"Wow," she breathed. "That was hot."
He made some incoherent sound of agreement.
"One fantasy down. Five million to go."
He chuckled. "Only five million?"
"For now." She kissed his jaw. "Ready to work on the car?"
"Can't I take a nap first?" he whispered drowsily.
"If you need to. I can work on it myself for a while."
He shook his head. "I want to help. Just give me an hour or two to catch my breath, woman."
She tried to climb off his lap, but he held her in place. She relented and snuggled against him again. It was much easier to maintain his balance when she held still, and he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.
"Eric?" she said after a long moment.
"Yeah."
"I have to get an MRI the first week of December to … see if I'm still healthy. Will you come with me? Isaa-um, that other guy used to go with me. I don't like to go by myself. Waiting for the results is really … " she sniffed, " … hard."
Eric held his breath and nodded. He bit his bottom lip to stop its trembling, his heart clogging his throat. His hand moved to the back of her head to press her closer, so she wouldn't see the tears blurring his vision. He wanted to be there for her, but all he could think when confronted by her mortality was no. No! Rebekah didn't really need an MRI. Her body wouldn't betray her again. It couldn't. He wouldn't let it. Wouldn't even accept the possibility that she could get sick again. She could not leave him. He would not lose her before she turned a hundred and twenty-three. Or ever. He needed her. Needed her. Not just now. Always. She couldn't go. She just couldn't.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm not strong enough to face this alone."
And he wasn't strong enough to face it at all. "Let's go work on the car."
Chapter 22
Rebekah squeezed Eric's hand and opened the front door of her parents' house. The guy looked like he was about to ralph all over his shoes, and Rebekah couldn't really blame him. Her father was laid-back and easygoing, but her mother? She wouldn't wish that woman on anyone. Rebekah smiled at Eric reassuringly and squeezed his hand again.
"Anybody home?" she called into the foyer.
Her mouth fell open when Dave wheeled himself through the dining room door. "Hey, little sis!"
"Dave!" she released Eric's hand and squeezed Dave's neck excitedly as she hugged him. "You look great!" She planted a big wet kiss on his temple. "How's your recovery going?"
"I've got about seventy-five percent usage in my left arm. Ninety percent in the right." He wriggled his fingers and made a fist. "They still say I'm not going to walk again."
"I say they're full of shit," Eric said with a grin.
Dave grinned back. "Sticks? When Rebekah said she was bringing a guy home, I was sure it would be Mills."
"I managed to snag the best one," Rebekah said. She sauntered over to Eric and grabbed him around the neck to draw him to her waiting lips.
Someone cleared her throat in the dining room. "Not only do you bring riffraff into my home," Mom said, "but you engage in inappropriate behavior with it right before my eyes."
Rebekah rolled her eyes for Eric's benefit and then turned to face her mother. "And he gave me a little tongue too," she said.
She glanced at Eric, expecting him to participate in her teasing, but he looked entirely shell-shocked.
"Mom, this is Eric Sticks, the drummer of Sinners," Dave said.
"Sinners. The band who practically kidnapped my daughter and exposed her to only God knows what? The band who paralyzed my only son?"
"The man who saved Dave's life with CPR," Rebekah said.
Mom snorted. "I guess he can stay since he's already here." She turned her back and returned to the kitchen.
"She's a little prickly tonight," Dave whispered.
"A little?" Rebekah squeezed Eric's elbow. "Don't let her get to you."
Eric shook his head slightly.
"So how are things going with the tour, Reb?" Dave asked nonchalantly.
"As good as can be expected, considering you're not there," Rebekah said.
"She's being modest," Eric said. "She's absolutely amazing."
Dave grinned with pride.
"Not as good as Dave is though," Rebekah said, ruffling her brother's hair and bending to smother him with another hug.
"It's okay that you're great, Reb," Dave said. "You don't have to feel guilty. I'm proud of you."