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He rose from his chair, walked toward her, and took a knee at the side of the bed. He ran his fingers over her soft pale cheek, then leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.” He rose to his feet and turned to exit the room.
“Joe,” she called softly.
He halted on a dime and turned. “Yes?”
“Could you not leave yet?”
He walked back toward her. “Do you need something?”
She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it for a moment. “Well, I just don’t want to be alone. Can you just stay with me for a while?”
It took just one glimpse at her pleading eyes for him to kick off his shoes, take a seat on the bed next to her, and stretch out his legs before leaning back against the headboard. She nuzzled close to him resting her head and hand on his thigh as if holding it in place. He stared down at her as he stroked her silky strands of hair.
It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. He just sat there, watching her breathe. His heart went out to her. She looked relaxed as she slept, much unlike her demeanor when she was awake. She always seemed stressed out and wound tight, especially lately. He wondered if she would do anything about Patrick, or if he himself should do anything about Patrick.
Anger ripped through him. He fisted his hands. How anyone could do such a thing to the woman that lay beside him, or any woman for that matter, he didn’t know.
The events of the day had taken an emotional toll on him, and he found himself unbelievably tired. Trying desperately not to wake Elizabeth, he slid down on the bed until his head rested comfortably on the pillow. Without opening her eyes, she adjusted herself accordingly, resting her head and arm on his chest. Her soft hair brushed against his chin; it smelled of fresh rain. He thought about how things might be tonight if this unfortunate incident hadn’t happened to her. Would he be making love to her right now, or not yet? He wanted to make love to her, he wanted to feel her soft silky skin against his, and taste her flavor. His body ached for her, but with all that had happened to her now was not the time. He wondered if and when the time would come.
His eyes popped open, and he found himself lying alone in Elizabeth’s bed. He was covered with a light blue, fleece blanket. The bright December morning sun peeked through the curtains and soaked into him.
He climbed out of bed and followed the sound of a radio, which led him to the kitchen where Elizabeth stood by the stove making scrambled eggs with cheese, peppers, and onions. She didn’t notice him enter the kitchen, so he quietly slid onto a stool at the island and watched her sway to the music as she cooked in her blue flannel, cloud pajamas. She did a sudden turn to the rhythm and caught a glimpse of him sitting there. The spatula hit the floor. “Jeepers! How long have you been sitting there?”
He grinned. “For a while.”
Her pale, milky white cheeks grew flush. She bent over, picked up the spatula, tossed it into the sink, and continued making breakfast. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes. It smells wonderful. He rose from his stool and headed over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup before returning to his seat at the island. His gaze glued to her. It pleased him to no end to see her smile again.
When the eggs and toast were done she loaded it onto two plates, set one in front of him, and set hers at the place directly across from him. He added a little salt and pepper to his and forked a mouthful as he watched her do the same. It thrilled him to see the dark circles around her eyes were lightening up. Her eyes no longer appeared to be sunken into her head, and her skin had returned to its normal smooth, soft look.
“You look like you’re feeling much better today,” he commented.
“Yeah, I do feel better today. More rested. I feel like all I’ve done is sleep for the past several days.” She took another bite of her eggs.
He was just about finished with his breakfast when his cell phone rang. His brother’s face flashed across the screen. “Hello.”
“Hey, the kids and I are on the way over. Where are you? You didn’t answer your home phone when I called.”
“I’m at Elizabeth’s. I’ll head home in a minute.”
He certainly didn’t want to cut his time short with her, but duty called. “Nick and the kids are on their way, I need to get home. Plus, I can hear poor Jake howling. He’s probably starving.”
Elizabeth followed him to the entryway where he retrieved his jacket and slid it on.
“Thanks for breakfast.”
“You’re welcome, and thank you for staying with me.”
He smiled. “Not a problem, anytime. If you feel up to it later why don’t you come over and hang out with us.”
He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the forehead and went through the doorway just as Nick pulled into his driveway.
Elizabeth watched out the window as Nick helped the kids out of his truck. Molly ran to her dad, arms wide open. He scooped her up, hugged her, and gave her a peck on the cheek before he set her back down. She wondered if Max and Molly had a clue as to how lucky they were to have Joe as a dad, Nick to have him as a brother, and Anthony and Andrew to have him as an uncle. His love for his family was so strong and unconditional. She’d never seen or experienced anything like it, and she wanted so much to be a part of it.
Elizabeth showered, slapped on some makeup, and dried her hair. As she stared into the mirror she ran her fingertips over her protruding cheekbones, and then over the bruise at the base of her neck. She gazed at her reflection. Though her skin tone still bordered gray, it was brightening a bit, but not quick enough to suit her wishes. Damn Patrick. Damn him! She slammed her fist on the counter. Her body shook with rage.
Returning her gaze to the mirror, she whispered to her image. “Pull it together. Don’t let that little prick consume your thoughts. He’s already taken enough from you.”
