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Somehow, everything would work itself out. I just hoped Dane would forgive my transgressions. Likewise, I hoped Tanner would let me spoil him for the rest of our lives to make up for all the craziness. Some of my worries eased from my shoulders and I fell asleep.
Chapter 16
Dane
I was listening to the sweet sounds of Tiana sleeping, holding her against me as I tried to relax. My little sunshine and I had spent a lot of time together the past few days, doing our best to continue on as if our Daddy wasn’t in the hospital. I was there the first night and had seen him after surgery, but he needed rest. Having a bunch of us hanging over his hospital bed wouldn’t do anything but make him want to leave sooner than later. Besides, Tiana likely had a bunch of guilt inside over the way things played out and she needed me.
Tiana rolled over and woke herself up. “Daddy?”
“Good morning, sunshine.” I kissed her forehead.
“How’s Tanner doing?”
“He seems okay today, even though it’s early. The doctors said he needs to rest and recuperate in the hospital for about a week, but then they’ll release him.”
“What about work?”
“Tanner should be out of work for about six weeks.”
“He should be out of work?” She worked her lip in between her teeth. “What do you mean?”
“He’s stubborn as hell. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to get a shift at the end of the month.” I let out a sigh and tapped her nose. “There’s no serious stuff today. I took the rest of the week off. Do you want to know a secret?”
Her eyes brightened. “Oh! What is it?”
“I’ve been lining up some things in order to take that leap I’ve been avoiding.”
“I’m so proud of you,” she cooed. “Can we go to the mall or a restaurant or anywhere? Just for a little while. I’ve been trapped inside for weeks, Daddy.”
“As much as I’d love to do that, we need to wait until Jesse has the needed clearance from his department. Chet was transferred back to California immediately, but they are looking for any accomplices that might be hanging around. His girlfriend was arrested as well. It should only be another day or two.” I kissed her cheek. “Let’s brush the horses, and then we’ll ride to Luke’s and back. How does that sound?”
“Whenever we spend time together, I have fun. Besides, riding makes me happier than anything else in the world.”
“Does it?” I licked my lips. “If that’s the case, we can stay in bed.”
“Horses!” She collapsed into a fit of giggles. “I don’t really feel sexy right now.”
“You’re sexy all the time, darling, but it’s important to tell me what’s on your mind. Holding it all inside doesn’t do anyone any good.”
“How did you come to that conclusion, Sir?”
“Jesse and I had a long talk. He has an uncanny knack for reading into the heart of things.” I stood up, tugging her with me.
“Yeah, he’s good at that sort of stuff, just like you.”
Her sweet declaration brought warmth to my body.
“Come on, darling. We’ll call and check on Tanner after breakfast.”
My thoughts were calmer than they had been the day of the party. Luckily, we had an array of friends and family who jumped in and handled everything. Having a bunch of first responders and medically trained people on your side during a crisis proved invaluable.
After all the drama, we could use some downtime and I was going to get Tiana to relax today, no matter what it took. And I needed to take a break, too. The last thing Tanner needed when he finally came home was two grumpy brats.
Tiana
Dane and I had so much fun today, riding the horses and spending time together. We relaxed by Luke’s pond and then ate a delicious lunch when we returned home. We didn’t get into any big topics and just enjoyed being outside with each other. It was a great way to connect even though we both missed Tanner so much.
Shooting a questioning look at Dane, we walked out to the mudroom. I swore I heard someone grumbling outside the backdoor. As far as I knew, only Tanner had the passcodes for the gates and a key but he was forty-five minutes away at the hospital.
