into her hair.
She wrapped her arms comfortably around his waist. “But, I didn’t talk to you yesterday or this morning, so I thought you’d changed your mind or had gotten too busy.”
He gave her a little squeeze. “I said I would.” Straightening, he stepped back from her. “I take it you’re ready to go?”
“Yes, just let me grab my bag from my car.” Krista got her bag, then went around to the passenger side of his truck, where Kade stood, holding the door open for her to climb in.
Kade buckled her seatbelt after helping her in. When she turned to look at him, he caressed the side of her cheek. “To keep you safe.” That was all he said in explanation. He shut her door, walked around and got in the truck. When he looked at her, she was smiling. There…that was what he needed. To see that smile on her face, smell her sweet scent, and know she was close. He reached out, grabbed her hand and held it as he started to drive. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday. Between court and working with the other officers and prosecutors, it was a long day. I had to finish up everything they needed from me,” he told her, sharing as much as he could about what he’d been doing.
“You didn’t have to leave, or hurry, because of me. I would have understood if you couldn’t take me.” She was trying to reassure him. And yeah, he knew she would have. But, he also knew she would go by herself, and wind up on the side of the road getting sick again, putting her safety at risk, a-fuckin’-gain! Yeah, he knew. On the ride up to Roanoke, while she talked about her newest client and the ideas she had for the web page, he listened, but really, he couldn’t have cared less about what she was talking about. Just being there with her, her beside him while he held her hand, and sneaked glances at her as much as he could without running off the road, was all he needed. All too soon for him, they were at the hospital and he was looking around for a place to park.
“You can just drop me at the door,” she announced.
“What? Why would I just drop you at the door?” Did she just say that? He asked himself, confused.
“So you can go do whatever you want to do. It takes about two hours and I can just meet you back here.” Krista pointed at one of the doors into the hospital.
“Krista. I want to be with you.” He explained this to her patiently.
“That is just crazy! You don’t have to waste two hours of your time just sitting in a hospital room,” she told him, but she wouldn’t look him in the face.
“Krista.” He sighed when her eyes finally met his. “I don’t mind sitting with you.” She looked away from him, then down, and he understood. “You don’t want me to go in there with you, do you?”
“No,” she answered him so quietly, he almost didn’t hear her.
He didn’t like it, but decided he would ask anyway. “Will you be okay coming out by yourself?” He carefully watched her face as she answered his question.
“Yes. It takes a little time before the effects usually hit.”
Well, he didn’t like it one bit, but for now, for this round, he would let her go by herself. But, they were going to talk about this before the next round. He raised her hand that he was still holding, kissed the back of it, then turned it over and whispered into her palm. “Okay, baby, this time.” He kissed her palm, and motioned toward the entrance. “I’ll be right here in exactly two hours. Do you have your phone on you?” he asked her and when she nodded, he continued, “Call me if you get done early, or if you want to talk, or for anything.” He leaned all the way over her. “For anything .” He stressed the last word to make sure she would understand he was serious.
“Okay.” She got out of the truck. Stopping, she gazed at him and smiled. It was a beautiful smile, but it wasn’t one of those big happy smiles she’d given him before.
After Krista went into the hospital door, Kade parked
She wrapped her arms comfortably around his waist. “But, I didn’t talk to you yesterday or this morning, so I thought you’d changed your mind or had gotten too busy.”
He gave her a little squeeze. “I said I would.” Straightening, he stepped back from her. “I take it you’re ready to go?”
“Yes, just let me grab my bag from my car.” Krista got her bag, then went around to the passenger side of his truck, where Kade stood, holding the door open for her to climb in.
Kade buckled her seatbelt after helping her in. When she turned to look at him, he caressed the side of her cheek. “To keep you safe.” That was all he said in explanation. He shut her door, walked around and got in the truck. When he looked at her, she was smiling. There…that was what he needed. To see that smile on her face, smell her sweet scent, and know she was close. He reached out, grabbed her hand and held it as he started to drive. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday. Between court and working with the other officers and prosecutors, it was a long day. I had to finish up everything they needed from me,” he told her, sharing as much as he could about what he’d been doing.
“You didn’t have to leave, or hurry, because of me. I would have understood if you couldn’t take me.” She was trying to reassure him. And yeah, he knew she would have. But, he also knew she would go by herself, and wind up on the side of the road getting sick again, putting her safety at risk, a-fuckin’-gain! Yeah, he knew. On the ride up to Roanoke, while she talked about her newest client and the ideas she had for the web page, he listened, but really, he couldn’t have cared less about what she was talking about. Just being there with her, her beside him while he held her hand, and sneaked glances at her as much as he could without running off the road, was all he needed. All too soon for him, they were at the hospital and he was looking around for a place to park.
“You can just drop me at the door,” she announced.
“What? Why would I just drop you at the door?” Did she just say that? He asked himself, confused.
“So you can go do whatever you want to do. It takes about two hours and I can just meet you back here.” Krista pointed at one of the doors into the hospital.
“Krista. I want to be with you.” He explained this to her patiently.
“That is just crazy! You don’t have to waste two hours of your time just sitting in a hospital room,” she told him, but she wouldn’t look him in the face.
“Krista.” He sighed when her eyes finally met his. “I don’t mind sitting with you.” She looked away from him, then down, and he understood. “You don’t want me to go in there with you, do you?”
“No,” she answered him so quietly, he almost didn’t hear her.
He didn’t like it, but decided he would ask anyway. “Will you be okay coming out by yourself?” He carefully watched her face as she answered his question.
“Yes. It takes a little time before the effects usually hit.”
Well, he didn’t like it one bit, but for now, for this round, he would let her go by herself. But, they were going to talk about this before the next round. He raised her hand that he was still holding, kissed the back of it, then turned it over and whispered into her palm. “Okay, baby, this time.” He kissed her palm, and motioned toward the entrance. “I’ll be right here in exactly two hours. Do you have your phone on you?” he asked her and when she nodded, he continued, “Call me if you get done early, or if you want to talk, or for anything.” He leaned all the way over her. “For anything .” He stressed the last word to make sure she would understand he was serious.
“Okay.” She got out of the truck. Stopping, she gazed at him and smiled. It was a beautiful smile, but it wasn’t one of those big happy smiles she’d given him before.
After Krista went into the hospital door, Kade parked
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