“You just might see some of that backwoods upbringing come out. I try not to let people see that side of my heritage, but…” She shrugged and let the words die. Thomas could fill in the end of that sentence however he wanted.
Thomas nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
Sadness washed over Cat’s face as she reached for his hand. “Please forgive me?”
Thomas nodded again. “I will, Cat, but don’t ever ask me to go along with something like this again.”
She placed his palm on the side of her face and turned into it. “I won’t. As hard as it was for me, I know it was harder for you. You’re more important than anything to me. Please believe me.”
“I do.” He brought his other hand to her face and slowly kissed her lips then rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, honey.”
“I’m so glad you do because I love you, too.”
32
The next morning, Cat’s attending physician knocked on the door before sunrise. Thomas woke as the doctor and nurse walked in.
“Cat, honey, Dr. Daniels is here.” He stood and kissed the side of Cat’s head.
“Huh?”
“Dr. Daniels is here to check you.”
“Oh, it’s early.”
“Sorry, Ms. Livingston,” Dr. Daniels said as he moved to examine Cat’s face. While he felt her head, he spoke to his nurse. “Lip is healing nicely, and the knot at the back of her head has decreased.” He checked her good eye and then focused on the swollen one. He pried her eyelid open with his fingers, and it opened more than it had the day before. When he stood back to his full height, he noticed the state of Thomas’s face for the first time. “Dr. Gregory, are you alright?”
Thomas smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Do I need to be concerned for my patient?”
Thomas chuckled. “No, I helped a friend at his ranch yesterday. We had, um, an accident.”
“I see. Do you need me to look at that eye?”
“I’m good. We’re just ready to get out of here.” Thomas looked pointedly at Dr. Daniels.
“Ms. Livingston, do you have someone to help you at home?”
Cat nodded toward Thomas. “Yes, sir.”
“We live together. I’ve taken some time off, so I’ll be with her around the clock until she’d cleared to go back to work.”
“Well then, sounds like you’ll be in good hands, Ms. Livingston. I’ll sign your discharge papers. You’re free to go.”
“Dr. Gregory, her eye opened a little more today so maybe some of the swelling has started to subside. She should have her eye checked when the swelling goes down, and she shouldn’t drive until she can see out of both eyes. She needs to have her hand checked in six weeks. She may need some rehab with that.” He smiled at Thomas and shook his hand. “I know you know this stuff, but hospital rules say that I need to tell you anyway.”
“No, I appreciate it. This way she knows it isn’t just me not letting her do things.” Thomas looked back at Cat. “She can be stubborn sometimes.” The happy smile on Thomas’s face matched the one on Cat’s. I get to take her home.
“If you need anything, you know how to get in touch with me,” Dr. Daniels said to Thomas. He turned his attention back to Cat. “Ms. Livingston, I hope you feel better. Good luck. I’m glad things weren’t any worse.”
Cat nodded. “Thank you, doctor.”
Thomas watched the door close. “Let’s get you changed and then get the hell out of here.”
Cat eased out of bed. “I want a shower.”
“At home. We’ll take one together at home.”
He helped Cat get all of her things together so when the nurse walked back in with the discharge papers and a wheelchair, they were ready to go. “We’ll meet you out front, Dr. Gregory, if you want a head start to get the car,” the nurse said with a polite smile on her face.
Thomas kissed Cat on the forehead. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Decide which house we’re going to, okay?”
Cat smiled and nodded before Thomas left them at the door. He jogged down to his parking space in the employee’s garage. He looked at his watch. It was a little after seven, and he figured he’d have Cat in the bed by nine. They’d finally be able to get some sleep. He was planning out their first day at home together when he turned the corner and saw Jamison Moore leaning against his car.
“What the hell are you doing?” Thomas asked.
“I heard your girlfriend was being discharged,” she said as she walked closer to Thomas. “I’m sure she’s not going to feel like taking care of you, and I know you’re exhausted. I thought I’d offer to…help you out a little.” She laid her hand on Thomas’s chest.
He backed away from her. “Jamison, there is not now, nor has there ever been anything between us. Just so you know, there never will be in the future either. I love Cat, and I’m going to marry her. You need to understand that.”
“Fine.” She walked past him and bumped his shoulder.
Thomas didn’t think that was the end of Jamison Moore, so he made a mental note to do something about her as he cranked his car. He drove to the front of the hospital and saw Cat sitting there with sunglasses on waiting for him. He unlocked the doors and went around to help her get in, but the nurse already had her in place.
“Thank you,” he said as he hurried back around the car. Thomas pulled onto the four-lane. “Which house, Cat?” From the corner of his eye, he saw her turn to the side window. He wasn’t sure she was going to answer. “I think you’d feel more comfortable at your house, don’t you?”
She turned back toward him and smiled. “Yes, thank you.”
“Did you think I’d get upset to go there?”
“I didn’t know after the last conversation we had about living arrangements.”
“Well, a lot has changed since then. I had so much I wanted to talk to you about, but then you got hurt. It put some things into perspective for me.”
“Oh?”
“We’re going to talk about them, but I want you to listen to this song. This was me Monday night.” Thomas brought up a song on a playlist. “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young came on as he reached over and took Cat’s hand in his. They rode in silence while the song played, and he knew what he wanted to do.
“Cat, can you forgive me for all the stupid things I’ve done, and apparently continue to do?”
“What have you done? You’ve never done anything stupid.” The surprise in Cat’s voice couldn’t be hidden.
“Honey, I’ve been selfish, and I’m sorry.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will, but first under full disclosure, Jamison was waiting for me at my car this morning.”
“What? Why?”
“She doesn’t care that I’m in a relationship, so I’m calling human resources to ask them to change her rotation. It shouldn’t be hard with me coming off vacation, but they’ll need time to work it out with another nurse.” Thomas shook his head disbelieving someone could be so dense.
“So how have you been selfish, again?”
Thomas slowly shook his head again as they pulled into her driveway. “Not yet. Let’s get a shower first,” he said with a broad smile. He used the remote door opener so he could pull directly into the garage. “Stay put. Let me help you.” He opened his door and walked around the car and helped her out.
She was still moving slowly and winced a few times, so the walk took twice as long as normal. They went straight to their room where he left her sitting on the bed to start the water in the shower and get plastic to wrap her cast. When he returned, her good eye was closed, and he knew that she was tired from the move. Without saying a word, he knelt in front of her to remove her shoes. Thank God, Kayla remembered to bring her sneakers. As one shoe came off, she opened her eye and watched him remove the other.
“Can you stand so I can take off your dress?”
Cat stood and lifted her arms while Thomas smiled at her. The smile immediately
left his face when he saw the binding around her ribs and the bruises covering the rest of her rib cage. He gently lifted the dress over her head.
“Honey, we need to take the binding off. Try not to take a deep breath or your ribs will hurt, okay?” Cat nodded then Thomas removed the binding. His eyes furrowed as he examined her body. “Oh, Cat…” Agony filled his voice as his fingers moved over the skin.
“It’s okay, Thomas,” she whispered.
“No, it’s not okay.”
He wrapped her cast then quickly removed his clothes and led her to the shower. He backed in so he’d take the pressure from the water, and she’d have a waterfall effect.
“Even though the cast is in plastic, hold it away from the water.”
He gently washed her hair and body while she stood looking as if she were lost. He knew her well enough to know that she was deep in her head, so he finished as quickly as he could. She stood to the side while he bathed himself.
Once they were back in their bedroom, he bound her ribs and found her something comfortable to wear before slipping on a pair of gym shorts. “Are you ready for bed?”
“I’d like to sit on the back porch for a while.” He took her hand and guided her to the swing on the porch overlooking the pond. “I’ve missed this.”
“Me, too.”
He positioned himself long ways on the swing, and she nestled between his legs. The last time they were in this position was the day after their argument. So much had happened in the last three-plus weeks. Thomas wrapped his arms around Cat’s shoulders, and she bowed her head to rest her chin on his arms.
“Cat, what were you thinking about in the shower?”
She shrugged. “I was thinking about my parents. I miss them.”
Her tears hit his arms, and he kissed the back of her head. He wasn’t sure if this was the right time or place, but it was them, so he took a slow deep breath. “Cat, you’re not alone anymore. You know that you can always come to me with anything, right?”
“I know, but it’s not the same.”
“I get that, but I’d like us to be a family. What do you think?”
“Yes, I’d like that too.” She turned her head so he could see her smile.
He kissed her on the side of her forehead. “Then I need you to sit up a minute.” She did, and he stood and walked inside.
This was it.
Deep breath in, slow breath out.
He went to their bedroom where he’d dropped all of their things and brought the little bag out of his pocket. He discarded the bag but took the box with him. When he got back to the swing, she was sitting up staring at the pond, so he stood in front of the swing.
“Cat?”
When she turned her attention to him, he lowered himself to one knee. Cat’s eyebrows tried to find her hairline as her mouth fell open.
“Thomas?”
The surprise on her face made him chuckle. “Cat, last Monday was a reality check for me. I’d already put these plans into action before you were hurt, but when I saw them pull you out of that ambulance, I thought my world was coming to an end.” He shuddered just remembering that image. “I’ve been a selfish prick from the beginning. I haven’t put your needs ahead of my own, but I promise you, honey, that’s changing.”
“You—”
He laid his finger over her lips. “Let me finish. You’ve been on your own for almost seven years, and it’s time for that to end. I love you, and if I’m honest with myself, I’ve loved you for at least seven years. I don’t care where we live as long as we live there together.” He reached into his pocket and brought out the little box. “Catherine Livingston, would you agree to marry me and make me the happiest man on Earth?”
Cat’s hand flew to her mouth as she nodded. She took a breath and whimpered. “Yes. Oh, Thomas…” She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. The short breaths and little sounds that were coming from her let Thomas know it was from the pain in her ribs.
“Slow breaths, honey. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Breathe with me.” He stroked the back of her head. Small breaths in, slow breaths out. “Not too deep, okay?”
“That’s not what she said.” Cat smiled as she pulled away from his neck.
Thomas returned the smile. “If you had to break a hand, I’m so very glad it was your right one.” He slipped the ring on her finger then brushed her hair from her face as he held her head in place. “I love you so much.” He pulled her toward him for a kiss to seal the deal.
When he stood back up, they repositioned themselves on the swing. Cat held her hand out to look at the ring sitting on her hand. “Just so you know, I asked Kayla and my parents for their blessings on our marriage.” Thomas kissed the top of her head.
“You did? Why?”
“You said that Kayla and I were the closest family you had, and then you said my parents, so I went to them since I couldn’t go to your dad. Well, I went to your mom and dad too, but obviously not in the same way.”
Cat tried to turn toward him but cried in pain. “Stop. Slow breaths,” Thomas said.
“But I want to see you.” She was trying to get the pain to subside.
“Do you need a pain pill?”
“No, I need to see you.”
He helped her up so she was able to face him. “What did you do?”
“I had lunch with my parents and Kayla on Monday. I told my dad to treat me as if you were his daughter, but it was my mom who really asked the hard questions. Kayla was the first to give me her blessing.”
“What did your parents say?”
Thomas shook his head. “Let’s just say they made me realize I’ve been selfish.” He looked a little sheepish. “Cat, I should’ve talked to you before taking the job with the medical examiner’s office. I won’t do something like that again without talking to you.”
“But we’d just started seeing each other. Who knew if we’d work or not? You had no reason to talk to me.”
“Yeah, I did. I knew after that first weekend at the ranch. Once I finally got my head out of my ass, I knew I wasn’t ever letting you go.” He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “When you took your job, I wasn’t nearly as understanding as you’ve been about mine.” He shook his head again. “My words said I’d support your decisions, especially about helping Evan, but my heart wasn’t in it, so I made things harder on you.”
“Thomas, you did what I asked you to do even though it broke both of us.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “I won’t ever ask you to do something like this again.”
Thomas nodded and cleared his throat because this was the big one. “Last weekend when we talked about rotating houses, I told you to decide. I saw the look in your eyes, and here’s the thing, I shouldn’t have ever asked you to decide. Cat, this house means something to you. It’s your home. Mine is just a house for me. I think we ought to seriously discuss putting it on the market. There’s plenty of land here if we ever need to add on, and I don’t want to take this away from you,” he said with earnestness.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure if I could leave this house. I’m so glad you understand.” Even though she blinked her eye, a single tear still made it down her cheek, so Thomas leaned over and kissed it away.
“I can’t wait for your ribs to heal.” The gleam in his eyes was unmistakable—he wanted her.
“How long do you think that’ll take, doctor?”
“Six weeks, but we’ll see how you’re feeling in four.” He wiggled his brows.
“Hmmm, I don’t know if I want to wait that long.”
He smiled. “Oh, believe me, Cat. You’ll want to wait.”
33
The next several days were spent trying to get into a routine.
The swelling in Cat’s eye had gone down and looked normal except for the last remnants from the bruising. It had been a week, and she was scheduling her eye appointment when her phone vibrated with an incoming text.
Buck: Make sure to watch the
news tonight at 6:30.
Thomas was setting up some of his weights in the spare bedroom. When she walked in, he was setting a barbell on the rack above the bench. He didn’t have a shirt on, and Cat loved the show his back muscles were giving her. She leaned against the doorjamb and watched without saying a word. When Thomas turned, her smile widened, and his was just a brilliant.
“Like what you see?” he asked.
“Yes. I don’t know if I’m going to make it another three weeks.” She pouted.
“Cat, don’t do that. I want to celebrate our engagement in the most intimate of ways, but you’ve got to heal first.” He gently kissed her lips. “At least I can ravage these as long as your breathing stays calm.” He smiled and winked at her.
“Hmmm, my breathing will stay calm as long as you ravage them.” Her eyes twinkled.
“Did you just come in here to make this harder for me?”
“No, I received this.” She flipped her phone over to show him.
“That’s a little cryptic.”
“Guess we’re watching the news tonight to find out.”
“When are you going back to work?” Thomas asked.
“Maybe after this week, at least part-time. I should be able to move a little better by then, don’t you think?”
Thomas took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to say this, but in no way does it mean anything bad, got it?”
Cat’s brows furrowed. “Okay.”
“You don’t have to work.” He held up his hand. “In fact, I’d prefer that you didn’t. Not for any other reason but that I’m a little nervous for you to be at the bank now, especially after hours.”
“Thomas, I enjoy working. What would I do if I didn’t? I don’t have a flexible career like Kayla or Ginger. Plus, I didn’t come into this relationship debt free.”
“Um, get pregnant, raise our children? I know we haven’t discussed finances, but honey, I’ve got this.” He kissed her a little firmer. “Just think about it.” He walked toward the garage and came back with more weights in his hands.
Uninvited Visitors_A Riverton Crossing Novel Page 16
