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Brick put his hand on her neck, thumb along her jaw. “I love you.”
“I love you.” When he looked toward the body again, Les gripped his forearm.
“It’s okay. I meant it. I’ll be right here until they come for her. Alice will know she was never alone.”
His gaze touched the body bag she held. “I’ll help you get her squared away. Before I need my coat back.”
“Okay.” Then she flung herself at him, held him tight. “Don’t you ever do that to me again, or I swear to God, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”
He held her off her feet, his breath a rasp against her ear. He smelled of smoke, but also like the heated male she loved. “Threatening your Master. That definitely goes on the list.”
“It better.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
On Monday, Les called Dr. Portland and told her she would return on Thursday. She’d decided to take an extra day to help Dr. Spring in his practice before heading back to Durham early on Wednesday. She didn’t doubt the decision she’d made at the fire. However, dealing with wellness checks and assisting Dr. Spring helped her find her footing again. So did talking to him about the ups and downs he’d had throughout his own journey as a doctor.
Brick spent time at the firehouse. He’d offered to share some of the training he’d had in Richmond to help improve Fairhope’s response time. Carter proved he wanted to be a better chief by welcoming the help, rather than drawing territorial lines. All of them felt the loss of Josie.
On Tuesday morning, Les received the write-up of the M&M. It was agreed that Dr. Jack perhaps should have put eyes on the child to verify Les’s exam, but they all knew how busy the hospital was. “The medical student in question has good instincts,” Les had read, with mixed feelings. “We could not positively conclude that either the resident or attending would have arrived at a different diagnosis. The symptoms presented did not obviously call for the more in-depth diagnostics that might or might not have flagged the patient’s vulnerability to the myocarditis.”
She would continue to grieve Llanzo. Time wouldn’t make her forget, but she would use the experience to give her patients better care. It was all she could do. It was what she should do. Most importantly, it was what she wanted to do.
Rufus, her mother, Brick, Dr. Portland, Dr. Spring, Beulah…they’d all brought her to the decision. And like her mother had suggested, Les had let her heart tell her it was the right one.
At last Wednesday came. Marcus and Thomas had headed back to New York on Monday. Last night, when Rory and Daralyn came for dinner, Les hugged them good-bye. They’d have gotten up early this morning to have the store open by seven a.m.
So it was just her, Elaine and Brick, standing in the driveway by Brick’s truck. Heading back to school had always gripped Les with a bitter homesickness, a reaction that had become far worse on her last few visits. But today was different, more in balance. She looked forward to getting back to her studies and clinical challenges, while equally looking forward to the next time she’d be here.
This was her home, and nothing would change that. She would be back. Again and again, until it was time to stay and be what she wanted to be—a contributing member of the community she loved.
That would be true whether she was a grocery clerk or dog groomer. Or a housewife and active retiree like her mother. But her plan was to be a doctor.
She gave her mother a long hug before drawing back. “I’m all right. Thank you.”
“I know you are. I love you,” Elaine responded. “Eat something, and reach out if you need to talk.”
Then Elaine hugged Brick. Though she was as dwarfed by his size as Les, her grip on his shoulders was strong. When he straightened, she gave him a pointed look. “Take care of my girl.”
“You know I will.”
He squeezed her hands, and helped Les into the truck. As they pulled out, Les turned and waved to her mother until she was out of sight, then drew a breath.
Brick glanced at her. “Okay?”
“Yeah. Yes. I think I am.”
Their clasped hands rested on his thigh. With home receding in the mirror, and feeling the shift of his leg beneath her touch, her mind was drawn to something else important. Possibly even urgent.
Since the treehouse, they hadn’t had time to be together…like that. She’d thought about it plenty, lying in her bed at night. Or sitting next to him at the kitchen table, hips brushing. Talking to her mother in the evening, while watching TV with her and Brick.
Every exchanged look, even the most casual touch of his hand, had her thinking about him. Wanting him.
Fully, solidly, head over heels in love. He wasn’t the only one. But there was also a good bit of lust involved in that, especially when a woman’s heart was held by a sexual Dominant who could arouse her with no more than a look.
She put her scheduling abilities to work, juggling the variables. If they reached her condo by early afternoon, that would give her a certain amount of time to settle in, field Beulah’s questions, prepare herself for rounds tomorrow…
Maybe Brick could stay for the night? No, he’d said he had to be at work tomorrow morning.
