Maeve was obviously confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Vance, you really shouldn’t go there,” Kassidy said.
“She should know, my love,” he said to Kassidy, then turned his attention back to Maeve. “He’s always sworn that he’d never settle down and claim a mate. He even goes so far as to date females he doesn’t even like, that really don’t like him. And he likes it especially if they don’t even know his name.” He paused and thought about it. “On second thought, I’m not sure you can call a one night interlude a date, so scratch that. Anyway, little Griffin here extracted a promise from him that he’d always protect him and you. Which he’d gladly do, and intends to because he is a good male. He really is. He just didn’t expect the feeling of needing you to sweep over him at the same time,” Vance said.
“You know he’s going to strangle you for telling her that,” Kassidy said.
“It’s okay. I’ve wanted to strangle him a few times, too. I feel like this almost makes us even,” Vance said before turning his attention to the rest of the room. “Alright, ladies and babies! Can those of you who wanted to crash temporarily at my brother’s house follow me and I’ll walk you over there.”
“You ready?” Alison asked Maeve.
“We’re ready whenever you are,” Maeve said, her voice a little less focused than she’d been just moments before, as she tried to understand what Vance had revealed to her.
“Let’s go, then,” Alison said, laying a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
Chapter 13
Rance sat quietly in the darkness, a single sliver of light shining into the room from the almost closed bathroom door at the other end of the suite. He’d spent every moment since they’d managed to stop Gwen’s bleeding, sitting beside her bed. He heard her breathing change ever so slightly, and looked down at her. Not a whole minute later, with her eyes still closed, she slowly closed and unclosed her fist, then he saw her toes moving under the comforter she rested beneath. Eventually her eyes opened, then gradually she looked around the room until her eyes came to him.
“Hi,” he said.
She smiled weakly. “Hi,” she whispered.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better.”
“Good. But let’s not go jumping up and running around like you’re a hundred percent, yet,” Rance teased.
“I’m not that much better.”
Rance smiled at her, but it was clear to her even in her weakened state that he was under a lot of strain and his smile was probably as tired as hers was. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better. You’re awake.”
“You should go rest.”
“And leave you here alone? No. I’m fine right where I am.”
She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again. “Where are Beau and Beck?”
He smiled, a real one this time. “They’re downstairs sleeping on the sofa with the other kids. They fell asleep to a Disney movie marathon after an entire day of swimming andplaying. And don’t worry, Findley and her sister Brinnley have appointed themselves their new nannies until you are strong enough to be up and around.”
“Cars?” she asked.
“Yes. They watched it twice, but didn’t make it all the way through the second time. Then the other kids switched it to something else.”
“They love Cars,” she said, her smile slowly fading.
“Are you hungry? We’ve got plenty of food left from dinner. And if you’d rather not have fried chicken and dirty rice, I can make you some scrambled eggs and toast or grits or both.”
“I am a little hungry. But I’m not sure I’m up to fried chicken yet.”
“I’ll run down and whip you up some eggs and grits.”
“Thank you.”
He made it to the door of her suite and came to a sudden stop before turning back to her. “Uh, do you need to use the restroom? I mean, I know you don’t really know me, but I can help. No funny business, I promise. I should have asked that first, but I didn’t think of it until I thought about you getting up while I’m gone and falling. We can’t have that. You had some pretty deep wounds.”
