Erik stayed against the wall. When her eyes met his, he stepped forward. He bent down and hugged her, causing her eyes to widen. Owen knew how surprised she was, because he was too. Erik stood and with a shaky hand, reached for hers.
His voice shook, too, when he said, “Cali, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better. If I had moved faster …” He was choked up and his voice trailed off.
“Erik, what happened wasn’t your fault. You did an amazing job protecting me. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this. I’m all right. See. I’m awake and talking to you. Pretty soon I’ll be back to normal and driving you crazy, trying to get you to loosen up.”
Her smile seemed to relax Erik a little. He bent once more to give her another hug. He must have whispered something in her ear, because Owen heard her say, “Me too.”
When he turned to leave, Owen smiled at him. Once out of the room, Owen sat next to her. Her parents were on the other side of the bed, her mom holding her hand, refusing to let go.
“What did he say to you?” He couldn’t help his curiosity.
“He said he doesn’t have many friends, but he considers me one. And he is very happy that I’m okay.” Smiling, he knew he made the right decision concerning hiring Erik.
Cali’s eyes started to close. “Please don’t leave, Owen.”
“Never.”
~ 25 ~
ONE WEEK LATER
Three days in the intensive care unit, four days in a regular room, and Cali was ready to go home. She was still very sore when moving, but knew over time that would improve. Her parents were flying home the next day. She was sad to see them go, but grateful they stayed by her side while she was in the hospital.
Owen also stayed by her side. In fact, he rarely left. She tried to get him to go home in the evenings to sleep, but he refused. He had said that wherever she was, he would be. Although, she did notice he was holding his head a little crooked.
Another constant visitor was Ethan. Every day after work, he would come by for a couple of hours and hang out with them. She loved seeing him interact with Owen. It made her wish she had a sister to have a bond with like they did.
And he didn’t miss her being released either. Ethan came in as she was waiting to be discharged. “It’s a big day,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Are you excited?”
“You have no idea.”
She was sitting on the side of the bed when Owen walked over to her. “Are you sure you feel well enough to come home?”
She sighed. “Yes, I’m a little sore, but otherwise doing okay. I told you, Owen, I want to get out of here.”
“I know you do, but I want to know you’re healed enough to leave.”
She could see the worry in his eyes and stood to put her hand on his cheek. A day’s worth of stubble was visible. “I love that you worry about me. We have both talked to the doctor and he assured us I’m all right and can go home. He said I’ve healed faster than he originally had hoped. I need to take it easy though.”
Owen didn’t respond with words, instead gently embraced her. She couldn’t wait to be able to sleep against him at night. The doctor said it would be six to eight weeks before she could resume normal activities. Which to them meant no sex for two months. He didn’t even blink an eye when the doctor said that. She had a feeling she was the one who was going to push him, because she couldn’t wait the full two months.
There was a knock on the door making all three of their heads turn. Her favorite nurse, Piper, walked in. Ever since she was moved to a regular room, Piper had been her day nurse. They hit it off like long lost friends. Piper was short, thin, but curvy. She had dark brown, almost black hair that fell halfway down her back, but was pulled into a ponytail for work.
Walking in, Piper smiled at them, but then noticed Ethan sitting in one of the chairs. She hesitated for a second before walking over to give the discharge instructions to her. Cali didn’t miss the way he looked at Piper either.
After signing the papers, she gave Piper a hug and took her phone to type in her number. She told her when she was feeling better to come over for dinner.
Cali decided, after seeing Piper and Ethan repeatedly glance at one another, to introduce them. “Piper, this is Ethan, Owen’s brother. Ethan, this is my wonderful nurse, Piper.”
Ethan stood when Piper held out her hand, but didn’t move. He stared at her, with his mouth slightly open. Feeling uncomfortable, Cali cleared her throat to get his attention. With a rough voice, he said, “Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and clasped Piper’s gently.
“Hi,” she whispered.
Cali didn’t know what was going on between the two, but she could feel the energy sizzling around them. Piper slowly slid her hand out of his, smiled to them and left. Ethan was still looking toward the door when Cali spoke. “Everything okay, Ethan?”
When he turned his head, she didn’t miss the blush creeping over his face. “What? Oh yeah, fine. Ready to go?”
“Sure. And just so you know, we are going to have Piper over for dinner when I’m feeling better. You’re coming too,” she said.
Ethan nodded, but didn’t say another word. They waited for another person to come to the room with a wheelchair to take her outside. Owen went ahead of them to pull the car around. Ethan carried the flowers she had received during her stay.
Face scrunching with pain, Owen helped ease her into the Benz. He said he almost brought the Jeep since it would be easier for her to get in and out of due to the height. She wouldn’t have had to bend down. He knew she missed driving in it, but the ride would be rougher. The Benz was the best option. The car glided over the road, the bumps barely noticeable.
Ethan followed behind. He said he wanted to help get Cali settled, but they knew it was because he had never been to the house. Only stopping by once when no one was home. It was the same night he went to the cabin and the men fought.
He said Ethan felt like everything that happened was his fault. If he hadn’t brought Mia to the company, Cali wouldn’t have been shot. Owen assured him he was being used. That if he wasn’t there she would have found another way to get close to him.
One night in the hospital, in and out of sleep from the pain medication, she thought she remembered Ethan sitting next to the bed. He was holding her hand, apologizing over and over. She wasn’t sure if it was the drugs or if it really happened, but didn’t want to ask him. Not wanting to go back and re-live that day. She was now focused on moving forward.
She was having some anxiety due to being shot and the doctor suggested seeing someone once she was out of the hospital, if it persisted. Knowing Owen would be by her side, supporting her the entire way, she agreed.
Relief flooded through her when the car pulled into the garage. Up until the shooting she didn’t think of his house as home, but when they arrived, it felt like home to her. Erik opened the door to the garage with a smile on his face. Steven was right behind him smiling as well.
Erik opened the car door while Owen came to help her out. Every time she sat or stood, pain radiated through her abdomen. She used Owen’s arms to help pull herself out. Standing for a second with her eyes closed, she breathed through the pain. He held tight until she was ready to move. Looking up, she could see Erik’s smile had faded and a concerned look replaced it.
“I’m okay,” she said. “It hurts sometimes, but nothing I can’t tolerate. The pain is better than it was when I first started moving around.”
“Come on, let’s get you into bed,” Owen said.
He helped her into the house while Erik and Steven grabbed the flowers. Ethan came in through the garage door behind them. She was glad it was Saturday and Owen would be home with her tomorrow, but she insisted he go to work on Monday. Too much work had been missed since he refused to leave her side for the week she was in the hospital. She knew he had gotten behind.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up contemplating how she was going to get up them. “I don’t think
I can climb the stairs. Maybe I should sleep on one of the couches.”
“No, you’re going to sleep in our bed. You need to be comfortable and a couch isn’t it.”
Bending, he gently picked her up. She felt a sharp jolt of pain and held her breath until it passed, knowing it wouldn’t last. Going rigid against her, he must have noticed her go still. “It’s okay. You’re right, the bed is the best spot. Now get me up there,” she said.
He moved up the stairs with a smooth ease, she knew trying not to jostle her. She barely felt any movement. Once they reached the bedroom, he laid her on the bed very carefully. She sunk into it, feeling relaxed to be back in their shared bed.
The guys came in behind him, carrying her items from the hospital. The flowers were spread throughout the bedroom. She could see the look on Ethan’s face as he took in the space. With a smile on her face, she said, “Owen, why don’t you give Ethan a tour of the house.”
“Cali, I need,” he said, but she cut him off.
“I’m fine. Getting tired from the little bit of movement I did and am going to close my eyes. Go, show your brother the house.” She knew he wasn’t going to want to leave her side, but Ethan was there for the first time and she wanted them to spend some time together outside of a hospital room.
“All right.” He turned to Erik. “Stay nearby in case she needs something.” Erik nodded.
Everyone left the room including Erik who no doubt would stand just outside to give her a little privacy. “Erik, wait.” He turned and took a couple of steps toward her.
“Owen told me he offered you a permanent position. I’m very happy you accepted, but that doesn’t make you my nurse or my maid. Owen is being overprotective and you don’t need to stand guard outside of the door in case I need a drink or something from the dresser. I can move around on my own. It’s a little hard at times, but doable. I know how to sit and stand in a way that minimizes the pain.”
“Cali, I’m here to help you in any way. I don’t mind getting something for you or helping you stand. Please, let me help.”
She could see the tortured look on his face and knew what he was feeling. “You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. I don’t blame you. Owen and Steven don’t blame you. Please, for me.”
“I’ll try to stop blaming myself if you agree to let me help you when you need it.”
“Agreed.” She would do just about anything to get him to stop thinking if he would have moved faster he would have been shot instead.
She was getting tired and didn’t lie when she spoke before. Reaching for the blanket to cover herself, a stabbing pain made her stop. Erik saw what she was trying to do and reached to get the blanket for her, but allowed her to pull it all the way up.
She didn’t realize how often her stomach muscles were used to move until being shot and trying to get around after surgery. He slipped out of the room as her eyes started to close, but knew he would be close by if needed. The bed was warm and comfortable, making it easy to fall asleep.
Later, she woke to a dark room. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she noticed a light near the window. Once her eyes were able to focus, she saw Owen sitting in one of the chairs with his laptop on. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
She shook her head and attempted to sit up. The pain shot through her and she let out a noise causing him to jump and come over to the bed.
“Let me help you,” he said as he held onto her arm to gently pull her up.
She hurt badly. “What time is it? I wonder if I can take something for the pain.”
Before leaving the hospital, he went to the pharmacy the hospital had in-house and filled a few prescriptions the doctor had given her. He checked the clock and went to her bag, grabbing a pill bottle from inside. Bringing her a glass of water, she swallowed the pill.
“Are you hungry? Adeline made homemade soup and baked bread today before you came home. I can go downstairs and heat it up for you.” Her stomach rumbled at the thought of Adeline’s cooking.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Cali smiled at him. “I would love that. Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead before leaving for the kitchen. A minute after he was gone, Erik popped his head in. “Erik, you should be at home.”
He shrugged and said, “I don’t mind. I’m going to leave in an hour or so, but I’ll be back on Monday before Owen leaves for work.”
She groaned knowing Owen asked him to come over to help take care for her. And she had no doubt Adeline would also be in the house all day. Shifting again, she tried to move her legs to hang them off of the bed. She needed to stand, but it was easier said than done.
Erik came to her side. “Cali, whatever you need let me get it for you.”
Blushing, she said, “You can’t really help me with this.”
She tried to slide off of the bed, but the pain was intense and she decided that she could use Erik’s help. “Could you please help me stand?”
“Of course.”
He clasped her behind the elbow and she did the same to him. The arm she was holding had a large muscle that she felt flex and realized he was bigger than originally thought. He still didn’t compare to Owen in her mind though. After helping her stand, she stayed in place for a minute holding him, breathing through the pain.
Owen came in while she was standing, holding onto to Erik. She saw him lift an eyebrow to question what was going on, but didn’t say anything. Releasing Erik, she walked to the bathroom and shut the door.
She heard them talking outside, but didn’t care what was said. She took care of what she needed to and brushed her teeth. After washing her face she went back into the bedroom, knowing she wouldn’t want to get up again once in bed.
Deciding it would be easier to sit in a chair, she took a seat next to the window. She gently eased into the chair on her own even though Owen offered to help. She wanted to do it on her own if possible and really didn’t like the idea of Erik having to help on Monday.
Owen brought the soup and bread over to the sitting area. The soup smelled amazing. Her mouth was watering as she scooped up a spoonful of noodles and carrots. The hospital food wasn’t awful, but it was nothing compared to Adeline’s cooking.
“Mmm … so fucking good.”
Owen smiled, taking a seat next to her. Leaning into the chair, he brought his laptop over and began typing.
“What are you working on?”
“Nothing really, just catching up. I’d rather get through some email now rather than face it all on Monday.”
“Will you come to bed with me when I’m done eating?”
“You couldn’t stop me. I’ve missed laying next to you.”
She nodded, she missed it too. The comfort and warmth of his body was something she craved. She finished her soup and started getting drowsy. The pain meds must be kicking in, she thought.
He must have seen how tired she became, because he took the soup from her and helped her stand. She didn’t even protest. He helped her get into bed, lifting her feet and gently laying them on the cool sheet. His shirt came off and he climbed into bed, bringing the blankets to their chests, covering them.
She felt him move close, spooning her. He didn’t wrap an arm around her waist as usual, but did put his head right next to hers. His breath tickled her ear when he spoke. “I’ve waited all week to lay next to you, to have you in our bed. I love you, Caliana. If you need anything during the night, wake me. I’ll do or get whatever you need.”
Turning her head slightly, she noticed how close their lips were. “Thank you, Owen, for everything. You’ve been incredible through all of this. I love you, too.”
Placing a gentle kiss on her lips, he rested his head to hers. She pushed into his chest even though the movement hurt a little, wanting to feel his body next to hers.
~ 26 ~
TWO MONTHS LATER
Owen was on edge, pacing the floor of his office, waiting for t
he work day to be over. It was Friday afternoon and was the day of the last appointment Cali had with the surgeon. The day she was to be released and free to do everything she used to do. She healed really well and he didn’t doubt she would be given the green light.
They hadn’t had sex in two months. Two months of minimal contact. They had each stroked the other to orgasm a few times, but wasn’t what either ultimately wanted. She had begged him to go further and it took all of his restraint to say no. He hated denying her anything. Not knowing how he did, but knew he didn’t want to injure her further. That had been enough to keep his cock to himself.
That brought him to the present, pacing the large office. His cock was rock hard, painfully pushing against his pants. Thinking about what he was going to do to her once he was home wasn’t helping the situation.
He wanted to go to the appointment, but she insisted he go to work, saying she didn’t want him missing a day and getting behind. What she failed to realize was that he didn’t give a fuck if he missed a day. She was his priority.
He wasn’t happy, but finally agreed. The only condition was Erik had to drive her. She didn’t have a problem with that since he insisted when she left the house, Erik was to go.
The threat to her was over. Mia was dead and the other two in jail awaiting trial, but Owen still worried. He knew eventually he would have to let her go out by herself. Now wasn’t the time, though. Everything was still too fresh in his mind.
He promised he would work a full day. Looking at his watch, he saw it was four-thirty and thought fuck it, he was leaving. Like a caged animal, he needed to be set free and only one woman could do that.
Steven had the day off and that meant he could drive as fast as he wanted. Although, he was cursing himself for his choice of vehicle. He brought the pick-up to work and it didn’t move like the Benz did. Using it to bring some of Cali’s furniture to one of the local foundations, hopeful someone in need could use it. He loved that she always thought of others.
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