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Grant looked over at her with eyes that could barely stay open. “I think so. Holy crap, that stuff is strong. How am I supposed to get anything done when they make me feel like this? I can barely hold my fork, much less a fire hose.”
“You’re not supposed to get anything done. And you’re certainly not hauling around a fire hose anytime soon. You’re supposed to rest and heal. That’s it.”
That sounded like Grant’s version of hell. He hated just sitting around being idle, but with the way he felt, he had no choice. At least for a day or two. Then, maybe the pain would subside enough that he could cut back on the pain medication and feel normal again.
“Do you want to lie down?” she asked.
“I just got up. How about you help me to my recliner?”
“Sure.” Pepper smiled and helped him up out of his chair.
They moved together to the area of the loft where he had his big-screen television, leather couch, and strategically placed love seat with dual recliners. He sat down in his favorite seat and pulled the tab on the side to raise his legs. He watched as Pepper moved around, fussing over him. She scooped up a blanket from the couch and threw it over his legs and propped a pillow behind his head. “Do you want me to turn on the television?” she asked.
“Not right now. Just come sit with me for a while before I fall asleep again.”
Pepper nodded and walked around the love seat to sit on the other side. She raised the legs on her side, creating a cozy recliner for two.
“Did you sleep with me last night?” He had the faint recollection of them lying side by side, but that side of the bed was still neatly made when he got up this morning.
“No. After you finally fell asleep, I came out here and slept on the couch. I was afraid I’d bump into one of your injuries in the night.”
“You’re not going to hurt me,” he insisted. “And if you did, it’s a small price to pay for having you snuggled up beside me all night. Although, this isn’t so bad, either.” Grant lifted his right arm up so Pepper could rest her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “This medicine makes me fuzzy,” he complained.
“You’re not supposed to be concentrating; you’re supposed to be healing. And it’s not nearly as strong as whatever they gave you last night, trust me.”
“Uh-oh. Did I do something?”
“You were certainly mouthy.”
Grant groaned. “Ugh. What did I say?” He tried to remember the conversation from the night before, but it was even harder now that he had the pain medication pumping through his veins. “Was I rude? Did I insult a doctor? Fondle a nurse?”
“No, no. You were your ever-charming self at the hospital. When we got home, we talked some. Mainly about your dad.” That was even worse. Was that why he had fuzzy images of scout patches and ice cream in his head? Had the drugs really caused him to spill his most painful memory without him even realizing it? “I probably said too much, then.”
“No. You said what you needed to say. And I think getting that off your chest was healthy. That had to be a hard thing to carry around all those years. Like you said the other night, that’s what we’re here for. I’m glad to be someone you can share it with. Your secrets are safe with me. I have relationship privilege, after all.”
That was a relief. He wasn’t happy about what he might’ve said, but at least he didn’t have the immediate worry of her spreading the tale of his father’s infidelity all over town. “And what about your secret, Pepper? I bared my soul. I think it’s your turn.”
He felt Pepper stiffen in his arms for a moment. “I told you that I can’t tell you,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t want to, or that it’s uncomfortable to talk about. I just can’t.”
“Not even when I’m on drugs and will forget it all tomorrow?”
“Not even then. It’s not my secret to tell, Grant.”
Grant sighed, the medication luring him even deeper into oblivion. “You know what sucks?”
“What?” she asked, snuggling against his chest.
“We’re not even keeping our own secrets. We’re living with these burdens and suffering from the weight of them because of other people’s shit. It just seems to spill over into our lives.”
Pepper had no response to that, but even if she had, he wouldn’t have heard her. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that their relationship was slowly falling apart and there was nothing they could do about it.
Chapter 16
Monday morning, Logan entered the Rosewood Sheriff’s Department for the first time. He’d anticipated a quiet morning, but then he’d received a frantic call from Jeanette Kincaid. The police had taken her husband in for questioning.
This was the first he’d heard from the Kincaids since she’d come by the office the week before. Pat never showed to speak with him, but Logan had expected that, since her husband didn’t seem to think there was a problem. When nothing happened, part of him had decided Jeanette was paranoid and they weren’t going to arrest Pat. Then again, he figured it was inevitable that he would end up down here to get one of his clients out of jail sooner or later.
He stopped at the front desk and spoke to the receptionist there. “I’m Logan Anthony, attorney at law. I’m here to see my client, Mr. Kincaid.”
