“Fuck, no!” I shook my head. I did not need to have a car upholstered in kitten fabric.
“Sorry, then I'm going to have to pass.” She smiled, and I noticed she has two small dimples in the corners of her mouth. “So…you should call Nico and Cash and tell them that a girl at the bonfire is trying to get knocked up.”
“What?” I asked, laughing.
“This girl at the bonfire was saying that she wanted to get knocked up by a Mayson. She didn’t care which one, just as long as she ended up with one of you guys.”
“What the f**k?” I yelled, causing Liz to jump.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I was going to call Cash this morning and tell him, but I forgot until right now.” She said quietly, trying to tug her hand away, but I refused to let up.
“Jesus, some of the women in this town are so f**king whacked.” I looked over and saw Liz biting her lip. I let go of her hand and pulled down on her chin. “Stop doing that, baby. Your lips are gonna be hurting too bad to kiss if you keep it up.”
She took a breath. “Sorry about telling you like that; it just came out.”
I shook my head. “Since Asher settled down, things have gone from bad to worse.” It made me pissed to think of one of those bitches getting pregnant and one of my brothers being stuck with her. “Who was it?” I asked, grabbing her hand and putting it back on my thigh.
“Um…I don’t know her name. She’s really skinny and has long brown hair; she’s cute. She was wearing jeans and a white tank top.”
I nodded. I knew who she was talking about. “Jules. She has a thing for Cash, but he’s not interested,” I said, shaking my head. I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant; it was a small steakhouse that was just outside of Nashville.
“Oh! I heard about this place. Old Mr. Deen said they have really great steaks here.”
She started to get out, but I held her hand, mumbling a soft “wait for me.” Hey, I may not have had a girlfriend before, but I know what the f**k to do when you’re dating. My mom would kick my ass if I treated any woman wrong.
“Thanks,” she said softly, pulling down her dress. I grabbed her hand when we got inside the restaurant. They sat us at a small table in the back near a large window with a view of the forest beyond. “This is really nice,” she said, her eyes coming back to me. The waiter came over to take our order; we talked about town while we ate, we talked about her store Temptations, and I told her about the construction business and the new contract that we got. Everything with her was easy. I have never met a woman who I could laugh with and talk to about anything. I knew with her, her interest had nothing to do with money or my family name. I looked across the table, noticing her face has become red.
“You don’t look too good, baby.”
"I don't think you’re supposed to say that out loud," Liz said from across the table, a small smile on her lips.
"No, baby. I mean, you look red and puffy; are you allergic to anything?"
"I never was before." She opened her bag, pulling out a small compact and held it in front of her face. "What the hell?" she mumbled, turning her face right, then left.
"Let’s go. We can stop somewhere and get you some Benadryl; are you breathing okay?" I looked around for the waiter, trying to call him over.
"Yeah, but my mouth’s starting to feel a little itchy." She laughed, "Don't even say anything,"
"I won't," I chuckled, finally catching the waiter’s attention. He made his way over to us and I got my card back. Sliding it in my pocket and standing, I pulled out Liz’s chair. Her face was now breaking out in hives and my concern was starting to grow, so I picked her up, carrying her bridal-style out of the restaurant. When we got to the front door, I hurried to my car. Liz tucked her face into my neck; I was sure she could feel that it was swollen. I kissed her hair and placed her in the passenger seat, making sure to buckle her in. “I'm gonna take you to the hospital."
"No, please, I just need some Benadryl and I’ll be fine," she said on a wheeze, and I knew that she wasn’t fine. I pressed the gas, and once I reached the emergency room entrance, I slammed the car in park, ran around to the passenger’s side, and ignored the guy yelling not to park there. I pulled Liz into my arms. She passed out after two minutes in the car. I started running into the hospital; a nurse saw us and opened the door right away. I laid Liz on the bed, and then there was a ton of commotion around us.
I told them what she ate at dinner, and that she said she had never been allergic before. The doc gave her a shot and told me that it shouldn't take long for it to start working and for us to see some results. Looking down at her small body in that bed, my heart started beating out of my chest. I couldn't think of a time when I had been so f**king scared. I ran my hands over my hair and face. I kissed her forehead, holding her hand. I called her mom to tell her what was going on; she said she and George would drive back from Alabama tonight, but it would take a few hours for them to get into town. I called Mike to let him know that she wouldn't be home, in case he got concerned. I hadn't expected a lecture, or the safety of my balls being threatened. I sent my mom and brothers a text, letting them know what was going on. They all loved Liz and were worried; I told them I had it and that there was nothing anyone could do. By the time I got off the phone, some of redness had reduced, and the swelling had gone down. I talked to the doctor about what happened; he said it could have been anything, but that she needed to be tested. He prescribed an Epipen, along with medication.