West of Want (Hearts of the Anemoi) Read Online Free Page B

hand, to provide her the nourishment that would return her to health. Regardless, she ate with gusto like, well, like a woman who hadn’t eaten solid food in three days. When everything was gone except a container of lime Jell-O, she wiped her mouth, pushed the tray away, and dropped her head back against the pillows.
    “Bet you think this is hilarious, don’t you?”
    Zephyros’s disembodied gaze cut to her, startled at her speech though there was no way she could know he was there.
    “I can just hear you, going on and on about how this is proof positive you’re such a better sailor than I am.” She chuckled ruefully and shook her head. “But I’m still not the one who took out a whole section of dock. I don’t care if you were sixteen.” The smile dropped from her face. Her breathing hitched. “I brought her back, though, Marcus. Somehow I got her back to the marina.”
    Zephyros frowned at the mention of the man’s name, but couldn’t deny he was mesmerized by her words and the expressiveness of her face. When she fell asleep again, he stayed. Not because he had to, or felt he should. But because he wanted to. It probably wasn’t in his best interest—and certainly it wasn’t in hers—but where else did he have to be, anyway?

CHAPTER FOUR
    Two mornings later, Ella woke to the smell of pancakes and sausage and the chatter of Janet, one of the friendlier nurses. The heaviest fog of pain and drugs had finally lifted from her brain, though she still felt a bit slow, a bit disconnected from reality. As the nurse took her vitals and spoke, the only words Ella really seemed to hear were “released later today.”
    “Today?” Ella asked, her voice sounding more like itself.
    “Yep,” Janet said with a smile. “Doctor has to check you out, and you have a PT consult, but we should be able to get you out of here later this afternoon.” The nurse raised the back of the bed and rolled the food tray closer.
    Ella cooperated as the woman resituated the pillows to help her up, being very careful to move her right arm as little as possible. A spot of bright color caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Flowers. An enormous arrangement of springtime blooms of every color sat on the windowsill. “Where did those come from?”
    Janet glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “I don’t know, but they sure are beautiful, aren’t they? Florist left them at the reception desk without a card, but no one noticed until after the delivery man was gone.”
    Ella stared at the gorgeous bouquet. A rush of warmth flooded her chest. For the life of her she couldn’t imagine who they’d be from. And how sad was that? Still, they were stunning, and proof that someone had thought of her, even if she didn’t know who.
    Janet looked at her. “Doctor’s gonna want to know if you have someone who can take you home, stay with you for a few days. Just to be on the safe side. You didn’t have any ID on you when you came in, so we only had the name and information the marina provided the EMTs. They said you didn’t have any family here, and we didn’t have any way of contacting anyone.”
    Ella nodded, wondering which of her longtime buddies had found her on the True Blue. She wasn’t looking forward to facing him, whoever he was. “I’ll have to take a cab home, but if I can make a call, I have someone who I can arrange to come stay with me. Would that work?”
    The nurse frowned for a minute, but finally said, “Should. Go ahead and make your call, though, and get those arrangements set up. You really ought to have someone with you.” She moved the room phone to the tray next to Ella’s breakfast.
    “Thanks,” Ella said as she picked up her fork. “I’ll call right after I eat. I’m starving .”
    “An appetite’s a good sign.” Janet smiled and left.
    Ella groaned and the fork sagged in her hand. She had no one to call. Parents were gone. Marcus was gone. Craig…she scoffed…no way she’d ask him for