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Far, far from it.
CHAPTER SIX
“I’M GLAD SHE’S feeling better this morning,” Trace told Linda Darlington as Chloe ran around the medical tent meowing happily as she pretended to be a cat.
“Me, too,” the woman agreed, laughing softly as she watched her daughter. “Too bad I don’t have her energy or resilience, because I sure didn’t sleep enough last night to prepare me for today’s activities.”
The woman hadn’t slept more than a few hours at most. Probably about the same as Trace. Because he’d given them his cot, he’d stretche
d out in a chair and caught a few hours of zees during the early morning hours. But, unlike the tired mother, he felt refreshed, excited to face the day.
Hopefully, Chrissie was the same. He’d insisted she return to her tent and rest. She was going to need it.
He had plans for her.
Plans he’d dreamed about during the short bit of shut-eye he’d gotten. Dreams in which it hadn’t mattered where they were. He’d ravished Chrissie.
The way he’d wanted to ravish her last night.
The way he would have ravished her had they not been interrupted.
Would she feel the same about him, about them, this morning? Or would she have second thoughts in the light of day?
“Youth is wasted on the young,” the mother continued, interrupting his meanderings. “What about you? Do you have children?”
Trace shook his head. His life wasn’t conducive to having children. It never would be. “Kids aren’t my thing.”
“Too bad. You’re really good with Chloe. She told me this morning that you were her new boyfriend.”
Trace laughed. “She only likes me because I made the itching stop.”
“Perhaps,” the woman said, smiling. “But I think it was more than that. You’re all she’s talked about since she woke up. That, and how she misses Freckles, her cat.”
“Yeah, well, I’d see to it that she spends the night with Freckles and not in your tent tonight,” Trace offered, glancing up to see Chrissie enter the tent, two plastic cups of steaming coffee in her hands.
“How’s Chloe this morning?” she asked Linda at the same time as she handed one of the cups to Trace.
“All better.” The woman beamed. “I was just telling Dr. Stevens how much we appreciate him. You, too. Y’all were great with Chloe last night. Thank you.”
“No problem. Dr. Stevens here did all the work.”
“What work? The wash-down and diphenhydramine you gave her did the trick.” Trace glanced down at the coffee and noticed it was exactly the right color. Strong and black. Just the way he liked it. Did she recall that from before? “Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome. You should probably go to the food tent before it gets busy. Ms. Perez is there, foot propped up, and is handing out napkins to people as they trickle their way through line. She’s all smiles, despite the fact her ankle looks as if it was mauled.”
He grinned. “I didn’t think she’d leave.”
“I’m glad she didn’t. She was absolutely glowing as she greeted folks. She’s a burst of sunshine first thing this morning.”
“A morning person, like my Chloe, eh?” Linda said, motioning for the little girl to join them. “Speaking of breakfast, I’m going to take this one and head that way, too. Her dad and sister are headed that way. Thank you both, again.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad to see she’s back to normal.”
The little girl meowed, then smiled.
Trace scratched his head. “Almost normal—I think her medicine transformed her into a cat.”
Loving his comment, the little girl meowed a bunch more, making them all laugh.
