Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(78)

“Thanks.”

Her voice sounded like it cracked. “Yeah, well, thank me by getting better. You owe me a Sigalo’s lasagna,” she teased.

He smiled. “Sorry.”

“Hey, just be glad I’m not in jail with that little f*cker or you’d never see me in anything but prison orange again.”

“Not your color.”

Tilly laughed. “Damned right, it’s not. By the way, I absof*ckinglutely love your father.”

Kim laughed as Mason scowled.

“You heard me right,” Tilly said. “Great guy.”

It sounded like Mason snorted.

“Have Cole tell you that story when you’re feeling up to hearing it,” Tilly said. “It’s a hoot and a half.” In the background, it sounded like a baby cried. “Whoops, there’s my cue. You guys relax. It’s easy cruising from here on out.”

“Thanks, Tilly,” Kim said.

“Thanks,” Mason added.

Kim ended the call to find Mason staring at her.

“What story?”

Kim wasn’t sure what he meant. “Huh?”

“Tilly said story.”

“I’m not sure. I—” She didn’t want to admit to Mason, not now, anyways, how out of it she’d been at first. “Cole and Tilly and your dad came back here the next morning. We didn’t know how to contact him Saturday night. We found your address book Sunday morning at your place and called him. This is actually the second bed you’ve been in. They had you in a more critical section earlier.”

The nurse walked in at that moment and held up a syringe. “Time for pain meds. How you feeling?”

“Hurting.”

“That’s what I figured. And I want to give you this now, because they’re talking about moving you as soon as they can after rounds are over. Give it time to kick in and make you more comfortable.”

“Moving him?” Kim asked.

“Yep. His stats all looked good overnight, so they’re going to move him up to a room. We’re actually full here right now. Not a single bed open. They want to get some of the less critical patients moved over here from the surgical ICU side.”

“Oh. That’s good, though, right?”

“Very good. We’ll wait for them to call that there’s a room ready, and by late this morning at the latest, you’ll have a little privacy.”

She started pushing the IV medicine. As Mason’s eyelids started to droop moments later, Kim leaned in and kissed him.

“Love you,” she whispered to him.

“Love you, too.”





Mason’s dad arrived a little later, and he was there when the doctors made rounds. As the nurse had said, they signed orders to transfer him up to a regular room. They wanted to wait at least another day to pull the feeding tube, and then he could slowly start trying clear fluids for a couple of days. And as long as someone was with him and able to intervene, he could have his hands free for now.

Before lunch, they made the transfer, and Leah, who’d been on Tilly’s schedule to come in that day, made sure to pass the word and give everyone the updated room info.

Kim let Mason’s dad have the more comfortable recliner next to Mason’s bed. She’d dropped the side-rail down by Mason’s feet and laid her head against his leg, one hand still holding his. Mason was asleep.

While Leah was out grabbing them lunch, Corbin spoke.

“I’m glad he’s got the two of you in his life,” he said. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I can see it. He’s a lucky guy. Thank you for standing by him.”

“Thank you for not making us leave him.”

He shifted in the chair. “I think Louise wasn’t sure, at first. But she told me before she left to go home that she likes you two.” He smiled. “Damned crotchety old cunt, anyway.”

Kim snorted. “You two don’t hate each other, do you?”

“Nah. Too many years passed for that.” He sighed. “Obviously, it’s not her fault. She’s been with Hank for, geez, twenty years now. Something like that. I’m just not…cuddly.” He focused on her. “You haven’t even told your parents about all of this, have you?”

“Not about the…accident. No.” She couldn’t bring herself to call it an attack around Mason. Even though yes, that’s exactly what it was. “They’ve met Mase.”

“What do they think about this?” He circled a finger in the air, his implication clear.

The three of them.

“Mason didn’t really tell them the full truth. He wouldn’t let me introduce him as our partner. We introduced him as a really close friend. I’m still trying to rebuild my relationship with my parents. He worried telling them we’re poly would be a…liability right now.”

“Your ex must have been a piece of work.”

“Took me too many years to see that,” she admitted. “Too many years to break away.”

“I decided if I wasn’t any good as a husband, at least I could try to be a halfway decent father. Why would I cut my son out of my life because he’s gay? That’s just stupid. I wish that I’d met you and Cole under better circumstances, but I’m glad he’s got you two.”