by Marie Tuhart
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She flexed her wrists and bent her elbow several times. Her arms encircled his neck. “You are a wonderful man.” She smiled then gave him a kiss.
“As long as you’re okay.” He put his palms on her upper arms.
“Damon, I’m fine. Stop worrying and kiss me.”
He smiled and did as she asked.
* * * *
It was after nine before they sat down to have dinner. Damon took over frying the chicken when he noticed how uncomfortable Tessa was with hot oil.
“This came out great,” she said. “Thanks to you."
“You needed a little help.”
“A lot of help.” She sat down her fork. “I don’t think I’ll ever be a good cook.”
“That’s what you have me for.”
Tessa froze and blinked. She didn’t want to make light of his words or take them too seriously. “I do, have you, that is.” She hesitated, but she needed to know. “Are we in a relationship?”
Damon grinned. “We’ve been in one since you came to my house for the picnic.”
Her mouth opened and closed. He was right. Okay, awkwardness passed. But another one was coming up. “Will you spend the night?” she asked.
This time, his eyes grew wide. “I would like that, thank you.” So darn polite. “I actually have a meeting in town tomorrow morning.”
“Oh.” She finished off her dinner.
“Yeah. I don’t know if you noticed, but the store next to mine is up for sale.”
“I didn’t know. Are you planning to buy it?”
“Yes. After Wednesday night, I realized the book club needs its own space, and Destiny has been after me to carry more books. I have limited space, so it makes sense.”
“That’s great.”
“You don’t sound all that excited.” Damon pushed his empty plate away.
“I am, it’s—” She broke off. “It’s not my place to say.”
He reached across the small table and took her hand. “Didn’t we confirm we’re in a relationship?”
“Yes.” She swallowed.
“So tell me what you’re thinking, Tessa.”
She stared at him. There was honesty in his voice. “Are you, maybe, overextending yourself?”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” He stood up, crossed over to her, and pulled her out of her chair into his arms. “I’m fine, sweetheart.”
“You might think that, Damon, but all of this is going to take time from you. The club, the adult store, now you want to expand the bookstore, and your toy business picked up a huge contract.” She shook her head. “You can’t do it all. I’ve seen too many people in DC overextend themselves and run into issues with their business.”
Damon’s lips brushed her cheek. “I promise you I’m not overextending. But I thank you for worrying about me. Trust me?”
“Yes.” She did. In her heart and in her life.
“Then trust me on this. Now, let’s clean up dinner and go back to bed.”
Tessa nodded and slipped out of his embrace, but her worry lay like a lead ball in her stomach.
* * * *
Damon met the real estate agent at ten on Saturday. The storefront had been empty for a while, so there was going to be work to do to clean it up and get things ready, but it made sense. He noted everything that needed to be done and put in an offer.
The real estate agent smiled, telling him she’d talk with the owner. Damon was aware he might have low-balled the offer a bit since the place had only recently been put on the market.
After meeting with the real estate agent, Damon went to the bank and talked with the loan officer. He was assured there would be no issue with a loan to buy the store. Damon also transferred money from his account into the Wicked Sanctuary account.
Once outside the bank, Damon called Max. “Hey Max, an FYI: I transferred money into the club accounts to help with the expansion.”
“You didn’t have to do that so quickly,” Max said.
“I was at the bank anyway, so figured it would be better to do it now than have to worry about it later.”
“So you’re in town.”
“I put in a bid on the store next to mine.”
“That’s great. Are you going to be able to float a loan to get it?”
Damon laughed. “I’m financially fine. There’s no reason to worry.”
“Sorry. Habit to worry about my friends.”
“Same goes here. Is there anything special on the agenda for the club tonight?”
“Nope. I’ve got you on DM duty from eight to ten and two to four.”
“Late night tonight.”
“I also figured we can talk with Colby and Zeke tonight to see if they’re willing to accept extra duties.”
“That will be good.” Damon climbed into his car.
“Are you bringing Tessa with you tonight?”
“Probably. I need something to do between ten and two.”
Max laughed. “See you later.”
Damon had pulled into his driveway when his cell rang. It was the real estate agent. The owner accepted his bid and wanted to move on selling the place right away. She would send everything through to his email address.
He went into his home office and printed out all the paperwork and began reading, then he called Jordan.
“Hey, Damon.”
“Hey. Do you have some time this afternoon?” There was some shuffling noise on the other end.
“How does two work?”
Damon looked at the clock. It was barely eleven-thirty. “That will work.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“I put in an offer on the property, and they accepted the offer.”
“That was fast.”
“Yeah, I suspect the owners wanted to get out from underneath the property. I have all the stuff from the real estate company.”
“Bring everything. Did you get a loan yet?”
“No. I did talk with them, and they said it wouldn’t be an issue.”
“It shouldn’t be. I’ll grab one of the paralegals who deals with this stuff in case I miss something.”
“Thanks. See you at two.” Damon hung up and gathered up all the printed material into a folder before leaving the house. Sometimes, living out here could be a trial, especially when he had to drive into town a couple times a day, but it was worth it.
On his way back into town, he called Tessa.
“Hello.”
“Hello, beautiful. Are you available for lunch?” She was working today.
“Let’s see… Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I am.” There was laughter in her voice.
“Good. I’m on my way back into town. Meet you at the deli on South Street, or would you rather go to Sweet and Savory?”
“Sweet and Savory, please. I’d rather support Lara than a deli chain.”
“You got it. I’ll be at the library in about twenty minutes.”
“Why don’t I meet you at the cafe?”
Damon was about to say no but realized he needed to let Tessa do things on her own. Picking her up and driving her home was habit. He wanted to make sure she was safe. “Okay. See you there.”
He hung up with a smile on his face. Today was going quite well.
* * * *
Damon paced outside Sweet and Savory. Where was Tessa? She might have gotten hung up at work, but she would have called if that were the case or at least texted. He fought against trying to call her, but his need to make sure she was okay won out.
Nothing. The phone went directly to voicemail. Where was she? After another ten minutes, he couldn’t stand it any longer. He got into his car and started for the library. His phone rang.
“Tessa?” He hadn’t even bothered to look at the screen.
“Damon, I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft but tearful.
“Sweetheart, where are you?” He pulled over and parked.
“The emergency ro
om.”
Damon’s heart sank to his stomach. “Are you okay?”
“I will be. It was a stupid accident.”
“We’ll talk about it later. I’m on my way.” Damon hung up and flipped a U-turn and headed for the local hospital. He finally found a parking spot on the sixth floor of the parking structure, and he ran to the ER.
He tried to be calm as the nurse helped another patient. But his mind was on Tessa.
“How can I help you, sir?” the nurse said.
“My fiancée was brought in here. Tessa Ruthledge.” A little white lie, but he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from seeing her.
“Oh yes, sir.” She motioned to another nurse. “Would you take this gentleman to room three, please.”
“Thank you.” Damon followed the other nurse who left him outside of room three. Taking a deep breath, he walked in. Tessa lay on the bed, her face pale and her eyes closed. “Tessa,” he whispered.
Her lashes rose. “Hi, Damon.” She tried to smile, but it wobbled a bit. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes turned glassy.
“Sweetie.” He went to her side, and took her hand. “What happened?”
“A silly accident.” She wiped her tears with the hand that didn’t have an IV in it. “I was coming out of the library and somehow slipped on the last stair.”
“Those stairs are concrete.”
“Yep.” She started to nod and winced. “I’ve got a bruised tailbone for sure. The doctor is checking on the other tests to make sure I don’t have a concussion.”
“You hit your head?” His hand tightened on hers.
“Yeah. I didn’t pass out or anything. I mainly landed on my ass. Good thing I have lots of padding back there.”
“Don’t joke.” Damon frowned at her. He could have lost her to a stupid accident. His heart clenched.
“Please don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will.” He fought back the urge to gather her up into his arms and never let go. As she said, it was an accident. But he couldn’t stop the feeling of dread in his stomach.
The curtain was pushed back, and an older gentleman in a white jacket came strolling in. “Hello. I’m Dr. Newman,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Damon Kline, Tessa’s fiancé.”
“Very good. X-rays are clean. I’m not seeing any concussion related symptoms, and her imaging studies are all clear.”
“She winced when she tried to nod,” Damon said.
“Oh.” The doctor walked over to the bed, and Damon backed away. “Does it hurt?”
“A little bit.” Tessa said. “A little bit of a headache and a little ache in the neck.”
The doctor had Tessa lean forward and he felt around her neck.
“There’s no question that you’re going to have some soreness in your neck and back, and some bruising in your buttocks and hip, all from your fall. Ice to keep the swelling down and warm compresses to help with muscle spasm. Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain. You’re going to feel rough around the edges for the next three or four days. If you experience any dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or headache not helped by the ibuprofen or Tylenol, come back right away or call your primary care doc. The nurse will be in with your discharge papers and to remove the IV.” He went over to the computer and typed in a few things.
“Thank you,” Tessa said.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Damon commented. The doctor nodded and left the room. Damon took her hand again.
“I’m sorry. You don’t need to wait here with me.”
“Nonsense. What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t?”
“Damon, we’re not engaged.”
“Not yet.”
Tessa sighed and closed her eyes. Damon stood there holding her hand as she rested. The adrenaline rush was leaving him, but he wasn’t going to leave her alone. Not now. Not ever.
* * * *
“Damon, I’m fine. Go to work at the club,” Tessa said as she lay her head back on the soft sofa pillows. She was getting frustrated. Yes, her head hurt a little bit, but that was it, and they still hadn’t discussed his fiancé comment.
“Doctor said you shouldn’t be alone.”
“He did not. He said to watch out for signs of a concussion, but nothing showed up on any of the tests. I took some ibuprofen, and my head barely hurts.”
“I’m going to call Max and see if he can cover for me.”
“No, you won’t.” Tessa had had enough. “You have a responsibility to Max and Jordan, for that matter. I know you don’t take that lightly.”
“I don’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her where she lay on the sofa. His sofa. The damn man refused to take her home, had carried her into the house, and plunked her down with an admonition to stay put.
“Then go.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Damn stubborn man.” She picked up her cell phone, which luckily had survived her fall. “Hey, Sierra. Any chance I can hang out with you at your place tonight?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain when I get there. Thanks.” She hit the off button and looked up at Damon. “There. Settled. I’ll stay with Sierra, and you can work.”
Damon’s scoff carried a hint of amusement. “Stubborn woman.”
“I could say the same about you.”
“Fine.” He threw his hands up. “But you will rest. No running around with Sierra. No coming over to the club. You will behave yourself.”
“Yes, oh lord and master.”
“Don’t you forget it.” Damon stomped off, and Tessa couldn’t help grinning. She’d won one battle, but there was still a war to be fought.
* * * *
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Damon so worried before,” Sierra said after Damon left.
“The man is paranoid.” Tessa adjusted her position on the sofa. “I really don’t need to lie here like an invalid.”
“I’m not about to cross a Dom when he’s in the mood Damon is in.” Sierra sat in the overstuffed chair. “What would you like to watch?” She started to scroll through the apps on the TV.
“Wait a second. Is this the Sierra who refused to give up her DVD collection in favor of using a smart TV and streaming?” Tessa gaped at her friend.
Sierra ducked her head. “That’s what happens when you marry an IT guy.”
Tessa laughed. They settled on a musical and sat back to watch.
* * * *
Damon was in a foul mood as he walked the club floor. Tessa had outwitted him on this, but he’d made it clear to both Tessa and Sierra that Tessa was to rest and not so much as lift a finger to do anything.
Tessa had stuck her tongue out at him, and he’d showed her a better way to use her tongue. Such a way that he left her breathless and flushed.
“Okay?” Max asked.
“Better. How are the girls?”
“Tired of being checked up on. Do you want me to take the two to four shift?”
“No. You do enough as it is. Tessa is safe at your house. She’ll fall asleep, and I can carry her out to the car.”
“She didn’t look thrilled that you were carting her around when you brought her into the house,” Max said.
“She’ll learn.” Damon was insistent about making sure Tessa was safe. He didn’t want her falling again. Not on his watch.
“Who will learn?” Jordan asked coming up to them.
“Tessa. Where’s Crystal?” Damon asked.
“She decided to spend time with Tessa and Sierra,” Jordan said.
“Good.” That made Damon happy. Tessa would be comforted by her friends.
“I don’t know. You know those three can get into trouble,” Jordan said.
“Sierra is under strict rules,” Max said.
“When has that ever stopped her?” Jordan commented.
Damon swore. “Maybe I should go check on them.”
“Hey.” Jordan touched his arm. “I just left there. They’re fi
ne. Sierra was whipping up a bowl of popcorn, and they were going to watch a movie.”
Damon nodded. It was nine o’clock; he was off shift in an hour, and he could go check on them.
“Look, you take my midnight to two shift, and I’ll take the two to four shift,” Jordan offered.
“You’ve had a long week,” Damon said. “Sorry I missed our meeting this afternoon.”
“Tessa comes first. I’ll come out to your house tomorrow and look over the paperwork. As for my long week, not a big deal.”
“I’m fine. I’m sure Tessa will fall asleep soon, so I’ll check on her before I start my shift. And Max will be there in case she needs anything.” He almost hated letting Max take care of Tessa, but in this case, it was a necessity. As Tessa had reminded him, he’d made a commitment, and he took that seriously.
“Okay. When do you meet with the bank?” Jordan asked.
“I set up an appointment for Monday morning. The bank manager has already assured me that the loan will be processed quickly so I can get moving on the store.” There was a lot to do. Good thing he could handle the details from home tomorrow so he could keep an eye on Tessa.
“Have you talked to Zeke yet?” Max asked.
“I left him a message, figured we’d catch up on Monday. I thought he and Colby were going to be here tonight?”
“Apparently not, but it’s okay. I’ll set up a meeting for all of us next week. Are you guys available Tuesday evening?” Max asked.
“I should be,” Jordan said.
“Sure.” By then, Tessa would be better.
“All right. We’ll talk to them then about becoming DMs for us.” Max walked away.
“Better make my rounds,” Damon said, and he left Jordan.
* * * *
“Damon, you’re being stubborn as a mule on a cold day.” Tessa crossed her arms over her chest. It was Sunday afternoon, and he had refused to take her home. Jordan had come and gone, and Damon was still being fussy.
“You need to rest.”
“That’s all I’ve done practically all weekend. I’m not dizzy or nauseous. No headaches since yesterday evening. I’m fine.”
“It doesn’t mean you can’t fall again.”
Tessa took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before opening them. “Damon, it was a freak accident. You need to understand that.”
