Page 125 of Theirs for the Holidays

“I feel better though. My head is clearer. I didn’t like being all woozy yesterday.”

“That’s good then. And your arm?”

“Still hurts, but I can manage.”

We take our time getting up, and by the time we make it out to the living room, Sawyer and Lennox are already awake. Lennox is in the kitchen making breakfast, and Sawyer has coffee ready in my fancy coffee machine.

“Take your pills, Rhett,” Lennox says, once we’ve eaten.

Rhett makes an irritated noise. “They’re going to make me drowsy.”

“You don’t have anything to do but rest today. And if you don’t take them, you’re just going to get grouchy from the pain.”

“I don’t get grouchy.”

“Sure you don’t,” Lennox and Sawyer say at the same time.

Sawyer smirks. “Remember when he broke his leg?” he asks Lennox.

“God, he was such a terrible patient. I really thought Mom was going to tie him to the bed at one point.”

Rhett rolls his eyes. “That was your fault, Sawyer. You don’t get to be upset about the consequences.”

Sawyer gives me a look that clearly says ‘see what I mean?’ and I grin, enjoying the tone their brotherly banter has taken on these days.

A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door, and Lennox goes to answer it. He comes back with Isabelle and Andrew in tow.

“What are you two doing here?” I ask, trying not to sound immediately annoyed. It’s like they knew we were enjoying our morning and had to come ruin it.

“I heard Rhett got hit by a car,” Andrew says. “I wanted to come make sure he was okay.”

“We were very concerned,” Isabelle adds.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes and paste on a smile instead. “That’s really nice of you.”

“Of course it is,” Isabelle replies, tossing her hair. “We’re about to be family, after all. And family checks in on each other.I had a nail appointment this morning, but I canceled it when I heard what happened. I just had to come right over.”

“Right. Well, sorry you can’t get your nails done.”

“Oh, I rescheduled for later.”

“Of course.” I keep the smile in place, wondering if secretly Isabelle is fuming that Rhett getting hit by a car has taken even more of the spotlight off her. She’ll do a lot to stay the most important person in the room, but I don’t think she’s going to walk into traffic right before her wedding so she has a better injury story.

That would be dramatic, even for her.

“What happened?” Andrew asks.

Sawyer tells the story of what happened, playing it up a bit for dramatic effect. “Rhett shoved Violet out of the way, and then shielded Lennox and me with his body like some kind of big stupid hero.” He grins, softening the words. “It was crazy, but actually really brave.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Rhett insists. “I saw the car coming, and I wasn’t just going to stand there and let you get hit.”

Andrew’s eyebrows climb into his hairline, and Isabelle smiles, but it looks a bit like she swallowed a lemon.

“That’s so sweet of you, Rhett,” she says. “Protecting your family like that.”

“And Violet,” he adds.

“Right. And Violet.”