Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“Yeah. Turns out it’s hard to ice-skate with a shattered hip.”
Jack winced. “But it’s been five years. I haven’t noticed you limping. Shit, you were bouncing around for close to an hour the other day on the bouncy pillows and slides.” His gaze narrowed. “Were you sore then?”
“I, um . . . well . . . that might be part of the problem.”
He stiffened, his face growing dark. “You should have told me.”
“Mostly, my hip doesn’t give me a lot of problems. Doing yoga helps. So does light exercise, heat, getting lots of rest.”
“Which you haven’t been able to do with your uncle in the hospital,” Jack said grimly.
Ian stormed over to them.
“It’s from an old injury,” Jack told him. “Car accident five years ago, she shattered her hip.”
“Fuck,” Ian said. “And you still have problems?”
“Just sometimes,” she admitted.
“It’s been building up to this for a while,” Jack said, throwing her right into the fire. “And she didn’t tell us.”
Ian turned his gaze back to her. “What?”
“You had to tell him?” she asked Jack.
“We don’t keep things from each other.”
“How bad is the pain?” Ian asked, crouching beside her. “On a scale of one to ten.”
“Only a four.”
“Stop lying,” Jack said sternly.
She stared up at him in shock.
“Jack, dude, maybe you better go check on William,” Ian said calmly.
“We were on the bouncy pillows for close to an hour. It was hurting her and she didn’t tell me,” Jack said, pacing back and forth.
Ian narrowed his gaze at her. “Which was very naughty and she deserves some punishment. But right now, we need to get her seen to. Jameson is on his way.”
“Right . . .” Jack let out a deep breath. “You’re right.”
“Go check on William for a moment. Please.”
Whoa. Did Ian just say please?
“You’ll watch over her?” Jack asked.
“You know I will, mate.”
When he’d left the room, she turned to Ian. “Um . . . what was that?”
“Jack’s mum died of cancer,” Ian replied.
Maggie winced. “She did?”
“She ignored the pain she was in. Just pushed the pain aside and just kept going. He was away at school and had no idea. Until one day she collapsed. The cancer was eating her from the inside out. Stage four. If she’d just done something when she first started feeling ill and in pain, then there was a good chance she could have lived.”
“Oh no.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Yeah. Jack doesn’t let himself care about many people. Me, my brothers, and Jameson. That’s about it. Until you. Which means that he’s taking this hard. We’re going to ensure that you are taken care of. We haven’t done a very good job so far. Time to change that.”
“He doesn’t care about me. Not like he does you guys.”
“No, not the same as he does us. It’s very different.”
Right.
And she shouldn’t be upset by that. She’d known Jack for less than two weeks.
“He’s all good,” Jack said, coming back into the room. “Have you gotten the truth out of her about her pain levels?”
“It was an eight,” she confessed. “It’s now down to a six.”
“Does this happen often?” Ian asked. “This sort of pain?”
“No. Rarely. I just . . . haven’t been paying close enough attention I guess.”
“Taking care of yourself, you mean,” Ian countered. “That stops from now on.”
“It sure does. Where the fuck is Jameson?” Jack snapped.
“He should be here soon,” Ian said.
“You really didn’t need to call Jameson. I’m fine.”
Okay. Wrong thing to say, apparently. Both of them glared down at her.
She shrunk back slightly. She really didn’t like having them both upset at her.
“I’m doing the best I can. Please, don’t be mad at me. Please.”
29
“Fuck,” Ian muttered under his breath. “Little girl, we didn’t mean to upset you.”
She glanced up as she felt someone touch her leg. Jack gave her a worried look. “You need to learn to lean on people. To ask for help.”
“It’s not very easy. I’m used to doing everything myself.”
“Please try,” Jack said to her.
“I will.” There was no way she could deny him when he looked this upset. Not with what Ian had just told her about his mother.
“Good,” Ian told her as there was a knock on the door. “Fucker doesn’t have to knock.” He got to his feet and stormed off.
Jack went to move away and she quickly grabbed his hand, wincing in pain at the movement.
“Careful,” Jack warned.
“I’m sorry, Jack. Really. I should have told you it started hurting the other day. And in the days since. But I just kept going on autopilot. I guess I’m used to blocking pain.”
“You shouldn’t do that,” he snapped.
“I’ll try not to. I really will try to let you guys help. All right?”
He nodded. But she got the feeling that he still hadn’t fully forgiven her. And she wasn’t sure how to make that up to him. Or show him that she was truly sorry.