“Good.” He smiled. “Thank you for not making me resort
to saying ‘doctor’s orders.’ Because that was my next move.”
I didn’t feel any worse by the time we got to Cole’s house, but I certainly wasn’t feeling great. I managed to get out of the car on my own, though, and walk inside, where I followed Cole to the guest bedroom. He pulled the sheets back on the double bed, and I climbed in. Declan followed us into the room and stood at the foot of the bed.
“Are you okay, Miss Allie?” Declan asked, his eyes wide.
“I’m okay,” I said. “I promise. Accidents happen sometimes, and that’s why we need to use caution around water.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. He looked at his dad. “You promise you’ll check on her?”
“I promise,” Cole said. Declan nodded and then left, but not before giving me another worried look.
“Poor thing,” I said. “I feel awful about them having to see that.”
“Don’t worry about that. Everyone’s just glad that you’re okay.”
“I really wish that whole thing never even happened, though.”
“Lily should not have been allowed anywhere near that jet ski.”
“Probably not. She’s all right?”
“She’s fine. You should rest. I’ll check on you in a little bit. Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m good for now. Thank you.”
He reached over and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I laid back against the pillow and let my eyes close.
Chapter Twelve
Cole
My gut instinct told me that Allie would be fine, that she had a mild concussion at most, but I still couldn’t help but wake up several times that night and go down to check on her. Each time I did, she was asleep, lying on her back, her hair spread out against the white pillow, her face turned slightly to the side. Her breathing was soft, even. She looked entirely peaceful.
I finally fell asleep, just a few hours before the sun would begin to rise. When Declan came in to wake me up, I felt groggy, but then I got up, and I called Danielle and asked her to reschedule the patients that I had for the day.
“Are you sick?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “Just... something came up. A personal matter. I can’t really get into it right now. But I’ll be in tomorrow, so just do your best to reschedule everyone from today.”
“All right,” she said, sounding a bit skeptical.
Allie woke up a little after 9. I went in with a glass of water she took a tentative sip from.
“How are you feeling?”
“Well, I made it through the night.” She smiled. “I feel better,” she said. “I think it was good we skipped the hospital trip.”
“Do you think you can eat anything? I could make you some toast.”
“I could go for some toast,” she said. “Maybe just one piece.”
When I went out to make the toast, Declan tiptoed in with a stack of board books that he read to Allie.
I made sure she took it easy for the rest of the day. I did a few things around the house, but I kept going back to the living room where they were set up, and we’d all hang out. We played several games of Go Fish, and Declan read us some more stories, making up the words as he went along. I liked having Allie there, I liked the new dynamic, and when, later that afternoon, she told me that she felt much better and would be able to go home, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of disappointment. Not that I let that show on my face.
“My headache’s almost gone,” she said. “I think I am going to be A-okay.”