After a few minutes of tears, Devin regains his composure and kisses me as though I am his lifeline. And you know what? I am. I kiss him back with the same exuberance.
“Better?”
“Yes. Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please don’t make me leave your side. I just can’t. I just won’t. Not even if you asked me to. I just can’t leave you. I love you so much.”
“Devin.”
“You don’t know what this week has done to me.”
“Devin.”
Clearly, it’s turned him into a man who needs a good shower and a shave, as well as change of clothes.
“Baby, I’m so sorry.”
“Devin, please. I’m not supposed to get upset or overwhelmed.”
“I just love you so much.”
Grabbing his collar as he clearly isn’t going to stop talking anytime soon, I kiss him hard and deep. Minutes tick by without letting him up for air.
“Better now?”
He just smiles and nods his head.
“Good, now why don’t you and I just sit here for a few minutes while we hold each other? It seems we really need to find our happy place. I don’t know about you, but mine is right here, in your arms.”
“Oh, Clar baby, yes. Mine is in your arms, too.”
The endearment he often uses for me brings tears to my eyes as I feel him crawl into bed next to me. Drifting off to sleep, he just holds me, and I know that we’ll figure it all out later. Right now, as long as we have each other, all is right in our world.
Sometime later, Lexie comes back into the room. I’m not asleep as she enters, but I put a finger to my lips to make sure the silence stays in the room for Devin’s sake.
Beaming with pride as she takes in our embrace, Lexie goes about checking my vitals, making her way back to the living room without a sound once she’s done.
***
Exhausted from all the stress, but completely refreshed after a good night’s sleep in Clara’s arms, Devin wakes alone in the bed. Then panic sets in as he springs from the bed, calling for Clara, only to find her in the shower, looking the picture of health.
“Damn baby, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
I jump, startled from the shower door opening.
“Devin, you scared me.”
“I hope you saved me some hot water, because I’m coming in.”
“Oh Devin, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, baby. You have no idea.”
***
A little later on, Lexie wakes from a fitful sleep, hearing voices coming from the living room. Is that laughter? Smiling from ear to ear, she knows Clara is better, but she hasn’t been given the chance to tell Devin, since he slept so soundly the night before, and they thought it was just best to let him sleep.
Today she’ll be leaving, heading back up north to her condo and the job that’s waiting for her return. Leaving was the best decision she’s ever made. Even at times when they needed her most, she’s only a few hours away from her family, and that’s comforting to know.
***
“Hey, you two.”
For the first time in weeks, I walk into the kitchen with Devin on my heels.
“Hey, Lexie. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thank you. Today I’ll be heading home, after we discuss a few things.”
“What things?”
“Well, for starters. Devin, no more recklessness without my patient’s consent. In fact, no more recklessness for either of you. Doctor’s orders.”
Laughing at Devin as he sticks his tongue out at me, I feel the weight of the last several weeks fade away.
“As for your recovery, Clara, I’d say you’re all set. Just finish off the meds and get plenty of rest. Stop when you get tired, and don’t overexert yourself. Also, try not to do any reckless things. Your body still needs time to heal.”
“How much time?”
Listening intently as Lexie gathers her things from around the living room, I move to stand next to her, placing my hand on her arm, causing Lexie to look up.
“I’d say about four months of light activity.”
I gasp so loud that Devin looks up.
“Clara, your body has been through a lot. The infection almost killed you. Had Devin not thought to contact me, it would have.”
I blink back tears and just mouth “thank you” as I turn toward Devin.
He begins picking items out of the fridge to make breakfast.
“Lexie, how about some bacon and eggs?”
“Sure. Do you have any turkey bacon?”
“Of course! For you, anything you want.”
“Dev?”
“Yeah?”
“You need the turkey bacon, too!”
Laughing, Lexie approaches Devin, pulling him into a hug as she stands behind him.
He pauses to hug her back, then continues making breakfast for everyone, at peace with his sister once again.
Then Jason strolls in, giving a head’s up that he too would like some breakfast.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Devin continues cooking and begins humming.
“Clara it’s good to see you up and around. I just…”
Combing his fingers through his hair, Jason obviously doesn’t know what else to say.
“What is it, Jason?”
I sit down at the breakfast bar and watch my man cook while I wait for Jason to reply. Though the two of us didn’t really see eye to eye before, I can tell Jason is leery about continuing to talk. He wants to make sure I’m listening, and that I’ll sincerely hear him out.
“What’s up?”
“I just want to apologize for putting you in danger, and causing you to get so sick as a result.”
“Jason, my getting sick was from the attack, and the hospital.” Grabbing his arm, I turn my attention fully to him. “You, however, put me in harm’s way without my knowledge, which was wrong on so many levels. What did you think? That I wouldn’t go along with the plan had I known? Or do you just not want to take my input about the situation into regard, even though I am the one that has been dealing with this psycho for a decade? Don’t you think I have some knowledge about what makes this guy tick?”
“Clara.”
Devin’s tone is a warning that I’m getting upset.
I know I need to stay calm and relaxed and not overemotional as I talk with Jason, but ugh, it’s so hard because all I really want to do is punch him.
Jason looks at Devin and Lexie, then back at me as I begin to get red. Then he jumps up from the chair and runs to get me some water.
Taken aback by his concern, I realize I’ve never seen him do anything nice for me before.
He actually gives a shit? About me?
I decide to take a deep breath and go with it. When he returns with the water and places it into my hand, he pats me in an attempt to soothe me.
His face is ashen as he watches me take a few gulps of the refreshing liquid, clearly worried about what I’ll say or do next.
“Jason?”
“Yes.”
I almost can’t hear his reply, he says it so quietly.
“Please just clue me in on things next time. You don’t need to keep me out of the plans, and I’d really like to help.”
“Really?”
It occurs to me that the people in this room I’ve gotten to know are nothing like the ones I left behind. They’d never use me for personal gain. They’re good people, and in his own weird way, Jason was just trying to protect me, too. That’s why he didn’t include me in what was going on.
“Apology accepted, Jason.”
“What? You serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. I realize now that you were just trying to protect me in your own way.”
“Yes, I was. I’m not used to… That is, it’s not often that Devin…”
“I know what you’re trying to say, and we’ll figure it out. This is all new. I’m sure we’ll come across a few obstacles along th
e way.”
“Obstacles, huh? How about you get better, then we’ll figure out the obstacles. I have been beating myself up for weeks thinking that if anything happened to you, I might lose my brother, too.”
“Oh, Jason, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Tears no longer threatening and now just rolling down my cheek, I give him a hug that’s clearly uncomfortable for him to accept, but he awkwardly takes it, just the same.
“That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me, too, Jas.” Arms open.
“Don’t even think about it, dickhead.”
Devin chuckles as he returns to the eggs cooking on the stove.
“Aw, you guys are so cute.”
“Shut up, Lexie,” they both say in unison.
“How’s breakfast coming?”
“Almost done, baby.”
“Good, I’m starving.”
“Good,” Lexie says as she sits next to me, pushing Jason away from the chair.
“You need to eat. I’ll be leaving after we finish this, and I want you to not do much of anything for the next week. Afterward, I want you to come see me at my place up north, so I can check on your progress and get you away from these boneheads for a while.”
Laughing, I feel a sense of freedom return as I hug Lexie.
“I’d love that!”
“Hey!”
“Oh, you can come, too.” Pointing to Jason, she says, “I’m not sure about you, though.”
“What do you think, Lexie? Should we give him a break?”
“Okay, he can come, too. Looks like you can’t get away from the boneheads. Sorry, Clara.”
“It’s okay. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m actually beginning to like the boneheads.”
“Wow, you are smitten with my brother. But what’s the excuse for the other one?”
“He grows on you, like toe fungus. Just can’t get rid of him.”
“Thanks, I think maybe I’ll take my breakfast to go.”
Now we are all laughing as Devin insists on Jason sitting down to eat.
Then he takes me into his embrace, kissing me as he fills my plate with my favorites: eggs, turkey bacon, and toast. Once everyone is seated, he looks around the room, truly happy for the first time in weeks.
***
With her brothers taken care of and Clara sorted out, Lexie makes her way to her brother Adam’s bar. As soon as Adam recognizes her entering the door, he runs up to her, engulfing her in a fierce hug, lifting her high off the floor and swinging her around and around.
Laughing, the two of them part, making their way to the main bar area as Lexie takes in her brother’s appearance. He looks good, for an entrepreneur. Happy, even.
“How’s the new girlfriend? What’s her name again?”
“Amanda, and you met her already.”
“I did?”
“Yep, over New Year’s.”
“I thought you broke up with her. You’re back together?”
“Well, it’s just for fun, but yeah, we’re still doing whatever we’re doing.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Sounds so romantic.”
“Hush up, you. How’s the guy you’re with? Some doctor?”
“Gone. He was boring.”
“Super, then we’re both messed up.”
“Yep, basically.”
“How’s Clara doing?”
“She’s getting better. Did you meet her yet?”
“Yeah, early in the relationship. Nice girl. Great for Devin.”
“She really is. I’ve never seen him like this, so into someone this much.”
“Yeah, it’s inspiring. Not sure I’m ready for all that.”
“Do you really get a choice when the time comes?”
“No, I don’t think you do.”
Adam smirks, then gives a gentle smile as he looks into his beer. He seems sad to Lexie.
“I really enjoy this place, Adam. It’s amazing here.”
“Thanks, Lex. That means the world to me.”
“You really did something wonderful with the space, and to think it was a Kinko’s before you got ahold of it. Crazy.”
“Yep, crazy. Also crazy how much work I had to do to get the Kinko’s people to stop coming back after we opened. It took months for them to realize this place didn’t have copy machines they could use in the middle of the night.”
Busting out laughing, Lexie feels her chair shake.
“That’s hysterical. Stop now, or wine will come out my nose.”
“Oh, that’s real professional, Doctor Alexis. I’m sure a snapshot of that would be worth something on social media.”
“Don’t even think about it, mister.”
Adam poses, at the ready to take the shot, but stops as soon as she holds up her hand to cover the camera portion of his phone.
“Okay, okay. Relax, it’s just fun to see you unwind.”
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks.”
“I’m glad you were able to help Devin with Clara.”
“Me, too.”
“So, what’s the plan now?”
“Back home. Clara is good, and the boys are fine again, so I’m done here.”
Nodding his head in agreement, he sips on his drink again.
“Well, I’ll miss ya.”
“You could come up to see me at any time, you know.”
“I may take you up on that. Real soon. I could use a vacation, and the boys here have the place running like clockwork, so I can go whenever I need to. How’s about we take on some fishing once I come up?”
“Fishing?”
Wrinkling her nose in the air, Lexie scrunches her face into a sour response. Fishing isn’t something that’s going to happen anytime soon.
“Wii Fishing?”
Adam almost chokes on his beer at her response.
“Can’t grill a Wii Fish, my dear sister. I mean actual fishing.”
“Yuck. No, thank you.”
“What? Do you have a better idea?”
“Yes. How about we buy the fish at the pier, and grill them at the house? Then I’ll take you out to the club for some golf instead.”
“Oh, now that is a great idea. Let’s do it!”
Clapping her hands together, Lexie surprises Adam with a hug. Then she whispers into his ear.
“Just don’t stand me up this time.”
“With an incentive like that, how could I? You’ve finally found all my favorite things.”
“Had to happen, sooner or later.”
Finished with her glass, she’s ready to leave. She says her goodbyes and makes her way across the bar toward the door. Next stop: back home. She can’t wait to curl up into bed and sleep for days after all that’s transpired these past few weeks.
Chapter Thirteen
On the road to recovery, getting back to a normal routine is anything but routine—especially with an overzealous security person and an overprotective boyfriend. The two men end up combining forces and come up with a plan that promises not only keep me safe, but everyone I love as well.
“So, the plan is that I learn self-defense. Okay, check. I already took self-defense after I was attacked the first time, so this is kind of a silly waste of time.”
“A—you took a form of self-defense, and B—this is not a waste of time for any of us. The better you get at defending yourself, the more of a chance we have next time. Then hopefully it will be the last time—if he even gets that far.”
“What do you mean?”
Jason just takes his stance on the mat as he waves his brother over.
“As a rule of thumb, I taught all my family self-defense. Several kinds, actually, so they would be prepared against different strategies and styles of fighting. First position, Devin.”
As soon as the words leave Jason’s lips, Devin is poised and ready to block a punch, getting into the first position Jason taught him after he became head of security at the company.
“Clar baby, this actually hel
ps, and it’s a great workout, too. So please pay attention and have an open mind when you listen. Jason is anything but repetitive, so try to catch it the first time. Oh, and ask tons of questions.”
“Hey! No cheating!”
“Jason, it’s not cheating if my man gives me advice I could so use at the moment. Besides, I thought I was on light activity.”
“I cleared this with Lexie already. She knows what we’re doing, and she told me what you couldn’t do. It was easier since she’s done all these exercises, as well, so she already knew what I shouldn’t do with you because of your injuries.”
“Good, I don’t want any setbacks.”
“Um, guys, this pose is great and all, but it’s tiring after a while.”
“Oh, hush, and just stand there before I make you stand there longer.”
“Guys.”
“Shut up, Jason!”
“No, you shut up, Devin!”
“Guys!”
“What?!”
They both turn toward me, immediately regretting their actions and harsh tones.
“Sorry, honey, just keep calm. Jason and I are just brothers being brothers.”
“If this is brothers being brothers, what’s it like when you add Adam?”
“Or all of us, for that matter. Oh, I’m sure you’ll find out sooner or later.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
Devin whips his head from Jason to Clara with a caught-in-a-trap expression on his face.
Knowing something’s going on, but not in the mood to press for an explanation, I figure I’ll find out whatever it is when the time is right.
“First position, Devin.”
“Okay, asshat.”
I laugh while shaking my head in frustration. I’m nervous that I’m becoming accustomed to their banter. God help me, I’ve actually missed the affectionate exchanges between them.
When I suddenly have to contain the yawn that makes its way from my lips, I figure I should probably get some more rest.
“I’ll just show you this, Clara. Then you can go and lie down for a while.”
Once Devin is in position and they’re sure I’m paying attention, Jason makes a move to lung for him, only to be rebounded, tossed off his shoulder, and land flat on his back. Devin makes a move that seems like he’s about to punch Jason—hard—but he stops short.
Heart's Desire (Game of Hearts Series Book 2) Page 17
