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Ellie bumped Hunter’s hip as she walked past her to kiss Cass’s cheek. “How are you holding up?”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Hunter whined. “I’m your wife. Why didn’t I get a kiss?”

“Because you’re on duty.” Ellie stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in Hunter’s ear.

Cass laughed. “Dude, your face is beet red! What did our sweet little Ellie say to you?” She waggled her eyebrows at Hunter.

“Sweet little Ellie,” Hunter muttered. “If you only knew.” Hunter’s lopsided grin told the group all they needed to know. “Oh, hey. There’s Dr. Lima,” she pointed out, taking the attention off herself.

Cass was suddenly nervous. She didn’t know why. She’d been waiting for Rebecca to wake up for what seemed like an eternity. So why the jitters now? She looked around for Aunt Wills.

“Where’s Aunt Wills? We have to wait for her.”

“I’m here, I’m here!” Willamena came rushing up to the group, looking a bit disheveled. “Sorry! My session with Dani and Claire ran a little long. But I’m here now. What’s the plan?”

“My plan is to examine my patient,” Dr. Lima answered. She glanced at the group, recognizing them all. Eve, Lainey, and Blaise were on the hospital board. Ellie was Hunter’s wife. Dr. Woodrow was a renowned psychiatrist. Patty and Mo were exceptional nurses whom Dr. Lima would welcome in her OR any day. But this wasn’t the OR. “I appreciate how close-knit your friendship is with Rebecca. However, there will be no audience for this portion.”

“I’ve heard that tone before in the boardroom,” Eve grinned. “Dr. Lima received experimental surgical equipment using that tone. Anyone up for a coffee while we wait?”

“You all go ahead,” Cass answered. “I’m going to stay. Outside the room,” she clarified for Dr. Lima. “But I don’t want to be too far in case Rebecca asks for me.”

“Same,” Willamena chimed in. There were two chairs in the corridor. Perfect for the two nervous Nellies to keep each other company as they waited.

“Be aware that this process can take hours or days. It depends on Rebecca’s response to being taken off the sedation. There’s also a chance that Rebecca will wake up feeling confused or agitated. Patients respond differently to this procedure, so we’ll have a better idea once Rebecca is fully awake.” Once she was done, Dr. Lima nodded and disappeared into Rebecca’s room, with Hunter following close behind.

“She said a lot without saying anything at all,” Ellie said with a frown. “Perhaps we should convene at the diner while we wait.” Obviously, that was directed at everyone except Cass and Aunt Wills, as Ellie knew they weren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable. “Call us with any news?”

Cass smiled up at Ellie from her seat. “Will do, buckaroo!” She waved enthusiastically at the others.

“You’re nervous,” Willamena stated. “Overcompensating with exaggerated excitement.”

“Are you shrinking me, Aunt Wills?”

Willamena glanced at Cass. “I am. I’m sorry. I’m nervous, and I don’t know why.”

Cass turned in her seat to face Aunt Wills. “You feel it, too? I have, like, this weird feeling in my tummy.”

“It’s fear of the unknown. The tumor may be gone, but we still have to wait for the biopsy results. Plus, we both know Rebecca doesn’t like being uncomfortable. She’s not going to be a good patient,” Willamena laughed. Neither of them spoke of the warnings Dr. Lima gave. It was enough to hear it once.

“True. But that’s okay. She can yell, cuss, whip me, or do whatever she needs to do. I can take it as long as she’s with me and recovering.”

Willamena shook her head, hiding a smile. Cass was so in love with Rebecca that it made Willamena’s heart swell with pride. This is what she wanted for her niece all along. Someone who loved her enough to endure her own discomfort to make Rebecca happy.

“We don’t need to talk about Mistress whipping you,” Willamena teased, knowing it would embarrass Cass.

“I… Did I really say that?” Willamena nodded, and Cass buried her head in her hands. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Willamena chuckled. “I’ve come to terms with who my niece is and who you are to her.”

“Have you? Before Rebecca, I thought this whole…” Cass looked around and lowered her voice. “BDSM thing was bullshit. I couldn’t imagine being submissive to someone or getting some kind of pleasure from pain. I certainly didn’t understand how someone could like hurting another person for the sake of sex. But even when Rebecca is in hyper-Mistress mode, she’s conscious of how she’s treating me. I’ve never felt more cared for …or more in control than when I give it up to her.” Cass winced. “TMI?”

Willamena patted Cass’s thigh. “You can’t imagine the things I’ve heard as a psychiatrist. I think with Rebecca’s past experience, she wanted to change the world she’d been thrust into. I believe the lifestyle is invigorating for her, but the way she was introduced to it… well, you know what happened there. She had to make it her own, and I think it helped more than just herself.”

“It definitely helped me.” Another wince. “What I mean is, I’ve learned to be more open and accepting. Even assertive. I don’t automatically scoff at things I don’t understand, you know? But I’m still not sure BDSM is the correct term for what Mistress offers. She’s not a sadist. She doesn’t want to see me in pain.”

Well. Cass didn’t think waiting for the docs to wake Rebecca would include a session with Dr. Woodrow. But talking kept Cass’s mind busy enough to pass the time without too much restlessness.

“I wouldn’t consider you a masochist either, Cass. Perhaps labeling what Mistress does isn’t necessary. You both know what you need and want from each other. That’s all that matters.”