ah, roommates.” I didn’t quite understand the new flush of color on her cheeks, but I didn’t question it. “The big one is from my friend Sierra.”
“You keep getting all these flowers—it’s like living with a celebrity.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you secretly a movie star?”
Alyssa made a weird little sound that was half laugh and half cough. But then she placed her good hand on her ribs and winced. I winced, too—poor girl. With careful aim, I patted her good leg under the cover, and then went to bring in the stuff I’d picked up after my class.
The first load was the stuff Flynn and I had grabbed from her apartment last night. I dumped a pile of clothes on the dresser next to the flowers. “We brought pretty much everything we saw. Your toothbrush and toiletries are in here.” I put her light blue duffle bag on the bed next to her. “Looks like you hadn’t had much chance to unpack, so if you need something else, you’ll have to let me know where it is.”
“You’re assuming I know where it is in the first place.” She gave a small laugh, but my heart went out to her. She’d had only one night in her new place, and only one day at her new job. Then everything changed. “Thank you for doing this. Could you please thank Flynn for me, too?”
“Sure,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I would. Flynn could be a bit of a loner sometimes. He was much different from Spencer in that regard. But he usually didn’t let it get in the way of family—until now.
Ever since Lucas nearly got hit, Flynn had been especially gruff and taciturn. He’d barely spoken when we went to Alyssa’s place last night. I had a theory or two about why that might be, but no clue about how to fix it. “I’ve got some more stuff for you, too.”
Nana was on her way out when I went back into the living room. “Want me to walk you back?” I asked. She just lived next door, but she wasn’t as steady on her feet as she had been when I was a kid.
She patted my arm. “No need. You just take care of that young woman in there. She’s a special girl.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with that. It made me wish that the things I’d gotten for her were more fun. But right now, that wasn’t what she needed.
Alyssa was gazing dreamily at the flowers when I came back in. “I went to a medical supply store and got this.” I handed her a box that contained a plastic sleeve to put over the cast when showering.
Her smile lit up the room. “This is great. I’m dying for a shower.”
I grinned as I took up my spot at the end of the bed. Next, I produced a small silver device that looked like a rake. I tossed it to her, and she caught it with her good hand. It only took her a second to realize that the handle expanded. “It’s a back scratcher. I thought you might need it since you can’t bend your leg. Sometimes when you have a cast, it makes the parts of your skin that aren’t covered itch more.”
“That’s very thoughtful, but I think I can reach anywhere I need to.” To demonstrate, she bent at the waist and flattened her upper body against her legs, showing flexibility that my students at the fitness center would’ve envied. But when she reached to grasp her ankles, she gasped in pain and sat back up. “Forgot about the ribs.”
“Yeah, they’re going to be tender for a while.” I’d bruised two ribs a few years ago, and I remembered how it felt. “Last, but not least, I got you these.” I produced two pairs of soft, white socks from the medical store bag.
She wiggled her good foot under the blanket. “I have the socks that Nana made for Charlotte.”
I chuckled. “She knitted me a pair like that every Christmas when I was a kid. Trust me, they’re great for keeping your feet warm when it’s cold out, but not all that comfortable when you’re walking across the hardwood floors.”