by Amy Reece
She stared up at him, clearly trying to decide if what he was suggesting was remotely plausible.
“Come on, Izzy. I’m her father. I need to start figuring all this stuff out. We’ll be fine.” He had no actual confidence in his words, but he didn’t want her to miss out on her plans with her sister. He knew being a single mom had to be tough, leaving little time for herself, and he wanted to help.
“Well, I guess I could call the daycare and let them know. I’ll need to put her car seat in your SUV too.”
“All right, then. Sounds like a plan to me.” He flashed her a grin and leaned down to kiss her. “Let’s do this.”
He called Darius and told him he wouldn’t be back that afternoon, then headed to the daycare to pick up Janey. He was pleased when the daycare director asked to see his photo identification before she released her into his custody, even though his daughter had greeted him excitedly, telling her teacher he was her daddy. She seemed to love to say the word, but had yet to refer to him directly by the moniker. The fact that he had a badge around his neck and handcuffs, a gun, and a knife on his belt also helped establish his credibility with the daycare workers. He managed to get Janey in her car seat without too much trouble—she did most of the work—and then suggested they go out to dinner before he took her home. She didn’t seem bothered that her mother wasn’t there once she had ascertained that she was with her Aunt Cara and would be home later. All in all, he was feeling good about his ability to tackle this parenting thing, at least for one evening.
“I need to stop by my place to put away my badge and gun, Princess, but then we can eat. Where should we go?”
“Can we go to Red Robin?”
“Of course.” He was relieved she hadn’t chosen McDonald’s or some totally kid-themed place. He felt a little out of his depth as he examined the menu, trying to find something appropriate for Janey to eat, but she knew exactly what she wanted—something called Cluck-a-Doodles—and ordered it herself in a self-possessed manner that reminded him strongly of Izzy. She colored on her kid’s placemat while she chattered, telling Mac all about her day.
“And we got to walk to the park after lunch while the little kids were taking their naps ’cuz it was sunny. And I got to pick the book for story time and I picked Skippyjon Jones and everyone liked it.”
Mac would not have had a clue what she was talking about a month ago; now he felt like he was on a first name basis with Skippyjon, since he’d read the whole series about the adventurous and imaginative Siamese kitten to his daughter multiple times. She was an enjoyable and adorable dinner companion, and he found himself especially enjoying this time together, just the two of them. They shared a dessert, then headed home so he could get Janey bathed and ready for bed. Izzy had given him a spare set of keys a few days before and her alarm code, a mark of trust that humbled him a bit.
He’d barely begun to draw Janey’s bath when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and recognized Izzy’s number. “Hey, sweetheart. Everything is going fine here, so don’t worry. Are you and your sister having fun?”
“Mac? This is Cara. Don’t freak out, but we’re at the emergency room—”
“What?” he exploded and turned off the bath water. “Tell me.”
“We were leaving the restaurant and she was ahead of me. This car came out of nowhere! I was too far away to grab her. She saw it at the last second and jumped out of the way, but she fell and hit her head and cut her leg. She’s going to be okay, but she wanted me to call and let you know we’ll be late getting back. I’m sorry I’m rambling, Mac. I’m a little shaky.” Cara finished with a slight hiccough.
“Which hospital?”
“Downtown Presbyterian, but she said—”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Can you call your mom and let her know I’m going to drop Janey off?” He hung up as she was still talking and strode to his daughter’s room. “Janey, honey, I need to go in to work for a little while, so I’m going to drop you off at your grandma’s house.”
She’d been playing with her kitten on the rug and looked up at him with those huge green eyes. “Okay. Why do you have to leave?”
He didn’t want to worry her, so he repeated the fib about work. “But I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? You’re going to sleep at your grandparent’s house tonight.”
“What about Momma? When will she be home?” Janey was frowning, as if she was starting to see through the quick fabrication.
He scooped her into his arms and hugged her. “I’m not sure, but I promise we’ll both come get you tomorrow morning, okay? But right now I need you to grab your coat.”
Janey seemed to sense the urgency and nodded, then ran to get her coat. Mac didn’t like the quiet fear in her eyes as he buckled her into her car seat, but was afraid his own eyes held the same expression.
Chapter Six
Izzy
Well, at least my leg doesn’t hurt anymore. The lidocaine had done its job and she could no longer feel the pain from where the bumper of the car had glanced off her calf, ripping her slacks and creating a two-inch gash in her leg. There had been a lot of blood, but the emergency room doctor had assured her it would heal well with minimal scarring. The shots before the stitches had hurt almost worse than the cut, and she’d probably permanently damaged her sister’s hand by squeezing it so tightly. The more concerning injury was the concussion she’d suffered when her skull cracked against the pavement with impressive force.
“We’re sending you up for a CT scan,” the ER doctor said as he checked her pupils again. “You seem to be doing well, but we need to be sure. How’s the pain level on a scale of one to ten, with ten being completely unbearable?”
“Um, maybe a four or five? It’s mainly throbbing, so much I can’t think straight. Sorry.” She rubbed her forehead and frowned.
“You don’t have to apologize.” He pocketed his penlight and smiled. “Let’s see what’s going on with this CT scan, and then I’ll get you something for the pain. Relax for a few minutes while I get the techs in here to move you.” He patted her shoulder and left.
“Did you reach Mac?” she asked as Cara re-entered the room.
“Yeah. He’s on his way.”
“What? I told you to tell him to stay there with Janey. God, Cara! I don’t want him to see me like this. There’s no need.” She rubbed her head harder, willing the ache away. She was having a hard time holding on to her thoughts.
“I barely got a chance to talk! He shouted a few questions and then hung up. He’s kind of scary.”
“No, he’s not. Intense, yeah, I’ll give you that, but never scary.” She brushed her hair away from her face. “How bad do I look?”
“Pretty damn good, considering you got hit by a car.” Cara crossed the room to the sink and wet a paper towel so she could wipe some of the blood from Izzy’s arms. “So, it’s getting serious with you two, huh?”
“More serious than sharing a child? I don’t know. I think so, but…”
“But?” Cara prompted.
“But I’m not sure how he feels about me.”
“Oh, you mean rushing over here to the hospital doesn’t give you a hint?” Cara rolled her eyes at her sister. “Seriously, Iz. The man’s completely in love with you.”
“He hasn’t said that.”
“Yet. Give him some time. This whole thing must be kind of overwhelming for the guy, you know. How do you feel about him?” She handed Izzy a tube of lip gloss.
“I’m not sure. I think…I mean…I think I’m in love with him, but is it just me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What if it’s just me and the fact that I’m lonely and desperate and being a single mother is really hard?” She swallowed against the lump in her throat.
Cara laughed and hugged her gently. “Oh, sweetie! You’re so full of shit! But I love you anyway. Listen, I get that it’s hard sometimes, but if you love Mac, it has nothing to do with being lonely or desperate. Stop
trying to talk yourself out of it and just enjoy being in love.” She cocked her head to the side. “Ah, are those his dulcet tones I hear?”
“If you don’t let me see her, I swear to God I’ll arrest you! Goddammit! Izzy?” His shouts could be heard all over the emergency room.
“I’d better go get him before they throw him out.” Cara disappeared and returned a few seconds later with Mac in tow.
He crossed the room in two steps. “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”
She looked up into his handsome, wonderful face and knew. “I love you, Mac,” she blurted.
He stared at her for a moment then turned to Cara. “What kind of meds do they have her on?”
“None yet. Well, three’s a crowd, so I’m going to go find the cafeteria and see if I can get a cup of coffee. I’ll bring you one, Mac. They should be by to take her for a CT scan soon. Bye.” She wiggled her fingers in their direction then left.
Izzy wished she could disappear in the wake of her embarrassing revelation, but she was stuck in this damned bed. “Sorry about that. I hit my head. I’m not responsible for what I say.”
“First, tell me where you’re hurt and then we’ll get back to what you said, okay?” He smiled gently at her.
“We can pretend I never spoke. Really. I cut my leg. Well, technically a car did.” She pulled back the sheet to show him the bandage on her calf. “And I hit my head on the pavement. They think I have a concussion.”
“That’s all? How many stitches?” He ran his fingers gently over the skin above her bandage.
“I’m not sure. Ten maybe. You’ll have to ask Cara. I forgot.” She rubbed her forehead again. “I’m having a hard time keeping thoughts in my head right now.”
“What about your head? Any stitches there?”
She shook her head, then winced at the pain.
He placed his hand on her cheek. “Shh. Be still. Would it be okay if I kissed you? I’ll be very gentle.” He smiled hopefully at her.
“Please.” She raised her lips to his as they descended.
He brushed his lips across hers softly. “I love you too, Izzy. Of course I do. Hopefully you’ll still want to say it to me after you recover.”
“Probably.” She smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. “Where’s Janey?”
“I dropped her at your parents’ house before I broke every speed limit to get over here.”
“You didn’t tell her—”
“Of course not. I said I had to go into work.”
The techs showed up at that moment to take her for a CT scan. Mac was not allowed to follow, so he told her he’d call her mother and then find Cara.
He and Cara were both waiting in her room, sipping coffee from Styrofoam cups, when she returned. The smell hit her as the orderly wheeled her across the threshold and she nearly vomited. She didn’t want to say anything, though, because they’d both feel compelled to throw their cups away and she didn’t want to cause a fuss. Her head ached worse than ever and she wished the doctor would hurry with the pain medication. She closed her eyes and listened as Mac and Cara chatted in subdued voices, actually drifting off to sleep for a few minutes as their voices droned on.
“All right, Ms. DeLuca.” The doctor breezed into the room. “Your CT scan was clear—no subdural hematoma or swelling that I could see. I’ve ordered some pain meds for you that should help you get rid of that headache. Do you live alone?”
“Um, no.” It was hard to force the words out with her brain feeling so foggy. “I live with my daughter. She’s five.”
“Well, you’re going to need to stay with someone for a few days while you recover. Is that possible?” He asked the question while he shone the penlight in her eyes again.
“I’ll be with her,” Mac said. “She won’t be alone.”
“Good. She needs lots of rest for the next few days.” He turned back to Izzy. “I want you to go home and sleep. No television, music, computer, cell phone, or anything else. You need physical and cognitive rest for the next twelve hours. Then you can take it slow for a couple of days. Don’t go back to work until Monday.” He put the flashlight away. “I’ll send the nurse in with your pain medication and an antibiotic for your leg. We’ll get some paperwork signed and you should be out of here soon.” He shook hands with Cara and Mac, patted Izzy on the foot, then left.
The nurse entered a few minutes later and Izzy greedily swallowed the high-octane ibuprofen, then lay back with her eyes closed again. She hoped Mac was listening to all the instructions the nurse was delivering. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before another nurse or tech was back, insisting she get out of the bed. She groaned and tried to roll over and ignore her.
“Come on, Izzy, love.” Mac was there on her other side, urging her to wake so she could get into a wheelchair. “I’m going to take you home and you can sleep in your own bed.”
She simply couldn’t keep her eyes open as she was rolled through the hospital corridor and out to Mac’s SUV, waiting at the curb. When had he left to move it? He helped her into the front passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt, reclining the seat as far as it would go. It seemed like hours later when he stopped the car and turned off the motor.
“Let’s get you inside.” He helped her out of her seat, then lifted her into his arms to carry her into the house.
“I can walk,” she murmured against his shoulder.
“No need, hon.” He set her down to unlock the door and punch the code on the alarm, but then scooped her up again and carried her to her bedroom.
She felt the bed against her thighs and sank down gratefully. “Would you take my shoes off, please?”
“Sure.” He lifted her dangling legs onto the bed and gently removed her shoes. He continued, unbuttoning her ruined slacks and pushing them down her legs, being extra-careful around her bandage. Then he reached to unbutton her blouse, pulling her to sit up slightly so he could remove it.
“I wish I was less sleepy so I could enjoy you undressing me more,” she murmured.
He grinned and kissed her nose. “Soon. I promise to give you a turn next time.” He left on her bra and panties and managed to pull down the covers without making her stand. He pulled them up to her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her again. “Get some rest, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
She pulled her hand from under the covers and found his. “Sleep with me. Please?”
He brushed her hair away from her face and smiled crookedly. “Sure. Let me lock up and turn off all the lights.”
She fought to stay awake until he returned, wanting to make sure he came back. She heard him clicking off lights and checking all the doors. Then he returned to the bedroom. He went around to the other side of the bed and she watched through half-open eyes as he toed off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head. He unhooked his belt and unsnapped his jeans, pushing them past his narrow hips and off his legs. Clad only in a pair of boxers, he lifted the covers and slid in next to her. He scooted over and put his arms around her, gently cradling her against his warm body. “Where’s Janey?” She remembered asking earlier, but couldn’t seem to recall what he’d told her.
“She’s with your mom. You’ll see her tomorrow, love.”
“Thank you, Mac. I like your body.” She’d meant to add ‘next to mine,’ but it didn’t happen.
He chuckled lightly. “Go to sleep, Izzy. I’m here.” He kissed her hair.
She fell asleep surrounded by his warmth.
***
Mac
God, she’s so beautiful. She didn’t seem to have moved since she fell asleep the night before, still curled on her side and tucked against him. This is how I want to wake up every morning, with this gorgeous woman in my bed. Technically, it was her bed, but whatever. He wanted to be in it with her. He hated what had brought him here the night before, but he was realistic enough to know he would have been there soon enough, given the way things were going between them. And soon enough there will be mor
e than sleeping going on in whatever bed we find ourselves. But not today. She’d been hit by a car and needed rest. His blood boiled when he thought about what he’d like to do to the asshole who’d done it and driven off. She could have been killed; the thought made him dizzy. She was still sound asleep, so he carefully edged away from her warmth and slid out of bed. He pulled on his clothes and headed to the kitchen, leaving the bedroom door open slightly so he could hear if she called.
He put some coffee on, then made a quick call to Darius, letting him know what had happened to Izzy and that he wouldn’t be in today. “Hey, can you get a copy of the police report and email it to me?”
“Sure. What are you looking for?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m buying a random hit and run, though.” He’d thoroughly questioned Cara the night before while Izzy was having her CT scan. The police had questioned both women, plus a few other witnesses, at the scene, but nobody had managed to get even a partial license plate number. All Cara could remember of the vehicle was ‘big, black car.’ “I want to see the report. Do you think you could check into security cameras in the immediate area? I would love to get a look at the car.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ll make some calls. How’s Izzy?” Darius asked.
“Still asleep.” He ran a hand over his unshaven jaw. “She has a concussion and a nasty cut on her leg. God, Darius, it could have been so much worse. If I ever get my hands on the fucker who hit her—”
“I’ll do what I can to make that happen, man. Do you need anything?”
“I don’t think so. Thanks. Talk to you later.” He hung up and poured a cup of coffee. He took it with him out to the driveway to pick up the newspaper. Izzy was still sleeping when he checked on her a few minutes later, so he rooted around in her kitchen until he found what he needed to fix breakfast. He was turning the bacon when he felt slim arms slip around his waist from behind. He turned the heat down under the pan and turned to embrace her. “How are you feeling today?”
