“I’m sorry, Dad,” she said quietly. It seemed as if she had been apologizing to him a lot lately.
He nodded but said nothing as Kylie pushed him out the door.
Luther looked at Chris as he said darkly, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” and then left as well.
Kate exhaled, her emotions a mixed bag of hot mess. Regret that she was making things harder on her dad. Relief that they were gone. Mortification because of her mother’s unacceptable behavior.
“I am so sorry about that. She’s got a lot on her mind.”
“I understand. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Chris said gently, leaning over to kiss her forehead and wrap his hand around hers.
“No forehead kisses,” she protested. “I want lip action.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled and brushed his lips over hers. It was just enough to take the sharp edge off her craving.
At some point in the last few weeks, Chris Sheppard had become her addiction. Just being around him did more for her well-being than anything a doctor could prescribe.
“Better?” he asked.
“It’ll do—for now. I’m going to need more later. Just saying.”
“Happy to oblige.”
“Good. What did Luther mean? What did he warn you about?”
Chris’s eyes darkened. He didn’t want to tell her, she could tell. His mouth opened to answer, but they were interrupted by another knock on the door. This time, it was a graying older man and a nurse she didn’t recognize who stepped in.
“Miss Handelmann? I’m Dr. Reynolds. If your young man will leave us for a few minutes, we’ll see what we can do about getting you out of here today.”
~ * ~
After the doctor gave the okay, it was still several hours before she was allowed to leave. She had to wait for someone to come by and go over discharge instructions and then for the hospital pharmacy to send up her take-home meds and then for an aide to bring a wheelchair to escort her down to the lobby, as was hospital policy.
If Chris minded spending the entire afternoon in the hospital with her, he didn’t show it. He was kind and patient and attentive and made the time pass far more quickly than it would have had she been alone—or worse, with Luther. Or her mother.
While Kate remained at the main entrance, Chris pulled up not in his usual pickup, but in a snazzy-looking SUV.
“It’s Church’s,” he explained as he lifted her into the seat, ignoring her insistence that she could climb in herself. To be fair, she hadn’t protested all that loudly.
Once she was situated, he pulled a small pillow from the back and instructed her to place it between her body and the seat belt.
“What’s this for?”
“Doc said it would be more comfortable for you. Less pressure on your ribs.”
Once again, she was struck by the thoughtfulness of her new acquaintances. She wasn’t sure she could officially call them friends just yet, though they were already that in her mind.
“Where to, my lady?”
“My place, I guess.” As anxious as she had been about getting released from the hospital, she wasn’t as stoked about going back to her empty house.
When they arrived a short while later, her eyes widened at the sight of her shoveled walk and driveway. “Who did this?”
“I stopped by earlier,” he said simply.
Tears began to well up in her eyes. She blinked them away before he opened her door and helped her out.
Glancing across the street, she caught sight of a paper taped above the Closed sign on the shop and felt a pang of guilt. She’d let her father down. Not on purpose, but she’d let him down just the same, and now, he was forced to look elsewhere. Luther could help out, but he couldn’t handle the place on his own full-time and deal with his own business, too, especially since tax season was his busiest time of the year.
If her dad was smart, he’d hire some temporary help until she could get back in there, but she was also quite well aware from whom she’d gotten her stubborn streak and pride from.
Once they were in her house, she immediately set a path for the kitchen. “Want some coffee or something?”
“Kate.” He gently tugged her good arm and guided her onto the couch. “Sit down and let someone take care of you for a change.”
“Seems like you’ve been taking care of me a lot lately. First the puppies, and now, this.” She sighed. “I hate feeling so needy.”
“Not even close, baby. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Now, do you want coffee?”
She shook her head. “No, not really.”
“Hungry? I’m no chef, but I can heat up a can of soup like a boss.”
“No, thanks.” She tried to stifle a yawn and failed.
He looked uncertain. “Maybe I should leave and let you get your rest.”
“No! Please.” The truth was, she didn’t want anything but to curl up beside him and snuggle in for the next week or so and told him so.
“All right, baby. Let’s see what’s on Netflix.”
“Mmm, Netflix and chill. I’m into it.”
He was so warm, so solid, and smelled so good. She closed her eyes and felt all the bad stuff fade away. She was asleep inside of five minutes.
When she woke up several hours later with a painfully full bladder, it was dark, and she was alone. Her initial panic eased when she heard Chris quietly moving around in the kitchen.
She made a quick trip to the bathroom before seeking him out. He was ladling soup into a bowl and had placed a sleeve of salted crackers next to it.
“What are you doing?”
“Heating up some beef stew. I found some in your freezer. It’s time for your next dose of pain pills, and it advises against taking them on an empty stomach.”
She pressed herself against his back and wrapped her good arm around his waist. “You’re pretty awesome, you know that?”
He chuckled. “Glad you think so. Want to eat in here, or would it be more comfortable in there?”
“Here is fine.” She sat down at the kitchen table and lifted the spoon to her lips. “You’re right. You are a boss with soup.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I rolled my Jeep down a mountain and lived to tell the tale,” she answered wryly. The last dose of painkillers was wearing off, and she was feeling it. “I wish you didn’t have to go back tonight.”
He sat down across from her with a bowl of his own. “What if you came with me?”
She looked up, surprised. “Come with you?”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking ... I can take better care of you up there, and when I’m working, you’ll have Sam and Sandy to keep you company. Not to mention, I know Duke misses you.”
She missed the dogs and definitely liked the idea of seeing them again. Hanging out with Sandy and Sam sounded nice, too. She didn’t get a lot of quality girl time these days, not since Karyn had moved to the other side of the country. The best part, without a doubt, would be staying with Chris.
She worried about overstepping though. It was a lot to ask.
Then again, he did seem intent on helping her, and it probably would be easier on him. He wouldn’t feel compelled to travel up and down the mountain, and he’d have more time to do ... whatever it was he did. She wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but perhaps she could find that out, too. There was so much about Chris she didn’t know yet, and she wanted to know everything.