Magnolia Blossoms by Rhonda Dennis Page B

okay?”
    I’m not sure if it’s the stress of the day’s events, or the fact that she speaks so quickly that my brain needs time to catch up with her words, but it takes me a moment to comprehend what she’s asking. Slowly, I stand and shuffle my way towards the exam table.
    “Good girl. Right on up there. You’re not allergic to anything are you, sweetheart? Jace, do you know if she’s allergic to anything?” she asks, arranging some supplies onto a tray. We both shake our heads in response. “Jace, honey, you might want to get some peroxide on those jeans. That blood’s gonna stain.”
    I glance his way, and he’s got me in his arms before I hit the floor. I didn’t completely go out this time, just some simple knee buckling, but another crash to the ground would have hurt for sure. Without so much as a second thought, he lifts me onto the table.
    “Whoops! I didn’t realize we had a fainter in our presence,” Dahlia says, squirting a stream of liquid from the tip of a syringe. Once she is certain the air bubble is gone, she unzips my skirt, yanks it down a couple of inches, and after a quick swipe of an alcohol pad, she sinks the needle into my hip. “This is a pain reliever. It won’t take long to kick in. I’m going to send you for an x-ray of that finger, but first, I want to see your forehead. Okay?”
    Even if I wasn’t okay with it, there would be no stopping her. She pulls back the gauze, cleans out the wound, and glues it shut. I’m not sure if she takes a breath the entire time she’s working on me because she won’t stop talking. Jace seems to follow her conversation okay, but I only catch a word or two here and there.
    Frustrated that I can’t keep up, I decide to completely zone out. I’m back in the boat with Jace. Oh, yeah. Back in my happy place. This time he’s rowing the boat. I lustfully watch as each and every sweaty muscle, from his shoulders to his abdomen, contracts and relaxes as the oar cuts into the water. Feeling brazen, I sexily slow crawl toward him, and his breath catches when I lick my way up his sweaty six-pack. He tosses the oars into the boat, and taking my head in his hands, he pulls me to his lips. His passion devours me, and it’s my turn to feel breathless.
    Out of nowhere, a massive wave hits, and the sky turns an ominous shade of gray. The boat is rocking so hard back and forth that we can’t keep our balance. I’m tossed overboard, and Jace jumps in to save me. The current tugs us further and further apart, and I lose sight of him. I frantically call for him, and I hear a response, but it doesn’t sound like Jace. The voice sounds oddly feminine.
    “…and then I told Becky that if she thinks we’re ever shopping there again, she’s sadly mistaken. Can you believe the nerve of that salesperson? Oh, wait. Look who’s waking up! Rise and shine, porcupine! Those pain meds kicked your little hiney didn’t they? It’s okay. I’m almost finished here. Just a simple little splint for your finger. The break was hairline, so you just wear this splint for a week or so, until the soreness goes away, and you’ll be fine. You may or may not lose your fingernail. No worries if you do; it’ll grow back.”
    “Huh?” I ask. Dahlia giggles.
    “We’ll go over it when I bring you home,” Jace says.
    “Oh, okay,” I say, suddenly flushing because I remember my dream. Jace and Dahlia give no indication that I’d been talking in my sleep, so I begin to relax.
    “Thanks for seeing her, Dahlia,” he says, tapping the backrest of the wheelchair to signal that I should have a seat.
    “It was my pleasure.” She bends and places her hands between her knees, so she can be face to face with me. “If you need anything, you be sure to come see me, okay? Be careful out there, Magnolia,” she says carefully enunciating each word. Great, first she thinks I’m homeless, and now she thinks I’m stupid. I simply stare at her. “Awww, she’s so sweet, Jace. I see why