“I changed my mind.” He wasn’t taking money for having Izzy around. “She worked hard. She contributed.” She dazzled, he thought, then frowned. He had no idea where that idea had come from.
“But we owe you—”
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “Come by on Saturday. We’ll have a barbecue. Bring everybody. You’ll see your sister, you’ll feel better.”
“That sounds nice,” Skye said slowly. “Okay. We’ll be there.”
“I’ll tell Izzy.”
“Thanks for everything. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
He hung up and shook his head. Women were a constant complication. Speaking of which…
He glanced up at the ceiling and then checked his watch. It was after nine. Izzy had said she was tired and wanted to go to bed early. The doctor had told her to take it easy for a few days. No strenuous physical activity. No riding. And while he hadn’t specifically asked, Nick had already figured out that meant no sex.
Not his first choice, he thought, remembering what it had been like to spend the night with Izzy. She was responsive, interested and adventurous. A perfect storm. One he wouldn’t be experiencing anytime soon.
Which was for the better, he told himself. He wasn’t going to get involved with her. Neither of them needed the complication. Still, she’d been quiet at dinner. He saved his work, then headed upstairs.
Izzy sat in a chair in the corner, her legs pulled up to her chest, her head resting on her knees. For one gutclenching second, he thought she was crying. Then she straightened and looked at him. There was tension in her face, but no tears that he could see. The bandage made it tough to be sure.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
Her mouth moved in what he guessed was an attempt to smile.
“You have all the lights on.”
She shrugged. “I feel better knowing they’re on. It’s not like I can see them. Or anything.”
He crossed to her and took her hand. “Come on. You need to rest.”
“I can’t. Every time I lie down I freak. It’s like I can’t breathe or something. I’m better here in the chair.”
“You need to rest so you can heal. Look, I’m bigger and stronger, so you can come quietly or I can force you. The forcing won’t be pretty. It’ll mess up your hair.”
Slowly she lowered her feet to the floor. “Do you see me laughing? I’m not. You know why? It’s not funny.”
“I know.”
She rose.
He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m here. You’re safe. You can breathe.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m a guy. I know everything.”
When she didn’t respond to that, he knew she was more scared than he’d realized. He led her to the bed, then stretched out next to her.
“I’m going to stay right here,” he told her. “All night. I’ll keep you safe, Izzy. I promise.”
“I can’t cry. I keep reminding myself that. I’m not supposed to cry. Something about the tear ducts. But I want to. And I want to run so hard and so fast that there’s light. But it’s not possible, either.”
She was right next to him. He could feel her shaking and didn’t know what to do to make it better. Frustration made him want to hit something, but that wouldn’t help Izzy. Instead he kept his arm around her, moving his hand up and down her back.
“Remember the breathing we practiced earlier today?”
“It was stupid.”
“Maybe, but we’re going to try it again.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No. I can’t breathe.” She inhaled sharply. “Something’s wrong. I can’t breathe.”
“You’re breathing just fine. If you couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t talk. Now roll on your back.”
She didn’t move.
“I’m going to stay here all night. You’re not getting rid of me. But you need to relax and you need to sleep. Come on, Izzy. I’ve traveled the world and trained with professionals. I don’t get to practice this much. Give me a break.”
He waited, not sure which way it would go. Was she just on the edge of losing it or already falling?
She rolled onto her back and sighed. “Because it’s all about you?”
The relief was instant. She was coming back. “Sure.”
“You’re just like Aaron.”
“Hey. What does that mean?”
She managed a slight smile. “Nothing bad. I adore Aaron.”
“Good. Now we’re going to start breathing.”
“Where’s the we? I’m doing all the work.”