That was a depressing subject. “What else did you do as a kid, besides climb trees? Did you come here a lot?”
He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah—on family outings as a kid. And with my buddies when I was a teen.”
Something about the way he said that caught my attention. “Just your buddies?”
He grinned. “And a few lucky ladies, when we could convince them.”
Something clicked in my mind. “Nana said you were a wild one when you were a teen.”
“Eh, she could tell you some stories, cher. Many, many stories—but I sincerely hope she doesn’t.”
I took a sip of my soda. The fresh air, the breeze, and the conversation with this handsome man had really lifted my spirits. “So what changed?”
“My sister got sick. After that, everything changed.”
So much for lifted spirits. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I mean, yes, I miss her terribly, but I’m not sorry about the family I have now. I lost a sister, but I gained a niece, a nephew, and two men who are like brothers to me. And helping them, doing my part, being a part of their lives—that’s worth far more to me than beach bonfires and beer and cheap thrills in the dark.”
“How cheap?” I asked, hoping to make him laugh, and feeling better when he did.
“Probably best not to dwell on that.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, checking something on it.
“Everything okay?”
“Yep.” He put it away. “I forgot to ask, what did the doctor say before I joined you?”
“She said I can stop wrapping my wrist if it feels better, which it does.”
“That’s good. One less thing to worry about. And the ribs?”
“They still hurt. She said it’ll just take time.” I scowled. “Oh, but she did say that if things go well, I might be able to get a slightly smaller cast in a few weeks.” That would be a relief. I could swear my right leg weighed as much as a piano.
“What did she say about crutches?”
“She said I can try them when I feel up to it, but I can’t imagine swinging my body around when my ribs are still so tender.”
“Maybe they can give you a better idea of that once you start physical therapy next week.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Truthfully, I wasn’t looking forward to that. Yes, I needed to get stronger, but I wasn’t the most coordinated person when it came to doing exercise with proper form and function. I liked less structured activities like swimming, hula hoops, running, and sometimes even dancing.
I finished my soda before my sandwich—probably because the heat from the latter made me gulp down my drink. I wrapped up the rest and put it into a spare bag, but Raphael seemed in no hurry to leave. In truth, I wasn’t either.
It was so nice out here. It was so nice being with him. Something about this situation, having a tailgate picnic by a lake, made me feel like we were just two people enjoying a beautiful day, rather than one injured person relying on the other for a great deal of help.
It was nice feeling like a normal person with him.
But at last, there was a soft buzzing sound, and Raphael checked his phone again. “Ready to go back?”
“Sure.” I wasn’t a hundred percent certain about that, but it wasn’t like we could stay out here. Then I grinned internally. Or maybe we could. Maybe we could wait until nightfall, build a huge fire on the sandy beach, and have a few cheap thrills of our own—unless Raphael had given up his old ways entirely.
Thoughts like that filled my head on the drive back, which perplexed me. It wasn’t like me to have those kinds of daydreams. Then again, usually, my mind was on all the things I had to do for my classes. Now, it was supposed to be on my job, but obviously, that wasn’t going to be the case for a while. Maybe it was natural to have naughty thoughts while living in a house with two gorgeous men, but it felt a little strange and decadent to me.
The house was empty when Raphael carried me in, but there was an unusual scent in the air. It smelled a bit like sawdust or perhaps… plaster? But maybe I was only thinking of that because of my cast.
Raphael set me down by the dresser in my room, and I grabbed onto the edge. “Wait here,” he said, as if I had any choice. As he disappeared into the bathroom, I balanced on one leg and examined the bouquets of flowers.
“These need water,” I said as Raphael came back out.
“I’ll give them some later. Right now, I have something to show you.” Instead of outright lifting me, he put his arm around my waist. As he tugged me away from the dresser, I slung my arm around his shoulder. He still was mostly carrying me, but I was able to use my left leg a little, and felt less like an infant being toted around.