Page 26 of Condor’s Vow

Chapter 10

Hattie smiled as she looked down at her phone and saw the text from Clay. Every time she saw his name on her phone, she got tiny flutters in her belly like she was fifteen again.

Clay: Hey, gorgeous. Just checking in to see if we’re still on for later?

Hattie: Yes, absolutely. I can’t wait to see you.

Clay: Me either, gorgeous. I’ll bring food. Chinese or Pizza?

Hattie: Chinese please and thank you x

Clay: Cool. Text me what you want and stay safe.

Hattie: Will do. X

In the last two weeks, she and Clay had fallen into a comfortable pattern, spending every spare minute they could together. It didn’t matter what they were doing, mostly it involved food, movies, making out a lot, and her falling asleep on him, but she wouldn’t change it. Or at least most of it. If it could end with him inside her body and falling asleep naked together in bed, then it would be perfect.

Unfortunately, it was the only thing going right in her life. She glanced over at her father and felt a familiar sense of panic invade her chest. He was asleep now and calm, but she could still make out the exaggerated respiration and the effort he was making to breathe. He was on the mend, and developing pneumonia after the hip replacement wasn’t uncommon, but it was a huge setback.

His rehabilitation would be more challenging and much slower now, but he was here, and that was what mattered.

“Knock, knock.”

Hattie turned, the corners of her mouth kicking up into a smile when she saw Mack and Mickie standing in the doorway.

“Hey.” Hattie got up and went over to the two women and let them both hug her tightly. She hadn’t had time to catch up with her friends in person, and she’d missed them.

Mack motioned to her dad. “How is he doing?”

Hattie gave a half-smile. “Still fighting and I think he’s winning at the moment.”

Mickie squeezed her hand in support. “How could he not when he has so many people who love him.”

“Do you want to grab a coffee or stay with your dad? I know it can be lonely and boring, no matter how much you love him. This one time when I was little, my brother was in the hospital. He’d fallen off his skateboard and cracked his head open. You know how boys can be, they never listen. My mom was always telling him to wear a helmet, but would he listen? Would he heck.”

Mickie laughed, but not unkindly, used to her friend’s rambling. “Is there a point to this story, Mack?”

“Yes, it’s that if she wants company here we are, and if not, we can go on our merry way.”

Hattie loved her friends, and a dose of Mack and Mickie was just what she needed. “A coffee sounds fantastic.”

Hattie linked arms with the two women, and they took the lift to the cafeteria which had been decorated for Halloween with fake spider webs, along with ghouls and ghosts hanging up. It looked great, but it wasn’t her favorite holiday. Hattie was all about Christmas and the magic of the season.

They got drinks with Hattie deciding on a pumpkin spice latte and a slice of toffee sponge.

When they were all seated, Mack looked at her expectantly. “Well?”

Hattie grinned, knowing precisely what her friends were asking her. “It’s going well.”

“It’s going well! What the hell does that mean? Have you done the deed yet?”

Hattie blushed. “No, but almost. I tell you, he’s the hottest man I’ve ever been around. I swear when we do, I may pass out from the pleasure.”

“He is hot. Do you think he’d do a calendar?”

Hattie pointed at Mack. “No. The only woman seeing him naked is me, so don’t ask.”

Mack grinned at Mickie. “She really likes him.”