“Hey, guys.” JC stepped into the waiting room, Lonnie trailing behind him, and dropped his bag beside the couch his parents were sharing with Mac. “Any news? How is she?”

“Hi, son.” Karen stood with a tired smile, coming to him for a tight hug. “Lisa is in with her now, but I think they’re still waiting on her test results from yesterday.”

“Really?” His brow furrowed as he leaned back to look at her. “Should it be taking this long?”

“It’d probably go quicker if they knew what they were looking for. She’s a mystery right now.” She sighed, glancing at the big man standing just inside the door. “Thank you for bringing him, Lonnie.”

“Wherever he needs to go, Marianne gets him there. I’m just along for the ride.” The guard nodded, setting down his own duffel. “The other two went to pick up some breakfast for everybody.”

Just as JC was about to take a seat, Lisa came back in the room, worry lines creasing her brow. Her gaze landed on him and relief flooded through her. “You made it. I was hoping …” The sentence trailed off as she grasped his hand and pulled him behind her. “Come with me.”

“I got here as soon as I could.” He followed down the hallway, matching her quick pace as they approached a nurse’s desk. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s looking up. This is Alice, the ICU day nurse.” Lisa sent him a smile before turning to the nurse on duty. “Alice, this is Josh. He just made it in from Canada. Is there any way he could see her?”

“The first visiting period is over, Mrs. MacArthur.” Alice’s expression became apologetic. “I’m sorry, but …”

“Please. Just for a few minutes.” Lisa leaned across the desk, placing her hand over the nurse’s. “I know my daughter. If anything can bring her around, it’s him.” She shook her head at herself. “As crazy as it sounds, you’ll just have to see it to believe it. Trust me.”

“Well, the music got her to relax …” The nurse seemed to think it over, then heaved a sigh. “Nothing about this girl has been normal, so I don’t see how a few minutes could hurt.” Checking the notes on her desk, she stood. “All the labs came back, so Dr. De Soto will be reviewing her results this morning and should be down within the hour for an update. They’re planning to move her out of ICU by lunch, so they must’ve found something.” Her gaze moved over to JC. “We’ll get you in and out really quick, so you can be there for the briefing.” Stepping around the desk, she gestured for him to follow. “This way.”

“I’ll meet you back in the waiting room.” Lisa squeezed his arm quickly. “She’ll be happy you’re here.”

“Okay. See you in a few.” Catching up with Alice, he fell into stride beside her. “Once they move her out of ICU, will we be able to stay in the room with her?”

“Absolutely. We were able to take her off the ventilator this morning, and she seems to be settling down. Her blood pressure and pulse rate were in the danger zone when she arrived, and the respiratory arrest required us to keep her under critical observation overnight.” Turning left, she pushed a door open and stepped into one of the rooms. “Blood pressure still seems to be an issue, and her breathing patterns are still a bit unsteady, so we’re monitoring her closely and helping her out with oxygen until she wakes up.”

“All right …” His voice died as he got his first good view of Jen, the large equipment surrounding her making her look like a child tucked into the bed. “My God.”

“Don’t let the machines scare you. They’re here for her benefit.” The nurse smiled at him, moving over to check one of the monitors in the corner of the room. A soft whirring noise was followed by the familiar opening track of the album they’d released a few months ago, playing quietly from a small boombox sitting on the counter. “Tiny thing, isn’t she? I didn’t believe she was out of high school until her mother finished filling out the paperwork.”

“Can she hear me?”

“She wouldn’t stop fighting the ventilator until we started playing the CD her mom brought in for us. Doesn’t that beat all?” Laughing quietly, Alice shook her head. “And she was having some reaction to mom’s voice earlier, so she’s definitely processing sounds.”

“Great.” He moved to the bedside, reaching out to touch Jen’s hand. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he leaned down to press his lips against the cool skin of her knuckles before moving up to kiss her forehead. “Hey, Boof. You really know how to get my attention, don’t you?” Sending a quick side glance toward Alice, he let the fingers of his free hand comb through her hair, then bent until he could whisper in her ear. “You can’t leave me right now, baby. We haven’t gotten started yet.”

The steady beep of the heart monitor skipped a tone, then sped up, the little pulsing light racing rhythmically across the screen as her fingers tightened on his. Alice watched the screen for a moment, then turned to him with an arched brow. “Boyfriend?”

“Something like that.” He looked down when Jen’s grip clamped harder around his hand, her chest rising with a deep breath. “We’re working on it.”

“You’re important to her, anyway, huh?” Checking her watch, she moved toward the door. “I should get you back. Dr. De Soto should be on his way down.”

“But I’ll be able to see her later, right?” At the nurse’s nod, he leaned down and kissed Jen’s forehead again. “Later, Jenny.” He took a step away, then glanced to where her hand was still squeezing his. “She’s seriously gripping me here.”

“Is that so?” She came back to the bed and they both looked to Jen’s face as tears escaped from beneath closed eyelids. “She’s really in there, isn’t she?” Alice straightened the covers. “Maybe tell her what we’re doing and that you’ll see her in her regular room when she gets there.”

“You hear that, Jen?” He leaned back over the bed, his fingers going into her hair once again. “Once you’re moved, you won’t be able to get rid of me. But I need to go now, so they can take care of business.” Her chest rose sharply and he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Please don’t cry, Boof. I’ll be down the hall for a little while, then I’ll camp out with you until you wake up. I promise.” The grip on him lessened until her hand fell back to lay on the covers. “That’s my girl. I’ll see you soon.” One more kiss to her cheek and he straightened up, turning to follow Alice out the door. “You might want to get me out of here before I decide to stay put. I can’t handle it when she cries.”

“I’d imagine not.” The nurse smiled at him as she closed the door behind them. “For a minute there, I thought you were about to bring her around. I’d say it won’t be much longer, once she’s in a room where you can stay with her.”

“Do they know what happened?” JC gave her a questioning look. “What would make her go down like that?”

“I’ve got my own ideas, but her doctor will be able to give you a definite answer.” Shaking her head, she pointed toward the waiting room. “It looks like he just went in, so you’d better hurry.”

He made it just in time to sit between Karen and Lisa as the doctor began to give his report, glancing over the chart in his hands as he spoke.

“All of Jen’s lab reports came in this morning. I have a few more questions before we continue.” Dr. De Soto let his gaze move around the room. “Has she been sick lately? Taking any over-the-counter medications?”

“No.” Lisa shook her head, reaching for Mac’s hand. “She’s been fine.”

“All right.” A pen scratched notes in the chart. “She’s a student at UCF. Does she ever go partying with her classmates?”

“Go partying?” A quiet laugh shook Lisa’s shoulders. “No. She’s more likely to have everybody over to her house, but it’s mostly her family group. She has a housemate, so their school friends and classmates come over for study sessions and to get together, but she doesn’t normally call it a ‘party’.”

“I see.” The doctor cleared his throat. “What about alcohol? Or drugs?”

“Never.” Lisa’s expression became alarmed as she looked to JC. “Not that I know of. Josh?”

“She’ll drink wine sometimes, but I think it’s mostly with me. And it’s that spiked fruit juice stuff you’d get at a grocery store. Nothing hard.” JC turned sharp eyes to the gentleman in the white coat. “Jen can’t even handle a full dose of kids' cold medicine. She’d never do drugs. She’s got too much riding on being clean to ever try it.”

“Hrmm.” Dr. De Soto grunted, then made a few more notes and flipped the chart closed. “When I first saw her, I had my suspicions, so we ran tests on the water the EMTs collected at the scene. There was enough GBL in what was left of that bottle to put down a man twice my size. Very dangerous for that man, more than deadly for Jen.”

“The water was drugged?” Roy choked on his words. “She’d already gone through a full bottle before she opened that one.”

“Ah. That explains the high concentration of her bloodwork.”

“What’s GBL?” Mac spoke up, putting his arm around Lisa and pulling her against him. “And how did it get in her water?”

“GBL is the liquid form that dealers use as a base for GHB. It reacts more quickly, so the body’s response is felt without the delay of processed GHB because the drug breaks down and changes over in the bloodstream. It can be used as a date rape drug, if the owner has a mind for it.” The doctor’s mouth turned down in a frown. “The lab techs found scratches on the cap of the bottle, as if someone was trying to inject it, but there weren’t any holes, so it didn’t work. They may have been able to open the cap without breaking the seal and just poured it right in. Most purified waters have been treated with fluoride, giving it a salty aftertaste that would’ve masked the flavor of the drug.”

“She said it tasted like salt or chlorine. Wanted me to remind her to buy cases of the water she likes.” Roy stared at the floor. “I never thought …”

“This wasn’t a water she would normally have in her home?” Dr. De Soto latched on to that information, his focus coming back to Lisa. “Where did it come from?”

“I-I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.” Tears began forming in Lisa’s eyes. “We will be able to ask her, won’t we? She’s not …”

“We’ll have to wait and see, Mrs. MacArthur. Most people who overdose like this don’t take very long to come back around, but we really don’t know the exact dosage she was given, since we don’t have the other bottle’s contents to test. Taking her size into account, with the fact that she has no tolerance built up to the drug – not to mention the high concentration of the substance still in her system – I’m not sure how long it’ll take for her body to recover. I have every faith that she’ll wake up, but it’s up to her to decide when she’s ready. For right now, we’ll keep her on the IV so the fluids can try to push whatever’s left through, break it down and get it out of her body. It appears that we no longer need to be concerned over a recurrence of the respiratory arrest, so I’m moving her out of ICU and into a room where you can be with her, but I’m keeping her on the oxygen and we’re still watching her for signs of another seizure. Her blood pressure still worries me, so we’ll keep it monitored until I’m satisfied with her numbers.”

“How long will it take to move her?” JC leaned forward on the couch, glancing quickly to where his mother was rubbing his father’s back comfortingly. “Can we be there when she makes it to a room?”

“It shouldn’t take long, but we still have some paperwork to process. I’ll send someone down to let you know when we’re ready.” The doctor cleared his throat again. “I’m sorry I can’t be more specific with my prognosis, but I will say this: if she’d been home alone and unable to call for help, we’d be having a very different conversation right now. She wouldn’t have survived without medical attention.” With that, he gave a quick nod toward Lisa, then turned to walk out of the room.

“She’ll be okay. Jen’s always been a fighter and she’ll come back around soon.” JC reached over to give Lisa’s hand a squeeze, returning the small smile she sent his way. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet and moved to Roy, crouching down until he could see his face. “You saved her life, Dad. Forget about everything else and focus on that, okay?” Checking his pocket for his phone, he straightened up and tilted his head toward the hallway. “I’ll be right back. I promised I’d call the guys when I had an update.”

He almost didn’t notice when Lonnie followed him down the hallway and onto the rear patio of the hospital, where a few other visitors were making phone calls. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching as cars moved around the parking lot before the big man’s eyes settled on JC’s face. When he saw the tortured expression marring the young man’s features, he couldn’t help thumping a hand over his shoulder. “You okay, kid?”

“No. No, I’m not okay.” Growling in the back of his throat, JC brought both hands up to cover his face. “Somebody she trusts enough to let in her house drugged her … at the very least, so they could rape her. If they didn’t want to rape her, then they just wanted her dead. Some psychotic ass tried to kill her in her own kitchen.” His hands dropped back to his sides as he swallowed hard. “And I wasn’t here. She could’ve died while I was off smiling for the cameras in Canada. If Dad hadn’t been with her, I’d have been flying home for her funeral, Lonnie.”

“But your folks were here, and they knew well enough to take care of business.” Lonnie let his grip tighten on him. “Jace, I know you love the girl – hell, I love Tink, too, and I’d tear apart anybody who tried to hurt her – but you’ve got enough on your plate right now without trying to borrow off of hers, too.” He sighed at the icy glare that came his way. “Think about it. Could you really have stopped it if you were here? If somebody was seriously set on getting that drug to her, it’d happen whether you were around or not, C. I know without a doubt that you’re her hero, but there’s a limit to what even you can do.” A dark brow rose. “And if you were to repeat what you just said to her …”

“She’d get upset at me for feeling guilty and tell me exactly what you’re telling me now.” Shaking his head with a quiet laugh, a small smile settled on his features. “You two are so much alike, it’s scary.”

“I could say the same thing.” Lonnie’s hand tapped the back of JC’s head lightly as he released him. “And don’t you even think about telling her that I’d kill for her, either. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to tell her no if she ever asked.”

“Yeah, join the club.” JC flipped his phone open and started pressing buttons. “I’m just gonna call Joe real quick. You can head back in if you want.”

“Nah, I’m good. I’ve never been a big fan of hospitals, and it looks like we’re gonna be spending the next few days hanging out here.”

“If I know Jen, she won’t let folks sit around much after she wakes up. She hates feeling like people are fussing over her.” Bringing the phone to his ear, he sent a grin to the big man beside him. “Guess you’re both in the same boat. She doesn’t like hospitals, either, and now she’s stuck in one.”

***************************

The first time she woke up, Jen didn’t really process much. She understood that it was dark, but there was light coming from somewhere in the room. Her throat hurt and she was cold. There was a beeping noise piercing the darkness and for whatever reason, it made her begin to panic.

As her pulse quickened, so did the beeping, and she realized that the sound was her. Or her heartbeat, actually. Her brow furrowed slightly as her eyes closed again, and she wondered why someone would want to hear her heartbeat. Before she could put much thought into it, she was gone again, falling back into sleep.

There was no telling how much time had passed when she came around next. She blinked, squinting against the bright light spilling into the room before letting her eyes close, focusing her other senses on her surroundings until she’d adjusted to the light. It was still cold, and her throat felt thick, painful. There was an ache in her head, throbbing in time with the beeping that continued to monitor her pulse.

She breathed deeply, feeling the plastic tubing on her face that sent cool air into her lungs. Swallowing with effort, she began to notice that her entire body wasn’t cold. There was something warm and heavy on her right shoulder and her right hand was covered where it lay on her stomach – a hand was holding hers. Something soft and fluffy lay on her left side, her fingers curled around fuzzy material, her index finger covered in something plastic.

Her curiosity got the best of her, her eyes opening once again to look around the room. Lonnie and Mac were sitting on a couch to the left of the bed, both turned sideways as they slept against the cushions. The soft fluffiness was a large white teddy bear, hugged to her side by the hand that was tethered by an IV and a plastic connector for the heart monitor. The TV mounted to the wall was on, it’s volume soft as pictures flashed across the screen. There was another bed in the room, partially blocked by a curtain, but she could see her mother’s legs on the mattress.

Turning her head further to the right, she saw that JC was in a chair next to her bed, slumped over until his cheek rested against her shoulder. His hand was covering hers, providing the only warmth she felt in the cool room. With a slight smile, she released the bear and reached across with her left hand, letting her fingers comb through his hair. His brow furrowed as he breathed deeply in sleep.

Twisting in his direction, she let her fingers move through his hair again, the plastic covering her finger bumping clumsily against him as her hand moved down to his face. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his forehead, her smile widening when she saw him beginning to come awake. His eyes met hers and she tried to get her voice to work, weariness making her lay her head back down as she pushed out a hoarse whisper. “Hey, Josh.”

“Hey.” He blinked sleepily, sitting up to stretch out his back before he suddenly became alert, blue eyes widening as they focused on her. “Hey. Hey, Boof.” A mixture of elation and relief passed over his face as he released her hand, standing up to lean across the bed and press a button on the bedframe, setting a little light to flashing on the wall. “How are you feeling?”

“Cold. Tired.” She fought against the grogginess, cringing at the pain in her throat from her raspy response. “Thirsty. My throat hurts.”

“Okay. That’s good. God, that’s good.” He bent down and kissed her forehead quickly, then turned around to push the curtain back until he could reach Lisa’s shoulder. “Lisa? Hey, Lisa.”

“Hmm?” A slight hum carried through the fabric, Lisa’s feet moving as she rolled over. “What is it?”

“She’s awake. Jen’s awake.”

“She is?” Lisa slid off the mattress, her feet barely hitting the floor before she was moving to the side of Jen’s bed, pushing JC out of the way to lean down and hug her daughter. “Oh, honey. I was so scared …” She couldn’t finish, her shoulders beginning to shake with quiet sobs.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay. At least, I think I’m okay.” Jen’s hand patted limply against her mother’s back. Movement on the couch grabbed her attention and she looked over to see Mac and Lonnie stretching their arms, both men barely focusing on her as she gave them a weak smile. “Hey, guys.” Sniffling against the tubing in her nose, she glanced back to JC. “How did you get here? What happened?”

A clicking noise came from a speaker in the wall before he could answer, a low female voice carrying into the room. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Dr. De Soto wanted us to let somebody know if Jenny had any changes.” JC reached around Lisa to squeeze Jen’s hand. “She’s awake and asking for something to drink.”

“Wonderful. Angie will be right with you.”

“Thank you.” He smiled, moving back so Lisa could take the chair he’d vacated. “Your nurse will be here soon to check you out. You can ask her anything you want, okay?”

But Jen never got the chance to ask her questions. One nurse was followed by another, a blur of happy and relieved faces passed quickly before her as she was instructed to drink a bottle of water, then she was given an injection of some kind. By the time she’d actually worked out what she wanted to know, she was so groggy, she couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer. She felt someone pull the sheet up higher on her shoulders, then her fingers tangled tightly through JC’s as she drifted back to sleep.

***************************

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you later.” JC slammed the car door closed, then waved through the window as she drove away, leaving him in front of the hospital. It’d taken some quick talking, but he’d heaved a sigh of relief when Lonnie had relented to letting him return on his own, not able to resist the temptation of the king-sized bed JC had offered up as a bribe. For the next few hours, he could have Jen all to himself.

She’d been in and out all day yesterday, coming awake for small periods of time before falling back to sleep. Early this morning, she’d woken up fully alert, eyes bright – even if a little unfocused and wild – as she’d looked around the room. Her day nurse, Angie, had come in with a smile, politely ordering everyone out of the room so she could perform an exam for Dr. De Soto. Jen’s brow had arched at the command, willingly allowing the exam, but firmly stating that Lisa and JC would be staying with her. Angie had sized her up quickly, then agreed, realizing it’d be easier to simply go along with it and move on.

Everyone had returned to the room shortly after eight, only for Jen to insist they all go get some rest and food. At Lisa’s request, Maggie had dropped off a duffel bag of clothes and toiletries during one of her visits and Jen had looked toward it excitedly, saying that she wanted some time to get cleaned up and comfortable: “You guys look miserable. Go get some rest and hit up Missy’s for lunch. I don’t want to see anybody back here until at least supper time.”

JC laughed quietly as he adjusted his grip on his thermos and shifted the backpack on his shoulder, then walked through the sliding doors and toward the elevators, his spirits higher than they’d been since he’d checked his voicemail in Canada. On the third floor, he sent a smile and a nod toward the nurses at the desk, ignoring the flirtatious waves from the three younger staff members on his way down the hall to Jen’s room. Just in case she was awake, he knocked softly before pushing the door ajar, making his presence known so that he wouldn’t walk in on something he shouldn’t. “Hey, Boof. You decent?”

When she didn’t respond, he moved all the way in, breathing deeply when he caught the scent of her soap over the sterile hospital odor that had surrounded him for the past two days. The room smelled of her, almost as if a floral perfume had been spilled somewhere close by. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the aroma take him back to a night out in Berlin, after she’d spent a day relaxing in a steam bath. Then he focused on the bed, grinning as he found her.

Jen had adjusted the mattress into an almost upright position, allowing her to sit up and look around more easily. Despite the awkward angle, she’d rolled onto her side and curled herself around her teddy bear, snuggling it to her chest as her cheek pressed against the top of its head. She looked tiny on the large bed, yet the tremors shuddering through her body sent the metal brackets on the frame to rattling with her movement. His brow furrowed when he heard the chattering of her teeth over the low hum from the television.

He walked over and set his thermos on the bedside table, noticing how the sunlight from the window spilled over the bed. The room wasn’t cold, didn’t even feel slightly chilly, but Jen was shivering as if she were freezing to death. His gaze swept over her, taking in the tie-dyed lounge pants he’d bought her years ago, coming down to almost cover her toes, clad in fuzzy black socks. She’d put on a shirt he’d brought her from the merch for their tour in the U.K., but was laying on top of the bed sheet, the only cover available to her until now.

Unzipping his bag, he pulled out the oversized, plush blanket he’d picked up for her that morning, shook it out and moved closer to the bed. Before he could drape it over her, his attention was drawn to the frayed cuffs pooling around her feet and the worn spots along the seams of her beloved pants. “I need to get you some new ones, don’t I?” He flung the blanket over the bed as she shivered again, then proceeded to tuck it around her, smiling at how warm it was from being in the car during lunch. By the time he’d made it to her shoulders, she was coming awake, blinking at him blearily, her eyes still struggling to focus through the haze as she tried to make her voice work.

“Josh?”

“Hi.” He tugged slightly on the blanket, letting it bunch up around her neck. “Have you been this cold all day?”

“Uh huh.” She sniffled, then coughed softly before taking a deep breath and rolling onto her back. “Angie says my body temperature is low because I’m still coming down from the high. My blood pressure will improve as I warm up. Or maybe that’s backwards.” There was a hissing sound, and the cuff around her left arm began to tighten, updating the reading on one of the monitors beside the bed. “The IV was making my arm swell, so they took it out, and I don’t have to listen to the heart monitor anymore. The nurses are keeping an eye on it at their station.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“A little bit.” Clearing her throat, she gave him an odd look. “I still can’t focus. What time is it?”

“Just after one. Mom dumped me out on her way to the house.”

“You came back early.” She coughed again, pulling the blanket more tightly around her. “I was hoping you would.”

“I’ve got to head back to the tour tomorrow, and I wasn’t about to give up time with my girl.” He smiled, bending down to kiss her forehead. “The others will be back later with supper. I talked to Chris while we were out and gave him your room number. He said they’d try to call tonight.” His hands came to her face, his eyes narrowing at the coolness under his fingertips. “Hell, Boof. You feel like ice.”

“Well, you feel amazing.” Her head turned, pressing her cheek into his palm with a sigh. “Thanks for the blanket. It’s perfect. And the bear is too cute.” She began to struggle with words, her expression becoming pleading. “But … could you … please?”

“Sure.” Glancing down, he noticed the monitor cables dangling from her arm, then quickly worked his way to the other side of the bed. “Scoot over a little. It’ll be easier if I’m under the cover with you.” He slipped off his shoes, lifted the blanket and settled on the mattress, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled against him. “Better?”

“Getting there.” She pressed her face into his chest as another tremor went through her. “I’m sorry I missed your concert last night. We were gonna have a watch party and everything.”

“They’re replaying it tonight. You can have a watch party with me.”

“Really?” Tilting her chin, she moved until she could see him. “Don’t let me sleep through it, okay? I don’t want to miss it again.”

“We’ll see. You need your rest, Boof.” He felt her stomach rumble against him. “And food. Are you ready for lunch?”

“Ugh. I don’t think another bowl of Jell-O and one of those fruit pop things will get me all toasty.”

“You’ve been reprieved.” A quiet laugh shook his chest as his fingers combed through her hair. “I brought you some of Missy’s bean and bacon soup. It’s mostly broth, but it’ll still do you good.”

“Seriously?” Her left arm came up around his neck and he flinched when her cold nose pressed into the base of his throat. “God, I love you.”

He froze, wondering for a second if he’d heard her right. His shirt had muffled her hoarse voice, but from the way the little pulsing light had sped up on her heart monitor, he was pretty sure his hearing was working just fine. And judging by how tense she’d suddenly become against him, she’d surprised herself, too. Clearing his throat, he rubbed a hand over her back. “What was that?”

“Sorry.” A faint red was beginning to stain her cheeks as she looked at him. “My filter’s not working at all right now.” Shaking her head, she let a smile tilt her lips. “But you know you’re my favorite, right?”

“Yeah.” His forehead rested against hers and he returned her smile, fighting back the surge of disappointment in his chest as his gaze moved slowly over her features. “You have no idea how good it is to have you awake and talking. When I got that voicemail Thursday night …” His lips brushed hers briefly. “Don’t do that to me again, okay?”

“It wasn’t on purpose, Josh.” A tremor passed through her. “Why would anybody want to go through this?”

“Beats me. For the thrill, I guess.”

“Some thrill.” Her brows arched as she sent a glance toward the door. “Lonnie isn’t with you?”

“Nope. Once he saw that new bed you brought in for me, he decided it’d be okay for me to hang out on my own this afternoon. Poor guy hasn’t slept well since we left Canada.” He bit back a laugh when he saw her expression. “Why?”

“Just making sure nobody’s gonna come busting in on us.” She grinned, her fingers sliding into his hair as she pulled him to her, kissing him slowly. After a moment, she backed off slightly, laughing quietly. “Now that’s warm.”

“Whatever works, Boof.” Leaning in, his mouth caught hers again, his arms tightening around her until he couldn’t get her any closer. He kept her pressed against him, continuing to kiss her, until he felt her breathing becoming uneven. When he pulled away, there was a healthier color to her face and her eyes were a little wilder than before. “You’re really cute when you’re buzzed.” A laugh escaped as he fisted his fingers in the fabric of her shirt. “I hate to break this up, but you know a nurse is probably gonna be doing rounds soon. Are you ready for your soup?”

“Sure. If I can’t have you, I might as well eat good, right?” A grimace crossed her face as she realized what she’d said, her head shaking in exasperation. “Damn it.”

“Right.” A bright grin lit his features and he kissed her cheek. “You should lose your filter more often. It’s fun.” He laughed again, sliding off the bed and coming around to adjust the bedside table before wheeling it in front of her. Taking the cap off the thermos, he twisted it open and poured some of the steaming soup into the lid. “Here you go. Be careful. It might be a little too hot.”

She worked through it quickly, and JC was pouring her a second helping when there was a sharp knock at the door. Not waiting for a response, Angie came breezing in, chart in hand. “How are we doing down here? Everything okay?”

“I guess so, all things considered.” Jen sent her a smile. “Missy’s soup makes anything better.” Her eyes narrowed when she saw the concern on the nurse’s face. “Why? What’s up?”

“Your heart monitor has been alarming, honey.”

“Really?” JC stiffened, studying Jen intently. “What would set it off?”

“When her pulse becomes really uneven or skips, it trips the alert.” Stepping toward the equipment, she pressed a few buttons so the flashing light that neither Jen nor JC had noticed went dark. “Your heart stopped a little while ago. Are you feeling all right? You’re not short of breath, are you?”

“Uh, no.” Jen darted a quick look toward JC. “Not right now, anyway.” Clapping a hand over her mouth, she turned a deep shade of red, glaring at him in aggravation as he began snickering beside the bed. “I mean …”

“Ah. Okay, I get it.” Angie choked back her own laughter, trying to keep a sternness to her features as she reached to straighten out the blanket, scooting the teddy bear closer to Jen. “Looks like someone wants you to be nice and warm, huh?” She watched as Jen bit down on her lip to keep herself from talking, nodding in silent agreement. “Well, your coloring is a lot better than it was this morning, and your blood pressure has risen a little. Those are both good things.” Cutting an amused glance toward JC, she arched an eyebrow. “But let’s try to keep things PG, okay? There are a few younger nurses at the desk in a tizzy over you and they’d love to come up in here for a show.”

“Noted. We’ll behave.” JC grinned, passing Jen the cup of soup and propping his hip on the mattress. “At least she’s not shivering anymore. When I first came in, her teeth were chattering.”

“It may get that way again, once she calms down.” The nurse shook her head, her attention coming back to her patient. “Keep warm however you can. Just no fooling around. This is a hospital, not a hotel. All right?”

“Uh huh.” Jen sipped at her soup, then licked her lips. “If I get cold again, can he sit up here with me? It seemed to help better than just the blanket.”

“Body heat is a great thing. It’s fine if you sit together.” A strict finger wagged in their direction as Angie picked up her chart and turned for the door. “But no funny business. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” They spoke in unison as she left the room, breaking into laughter as the door swung shut behind her.

“Well, that was an ego boost.” Careful not to upend Jen’s lunch, JC slid back onto the bed, his elbow nudging her playfully. “Do I really make your heart stop?”

“All the time.” She rolled her eyes with a sigh, bringing the cup back up for another taste. “I’m no better than all those screaming girls who’d die to touch you.”

“Yes, you are.” He reached for her cup after she’d drained it, filling it one more time before checking the thermos. “There’s maybe another cup left. Think you can finish it?” At her nod, he handed her the soup, then sat back against the mattress, his arm going around her to pull her against his side. “Never compare yourself to the fans, Jen. It’s not like we have that many right now, anyway.” His lips pressed against the side of her head. “Even if we were packing out stadiums, it wouldn’t matter. They can’t come close to matching you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah.” Swallowing, she cleared her throat and smiled at him. “I’m your favorite, too, huh?”

“Yep. There’s nobody better.” His arm gave her a squeeze, his head tilting until it rested against hers. “And in a few months, I’ll get to show you all the best things about being my favorite.”

“Hmm.” She hummed, reaching for the thermos herself and pouring out the last of the soup. Finishing it quickly, she let the cup clatter on the small table, then relaxed back against him with a sigh. “Can’t wait.”

***************************

Not long after she’d finished her lunch, Jen hugged her teddy bear, pulled the blanket up to her chin and leaned into him as she fell asleep. He adjusted the bed back a little, helping her get more comfortable against his chest, one arm holding her to him as he used the remote to flip through channels on the television. It took a while, but he finally settled on an Indiana Jones movie that was playing on one of the networks. The second movie of the marathon was beginning when she shifted against him, coughing as she woke from her nap, just in time for a visit from Maggie and Brian.

They’d brought Chloe and Sophie with them, and Jen perked up at the sight of the kids coming in. Chloe had been carrying flowers sent by Amber and Matt, setting them down on the table beside the bed before leaning over to hug Jen tightly. Sophie hadn’t bothered with that side of the room, running around to where there were no machines blocking her from climbing onto the bed. When she saw JC sliding off the mattress to lift her up, she’d let out a happy “Daycee!” and broken into giggles, jumping into his arms for a tight hug and a smacking kiss on his cheek.

About half an hour later, Maggie was gathering up her young charges, promising to be back the next evening with Jen’s supper. “Come on, guys. Miss Jenny’s mom should be here soon and I’ll bet she has other visitors who want to see her today.” Sending a wink Jen’s way, she steered Sophie toward the door with a hand on her head. “Think you could handle some chicken tortilla soup? Or would it be too spicy?”

“Spicy or not, it sounds awesome. Bring it on.” With a grin, Jen returned Sophie’s wave. “I’ll see you soon, Sophie. Okay?”

“’Kay. Bye bye, Miss Denny!”

“Bye.” She glanced over when she felt JC leaving the bed. Finding him reaching for his shoes, her brow furrowed. “Are you heading out, too?”

“Nope. You’re stuck with me.” Smiling, he leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of her head. “I’m just gonna walk down with them. Be right back.”

“Oh. Okay.” Licking her lips, she grimaced as she tried to swallow. “Could you stop for a bottle of water on your way back up? I’m kind of hurting.”

“As you wish, Boof.” He squeezed her hand, then made quick tracks to the door, letting it click closed behind him before calling out. “Hey, Brian? Hold up.”

“Sure.” Brian paused at the corner leading to the elevator, gesturing for Maggie to head on with the girls. “We’ll get the next one. Go ahead and be getting Sophie strapped in.” She smiled as the doors closed, not quite masking the concern in her green eyes, and he took a deep breath before turning to JC. “What’s up, Jace?”

“I heard Jenny asking you about the water yesterday and just wondered if you’d come up with anything.”

“Yeah, I figured it was something like that.” Heaving a sigh, he pressed the button for the elevator to return, then combed his fingers through his hair. “None of the drinks Adam and I sent over were in a six pack. And we made sure to only buy the stuff we knew she would use, so she could keep anything that was left over.”

“Okay. What about Mark?” A dark brow arched. “Jen was really spooked about finding him in the house like that.”

“I tried to give him a call, but couldn’t get an answer, so I decided to try my buddy Todd. You know, the guy who hired him as a studio assistant in Nashville?” As JC nodded, Brian began shaking his head. “It’s not good, man. Turns out our good friend Mark got himself arrested for dosing some girl’s drink at a club and watching the bathroom door while one of his buddies raped her and left her unconscious in one of the stalls. Of course, he says he didn’t do it, but you can’t exactly argue with video evidence. He couldn’t make bail, so he’s chilling behind bars, waiting for a trial date.” The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. “Hearing Todd talk, they’re thinking it’s not the first time he’s done it, either. They’ve got some unresolved complaints from back before he came to UCF that have the same pattern.”

“Shit.” JC’s eyes widened as the scope of potential disaster settled over him. “Would … he wouldn’t have really gone after Jen like that, would he? I mean, he was her friend, for God’s sake.”

“Yeah, he was her friend. He had a major jones going for her, too.” Brian sent him a dark look as they reached the lobby. “The guy was really hoping you’d leave her high and dry, so he’d have a chance to step in once you were gone. It didn’t go his way and he wasn’t exactly happy about it.” A quiet chuckle was swallowed up by the swish of the automatic doors leading to the parking lot. “All those flowers were really starting to creep her out, but they stopped when he left, so I guess that’s a plus.”

“Flowers? What flowers?”

“I thought she told you. Somebody started putting roses on her car whenever she was on campus. The first one showed up at the audition the girls went to right after you guys headed out, then there were probably two a week after that.” A shrug lifted Brian’s shoulders. “At first, she thought they were a mistake, so she’d just put it on a different car and go on. When they didn’t stop, Maggie was pretty sure you were sending them, but Jen knew it wasn’t you. Said you didn’t have a reason to send her flowers.”

“I’ve got plenty of reason to give her flowers.”

“Damn right, you do.” Brian’s brows arched as they came to a stop by his car. “So why haven’t you? You’ve been here three days and the only vases in that room are from her mom and Amber and Matt.”

“Think about it, man.” JC propped against the side of the car, wiggling his fingers at Sophie in the back seat. “What’s the big deal with flowers?”

“Well, they smell good. And they make a girl feel special.” Laughing under his breath, Brian tilted his head toward Maggie’s seat in the front. “As long as they aren’t roses, mine loves them.”

“Sure, they smell good and they’re pretty for a while. But they also die.” A smile began to form as JC crossed his arms over his chest. “Flowers don’t last, Brian. I want something more permanent. I brought Jen a blanket because I want her to be comfortable and warm, even after I have to leave. And I made sure it was in her favorite colors, so she’ll take it home and hopefully think of me whenever she uses it. The teddy bear is supposed to be like a hug from me, something soft for her to hold when I can’t be with her.” Clearing his throat, he bit back a grin. “Besides, she’s already said that her Mr. Right will come bearing stuffed animals. I’d buy out the entire plush section at Toys R Us to make damn sure she knows it’s me.”

“Good God. Here I thought you were slacking when really I’m the one who needs to up my game.” Brian nodded in admiration, reaching out his fist for a bump as he opened the car door. “How long are you in for?”

“I head out tomorrow around lunch, so I won’t be here when you guys stop in.” He leaned down until he could see both Brian and Maggie. “Keep an eye on her for me, okay? At least for the next little while. She’s not exactly the type to tell me when something’s wrong.”

“You got it, Jace.” Maggie sent him a smile. “Rumor has it they’re planning to cut her loose by the middle of the week, so I’m thinking Brian might take the guys for a golf day or something and we can have a day to veg in our PJs with some chick flicks and snacks. Maybe even take a girls’ trip and hit up her favorite spa for a relaxation treatment. Pretty sure both Mama L and Mrs. C would be up for that one.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Mags.” He cast a glance toward Brian. “And keep me in the loop on Mark, okay? Even if he’s not in the area, I’d like to know how that turns out.”

“Will do.” Brian reached out to close the door, a knowing grin stretching across his face. “The others will be back soon. You might want to take advantage of all the private time you can get, C.”

“I plan on it. See you around.” He waved to Chloe and Sophie one more time before stepping away from the car and heading back inside. Back on Jen’s floor, he stopped by the nurse’s station for two large bottles of water, then made his way to her room, tapping his knuckles against the door as he pushed it open. “Your oasis has arrived, Boof.”

“Awesome. Thank you.” She sat up straighter on the mattress, reaching for one of the bottles. Twisting the cap, her eyes followed him as he came around the bed and settled in next to her. “Was it Mark?”

“Jen …”

“I-I kind of trusted him. Not totally, but even as off as he seemed, I thought he was my friend.” Swallowing hard, she tried to fight back tears. “I don’t want him to have done this to me.”

“I know.” A sigh escaped as he looked at her, taking in the weary slump of her shoulders. “Baby, come here.” His arms tightened around her, pulling her into his chest. Tilting his head, he let his cheek rest against her hair. “Brian made a few calls and it really looks like he did it. He’s in some pretty big trouble in Nashville and it’s for something like what happened to you.”

“They caught him?”

“He’s in jail right now, and he can’t make bail. He’ll probably be there for a while.”

“Josh …” Her brow furrowed, worried eyes meeting his as her fingers clutched at his shirt. “He can’t get out?”

“Not right now, he can’t.” His hand came to her face, lifting her chin until he could kiss her. “And even if he does, there’s no way they’ll let him out of the city.”

“You’re sure?”

“You’re safe, Boof. He won’t hurt you again. I promise.”

Relief washed over her at his reassurance and she let out a deep breath, pressing her lips to his again before relaxing into his arms. “Okay.”