Chapter 16 - Almost...
They’d shared his bed for about an hour before Emma started getting restless and Ryan knew she wanted to get back to work. He was fairly certain she’d headed off to practice while he was at his appointment, and he was curious just how far along her hockey knowledge was coming. Nudging her head with his own, he murmured at her, “What say we head into your room, work on your articles?”
“Mind reader.” Emma responded softly as she moved to stand, releasing his hand in the process. Looking him over, he noted that her eyes focused on his knee before she questioned, “You going to be able to move?”
Shrugging a bit, Ryan replied, “Don’t know. But I know I promised I would help and I intend to honor that promise.” He paused and scanned the room, eyes finally landing on the brace he’d discarded earlier in his anger. “But, if you could grab the brace for me, that would make my movement easier.”
It took her a moment to locate the brace, but once she did, she brought it to him, asking him softly, “Think you can lift your leg long enough for me to slide it under? Putting this back on will go faster with two.”
“Please don’t think less of me if I make any unmanly squeals,” He retorted as he bent at the waist and lifted his quad, clenching his eyes shut and grinding his teeth at the fire of pain that went from his toes straight up his leg at the motion. “Crisse de Tabarnak!”
When he opened his eyes again, Ryan found Emma giving him a sympathetic look, and after a moment of just staring at each other, she told him softly, “Don’t move. Not like you can but, don’t anyways.” And before he could respond, she was out of the room. He craned his ears to try and hear what she was up to, but it sounded like she was in the kitchen. After a few minutes, she came back with a small glass of water and handed it to him along with one of his pain pills from the initial injury. “Thought this might help.”
Shooting her an appreciative smile, Ryan tossed back the pill, finding her already bent over his leg, examining the brace and trying to figure out how to best attack it. “The straps feed through those buckles on the opposite side. Should be black marks – permanent marker – on there showing how far to pull to.”
He waited until she had below his knee secured and then went about doing the same from there upward. After another few minutes, he was completely back into the brace again and he exhaled softly, mentally preparing himself for the next step – getting out of the bed. Swinging his legs to the edge of the bed, Ryan tried to put weight on that leg but regretted it immediately, uttering yet another oath beneath his breath. “God damn you’re stubborn.” Emma finally murmured from near the doorway, where she stood with his crutches in her hands. She walked closer to him and leaned the crutches against the wall and then held out her hands, telling him, “Grab on. I’ll keep you steady.”
Ryan eyed her curiously – he didn’t want her to try and pull him up and have them both end up on the floor in the process. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take if it showed Emma that he trusted her. Grabbing her hands, he waited until she counted down then rocked his weight forward, not the least bit surprised when they started to topple back towards the wall. But she surprised him and kept them both steady – and as they stood there eye to eye once again, it took every ounce of his willpower not to lean forward and kiss her. But after how the early afternoon had gone, he didn’t think she’d be too receptive.
Instead, he waited for her to hand him his crutches, sighing soft once he was back in control of his own balance again. She reached a hand out to muss up his hair with a slight smile then told him softly, “C’mon. you can come sit on the edge of my bed. And if you need anything, like more ice, I can get it for you.”
Nodding just a bit, Ryan began the process of moving from one room to another. He was lucky to have her in his life – that he knew. He just wasn’t sure how long she’d willingly stay if he kept having moments like he had earlier.
~*~
Even though it had been a sight that had greeted her eyes for several weeks now, Emma wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to the visual of big tough Luke Perrault wearing an apron and fussing over a stove. It just so didn’t jibe with the attitude he carried out on the ice – or anywhere else for that matter. But she had to admit – he sure as hell could cook!
Sometime after he’d gotten back from the arena and taken a shower, based on his still damp hair, he’d come down to her apartment to start prepping for the evening’s dinner. Emma was starting to like these types of meals, when all 3 of them would gather and chat and just enjoy each other’s company. It wasn’t like anything she was used to. Growing up, dinners were usually served by maids or butlers and were rarely a family affair unless her parents were trying to impress someone.
And then there was the matter of the relationship between the Perrault cousins – it was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The closest relationship Emma had with any of her siblings was her brother Keegan, and even their relationship was cantankerous at best. He couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t just do the things that were expected of her – like stopping her schooling after high school and marrying a ‘nice boy’ from the local country club. And she couldn’t understand why he didn’t appreciate how much that life wasn’t her – that it never had been, nor would it ever be. She was never going to be someone’s trophy wife – hell, she’d be lucky if she was someone’s wife at all!
She must have looked off in her own little world because Luke stopped in front of her and waved his hand a bit. “Bonjour!” He chirped cheerfully and she couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Ah, there’s that smile again.” She watched as he set the timer on the stove before heading to the kitchen table and flopping into one of the chairs. “So, tell Uncle Lukey whyfor Emma was so sad, ya?”
Rolling her eyes, but smiling nonetheless, Emma settled down in the chair opposite Luke and rested her elbows on the table, leaning her face into her hands. “I wasn’t sad. Not when you got here at least.” Internally cussing at realizing her slip, she hoped that Luke hadn’t caught it, but he was far more observant than she gave him credit for.
“So, what did my cousin do that had you sad before?” Luke questioned casually, eyebrow just a bit arched in the air. Before Emma could mount any sort of a protest, Luke shook his head, telling her, “I know my cousin, and more than that, I know his temper. I also noticed that he’s passed out from painkillers right now, which means he’s had a setback of some sorts. And I’m guessing he never bothered to warn you to steer clear of his ass when he’s in full on crank mode, yes?”
Blinking in surprise, Emma wondered just what else Luke had noticed without commenting, and for a long second, she couldn’t even muster up any sort of response. Finally, she murmured softly to him, “He pushed too hard in therapy, he said. Guess whatever wasn’t torn before, is now? But yeah, he told me to go away.”
“You cannot take it personally.” Luke told her immediately and Emma once again rolled her eyes. “Do not roll your eyes at me, I’m telling you, he’d yell at his own Mama if it had been her instead of you. And I’m sure then he apologized profusely, tried to explain why he was upset. Am I close?”
Looking at Luke suspiciously, Emma questioned, “What, did he call you and tell you what happened?”
Snorting in response, Luke shook his head. “Non. Need I remind you where I was all day? Do you think the coach would have taken it well if I jumped off the ice to take a personal call from my cousin who has having relationship problems? Non. I’d still be doing suicides if that were the case.” His voice taking on a more serious tone, Luke reached across the table and grabbed Emma’s hand with a tenderness that surprised her. “I’m not telling you this because I’m privy to whatever goes on in your lives. I’m telling you this because I’m his cousin and I love him, and I want to see him happy.”
Turning away from Luke at his words, she told him softly, “You should check on dinner.”
He snorted again but did get up to peer into the stove, and it was at that point that Ryan maneuvered into the room, yawning, but a look of slight indignation on his face. “Are you two quite finished talking about me? Or do I need to wait until my dinner is burned to a crisp before I can come out here?”
Luke folded his arms across his chest and shot his cousin a look. “I don’t know, perhaps I should let yours burn since you were so mean to Emma.”
Eyes darting back and forth between Emma and Luke, Ryan’s voice was practically a whine when he responded, “I’ve already apologized, what else do you want me to do?”
Still staring at his cousin with his arms folded, Luke asked, “Have you groveled and begged for forgiveness yet?”
Again, Ryan’s eyes cut back and forth between Emma and Luke before finally settling on Luke. “You realize that if I do grovel, that I won’t be able to get up on my own, yes?” Luke shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the floor, and after a long moment, Ryan growled soft and rested his crutches against the wall, lowering himself to the ground until he was on hands and toes. Looking up at Emma, who was trying hard not to smile, he told her softly, “I’m sorry for being an ass. Would you please forgive me for my behavior?”
Still trying to keep from smiling, Emma glanced over at Luke, asking him, “What do you think?” While she wouldn’t forget the way she had been treated the matter of forgiveness was already a dead issue in her mind. And while she didn’t understand why Ryan cared, she had no doubts that he did.
“I think he should eat his dinner down there.” Luke murmured and Emma almost bit her tongue off to keep the laughter in when she heard Ryan growl without any words in response.
Kneeling in front of Ryan and gazing into his eyes, she told him softly. “I forgive you.” The look on his face was so relieved that Emma found herself wanting to lean forward a bit and kiss him - until the peanut gallery reminded them both of his presence.
“Awww, so sweet. Baaaaaarf.” Luke was putting a topping on what appeared to be baked macaroni and cheese and even though she was annoyed at him for ruining the moment, Emma couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Luke’s face.
“You’re an ass, Luke Perrault. It’s a damn good thing you’re a good cook.”
He snorted once more. “As I’ve told you before, you are not the first woman to tell me that, and I’m most certain, you will not be the last.”