“Miss, are you next of kin?” The nurse behind the station kept repeating herself, but I wasn’t looking at her. I searched the curtains behind her for some sign of Cole. “Miss?”

I nodded. I would lie and promise my firstborn, too, at this point. “Yes. Cole Thomas. I just need to see him. He’s alone.”

She typed something into the computer and double-checked her findings on a clipboard. “He’s in curtain five.” She pointed around the corner.

I didn’t wait in case she changed her mind. I took off in the direction of the next set of curtains.

There was a crack in curtain five, and I peered through the slit before slipping inside. Cole was asleep. His foot was wrapped and his leg was suspended in the air.

I wiped a tear that had snuck its way onto my cheek. The cubicle was small, but there was one chair. I pulled it as close to the side of the bed as I could and sat.

Two hours later, Cole’s eyes fluttered open. I smiled and clutched his hand.

“Cole?”

They closed with zero recognition. I sighed and returned to my strained posture. There was an IV dripping something into his arm. Whatever it was, it must have been strong enough to keep him asleep for a while.

My eyes began to burn, but I didn’t dare venture out for coffee. I was afraid one of the nurses would try to check my ID.

One of them pulled the curtain to the side. Her name tag said Darlene.

“How’s he doin’, honey?” She retracted a clipboard from the plastic bin over Cole’s head.

“Should he be asleep this long? He hasn’t been awake since I got here.” I looked at the clock. That was now four hours.

“It’s the morphine.” She chuckled. “He’s probably happy to be sleeping through this.” She pointed to the contraption rigged around his leg. “We just got the green light to move him to a room.”

“He has to stay the night?” I didn’t know what was going to happen, but an overnight hospital stay made it feel like everything was worse.

“He needs a day with this leg, and then I think he’ll get discharged tomorrow. Don’t take my word on that.” She returned the clipboard. “Just a guess.”

“Can I stay with him?” I didn’t want him to wake up alone, if he did wake up tonight.

“There’s a recliner in his regular room that folds out to a small bed. It’s not comfortable, sugar, but you can stay if you want to.”

I watched as she started unhooking cords and wrapping the IV tubes around the cart.

“Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say. She was the nicest person I had encountered all night.

A team of two other nurses appeared. They loosened the breaks on the wheels, folded the sides of the bed, and took off with Cole. I grabbed my purse and followed them.

The hospital was a maze. I would need all the exit signs to find my way back out.

A few minutes later, Cole was stationery again, and his bed on lockdown and plugged into a bunch of wall sockets.

Darlene opened the cupboard at the end of the bed and handed me a set of blankets and a pillow. “Here you go. These are for you. Don’t feel bad if you feel like you need to go home. You wouldn’t be the first to be defeated by the chair.” She smiled warmly before closing the door behind her.

It wasn’t much, but it would make the recliner bearable. I kicked off my sandals, extended the chair, and nestled in for the night. I wasn’t going to leave Cole’s side.

* * *

If I thought sleeping on the hard living room floor was rough, it was nothing compared to wrestling sleeping positions in a hospital recliner. I opened my eyes, remembering where I had spent the night.

“Good morning,” Cole whispered.

“You’re awake.” I hopped out of the chair faster than I should have. My shoulder and leg had both fallen asleep. The dizziness hit me. I stumbled, but grabbed the end of the bed to gain some balance.

“I’ve been watching you sleep. What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I couldn’t leave you here all night by yourself. Are you ok? What happened?” I still had no idea what kind of accident he had.

“Where’s Grayson?” His eyes darted back and forth.

“He’s ok. Sasha canceled the sitter and stayed with him all night. She knows where to take him to school.” I smiled.

He motioned for the water cup on the rolling cart. I picked it up and handed it to him.

A few seconds later, he cleared his throat. “I was coming down off the roof, and my foot slipped. I got hung up in the ladder. It twisted my knee before I finally landed on the ground. That’s the last thing I remember.”

He examined his leg.

“The good news is that you didn’t sustain a concussion,” I reported. Darlene had told me that much.

“Yeah, good thing.” He reached for my hand. “Thank you for staying. And thank you for making sure Grayson had someone.”

I moved closer to the bed. A metal side rail separated us. “I would do anything for you and him. What can I do now? How can I help?”

The door opened and a doctor hurried into the room. “Good morning, Mr. Thomas.” He didn’t look up from his charts. “How’s the pain level? We’ve cut back your pain meds.”

Cole grimaced. “It’s bearable.”

I could tell from the sweat on his forehead he didn’t mean a word he said.

“Good. That’s impressive progress considering it’s been less than twenty-four hours since your accident.” The doctor scribbled something on the chart. “You’re going to have to stay off that leg for at least a week. I’ll have the nurse schedule an appointment with Brownsville Orthopedic in seven days. They’ll check you out and let you know about your rehab schedule.”

“Rehab?” The word was out before I knew I was butting in.

He turned to me, shoving a pen in the top pocket of his white coat. “Yes, there was a pretty severe sprain to the knee and ankle. The x-rays came back negative for a break, but the sprains are both serious enough that it may take physical therapy to get things back to normal.” He faced Cole. “I’ll sign your discharge paperwork, get a set of crutches assigned to you, and you’ll be on your way. No walking for a week though.” He wagged his finger.

Cole nodded. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t challenging the doctor or asking for a second opinion. A week with no walking was going to kill him.

I looked at him. “You’re going to be ok. That’s what matters.”

He nodded. “I know.”

* * *

“Easy, guys. Easy.” I held my breath as Cal and Lance maneuvered Cole through the kitchen door of the beach cottage. They had managed to carry him all the way up the stairs without so much as banging a toe on the railing. I was impressed.

They looked around the bare living room. We still didn’t have the living room set we wanted.

“He’ll have to go on the bed.” I pointed to the hallway that led to our bedroom.

Cole hadn’t said much since he had been discharged from the medical center. I thought it was partly the exhaustion of the entire experience combined with the pain meds’ side effects.

“Call if you need anything else, you two.” Cal slung an arm around my shoulder.

“We will. Thank you, both.” I smiled at Cal and Lance.

“Sasha said she’s bringing over some kind of casserole or something, so you don’t have to make dinner.”

“Aww, that’s sweet of her.” It was almost time for lunch. Dinner wasn’t on my radar.

“Holler at us, girl.” Lance walked past me and shuffled down the deck stairs.

I walked into the bedroom where Cole was propped on a pile of pillows. His eyes half-open.

“Can I get you anything?”

He smiled weakly. “I think I’m just going to take a nap.”

“Ok. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll pick up Grayson from school and I can get the rest of your prescriptions.”

“Do you have a nurse outfit?” His eyes were barely open.

I laughed. At least he had a sense of humor. “I’ll see if I can get one for you.”

“After my nap,” he slurred.

“Ok. I’ll let you rest.” I turned off the light and closed the door.

Once, in college, Branch had the flu. I had dropped off chicken soup and some Nyquil. Other than that, I had zero nursing experience. I didn’t know if I was really the warm, nurturing type, but for Cole, I was going to try.

With Cole asleep, I decided to head over to the Dunes for a few hours. I crept into the room and placed his phone next to him on the bed. That way, if he woke, he could give me a call. I left a note letting him know I’d be back soon.

I turned on the window unit and retrieved my computer from the storage closet. I wasn’t in the mood to work, but what else was there at this point? Cole was out of commission, and I needed to get some reservations booked.

I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw a reply email from the senior living catalog. This is the break we needed. I scanned the response. It would cost a thousand dollars, but I could place an ad in a senior vacation magazine that would be distributed nationally. It was one of those publications you see at the grocery store in the stacks by the sliding doors. A grand was more than I had budgeted for advertising, but success didn’t come without taking risks, right?

I picked up my phone to schedule the ad when Aiden walked through the door. He had a way of sneaking in when I least expected him.

“Good afternoon, Kaitlyn.” Today he had on a starched white shirt that brought out his tan.

“Oh, hey.” Maybe if I ignored him he’d leave. I scribbled down the information for the ad reservation.

“Catch you at a bad time?” He sat in front of me.

“Actually, yes. Today’s not a good day.”

“Something going on?” His eyes wandered to the desk.

I debated whether to tell him about Cole’s accident. This time, I kept the cards to myself. “Look, Aiden, I’m working. I have a business to run and I don’t have time for your Kardashian family drama today.”

He chuckled. I was amazed at how calm he always seemed even when everyone around him was obviously irritated with him. “So I take it you looked inside the envelope.”

“I don’t want to discuss it with you. It’s not my business. You and Cole have to work that out.” I opened a blank email and pretended to type.

“I stopped by hoping to catch him. Where is he?”

“Not here,” I snapped a little too quickly.

“Come on, Kaitlyn. I’m not that bad. You can’t seriously blame me for wanting the inheritance that’s rightfully mine. This was my father’s motel.”

“The motel you want to demolish. You really think that’s what he wanted? I’m guessing that’s why you didn’t inherit it.” I closed my eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.” I had no idea why Pops willed the Dune Scape to Cole and not Aiden. I should have kept my opinions to myself.

Aiden lost the easy look in his eyes. “Did you know him? Did you know my dad?” His voice quieted.

I shook my head. “I’ve only heard Cole’s stories. He sounded like a wonderful man. Pops died before I ever made it to Texas.”

“If you didn’t even know him, why are you so hell-bent on defending this place? The siding is chipping. The pool needs to be repainted. The boardwalk has cracks. There is only one ice machine. It’s a joke.” He looked at me. “It’s not worth fighting for.”

I looked at the empty parking lot behind us. The place was a ghost town, but I had an opportunity to show Aiden all the things that made me fall in love with the Dunes. Cole might shoot me later when he could walk, but this could be my only chance to mend a fence before the two of them chopped it with chainsaws.

“I have a proposition for you.” I leaned forward on the desk.

“And what’s that? Decided my nephew’s not enough for you?” His smile was devilish.

“No. You’re practically my uncle-in-law or something.” I made a face at him. “Where are you staying while you’re in Padre?”

For the first time, I saw him hesitate. “Wave Oasis.”

“That’s a nice choice.” I had booked a week there for graduation. It was the island’s most popular resort. I wondered if he had met Sasha at the desk. “Ok, how about you cancel your reservation and take one of the rooms here? Room twenty-three is available and has the best ocean view.”

Aiden laughed. “You have got to be kidding. Me? Here?”

“It’s not that funny. I think it’s important for you to get to know the place your father loved before you try to destroy it.”

I didn’t think Aiden had a legal leg to stand on, but I wasn’t a law student. If there was a way I could at least get him to stop talking to developers and threatening Cole with demolition, that would be one battle won.

“You’re serious.” His eyes narrowed.

I nodded. “Dead serious.”

He looked at me, and then glanced through the window, eyeing the two rows of rooms. I wasn’t feeling confident about my offer. I shifted restlessly.

“Ok. I’ll stay a few nights. Try out the Dunes, but I don’t want you to get your little heart broken when I have to file a list of complaints the first night.”

I faked a laugh. “I’m not worried one bit. You’re going to see all the things that make this a special place, not one that needs to be forgotten.” I pulled out the reservation book that was now stained with coffee. “I’m going to put you down for room twenty-three. It’s the room I stayed in when I first came to Padre.”

“In that case, I already like it.”

I ignored the comment. “Anyway, when do you think you could check out of Wave Oasis?”

“If you’re so anxious to get this party started, I can do it right now. I’ll go get my bags.”

“Great.” I closed the book on the desk. “See you soon.”

He stood to leave. “Can’t wait. Cocktail hour at five?”

I shook my head. “No, there’s no cocktail hour at the Dunes, but if you don’t cause any trouble, I’m sure Hank would be happy to have you at Peabody’s. That’s the local hangout where you had lunch. You can walk there from here.”

“Me? Trouble? Kaitlyn, I’m hurt you think I’d start trouble.” He turned toward the door. “Want to join me? I’d love to buy you a drink.”

I almost had to close my jaw with my hand. Was he actually asking me out even though I told him I was with Cole?

“Cole’s waiting on me.”

“Maybe another time.” He threw me a wink as he walked out the door.

Sure, Cole was overprotective and jealous, but he might have been right this time. I couldn’t think about that now. Changing Aiden’s mind about the Dunes was more important. I could handle the flirting.

I rushed to the supply closet and loaded my arms with all the new supplies: shampoo, soap, fluffy towels. I had no idea what kind of shape room twenty-three was in, but I had maybe twenty minutes to get it up to five-star status.