Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(51)

Mildred studied him for a moment. “Your job, huh? Okay then.”

Beau glanced over at her as he pulled in to the hospital parking lot and knew he hadn’t fooled her for a minute. But at least she’d stopped pressing the issue. For the moment.

Sabine was sitting cross-legged on the end of her hospital bed watching television when they walked into her room. Beau took one look at her and felt his heart leap. Never before had he wanted to gather someone in his arms and hide them away from the world to protect them. He’d known he was lying to Mildred when he’d told her that Sabine was another victim he was trying to protect, but he hadn’t realized quite how much he was lying.

He swore the room got brighter when she smiled at them. He blinked once, certain he was seeing things, but reality was perched on the end of the bed, so obviously happy to see them. Beau managed a weak hello as Mildred dropped her breakfast box on the table and gathered Sabine for a hug. Beau placed the boxes on the tray next to the bed and tried to get a grip.

It simply wasn’t fair, he decided. No one should look that good, ever. Much less after being poisoned, almost dying, and spending the night in a hospital, which contrary to what it should be was never restful. No makeup, a drab green hospital gown, her hair tied in some strange-looking knot on top of her head, and she was still gorgeous. Why couldn’t Raissa have been friends with a sixty-year-old retired librarian or something?

Mildred finally released Sabine and pointed to an empty hospital food tray on a small table next to a recliner. “Don’t tell me you ate that garbage?”

Sabine looked momentarily guilty. “Not a chance. I dumped it down the toilet. Didn’t want the nurse to make a fuss. Besides, I knew you wouldn’t let me starve.”

“Darn straight,” Mildred said and pulled a couple of sodas out of her handbag. “Pancakes and sausage for everyone. You two go ahead and start. I’m going to check with the nurse and see what time they’ll be releasing you.” She handed Beau a box and gave him a wink.

“Oh, and Sabine,” Mildred said as she paused at the door. “I must have dislodged your gown when I hugged you. Your heinie is showing.” She grinned and left the room.

It was an involuntary reaction, and God knows he should have figured out some way to stop it, but Beau couldn’t help looking at Sabine’s butt. Her face blushed ten shades of red as she grabbed the hospital gown and tugged it together in the back, but not before he saw the silky smooth curve of her bottom peeking out.

Sabine groaned. “She’ll use this forever as a reason I should wear underwear.”

Beau grinned. “Hard to argue with her at the moment. Not that I’m agreeing, mind you.”

Sabine looked over at Beau and shook her head. “You know, normally I would have gone into hiding over something like this. The fact that flashing a man with my bare butt is the least of my problems is a real testament to just how screwed up my life is at the moment.”

“A butt like that should never be hidden away. Statues should be erected in its honor.”

Sabine’s lips quivered with amusement. “Maybe I won’t die of embarrassment today, then. So are you hungry?”

“Starved.” He just wasn’t saying for what.

She patted the bed. “You can sit on the bed with me if you’d like,” Sabine suggested as she uncrossed her legs and turned to the side. “The table is long enough for both of us to use it.”

Beau swallowed when Sabine said the word “bed” but took a seat next to her and pulled the table in front of them. “How are you feeling?”

“How do I look? I mean the rest of me, not just my butt.”

He choked on his soda and set the can on the table. “Great. You look great.”

“For an almost dead woman, you mean?”

To hell with it. Beau looked directly at Sabine. “You’re beautiful. A little paler, perhaps, a little tired around the eyes, but otherwise just as beautiful as you were yesterday and the day before.”

Sabine’s eyes widened and for a couple of seconds said absolutely nothing. The room was so quiet that Beau could hear the ticking of his watch. Shit, shit, shit, shit…it seemed to echo in his mind.

Finally, she gave him a shy smile. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you.”

Beau shook his head. “I wasn’t saying it to make you feel better. Damn it, Sabine, you’re a beautiful, desirable woman, and any man who doesn’t see that is stupid or blind. I’m neither.”

“No,” she agreed. “You’re definitely not the stupid one in this equation.” She sighed. “Before Mildred gets back and more importantly, before I say something I’ll regret, I need to tell you about something I did last night.”

Beau felt a momentary wave of disappointment, but it was quickly gone. As much as he would love to hear Sabine say something she’d regret, the fact that she’d apparently done something the night before that she didn’t want the hotel owner to know about had him intrigued. “Okay. Shoot.”

Sabine took a breath. “I snuck into the medical records room last night, hoping to get some background information on my family.”

Of all the things she could have said, this wasn’t even on the list. “You broke into the medical records room?”

“No, it was unlocked,” Sabine said, but the look on her face immediately told him that she wasn’t being completely honest.