Page 39 of Playing With Forever

“Got it. Thanks.”

The nurse left my papers on the gurney next to me. Josie quickly snatched them up and grabbed my hand.

“Let’s get you home.” She stopped pulling and tilted her head. “Can you go home, or do you need to go back to work?”

Thanks to Echo, I now had the rest of the day off, but Josie didn’t, and the way we’d left things hadn’t been good.

“Home. But⁠—”

“Then let’s go.”

“Josie, take a breath. I promise I’m fine. If Echo hadn’t opened his mouth, I would’ve glued the cut together. It’s not a big deal. You don’t need to take me home.”

She tucked her chin into her throat, which was the most uncertain gesture I’d ever seen her do.

“You’re mad at me,” she quietly said.

I tugged her hand, bringing her back between my legs, and closed my thighs tightly around the outsides of hers.

“No. But I was a dick this morning, and you were pretty pissed at me. I don’t want you feeling obligated to take me home if you need time to think.”

“You’re not an obligation, and I’ve had enough time to think.”

Her tone gave nothing away, but she was pressed up against me, so I was taking that as a good sign she was willing to work through what happened.

“Okay, Josie, let’s get out of here.”

She nodded and stepped back. When I was on my feet, Josie’s eyes flared and did a top-to-toe sweep.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you…” she trailed off, but I didn’t miss the color hitting her cheeks.

I was still wearing my vest, thigh rig, and belt.

“In uniform,” I supplied.

Her gaze dropped to my tactical vest, and she nodded.

“Josie?” I called.

Her eyes lifted, and the pink in her cheeks darkened. I stepped closer, dropped my mouth to her ear, and quietly asked, “You having a cops and robbers fantasy, baby?”

“Something like that,” she muttered back.

I chuckled and pulled back, but not before I dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Thank fuck my earlier screw-up hadn’t led to me fucking us up beyond repair.

“HEY! I THOUGHT I SAW…” Lindy abruptly stopped her excited greeting when she saw the white gauze on my arm. “What happened?”

“Nothing, girl. Just a cut.”

Lindy glanced at Josie, then back to me. “A cut that means you’re home in the middle of the day?”

“Yep.”

“Dad—”

“Lindy, sweetheart. It’s nothing. A cut. Nothing more, promise.”