Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 67

New York, New York

August 2043

He smelled her perfume lingering like a hidden bloom in the starkness of the hospital room. Her footsteps sounded in the hall outside his room. A rustle of flowers, the jangle of her jewelry. He turned his face toward the door so he wouldn't miss a second of her.

Carmencita smiled when she saw him. "Your color is much better today." She set a vase of lilies onto the bedside table and fluffed his pillow before bending over to kiss his stubbly cheek. "Did you eat? I harvested some really great tomatoes this morning. Tomato sandwich?" She lowered her voice. "I can sneak one in."

He tugged on one of her curls and smiled. "That'd be good."

She looked around the room. "I guess I'm not the only one who loves you. Check out all these flowers!" She picked up a potted fern and read the card. "Aiden and the rest of the guys at the precinct. Aww. Sweet, but this poor fern doesn't stand a chance." She raised her eyebrows at him and flashed a teasing grin. "You're just going to kill it."

He smiled. "We're not all gifted with green thumbs like you are."

She went to the next arrangement, a small vase of gerbera daisies. "Feel better soon, Hugs from Izzy." The next vase held a gigantic bouquet of roses in different colors. "Roses! Who sent you roses?" She inspected the arrangement. "There's no card. What a shame. They're beautiful."

Beau looked at the flowers. Roses. He thought of Tom Guillard, his biological grandfather, the rose gardener who never even knew he existed.

Carmencita plopped into the chair beside his bed. He could tell by the way she arched one eyebrow at him she had something on her mind.

"What?" he croaked. He reached for the glass of water on the table.

She handed it to him. "So, who's the pretty blonde?" She crossed one leg over the other as she leaned back in the chair.

"What?" He choked on the water.

"If we're going to get back together, you need to be honest with me."

"I never lied to you."

"Oh, but you omitted the truth. Don't give me that innocent look, Beau Johan. If we're going to be together, I want to know all your secrets."

"My life is boring. I don't have any secrets. What do you want to know?"

Her eyes widened, some of the old mischievous fire in them. "Who's the blonde?"

"What blonde?"

"There's so many you can't keep track of them?"

"I don't know who you're talking about, Carmen."

She sighed and pursed her lips at him. "I came by earlier and there was a pretty blonde lady sitting right here, holding your hand while you were sleeping."

He made a surprised face. "Hmm."

"Hmm, my ass. I didn't want to interrupt, so I took a lap around the building. When I came back, she was gone."

"Maybe she was a volunteer or a nurse."

"She wasn't dressed like a volunteer or nurse." Carmencita studied his face, but then softened and smiled. "Listen to me. Getting all riled up when you're laying here all stitched up." She laid her head against his arm. "You're getting better. That's all that matters."

Beau sank his fingers into her dark curls and smiled.