Even more whacked, now knowing Landry the way she did, she totally understood exactly what
Cris meant.
They returned to the waiting room and…waited. She read her Kindle and put on some soothing
Celtic instrumental music to help calm her nerves. Cris apparently didn’t bring anything with him to do. Finally, the surgeon came out to talk with her. She introduced Cris and was happy to be able to tune out past, “He did fine, everything looks good.”
Tilly closed her eyes, took a deep, relieved breath, and let Cris take over asking the questions. A recovery nurse would come get them once they moved Landry from post-op to a private room.
She’d never found comfort in religion. Not much of a praying person, she closed her eyes and breathed a silent thank you to the powers that be for keeping Landry safe.
Now if he could beat his disease, maybe for once she could have a happy ending.
Anxiously waiting, she jumped to her feet an hour later when the nurse stepped into the waiting room and waved them over. Two other nurses were pushing the bed with Landry in it down the hallway toward an elevator. Portable monitors kept track of his vital signs, and he’d been put on an IV pain pump.
She fumbled for Cris’ hand and held on as they stepped into the elevator with everyone.
Landry’s eyes were closed and if he had awoken in post-op, she suspected the pain meds and residual effects of anesthesia had claimed him again.
After the nurses had him settled in a room, hooked up to monitors and an oxygen cannula, Tilly leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead after smoothing his hair back.
He let out a sigh she realized meant he was marginally awake.
“Hi, handsome,” she whispered. Cris pulled a chair over for her and she sat, then reached through the bedrail and found his hand. “How you feeling?”
“Like someone sliced my guts open.”
“Funny you should say that.”
He squeezed her hand as he managed a weak smile. “No laughing, love. It’ll hurt too damned much right now.”
Cris pulled another chair over to the other side and reached through the bedrail to hold his hand.
“Hi, Master.”
Landry let out another sigh and Tilly watched him squeeze Cris’ hand long and hard before relaxing his fingers. “Hello, love.”
Tilly pretended not to see the tears welling up in Cris’ eyes. “How many did I earn?”
She didn’t miss the slight smile that curved Landry’s lips. “We’ll discuss it later. I suspect my wife will lobby on your behalf for me to not punish you.”
“Well, I did tell him,” she admitted. “What? Not like you can beat me or anything,” she teased.
“What shall I do with the two of you ganging up on me?”
“Remember my rules, mister,” she told him. “Do what I say, do what the doctors say, yadda yadda. I made an executive decision to call him.”
“True.” He finally cracked an eye open and looked at her. “I’m a lucky man to have both of you taking care of me.” He turned his head toward Cris and tugged his hand. Cris leaned in and Landry kissed him. “I’m all right, Cris. You can fly back out. I suspect I’ll be in here for a few days at least.”
Cris looked at Tilly, indecision painted on his face.
“If you want to go, it’s okay,” Tilly assured him. “I’ll bring a riding crop in to keep him in line.”
Cris laughed. “Lan, you do realize she’ll be more of a hard-ass than I am in terms of your care, right?”
Landry met her gaze. “I hope so.”
Landry made Cris call the airlines and find out when the next flight was back to L.A. There were seats available on a flight that night, leaving in four hours.
Enough time he could drive back to Tampa, where he’d flown in, return the rental car, and make it through security.
Landry squeezed his hand. “Go. I’m okay.”
Tilly knew Cris didn’t want to go. She couldn’t blame him, either. When Cris looked to her for her input, she couldn’t bring herself to overrule Landry. She had promised to abide by what he did, and it wasn’t worth stressing him out just to make Cris feel better.
Cris finally nodded and booked the reservation.
With a smile, Landry held up his hand to Cris and pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you, Cristo.
After all we’ve gone through, you still risk your ass being shredded to come to my side.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say.” He smiled. “You’re irresistible.”
Landry winced as he suppressed a laugh. “Go on. Don’t miss your flight.” He looked at Tilly.
“You too, love. Go home and rest. It must be close to dinner time. I’ll be all right. I’m going to sleep all night, I suspect.” He hit the button on his pain pump.
They both kissed him good night and Cris silently walked her downstairs to her car. She didn’t fight him when he pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you, Tilly,” he quietly said. “From the bottom of my heart.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she opted for, “Do you have time for a quick dinner? There’s a sub shop right around the corner.” She paused as she laughed. “You know what I mean.”
He smiled. “That sounds nice. Thank you.”
He followed in his rental car and wouldn’t let her pay as they staked out a table in the back of the small restaurant. They were the only eat-in customers, even though the take-out business appeared brisk that evening.
He kept his voice low and his eyes on his food. “Thanks again for calling me. I don’t expect you to go to bat for me with him though. I’ll take whatever he dishes out. I disobeyed him.”
She reached across the table and brushed her fingers across the back of his right hand. He wore his ring. She suspected he’d never take it off.
She didn’t begrudge it.
“I didn’t feel right keeping you in the dark. I know you love him. He’s just being stubborn.”
Cris smiled before his gaze rose to hers. “You think he’s stubborn now, wait until he’s home.”
They bid good-bye and she didn’t mind that he pulled her in for another hug. It felt comforting.
She watched him drive away before she started her car and headed for home.
She didn’t bother turning on the lights in the living room, using the glow from the light over the stove in the kitchen to guide her. The house felt more than empty.
It felt lonely.
Even Cris’ presence would have been welcomed.
She showered, changed, and made herself a cup of hot chocolate. Rather than trying to sleep in her bed alone, she settled on the couch in front of the TV and fell asleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Landry was finally discharged a day after Cris returned from California. The plan was once he healed from the surgery, his chemo would start. Tilly even volunteered to pick Cris up from the airport.
Their belongings and cars were in transit and would arrive early the next week.
After the first couple of days of taking primary charge of Landry’s care, Cris pulled back to focus more on work and let Tilly take over.
Reluctantly, but he did. Tilly recognized the signs, how he still hovered, jumped to attention every time she asked him a care-related question as if worried something was wrong with Landry. By the time the movers arrived with their things, the three of them had settled into something resembling normalcy.