Free BrokenHearted by Brooklyn Taylor Page B

robot.
    “I brought a pack of cards. Kinda silly but just knowing how Mr. James is, I didn’t think he would want a stuffed animal or flowers.” And he laughs. It was a good sound until he began to cough.
    “You are right about that,” he answers.
    Mrs. James pats the empty chair beside the bed and invites me to sit next to her.
    “I know you are too busy to come to the hospital, sweetie,” she says.
    “I just wanted to come by and see how you both were doing,” I say.
    “For Jackie?” she asks. Clearly, she knows my aunt well.
    “That old hard ass wouldn’t come here on her own death bed.” Mr. James chuckles.
    “I am afraid you are right about that, sir,” I agree.
    “How are you feeling?” I ask, looking him in the eye.
    “Could be better, could be worse. I woke up this morning, and I am breathing. That is about all I can ask for.” He smiles genuinely, and Mrs. James does the same. The love between them is a gift, and it beams.
    “How long have y’all two been married?”
    She laughs. “I have put up with this grump for forty years.”
    “I have put up with you for forty years.” He smirks and then winks.
    “That is rare these days, isn’t it?” I ask.
    “Not when you find the one, it isn’t. I knew the minute I saw this stubborn ass that I was going to love him. And I was right.” She takes his hand and holds it. He brings it to his lips and kisses it.
    “Love of my life, for sure.”
    I start to stand up to leave and head to work.  “I just wanted to stop by and check on you.  I see you are doing great, and Jackie will be glad to hear that.”
    I hand Mrs. James the cards. “Maybe you can beat him in some gin or something?”
    “Thank you, sweetie. That is very sweet of you. I wish that my Trevor would find a—”
    I cut her off, ignoring my manners.
    “Well, I had better get going … Gotta get to work.” Whew. Talk about dodging a bullet. I wasn’t going to get involved in that.
    “Don’t be a stranger, you hear?” Mr. James says as I walk away from his bed.
    “No sir, I won’t. I will pray for a quick recovery for you. Take care.”
    And I walk out. Damn near sprint. Right into Mr. Intense.
----
    Trevor
    I step off the elevator at my arrival on the second floor still trying to get used to St. Luke’s Hospital. Really, all hospitals are the same. Some nicer, some not so nice, but the layout is generally the same.
    I immediately spot Ryann walking toward me, and I freeze.
    My hands are full, and I am thankful I have something to keep my hands busy. I have not been able to get her off my mind—out of my mind—no matter how hard I’ve tried.
    “Ryann?” I look shocked because I am. She keeps appearing in my life when I don’t expect it, brightening my day although I wouldn’t acknowledge it.
    “Trevor.” She says my name sweetly as I meet her in the hallway.
    “What are you doing here?” I ask puzzled.
    “I came to check on your parents.”
    “I underestimated you,” I mumble and realize right after I said it that it wasn’t going to make her happy. It really wasn’t true either because she had been nothing but kind to me. After the words left my mouth, I wonder why I said that.
    “Why would you underestimate me? I have been nothing but nice to you and your family.  I have been going out to your family stables for months now, and your parents have been nothing but nice and caring to me.”
    “I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” I roll my eyes, frustrated at her anger. “All I meant is not a lot of people go out of their way to care when it isn’t their own family.”
    She moves right in my face and looks me right in my eyes. Her eyes sparkle as they always do, but the shirt she is wearing today makes them look more crystal.  Her smell … she smells exactly like what I remember her smelling like before. It was quickly becoming my favorite smell. Coconut. I am not a person often mesmerized or rendered speechless, but Ryann was making it an art of