I smiled.
The woman in the mirror smiled back. It was hard to believe that was me. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, tying it with the elastic band around my wrist. There was only bar soap, but I used it to wash off my makeup.
I didn’t want to use the hand towel to dry my face, so I lifted the hem of the T-shirt I wore and dabbed my cheeks. It left a big wet spot at the belly. It didn’t matter. I didn’t plan on wearing his shirt long.
I stepped out into the hallway and halted. Zip, the Blue Angels vice president who I’d met at the hospital, was just coming up the stairs, a statuesque woman behind him.
Their hands were linked and when they both saw me, they stopped.
I was standing in the hallway in a thong and a white T-shirt that was thin enough to show my jutting nipples. At least the shirt covered my butt.
“Linden, right?” the woman asked.
I nodded.
She beamed. “Hi, I’m Joni. Colt’s sister.”
Zip wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hauled her into his side. “You should lead withZip’s Old Lady.”
She pressed a hand to his chest and smiled up at him, but then quickly looked back to me. “We’re having a housewarming party this week. I’d love it if you came.”
“Oh,” I said, a smile spreading across my face. “Thank you so much. I’d love to. Crazy doctor schedule permitting.”
The door to Boxer’s room opened, and he stepped out into the hallway—completely naked. “Shit!” he muttered, rushing back into the room and slamming the door shut.
Joni began to laugh, but when Zip looked at her, she pretended to cough instead.
“How much did you see?” Zip demanded.
“I didn’t see a thing,” Joni assured him. “Aren’t we going to your room now?”
“Doc, good to see you.” Zip sent me a chin nod and then grasped Joni’s hand and pulled her down the hallway in the opposite direction of Boxer’s room.
Joni looked over her shoulder at me and mouthedwow.
I hastily covered my mouth so I wouldn’t laugh.
Their door closed, and I headed back to Boxer.
He was in bed, the covers pulled up to his waist, his tattooed arm nestled underneath his head. His eyes found me, and he grinned. “Well, that was fun.”
“The peep show or the other thing?”
“The other thing. Get over here.”
I went to him, stripping off the damp T-shirt as I went. He pulled the covers down, and I climbed in next to him. “I guess we’re not going back to the party?”
“Party’s over,” he stated. “I mean, for the most part. Everyone’s got a family. Gray and Darcy have to get home to their kids. Allison and Torque have a newborn, so they’re out. Rachel’s knocked up and needs rest, so Reap will take her home. Mia and Colt will get out of here too. Only the Idaho boys and the newly patched in Blue Angels will stay up late, and they’ll be getting into all sorts of trouble with the girls downstairs.”
“The Idaho boys are from Coeur d’Alene, right?” I asked, my eyes drifting closed as Boxer’s fingers moved lightly down my arm.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“Freddy mentioned it. Is that where you were these last few days? Up in Coeur d’Alene?”
“Yep.”
“What were you doing there?”