Chapter Eight
“YEAH, POP,”I said, talking on the phone the next morning. I sat in the chair beside the hospital bed, tugging my shoes on. “Cal—er, Detective Winter was already here. He’s driving me home.” I glanced up.
Calvin stood patiently by the door, winter coat on and his hands in his pockets.
“I’m feeling a lot better. All right. I’ll call you after I get some rest at home. Thanks, Dad.” I hung up and slid the phone into my pocket. “Sorry about that.”
“No trouble.”
When I had woken up, Calvin wasn’t in the hospital bed with me anymore, which was surprisingly depressing. I was beginning to worry about what we had done when Calvin appeared in the doorway. He looked awake and refreshed and was wearing different clothes.
“Hey,” he had said, smiling. “I spoke with your doctor. He’s on his way to check on you. Want a ride home?”
I had been given a clean bill of health early that morning and insisted on leaving right away. Dressed in yesterday’s clothes, I went to the door with Calvin.
He handed me my sunglasses. “I got these from your store yesterday.”
“Thank you.” I put them on. “Hospital lighting is the worst.” I followed Calvin out into the hallway. “Where did you go this morning?”
“Oh. Home. Shower and shave.” He rubbed his cheek to stress his point.
“You didn’t have to come back,” I protested. “Don’t you have to get to work anyway?”
“Don’t worry.” Calvin put a hand on my shoulder and steered me down another turn toward the exits.
“I appreciate it. Neil was going to drive me, but….”
“What?”
“I don’t know if I can deal with seeing him right now.”
“I see.” He didn’t push the subject, and I was grateful.
It was still snowing when the hospital doors slid open and we walked out. Cars parked overnight were buried. The driveway had been plowed and salted for the arriving ambulances, and bless those poor guys who were driving in this weather.
“Over here,” Calvin called, leading the way to a Ford Fusion in some dark color.
“I like this car,” I said, opening the passenger door.
“Do you?” He climbed in behind the wheel.
“Affordable,” I said as I got in.
“Yeah.” He turned the heat on and adjusted it for a moment before cranking on the windshield wipers. “Warm enough?”
“Getting there. Are you able to drive? I mean, the mayor banned driving the other day.”
“Yeah, it’s likely to be in effect again by tonight.” Calvin pulled out and exited the hospital. “These storms aren’t giving us a break.” He glanced at me. “But yeah, I’ve got a badge and a gun. I can do a lot of things.”
I snorted. “Jerk.”
He grinned.
I settled back in my seat, watching the frozen, buried city pass by. “Hey,” I said suddenly. “I meant to tell you something the other day.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“You started sucking my cock.”
