“Oh so we’re pulling the brain bleed, cracked ribs, and fractured ankle card huh?”
“And we can’t forget the spleen repair,” I add and her glare deepens.
“None of this is funny,” she scolds me as she touches my hand still resting on her thigh. “You do realize how lucky you are that those injuries are all you got. I mean all of that is horrible but it truly could have been so much worse.”
“I know.” Flipping my hand over I thread my fingers through hers and bring our joined hands up to place a kiss onto hers.
“So we aren’t going to do stupid things anymore, are we?”
“Now you know I can’t make that promise, babe. That’s like me telling you that you can’t toss attitude anymore.” Her expression softens. “And I think we both know that is impossible.”
“Are you saying I’m mean?”
“Feisty,” I say in correction and she tries to fight the smile it triggers. “And I like you feisty.”
“You didn’t like me a couple weeks ago.”
I stare at her and notice the way she casts her eyes downward like she is lost in thought.
“I may not have liked you in that moment Kendall, but that’s okay, because I love you and no matter what that won’t change.” Immediately she lifts her gaze as if surprised by my words and simply stares at me. I expect her to close off, shut down, and find her best excuse to run. Only she doesn’t.
“You may not want to hear that…”
“I do.” She sits up a little taller, bringing her upper body close to mine. “From you I do.” And with that she kisses me, her body relaxing in to mine a little more. Reaching up I cup the side ofher face and hold her close wanting to keep her here for as long as I can.
“Well.” Kendall’s body jerks in reaction to my father’s voice from the doorway. “If that don’t get you healed up and ready to get all better I don’t know what will.” He chuckles and for the first time, I see embarrassment cover my girl’s face.
Curling in, she covers her face and my father’s chuckle deepens.
“Ma and I are gonna head out.” He gives me a little nod. “You take it easy, let’s not go jumping off the deep end. I think you need to ease back in to the strenuous stuff.” When he says this he nods, and I know he’s only picking a little more. I hear Kendall groan slightly and it’s my turn to laugh.
“Don’t worry Dad, I let her do all the work.”
Kendall pinches me, my dad’s laughter echoes as he walks down the hallway and I run my fingers through her hair, forcing her to look back up at me.
“Now where were we?”
“Taking a nap.” She glares at me. “We were taking a nap.”
“After the sex right?”
“No.” She grabs the blanket and starts to pull it over our bodies. “There will be no sex for you.”
“Are you sure?” I slide the palm of my hand over her arm and along her hip, cupping her ass and without causing too much discomfort I pull closer to me. “We haven’t had that makeup sex yet that comes after a couple has a fight or disagreement.”
“That makeup sex kind of got tossed aside when you decided to fall off scaffolding and cause yourself great bodily harm. Brain surgery trumps makeup sex.”
“Who says?” I ask, still trying to change her mind as I kiss along her jaw and though she wants to fight it, her neck arches and she moves in a little closer.
“I say.” The tone of her voice is not reassuring.
“You still have no idea how badly you scared me,” she whispers and my lips pause on her neck. “How badly we were all scared.”
“Hey.” I turn to her, so that she is again looking up at me. “I’m right here,” I say, assuring her.
“I know.” She takes a calming breath. “And I never thought I’d say these words aloud, but I don’t want to waste another minute. So I am here too, fully. I’m in this and I’m done fighting you and myself.”
Again she takes a shuddering breath.
