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“Okay,” I said on a sigh, finally giving in. He was right. I would just get sucked into problem solving if I checked email and then I wouldn’t rest. And I needed to be okay to drive back to the hospital later.
He took my hand and led me to the bedroom.
“I need to clean up,” I protested. He just shook his head and guided me into the room.
“Put on your PJs. I’ll be back in a minute.”
He closed the door softly behind him. I stripped, feeling like a zombie or a marionette. I honestly wasn’t sure what I would have done without him there to lean on. I probably would have just slept in my car. I certainly would not have remembered to put on pajamas.
I passed over my sweats and tees and grabbed a cuter pair that actually matched. I sighed with pleasure as the soft cotton fluttered against my skin. Taking my bra off was the best part of every day, and this morning it was amplified by about a thousand.
A soft knock on the door had me brushing my hair quickly and saying ‘come in’. I felt shy standing there in my PJs, especially without a bra. I was about to cross my arms over my chest when I saw the look on Jaken’s face.
He looked stunned, standing there with his gorgeous green eyes wide open and his hand still on the door. He was utterly still. For a moment I panicked.
“What is it?”
Before I could finish the sentence he was across the room, holding my face in his hands.
“How on earth can you be so beautiful?” He asked in a raw, awestruck voice I had never heard before.
My mouth opened, pulling his eyes to my lips. Then he was kissing me, softly at first, but with an urgency that overwhelmed us both. He stopped abruptly, tearing his lips away and leaning his forehead against mine.
“Sorry. I had to kiss you.”
“You had to?” I teased, feeling out of breath and out of sorts.
“Yes,” he said, cracking a smile and stepping away. “I did. Now, into bed you go.”
I climbed into bed, grateful for the cool, clean sheets. He pulled the covers over me like a child, then pressed his lips to my forehead.
“Get some rest,” he said closing the door. I meant to ask him if he would lock up, or if he wanted to lay down and rest with me, too. But my eyes closed and I was asleep before I could get the words out.
Chapter Thirteen
Casey
“There she is,” Kelly squeaked excitedly.
“Shhhh,” Parker said, elbowing Kelly and giving me a look. I stifled a laugh. Parker and I had had a tough time of it growing up, both of us being runaways. Michelle had been on her own too, but with a little baby to take care of, which kept her out of trouble more or less. And Cynthia had grown up in a rough neighborhood. But she had chosen to stay and make it a safer place.
We all had street smarts.
All of us, that is, except our dear, sweet, occasionally oblivious Kelly.
“You are not slick, my friend,” I said with an affectionate eye roll. She giggled, totally not offended, then turned her attention back to our quarry.
It had been a week since Colleen’s sister had her emergency surgery. A week since Jaken had been alone with her. And the poor man was going out of his mind.
That’s where us ladies stepped in.
Or we were about to, if we didn’t scare the sugar out of our target.
Michelle
“Okay, I’m going in,” I said as Colleen ruthlessly checked produce. I knew what she was doing. She wanted to get the most bang for her buck. With that many mouths to feed, I knew she had to be more mindful than most about spending her pennies. “See you ladies next door.”
I shooed them away as they scattered, heading for the chain restaurant next door.
“Colleen?”
She looked happy to see me, after a couple of owlish blinks of her huge, china blue eyes. She smiled and gave me a quick hug.
“Michelle, I need to send you a gift basket.”
“Send me nothing. I forbid it,” I said. I didn’t need to be another item on the girl’s already long to do list. “How are you? How is Penny?”
“She says she is feeling better but she is supposed to rest,” Colleen said, frowning. “She wants to go back to class.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“Not until the stitches are out.”
“Is that soon?”
“Yes. Friday.”
“Good. So keep her home until then,” I said. “But maybe let her have a friend over?”
“I was thinking the same thing. Just one friend, of course. Nothing too exciting,” she decided. “Thank you, Michelle.”
“You are a good mother,” I said. “We have to stick together.”
“Come on, you have to meet the girls.”
