Free Healing Gabriel by Elizabeth Kelly Page A

asked.
    She squeezed his arm.  “Not for at least another day. 
They’re giving you antibiotics through IV, and they want to monitor you for a
bit longer.”
    He groaned.  “I can’t stay here that long.  I have the sheep
and Daisy and – “
    She hushed him.  “I went this morning and let Daisy and the
sheep out to the pasture and I just got back from putting them into the shed.”
    He blinked at her.  “You did that?”
    She flushed a little.  “Well, saying I did it might be a
stretch.  Vincent and Delilah did most of the work.”
    She giggled.  “You should have seen them Gabe. They just
kept looking at me while I was trying to herd the sheep in.  Finally they gave
each other this look that practically screamed, ‘Rookie’ and took over.  They
had all the sheep in the shed in less than five minutes.  Those dogs are
amazing.”
    “You’re amazing.”  He blurted out and then blushed. 
    “I am pretty awesome.”  She winked at him and sat back down
in the chair beside the bed. 
    He studied her carefully.  She looked tired and there were
dark circles under her eyes.  He frowned as a hazy memory of her hand rubbing
his chest and her soft voice murmuring gently to him surfaced in his brain.
    “Did you stay here last night?”
    She nodded and yawned.  “I did.  I was worried about you. 
Oh, I also texted Lacey on her cell phone to let her know what happened.  She
was going to come home immediately but I told her not to.  I can help you
around the farm until you’re feeling better.”
    “You don’t have to do that.  I’ll be able to do it.”
    She rolled her eyes.  “No, you won’t Gabe.  You’ve still got
some good pain relief coursing through your veins.  Trust me – when that wears
off and all they give you is Tylenol, you’re going to be feeling a lot worse.”
    “Besides,” she continued cheerfully, “I don’t mind at all. 
I’m on summer holidays remember?  My days are free.”
    “Morgan, thank you.  I – “
    She suddenly sat up and cocked her head to the side.  He
could hear voices coming down the hall and she leaned forward.  “Listen, I told
the nurses I was your girlfriend.  They wouldn’t have let me stay with you if I
didn’t.  Play along okay?”
    She said the last part in a fierce little mutter, and he
nodded as a nurse entered the room.  “You’re awake.  How are you feeling Mr.
Dern?”  She rested her hand on his forehead.
    “Fine.  Can I leave tonight?”
    She laughed as Morgan rolled her eyes.  “Your girlfriend
told us you’d be asking to leave the moment you woke up.  I’m afraid you won’t
be going anywhere tonight.  The surgeon has left for the day, and he’ll want to
examine you before he signs the release forms.  You’re stuck with us for
another night.”
    She winked at Morgan as she started to pull the bed covers back. 
Her hands reached for the hospital gown and Gabe pushed them away.  “I just
want to take a look at your incision Mr. Dern.  We don’t want it getting
infected.”
    Gabe could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead.  He
didn’t want Morgan seeing his scarred upper body.  It was bad enough that she
could see his left arm under the short-sleeved hospital gown.
    Morgan suddenly stood.  “I think I’ll grab a drink and
stretch my legs for a bit.  Honey, are you okay with me leaving for a while?”
    “Uh, yeah that’s fine um, sweetheart.”  Gabe twitched in
surprise when Morgan leaned over him and pressed her lips briefly against his
before leaving the room.
    As the nurse lifted his gown and began to peel back the
bandage he stared up at the ceiling, his lips tingling and his cheeks red as he
relived the firm pressure of Morgan’s soft lips on his.

Chapter 7
     
    “Here, let me take your shoes off.”  Morgan bent in the
hallway of the farmhouse and tugged his shoes off.
    “Okay?”  She asked anxiously as she popped back up.
    He nodded.  “Yeah, I’m good.” 
    He wasn’t.