necessary—” I began, but he was already moving toward the door.
We walked side by side down the hall. Cougar kept his head down, his hands jammed in his pockets. I wondered what he was thinking.
When we stepped onto the elevator, he said, “So, ah… this thing with Grady … you okay to go home?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” I shook my head. “He’s probably sleeping it off by now.”
“Are you sure? Because you know you and Abby can stay at my place—”
Touched and feeling wildly emotional, I kissed his cheek. “Don’t you ever get tired of being such a hero?”
He grinned and pressed his hand to his cheek. “Nah. The hours are long, but the fringe benefits are outta sight.”
We laughed and he said, “But seriously … you know I’m here for you. If you need somebody to talk to. If you just want me to whup his ass.”
I giggled. “Whup his ass? Let me guess … another Southern thing?”
He snapped his gum and winked. “You betcha. A good one, too. We do that when we see people we care about getting hurt.” Slanting his eyes, he said, “Besides, I can’t talk Boston thug like Angel … or wait, maybe I can.” He cleared his throat, and in a voice that sounded more Rocky Balboa than John Angelino, he said, “Hey, Neese, you want I should throw tha’ guy a beatin’?”
I snickered behind my hand. “That was terrible.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay … it was. I’ll stick with whup his ass. Sounds manlier, anyway.” His eyes shone when he said, “Angel’s really coming back to us, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Look, Necie … If staying at the hospital is causing you trouble at home—”
“No.”
“—we could do something else.”
“No,” I said, louder this time. “I won’t abandon my friends. Grady will have to get over it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
I shrugged. “Then he’ll have to get out. I can’t live like that, under someone’s thumb. I won’t.”
He walked me to my car. For a moment, we simply stared at each other in the amber glow of the security lights. Being this close to him, seeing the concern in his eyes, made my heart do this crazy little jitterbug it had no business doing. I swallowed hard and reached for the door handle. He grabbed my wrist. Only inches separated us. I felt a funny pain in my chest and realized I was holding my breath.
He squinted at me. “Man, I hate to let you go like this. Are you sure you’re gonna be all right?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Our whole team was tight, but whether it was because of our ages, our poor upbringings, or simply the fact that we got thrown on more assignments together, I’d always felt particularly close to Cougar and Angel. Now something was changing between Cougar and me, at least on my part. I tried to tell myself it was nothing, that I was only imagining things because of my troubles with Grady,but lately, every time I was with Cougar, I found myself thinking of how easy it was to be with him. Maybe it was some kind of safety mechanism. After all, only an idiot would fall for a guy like Cougar, a handsome charmer who had his pick of women. But I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be involved with a man who accepted me for what I was. Somebody who not only accepted me, but maybe even admired me a little, too. Grady didn’t even respect me anymore.
“Necie?”
I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs. Cougar folded me in his arms, and for a moment, I lay my head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
Finally, I pulled away. “I gotta go,” I whispered, and he nodded.
“Do you promise you’ll call if you need me? If he starts any crap—”
“I promise.” I climbed inside the car, expecting him to walk away, but he simply stood there. When I pulled away, I dared a glance in the rearview mirror. He hadn’t moved.
“Get it together,” I said, and flipped on the radio.
While scanning the stations, I became annoyed by the
We walked side by side down the hall. Cougar kept his head down, his hands jammed in his pockets. I wondered what he was thinking.
When we stepped onto the elevator, he said, “So, ah… this thing with Grady … you okay to go home?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” I shook my head. “He’s probably sleeping it off by now.”
“Are you sure? Because you know you and Abby can stay at my place—”
Touched and feeling wildly emotional, I kissed his cheek. “Don’t you ever get tired of being such a hero?”
He grinned and pressed his hand to his cheek. “Nah. The hours are long, but the fringe benefits are outta sight.”
We laughed and he said, “But seriously … you know I’m here for you. If you need somebody to talk to. If you just want me to whup his ass.”
I giggled. “Whup his ass? Let me guess … another Southern thing?”
He snapped his gum and winked. “You betcha. A good one, too. We do that when we see people we care about getting hurt.” Slanting his eyes, he said, “Besides, I can’t talk Boston thug like Angel … or wait, maybe I can.” He cleared his throat, and in a voice that sounded more Rocky Balboa than John Angelino, he said, “Hey, Neese, you want I should throw tha’ guy a beatin’?”
I snickered behind my hand. “That was terrible.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay … it was. I’ll stick with whup his ass. Sounds manlier, anyway.” His eyes shone when he said, “Angel’s really coming back to us, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Look, Necie … If staying at the hospital is causing you trouble at home—”
“No.”
“—we could do something else.”
“No,” I said, louder this time. “I won’t abandon my friends. Grady will have to get over it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
I shrugged. “Then he’ll have to get out. I can’t live like that, under someone’s thumb. I won’t.”
He walked me to my car. For a moment, we simply stared at each other in the amber glow of the security lights. Being this close to him, seeing the concern in his eyes, made my heart do this crazy little jitterbug it had no business doing. I swallowed hard and reached for the door handle. He grabbed my wrist. Only inches separated us. I felt a funny pain in my chest and realized I was holding my breath.
He squinted at me. “Man, I hate to let you go like this. Are you sure you’re gonna be all right?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Our whole team was tight, but whether it was because of our ages, our poor upbringings, or simply the fact that we got thrown on more assignments together, I’d always felt particularly close to Cougar and Angel. Now something was changing between Cougar and me, at least on my part. I tried to tell myself it was nothing, that I was only imagining things because of my troubles with Grady,but lately, every time I was with Cougar, I found myself thinking of how easy it was to be with him. Maybe it was some kind of safety mechanism. After all, only an idiot would fall for a guy like Cougar, a handsome charmer who had his pick of women. But I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be involved with a man who accepted me for what I was. Somebody who not only accepted me, but maybe even admired me a little, too. Grady didn’t even respect me anymore.
“Necie?”
I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs. Cougar folded me in his arms, and for a moment, I lay my head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
Finally, I pulled away. “I gotta go,” I whispered, and he nodded.
“Do you promise you’ll call if you need me? If he starts any crap—”
“I promise.” I climbed inside the car, expecting him to walk away, but he simply stood there. When I pulled away, I dared a glance in the rearview mirror. He hadn’t moved.
“Get it together,” I said, and flipped on the radio.
While scanning the stations, I became annoyed by the
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