Accidentally on Purpose

She jumped to her feet. Everyone else stood up as well and they all began to speak at once.

The doctor blinked.

Spence and Elle stepped forward, and the doctor look relieved.

“He’s out of surgery and in recovery,” he told them. “We’ll be moving him to a private room shortly and then you’ll be able to visit him a few at a time. Shattered collarbone and some soft tissue damage. He lost a lot of blood and required a transfusion, but he’s going to be okay.”

Several hours later Elle was in Archer’s darkened room with Joe. Spence had gone to get them some caffeine. They’d sent everyone else home until morning.

Through the light filtering in from the hallway, Elle could see Archer on the bed, heavily bandaged and heavily sedated. He was breathing oxygen through a tube and a saline IV drip ran into his left hand. The nurse had told her he was very busy sleeping and healing, and that the longer he stayed out the better because he wasn’t going to be feeling great when he woke up.

She sat at his side and pushed the hair from his forehead. “That was enough excitement for the rest of my life,” she murmured. “But the important thing is that you’re going to be okay.”

“Don’t feel okay. Feel like shit.” His eyes were still shut and if she hadn’t been staring right at him, she’d probably not have heard him at all. Both she and Joe leapt to their feet.

“You’re awake?” Her eyes immediately filled with tears and her throat clogged up. She’d never felt so emotional in her life as she bent over his bed and pressed her lips to his scruffy jaw.

Archer tried to raise an arm toward her but given his grimace and agonized grunt, he was caught off guard by the pain. “What. The. Fuck.”

“Stay still.” She put her hands on him. “You’ve got to stay still. You’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”

Archer blinked a couple of times, probably trying to shake the cobwebs. “You almost got yourself shot.”

“Not even close because you put yourself in front of me and took the bullet yourself.”

“Because I’m not the one of us maybe carrying our baby.”

Joe stood up. “Maybe I should go . . . anywhere but here.” He gestured to the door and then practically ran through it.

Elle sank back to the chair, worn out. Clearly Archer was a little more lucid than she’d imagined possible. And since she’d gotten the proof of not being pregnant an hour ago, she could at least take that off his mind. “I’m not,” she said just as a nurse bustled into the room, beaming wide, Spence right behind her.

“Good evening!” the nurse said, all chipper. “Or shouldn’t I say good almost-morning?” She moved to the IV pump that was attached to the pole and began hitting buttons. “Nice to see you’re awake, Mr. Hunt. You’ve had a whole waiting room filled with people wondering about you all night. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” he said, eyes still on Elle. “I want to sign myself out now.”

The nurse smiled and patted his arm. “Soon,” she said and then flashed both Spence and Elle a look that said she’d majored in handling tough patients. She placed a small clicker into Archer’s good hand. A cord ran from the clicker to the pump on the IV pole. “Press this if you feel the need for more pain medication,” she said. “Don’t worry, no matter how many times you hit it, you won’t overdose.”

“Good to know,” Archer replied, stabbing the button with his thumb repeatedly, his gaze still locked on Elle.

“I’m not pregnant,” she told him.

Spence blinked. “What?”

Archer just stared at Elle, his face all but impossible to read. “You sure?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Sure sure?”

“Yes.”

He stared at her some more, and she’d have sworn disappointment flashed in his eyes. Good God. Maybe she needed some meds. Then he began to struggle to sit up, muttering something about options and how he’d been stupid enough not to narrow them down for her.

“What are you doing?” she cried. “Stop.” She rushed to him and held him down. “You need to stay still. What do you need?”

“For you to not sleep with Caleb or Mike. Or anyone with a penis.”

“Well that definitely narrows it down,” Spence said.

Elle eyed Archer’s finger on the pain med button. “That must be some seriously good stuff.”

“It’s not the damn meds,” he said.

“Let me make sure I have this right, okay? Only people with penises are out? So people who don’t have penises are okay? Is that what you’re saying?”

Archer blinked once, slow as an owl. “Maybe we make a onetime exception,” he said. “If I can watch . . .” He was slurring his words. Closing his eyes, he put a hand to his head. “Fucking pain meds.”

She turned to Spence.

“Yeah, it’s the drugs,” he said, looking amused. “He’s a cheap-ass lightweight on drugs. He hates them, usually refuses all pain meds. I don’t think they gave him a choice this time though, considering he was unconscious and all. He’s gonna be seriously pissed when he sobers up.”

“I mean it,” Archer said, lifting his good arm to try to point at Elle, missing by a good yard. “Not gonna share you, not with anyone, not even Spence.”

“Understood,” Spence said, lifting his hands. “She’s all yours, man.”

“Excuse me,” Elle said. “I’m not anyone’s! I’m my own person! And are you listening to me? I’m not pregnant!”

Spence, looking pained, and also like he wished he’d been shot, sank to a chair.

“Still mine,” Archer said from the bed, eyes still closed.

Elle choked out a laugh. It was that or scream. “First of all, you’re the only man I’ve ever known who could make me want to hurt him in his own hospital bed. And second of all, if I’m yours, then you’re mine, pal. And I don’t share either so you’d better tell that to all those women always tripping over their own feet whenever you so much as smile at them.”

Archer opened his eyes and stared at her very intently, as if he couldn’t quite focus. “We could just bite the bullet and make it official so there’s no question.”