Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Indeed, as we exited the elevator, we almost ran into a clump of them outside Declan’s PCU room.
“We need a firmer timeline.” A slick younger man in a black suit zipped up a leather laptop bag as he spoke with two men in motocross-branded apparel. He looked to be the executive or PR type, fresh out of an MBA program or similar, and I dearly wanted to be the one to tell him that head injuries never adhered to anyone’s timeline.
“The tour just ended, Miles. It’s almost the holidays. We can give him some time.” A middle-aged man with a Southern accent and a snaggle-toothed smile hooked his fingers through his belt loops.
“Not enough.” Miles kept up his clipped tone.
“We’ll bring Cyrus on board in the meantime.” Another fifty-something guy pulled out his phone. I’d watched some motocross with Sean over the years, and I was pretty sure this guy was one of the heads of the premier team Declan raced for. “We can get him up to speed before the season opens in March.”
“Declan should be ready then.” The Southern guy waved a thick finger at the other two. “He deserves better than you calling up his replacement while he remains in a hospital bed.”
“Exactly, Joey.” The team guy had a more patient tone than Miles, Mr. MBA, but the level of condensation in his tone made my neck prickle. “We have no idea how long Declan is going to be out. This vision nonsense is troubling. He won’t pass concussion protocol anytime soon.”
“Come on. We need to make our flight.” Miles led the way past us toward the elevators, shiny loafers squeaking on the polished floor.
After they left, Denver darted into a nearby restroom, and I waited in the hall outside Declan’s room because I could hear a nurse talking to Sean and Declan, and I didn’t want to intrude. However, before Denver returned, the nurse and Sean exited the room.
Waving at Sean, I stepped closer. “Hey. How you holding up?”
“Amazing.” Sean smiled. He still wore rumpled clothes, but he’d showered, shaved, and combed his red hair. “No, seriously, it’s always funny how much difference a full night’s sleep makes.”
“Yep. Maybe listening to Denver and me about going to the hotel was a good thing?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Sean offered up a sheepish look. “You were right. I feel like a new man, and Declan’s doing great on this new floor. Continued improvement and no new signs of bleeding, which is a relief.”
“Absolutely.”
“Now, if we could only get Declan to rest like you strong-armed me.” Sean stretched his arms out. The plastic visitor chairs in this place really were the devil on middle-aged bones. “I keep telling him to sleep, but Declan says he can’t. He also keeps refusing more pain meds. Stubborn.”
“Like you.” I gave Sean a pointed look before chuckling. “You want me to give him the sort of lecture I gave you?”
“Actually, maybe.” Sean shrugged. “He was asking about you.”
“He was?” And why my pulse suddenly sped up I had no clue.
“Yeah. He wanted to know more about our drive here, and I told him what a rockstar chauffeur you were.”
“It was more about having a car with four-wheel drive.” I glanced down at my hiking boots, which doubled as winter boots with flannel insulation.
“Still. You’re better at mountain driving than Denver or I.” Sean clapped me on the back. He wasn’t wrong. Those who learned to drive in rural Utah tended to be more weather-savvy than most. “Anyway, Declan also mentioned some book you were reading. Something about a cat?”
“A book in this new mystery series I’m into.” My cheeks heated because my friends were always teasing me about my taste in books and movies. “Maybe you need a break? If you track down Denver and go get some decent, non-hospital food, I’ll lecture Declan into resting. If that doesn’t work, I’ll read in a monotone until he falls asleep.”
“You do that.” Laughing, Sean lightly pushed me toward Declan’s door. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
This was hardly the time to mention my imminent departure, so I embraced my task of getting Declan to sleep and left Sean to find Denver and, hopefully, some better-quality chow.
“Hey, Declan.” I adjusted the blinds and lowered the lights as I entered his room. He’d continued to complain about light sensitivity, but other visitors and nurses kept turning the lights up.
“Oh, thank God. I can’t figure out the lights on this thing at all.” Declan held up the bedside controller at an awkward angle. His right wrist was the sprained one, but his left still had the IV.
“What’s this I hear about you not sleeping?” I put my hands on my hips and stared him down, but he simply laughed.
“Dad got to you, didn’t he?” Declan gave a small cough as if laughing had hurt, and it undoubtedly had, what with his rib injury and all.