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It was tempting, but in the end they needed as much normalcy as possible. “Nah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure thing. I’ll meet you at the hospital to help move Shannon in, and hopefully get them to agree to some ground rules.”
After he’d left, James spent some time washing out the glasses they’d used and tidying up before returning to Olivia’s bedroom. She was still stretched out on her bed, snoring quietly.
Their bed was more comfortable, but he risked waking her if he tried to move her. And she really did need the sleep. Stripping off his clothes once more, he stretched out beside her and pulled her into his arms. She whimpered softly, and her forehead crinkled like it did when she was worried, but she quickly settled down again.
The love he felt for her was enough to bring any man to his knees. Brushing the hair from her face, he drank in her features, memorizing them as he’d done hundreds of times before. “I’ll keep you safe, little one. No matter what.”
He and Oliviaboth cleared their schedules the next afternoon so they could take Shannon home with them. She’d called that morning to let them know she was definitely being released, but nobody could seem to tell her an exact time. James met Olivia and Randall, one of their newest realtors, at the house they’d just finished showing.
“Hey, boss!” Randall greeted him cheerfully when he got out to open Olivia’s door for her. “Headed to the hospital?”
“Yes. Thank you for tagging along with Olivia today. I had a meeting I couldn’t get out of.”
Randall waved a hand in the air. “It was my pleasure. I think this one’s in the bag. Liv’s really great at this, you know that? I may tag along some more, see if I can’t pick up some tips,” he added with a wink.
Olivia rolled her eyes, but her cheeks had turned pink with pleasure. “You’re good at this, too, Randall. You just need to be more confident. And find ways to turn potential negatives into positives, like we talked about with the yard on this one.”
“Right, smaller yard, less grass to mow, but still enough space for entertainment. Got it. See you guys at the office!” With a final wave, Randall turned and headed for his car.
“Do you think this one’s in the bag, little one?”
Grinning, Olivia climbed into his SUV. “Absolutely. They loved it. I think we’re going to lowball it though; it’s priced a little high for the neighborhood, despite the gorgeous bathroom reno they just did. It definitely bumped up the value, but not quite as much as they were hoping.”
“Excellent news.” Leaning in, he brushed a kiss across her lips. “Ready to go get Shannon?”
“I’m ready.” Her grin turned a little wicked, and he felt a frisson of fear down his spine. “But are you?”
“Of course,” he replied with a confidence he didn’t remotely feel. Keeping tabs on Olivia was one thing. As her Daddy, he wielded a certain amount of power. Shannon, however, was the wild card in this situation.
After closing Olivia’s door, he walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. Perhaps he should have a conversation with his Livvy before they got to the hospital. “I think we need to go over our rules, little one.”
The professional realtor disappeared when she scrunched her face up exactly like a little girl being told she couldn’t have something she wanted. “Why? I know the rules.”
“Yes, but you tend to be a little…loose with them when Shannon is around. Which is bad enough when you’re just out for the night, but since she’ll be staying with us for a few days at the bare minimum, a reminder can’t hurt.”
Reaching over, she linked her fingers with his as he drove. Her voice was soft and kind when she spoke. “Daddy, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I promise.”
“Promise me you won’t let Shannon talk you into ignoring the rules.”
“To be fair, I don’t always tell Shannon about a rule before I let her talk me into breaking it.”
“Then I’ll make sure Shannon is aware of the rules, so maybe she’ll be able to keep you in line.”
“Daddy!” Groaning, Olivia leaned back against the car seat. “You can’t do that!”
James gave her hand a little squeeze of warning. “I can, and I will, Olivia. Whatever it takes to make sure you’re both safe.”
“But it’s embarrassing.”
“You’ll survive.” Lifting their joined hands, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Better embarrassed than dead, as far as he was concerned. But he didn’t want to say that and risk upsetting her, so he left it at that.
The silence between them lingered all the way to the hospital. He could feel her tense as they pulled into the parking garage, and he gave her hand another squeeze.
They were still halfway down the hall to Shannon’s room when they heard her. “I don’t need you telling me what to do, Bryant Monroe!”
Beside him, Olivia groaned. “What is Bryant doing here? Shouldn’t he be at work?”
