Part 1: No Regrets(Divine Creek Ranch 2)(95)

Her Gentle Giant, Part 1: No Regrets

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The doctor opened the door and motioned to him to come out so their conversation would not disturb her. Out in the hall, the doctor leaned against the door frame and said, “Listen, I don’t know what your circumstances are, but now that Rachel is past the critical point, you’ll need to think about what to do until she’s fully recovered. I want to keep her here for a few more days to watch for complications. Once those dangers pass, she won’t need such intensive care. She’ll need someone to prepare and serve her meals and make sure she is eating properly, help her get around, and she needs to be someplace she can rest. I can recommend an intermediate recovery facility, but that’s not the only option you have available.”

Eli cocked a knowing eyebrow at the doctor. “How does she feel about a facility?” Eli could not picture her staying in a hospital setting that long.

The doctor chuckled. “She doesn’t think she needs it. But she hasn’t tried to move around yet, either. She’s going to need the extra time, but it doesn’t have to be in a hospital setting. Peter and Renata have offered to let her come home and stay with them for a while. She was opposed to that, not wanting to ‘move back home’ was how she put it. You could encourage her to either option, but they want you to know that they offered, for her sake, and not because they want to have her dependent on them. This must be a big deal to her.”

“Doc, you have no idea.”

The doctor nodded and smiled wistfully. “I’m married to one of those types, too. It’s a good thing with the hours I keep. Speaking of which, that’s the main reason that I’m recommending intermediate care. I know you keep some strange hours, too. She needs someone at home around the clock to watch over her. We don’t want her to get up to use the restroom by herself rather than bother anyone and wind up falling and breaking her other arm.”

Eli cringed, not liking the sound of that. The ache in his chest grew at the thought of how much he’d miss her.

“How long?”

“Four weeks. I’d like to see her then, evaluate her progress and determine whether she needs any physical therapy or not.” He gave Eli a knowing grin. “Absence makes the heart fonder, right?”

“You’re an intuitive man, Doc. Anyone ever tell you that?”

“All the time. You see what I’m getting at, though? She needs more than a few days to recover, and she needs to do that with others around her.



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If she likes being on her own, it will probably drive her crazy, but that will motivate her to work toward her recovery.”

“Rachel won’t want to go home, but I doubt she’ll agree to go to a facility because she won’t want to offend her mom. I’ll talk to her and help her to see she needs this. Can she get up at all?”

“She can sit up in bed and sit on the edge of the bed. No walking unless someone is holding her because she’s going to be dizzy. In another day or so, I’d like to see her moving around in the halls. Will you talk to her, Eli?

Peter and Renata both seem to think she’ll listen to you.”

“I’ll talk to her. She’ll see reason, but she won’t like it.”

“Good luck with that,” the doctor said dryly and shook his hand. “Let me know what she agrees to.”





* * * *



A week later, Rachel carried her favorite flower arrangement in her lap as Eli wheeled her out of the hospital exit to his waiting truck, parked in the shade under the portico. He opened the door, and she smiled at the comforting blast of frigid air. The September heat was absolutely stifling.

He lifted her effortlessly into the passenger seat, and she had to stifle a chuckle as she watched the two nurses who carried flowers out to the truck for her. One’s mouth popped open, and the other couldn’t help the dreamy sigh that escaped. She couldn’t blame them for their admiration as they watched him buckle her seatbelt for her.

He handed her the arrangement she’d brought down, a squat vase filled with exotic-colored roses from Merritt’s Florist. He took the other two arrangements from the nurses and thanked them graciously then placed them in a cardboard box on the back floorboard. She waved at the nurses, who smiled and waved back then turned the wheelchair and took it back into the hospital entrance.

Rachel hadn’t been happy with this arrangement when Eli had first brought it up, saying she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself at home. The first time he helped her to the restroom after they removed her catheter, she changed her mind. That one little adventure out of bed had used every bit of strength she had. She had asked him to call the nurse to assist her, but he’d helped her up and pulled up her panties himself, without