Trouble Walked In
Page 9
A few minutes later, she was startled out of her reverie when a young woman came in with a clear plastic bag containing her clothes. Handing it over, she cheerily said, “You're being discharged. Go ahead and change out of the hospital gear. I'll be outside so you can have some privacy.”
“Wait. I'm going home? Just like that?” she asked, joy bubbling close to the surface.
“Just like that,” the woman confirmed, smiling. “We got an order to release you from the doctor on call. You're going home.”
“Thank you,” Moira said, already stripping out of the baggy hospital shirt as the nurse closed the door.
****
It took over an hour for her discharge paperwork to be completed. The processor had been nice enough to call a cab for her. It was amazing how nice people were when they realized that you weren't crazy.
A few minutes later, she waited in front of the building. She didn't want to be inside that place for any longer than necessary. The humid night air left her feeling sticky, but she didn't even care. She was free.
Moira still couldn't believe that they'd just released her. With no “evaluation” whatsoever. Her father wouldn't have just let her go. It didn't make any sense. Did Ronan threaten him?
When she heard the sound of wheels on the asphalt, she looked up. Instead of the cab that she expected to see, she saw Ronan's grey pickup. In that moment, the hollow feeling in her chest vanished. Grinning, she leapt off the bench and flew toward the truck. “Ronan!”
He hopped out, the door still hanging open, and closed the remaining distance between them. Ronan pulled her into his arms and rained kisses over her face, his lips eventually finding hers. After a long, hard kiss, he pulled back only enough to bury his face in her neck. It was muffled, but she could still hear his voice crack a little when he said, “Christ, baby. Are you okay? Fuck. I was going out of my mind!”
Her face was crushed up against his shoulder. She wasn't sure he would be able to understand her, but she answered anyway. “I'm okay. I'm fine. Ronan, I've never been so happy to see anybody in my life. I love you. God, I love you. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner.”
“Don't be sorry,” he said softly, pulling back to look at her. His eyes were suspiciously watery when he whispered, “I love you, too, baby. I was so scared for you. You're okay? You're not hurt?”
“I'm a little achy from when those asshats tased me, but otherwise, I'm fine. I just want some food, a shower, and a bed.”
His hand stroked over her hair. “That's doable. Let's get you home,” he said, giving her one final hug before he walked her toward the truck.
When he opened the passenger's side door, she smiled and said, “I didn't say anything about sleep. I just said a bed.”
He eyed her, a slow smile spreading across his face. “And what did you have in mind if not sleep?”
She slid into the seat and simply said, “I was thinking maybe you could claim me.”
His look of surprise was nearly comical. It took him a moment, but when he finally recovered, his smile almost blinded her. “You can't possibly know how happy it makes me to hear you say that, Moira.” His next words dimmed some of the pure joy that was coursing through her veins. “I think we should wait a little while, though.”
She cursed the tears that stung her eyes as she asked, “Why would you want to wait?”
“Hang on. Let me get in the truck and I'll explain.”
Moira watched him circle the hood and slide onto the bench seat. As soon as he was settled, he leaned over and gave her a hard kiss.
“I'm only thinking about you. You've been through a lot lately. Too much. I don't want you to make any rash decisions right now. You should take a few weeks, get your head on straight. If you still want this in a month, nothing would make me happier, love. Nothing at all.”
Frowning, Moira said, “You're gonna hold out on me for a whole month? Do we even have a month? I can't believe that my father is just going to give up.”
“I suspect we've got all the time we want. Your father shouldn't be an issue any longer.”
“Who did you get to help you hide the body?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
“Sarge sucker punched me or I might have done something stupid,” he admitted. “Instead, Ty and Sarge helped me get some pretty incriminating shit on tape, so trust me when I say that your father isn't likely to bother us anymore. If it makes you more comfortable, we can move, though. I wouldn't blame you at this point.”
“Away? What about your bar? Your friends? They're like your family.”
“I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, sweetheart. Not my bar,” he said softly. “I need you. Everything else is negotiable.”
“I don't want to leave. You have friends here, a business, a life. I could never ask you to give that up. At some point, we may need something a little bigger than a one-bedroom apartment, but right now? Anywhere you are suits me just fine.”
“Jesus, cupcake. I'm so lucky you walked into my bar that night. I had no idea my heart was so empty until you were there to fill it.”
Tears spilled onto her cheeks. Ronan leaned forward, pressing his lips to each one until her tears stopped. Then, finally, he pressed his lips to hers.
When they separated again, she asked, “You're really gonna make me wait a month?”
He nodded solemnly.
“Maybe I'll make you wait a month then,” she suggested, trailing her fingertips gently up his thigh.
“Did I say a full month?” he asked, feigning confusion. “I think I meant a week.”
“Still too long,” she said, her heart full. “Take me home and make me yours.”
The End
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