His Unforgettable Fiancée. Teresa Carpenter

she took a seat at a table, leaned her head against the wall and fell asleep.

      It seemed only an instant later she opened her eyes. She yawned and blinked her watch into focus. An hour had elapsed.

      Wondering when this night would end, she did a few stretches—oh, yeah, that felt good— gathered her soda and headed back to emergency. Clear down the hall she heard a ruckus going on and hurried toward the sound.

      “You can’t keep me here against my will,” JD declared. He sat on the side of the gurney facing the doctor, a plump woman in a white lab coat with lovely mocha-colored skin and beaded black braids clipped atop her head.

      He was refusing to be admitted at the doctor’s request. Stubborn man.

      “It’s just for observation.” The doctor spoke with resigned patience.

      “You said there was no additional swelling,” JD pointed out.

      “No. But you’ve sustained a severe concussion.” The woman responded. “I highly recommend you be admitted for tonight and possibly tomorrow. Head wounds are unpredictable. It’s for your own safety.”

      JD pushed to his feet. “I’m fine. I have the pain medicine the last doctor gave me. I can take care of myself.”

      “Sir, I really advise against leaving.” She shifted her bulk to block his exit. “You need bed rest. Trauma of this magnitude requires time to heal. At this stage just being on your feet walking around could result in more damage.”

      The mulish look on JD’s face revealed what he thought of her suggestion.

      “JD,” Grace interjected softly, “the night is almost over. Why don’t you rest for a few hours and I’ll come get you in the morning?” The stars knew it was what she longed to do. He could lie down and be out in a heartbeat. She still needed to find a hotel and check in before her head found a pillow.

      His shoulders went back and he gave one slow shake of his head. “I hate hospitals. I’ve spent too much time in them already tonight. I’ll rest better somewhere else. Anywhere else.”

      She sighed. He meant it. The tension in those wide shoulders, the clenched jaw, the faint flicker of panic in his emerald eyes told her his dislike went deeper than memories. He really intended to leave.

      “You’ve done enough,” he told her. “Thank you for all your help. I can take it from here.”

      It was the wrong thing to say. He tried sliding past the doctor, but she had her moves on, keeping him pinned while signaling to a nurse.

      “Sir, we really can’t release you without adult supervision. This level of traumatic brain injury results in disorientation and confusion. You represent a danger to yourself and others.”

      JD did not back down. “I need you to get out of my way.”

      “Get security.” The doctor instructed the nurse.

      Time to defuse the situation. “Doctor, we understand your concern. Of course he won’t be alone. He’s been lucid all night. You’ve confirmed the swelling hasn’t gotten any worse. He’s clearly determined to go. Won’t causing him mental duress be worse than allowing him to leave?”

      Faced with his stubborn determination, the doctor saw the sense in Grace’s calm argument. “You’ll be with him?”

      JD opened his mouth. She shot him a don’t-you-dare glare.

      “Yes.”

      “And you’ll bring him back in the morning?” The doctor pressed.

      Green eyes narrowed. Grace agreed the physician was pushing it.

      “I’ll see he gets the care he needs.”

      The woman reluctantly agreed. She noted her concerns on the release form and reiterated her instructions and the symptoms to be concerned over.

      “Mismatched pupils, vomiting, excessive sleepiness.” Grace rattled off the last of the list. “Doctor, you’ve been very helpful. I think I should get him somewhere to lie down. Good night.”

      Taking JD’s arm she led him away, not releasing him until they were out the door. “Don’t look back.” She warned him. “She might change her mind.”

      “They couldn’t keep me against my will.” He bit out.

      “She’s not wrong. With the concussion you’re not thinking clearly.”

      “You told her I’ve been lucid all night.”

      “And you have. That doesn’t mean you’re making good decisions. You should have been admitted. At least for the rest of tonight.”

      Halfway across the driveway to the parking lot, Grace realized JD wasn’t keeping pace with her. She swung around to find him hovering near the exit. She started toward him.

      “Do you want me to pick you up?” Dang, she should have thought of that. She’d just been extolling his injuries but she kept forgetting how extensive they really were.

      “No.” He closed the gap between them. Surprised her when he bent to kiss her cheek. “Thanks for all you’ve done. I wouldn’t have made it through the night without you.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “But I can’t take advantage of you any longer. It’s time to say goodbye.”