“Yes, I do,” I said. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m good, Posey.”
“Did the smoke hurt your lungs?”
“They treated me for smoke inhalation, but things are clear now. I’m more concerned about when I can go home.”
“Let me figure that out,” I said.
“Sweetie, I may not have anywhere to go if the apartment’s ruined.”
“As long as I have breath, you will always have a place to go.”
She smiled gently. “I appreciate that, but you aren’t going to want an old lady hangin’ around.”
“Who’s the old lady?” I retorted. Sharon yawned and I patted her hand. “Sleep for now. We’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
She was already asleep, so I didn’t know how much of that she heard. I peeked into the hall to tell Dylan I was going to be here a while and found him talking to Shadow.
Shadow held his hand out to me, and I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“Hi,” I breathed out.
“Hey, baby. How’s Sharon?”
“She’s got a hairline fracture and she might be homeless. She’s fantastic.”
“Her home is destroyed, honey. She’s definitely homeless. At least, for the moment.”
“Shit,” I breathed out.
He gave me a squeeze. “I might have a temporary housing option for her, but we can talk about that later.”
“I’d rather she had a place to go long-term. I’d hate for her to have to move multiple times.”
“We’ll figure it out, Posey. We’ve got a couple of days.”
“She can stay with me if need be.”
“Where?” he challenged.
“She can take my bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“Let’s not make any rash decisions,” Shadow countered.
I smiled up at him. “You don’t mind sharing the sofa, do you?”
He patted my bottom. “Like I said, let’s not make any rash decisions.”
“She’s asleep, but I’m going to sit with her, okay?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Dylan and I’ll work on finding her a place to go.”
“Thanks, honey.”
He kissed me quickly then I slipped back into Sharon’s room. She slept for another two hours, waking up in a great deal of pain. She pressed the call button but no one answered, so I squeezed her hand.
“I’ll get the doctor,” I said, and walked into the hall.
“You okay?” Shadow asked, pushing up from one of the chairs.
“Sharon’s in pain,” I said. “You’re still here?”
“If you’re here, I’m here.” He smiled. “You go back in and I’ll find a doctor.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped back into the room and a nurse arrived not long after.
“You’re in pain, huh?” the nurse asked, pulling up Sharon’s chart on her iPad. “I can give you morphine, if you’d like.”
“Yes, please,” Sharon rasped.
“Please hurry,” I begged. I didn’t like seeing my friend in pain.
The nurse injected Sharon’s IV and she relaxed, smiling as her eyes closed again. This made me relax and I sat by her side until Shadow peeked his head into the room and quietly called my name.
I walked out to the hallway and pulled the door closed. “Are you leaving?”
He frowned. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself, Posey.”
“You’re not?”
“No. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“Um… I’m not sure how to answer that,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t think any less of you if you headed home.”
“Well, I would.”
“I signed up to hang out here with Sharon,” I pointed out. “I don’t expect you to blow up your whole schedule as well.”
He reached out and squeezed my chin gently. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response.”
I smiled. “You’re being sweet and I’m too tired to make you stop.”
“Good.” He chuckled, pulling me close and kissing my temple. “I found Sharon a place to go.”
“You did? Where?”
“With you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I already sugg—”
“But in Otter and Shiloh’s house.”
“Huh?”
“Shy’s a nurse, and she agreed Sharon really shouldn’t be left alone, so she offered up their spare bedroom. She’s only working part time, so she’s happy to help look after Sharon until we can find a permanent solution.”
I dropped my head to his chest. “Are you sure she’s okay with that?”
“She offered.”
“She might just be being nice.”
“If she couldn’t or didn’t want to do it, she wouldn’t have offered,” he assured me.
“I’ll move some things around so I can be with her.”
“Whatever you need to do, baby. It’ll be good.”
I nodded, leaning heavily against him as I yawned.
“We should get you home to bed.”
“I don’t want to leave her.”
“I’m gonna leave Dylan here,” Shadow said.
“Dylan is not me,” I argued.
He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Posey, you’re gonna burn out if you don’t rest.”
I slid my hands under his cut and up his back. “I don’t have any massage clients tomorrow, and my first class doesn’t start until eleven. I’m good.”
He sighed. “If you’re stayin’, I’m gonna hang here as long as you do.”
“Then send Dylan home. There’s no point in him losing sleep, too.”
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“I’m going back in,” I said.
“Okay.”
I kissed him quickly, then walked back into Sharon’s room.
* * *
The next evening, Jane had informed me that she was coming by, but a little early in order to cook for us. I didn’t argue with her, much, considering Sharon was hanging with me most of the evening, so she’d need some kind of sustenance, and Shadow was doing ‘club shit,’ so he wouldn’t be around.
Plus, Jane could cook like a mofo and she’d already told me she was making her grandmother’s spaghetti and meatballs, so I was in.
After my last client, I headed home and showered, then walked next door to collect Sharon. Shiloh was in her kitchen when I knocked on her slider. She waved me in and I slid open the door, stepping inside.
“Hey, Posey,” she said, drying her hands on a towel.
“Hi. How’s Sharon?”
“She’s good. A little pain, but I gave her some Vicodin about an hour ago, so she should be good for a while.”
“What time does your shift start?”
“Not for another hour,” Shiloh said. “I’m on for twelve hours, so it’s going to be interesting.”
“Wow. I don’t know how y’all do it.”
She grinned. “I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel like work.”