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The same tall, slender doctor who’d examined Laura the night before waltzed into the room in blue scrubs and headed straight for the sink to wash her hands. Her long brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail. She turned to face them and smiled. “Can’t say I’m happy to see you two in here again tonight, but I’m glad it appears your injuries are limited.”
Laura made a move to stand, but he kept a firm grip on her hand, keeping her beside him. “We’re about as happy to be here as you are to see us.”
“I bet. In case you don’t remember, I’m Dr. Simon.” She crossed to the machine keeping track of Cade’s vitals. “Things look good here. How are you feeling?”
“Pain meds are good, so not feeling too bad.”
Dr. Simon let out a small laugh and shook her head. “Glad to hear it. Any nausea, dizziness, confusion?”
“Nope.” Okay, so he might not be telling the exact truth, but no way he’d confess to anything that would keep him in the emergency room any longer than necessary.
“Well, since you lost consciousness for a few minutes, you do have a Grade II concussion. I need you to rest for the next couple of days. Take it easy. You can have over-the-counter pain medication for any discomfort, and it’s best to have someoneclose by for the next twenty-four hours in case your symptoms worsen.”
Laura rested her free hand on their joined ones. “I’ll be there.”
Her words hit him with the force of a knock-out punch, stealing his breath. Here was a woman who’d been through hell and was still fighting, even with the odds stacked against her. She wanted to be there for him. To stand with him and make surehewas okay.
Soaking up her support, he knew right then and there he’d do whatever it took to make sure Laura was safe. He’d be there for her any way she’d let him—to protect not only her but her child as well. Because deep in his heart, he knew he already loved them both.
Laura jumpedout of her car and rushed to help Cade. By the time she reached the front bumper, he’d already emerged from the vehicle. Moonlight filtered through the trees. His shoulders sagged and the normal scruff on his jaw had grown scraggly, giving him a harder edge than she was used to seeing.
An edge that somehow made him even sexier.
“Wait a second. Let me help you.” He’d argued with the nurses about being wheeled out of the hospital when they’d left, but protocol didn’t allow him to escape her pushing him from the emergency room to her car. Now she didn’t have policies to help convince him to lean on her for support as she walked him to his front door.
“I’m fine,” he said, although the tight line of his mouth told a different story.
She stayed glued to his side anyway, setting a palm on the middle of his back, as though that would do anything to steady him if a wave of dizziness hit. “I know you are, but the doctor gave me the task of making sure you stay fine, and I take that very seriously.”
He snorted at her no-nonsense tone. “All I need right now is a hot shower and warm bed.”
Images of Cade standing naked under a spray of water filtered into her head and she swallowed hard. Being in his home that morning had been torture as she’d heard the steady drum of water coming down, knowing he’d been just beyond the wall. So close her fingers itched to skim the coarse hair along his face and explore what lay below his well-fitting clothes.
She cleared her throat and ushered him up the porch steps. Man, these pregnancy hormones were messing with her in more ways than one. She needed to get a grip and fast.
Pushing open the front door and switching on the light, all thoughts of getting her hands on Cade evaporated. She gasped. He’d told her someone had broken in and trashed his home, but she’d been so worried about him she hadn’t given much thought to the mess that awaited.
“Shit.” Cade shoved a hand through his hair. “You should go home. Dealing with this mess is the last thing you should have to handle. I’ll get to it later.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She closed the door behind them and led Cade to the brown leather chair in his living room. Scanning the floor, she found the discarded cushion then returned it to its place before urging Cade to sit. “Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head then winced and pressed his fingers against his temples as he leaned back in the chair. “No thanks.”
She let out a long breath. “Okay then. You sit and relax while I put this place back together.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. I want to. You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
She surveyed the destruction. Most of the damage didn’t appear to be permanent. More like someone had come in and made the biggest mess they could manage. “Looks like a toddler came inside and threw a giant temper tantrum. Is the rest of the house like this?”
He shrugged. “I never got a chance to see. Deputy Wells assured me whoever had been here was gone by the time he arrived and encouraged me to report anything that was stolen. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine on how the other rooms look.”
The touch of sadness in his voice cracked her heart in two. He’d opened up to her about how much his home meant to him. How building these walls had helped put him back together. Now someone had tainted his safe space. Had broken in and made this space ugly with their hatred and violence. She might not be able to help much, but she could bring the beauty back—the peace he’d found in this place.
“I can’t tell if anything’s been taken, but I can put things back where they belong. I’ll make note of anything broken or damaged.”
Without waiting for any more protests, she busied herself putting pictures back in their places—cleaning broken glass when necessary—and righted the furniture in the living room before tackling the kitchen.
