This Time

by Amy Reece

  “I hope so. The doctor hasn’t been here yet.”

  He watched her carefully, noting the frown between her eyes. “You okay?”

  She shrugged. “Besides the fact that I’m recovering from a stab wound? Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that David didn’t even ask about the girls. He heard from Finn about the attack and rushed over here. I thought it was because he was concerned, but it was mostly to make sure I knew he wasn’t involved.” She shook her head and chuckled ruefully. “God, what did I ever see in him?”

  He had no idea, but thought it would be wiser to let her speak without his input.

  “I didn’t know he was married when we first started dating—I really didn’t.” She put her head into her hands. “But I figured it out pretty fast. I should have called it off—I know that now. I have no excuse.”

  “Hey.” He reached for her hand and squeezed gently.

  “You know, I think the reason I let him push me into adopting Lily and Iris was because I felt some sort of misplaced guilt over breaking up his marriage. Oh, God!” She jerked upright and stared at him in horror. “Please don’t think I don’t want them! I do! I love them! I just—”

  “Hey,” he said again, and moved to kneel in front of her. “I don’t think that, Nina. I know how much you love them. Sweetheart, you can tell me anything, you know. It’s not my job to judge you. It’s my job to l—” He stood suddenly and rubbed the back of his neck, appalled at what he’d been about to say. He wasn’t supposed to blurt out something so important like this, in a hospital room, with Nina in her pajamas recovering from being attacked. He was supposed to wait until they were on a date, with candles and flowers and romance. Aw, screw it. He turned and knelt in front of her again. “It’s my job to love you, Nina.” He smiled crookedly. “It’s my self-appointed job. And maybe it’s too soon, but I can’t help it. The timing sucks, I know, but there it is. And I know your brother died, and someone is trying to kill you now, and I just broke up with my girlfriend and—”

  “You’re not really selling it, you know.” She rubbed her thumb over his lips, halting the overflow of words, and tried to lean forward, but she’d forgotten about her incision. “Ow. You mind coming up here?”

  “Sorry.” He stood and held his hand out to help her up.

  She smiled up at him and looped her arms around his neck. “Stop apologizing and kiss me.” She pulled his head down and raised her lips to his.

  He tried to remember she’d been injured and was still delicate, but her mouth was intoxicating, and it had been days since he’d done more than brush her lips. He angled his head and slid his tongue into her softness, groaning in appreciation as she answered in kind.

  “That’s better.” She spoke the words against his lips. “I happen to love you too, Seamus. Let’s focus on that and not worry about the timing, okay?”

  “Okay.” He slid his arm around her waist, careful to avoid the area of her bandage.

  “Well, I don’t usually see this sort of thing when I stop by to check on my surgical patients. You must be feeling better, Ms. Braden.”

  Nina, to her credit, didn’t jump away guiltily, and held on to Seamus so he couldn’t either. “Hello, Dr. Knight. Yes, I am feeling much better. I’m ready to go home.”

  The doctor smiled and walked to the computer screen in the corner to check Nina’s chart. “We’ll see. Why don’t you have a seat on the bed so I can take a look at your incision? Do you want your…” he gestured to Seamus, “friend to leave while I examine you?”

  Seamus bristled and was about to speak, but Nina beat him to it.

  “He can stay.” She winked at him and gestured for him to sit. “He’s my boyfriend and he’s going to be taking care of me at home, so he should probably hear what you have to say.”

  “Good enough,” the doctor said absently as he continued to type into the computer.

  Seamus met Nina’s amused glance as the doctor finished inputting information into Nina’s chart.

  “All right.” The doctor turned on his stool. “Your blood work looks good, Ms. Braden. How’s the pain from your incision?”

  “Fine.” She nodded brightly.

  She’s unbelievable. Seamus coughed into his fist as he stared at her.

  She flashed him an evil frown, then rolled her eyes. “Actually, it’s still pretty painful.”

  It was the doctor’s turn to nod. “That’s reasonable. I would be surprised if it didn’t hurt at this point. You were stabbed, after all.”

  “Oh.” She deflated visibly. “So, what does that mean? When can I go home?”

  Now the older man smiled and stood to approach the bed. “Let’s take a look at your incision.” He waited while Nina pulled up her pajama top and rolled slightly to give him access to her wound. He gently removed the bandage and prodded the tender skin around the incision, causing Nina to hiss. He straightened and returned to the computer. “It’s healing well. As long as you promise to follow my guidelines, I’ll release you this afternoon. I know you’ll miss these luxury accommodations, of course, but we have a waiting list.”

  Nina smiled. “I’ll bet. Yes, I promise to follow all your guidelines. I’m dying to get home to my daughters.”

  “Well, my first order is to have some help. You need lots of rest.” He turned to look at Seamus. “You’ll be staying with her?”

  “Yeah. I’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest.”

  “I don’t want her cooking or cleaning or taking care of kids for at least two weeks.”

  “Of course not. I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”

  The doctor stood. “All right. I’ll get your release papers started. You should be out of here soon after lunch. I’ll see you in my office in ten days, Ms. Braden.” He shook her hand, then turned to Seamus. “No sex until then.”

  “Got it.” He nodded and shook the physician’s outstretched hand. “Thank you for taking care of her, Dr. Knight. I’ll make sure she takes it easy.”

  ***

  “What did the doctor say? You’re supposed to be resting.” He reached past her to take the pillowcase from her hand. “Good God, woman! I let you out of my sight for two minutes and you sneak off to strip your bed! Changing the sheets falls under the category of ‘cleaning.’ Let me do that. Sit!” He pointed to the pink velvet chair in the corner of her bedroom.

  “Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you and they smelled musty.” She eased into the chair with a sigh of relief. “I figured I’d change them quickly before I took a nap. I never realized how much energy it takes.”

  He took over the chore, realizing that keeping her quiet and still for several days would be challenging. He tucked in a corner and turned to look at her, expecting a drawn, pale face. Instead, she glanced away quickly, a slight blush highlighting her cheeks. “Were you just checking out my ass?”

  She turned back, her eyes now alight with humor. “Maybe I was. What are you going to do about it?”

  He chuckled and finished making the bed. “Not a thing. It’s a free country and I’ve checked yours out often enough.” He held out his hand to help her up. “You want under the covers?”

  She shook her head. “I’d rather lie on top with a blanket.” She carefully lowered herself to the bed. “Will you stay with me for a few minutes? Please?”

  He smiled and toed his shoes off. “Of course.” He lifted the blanket he’d arranged over her and slid beneath, spooning against her slight figure. “Nina, love, how are you doing? I feel like we’ve barely had a chance to talk since this all happened.”

  She brought one of his hands up to her mouth and kissed the back of his fingers before tucking it under her chin. “I’ve been better. But knowing you love me is pretty amazing. I wish I could have skipped the whole being stabbed part, though. I’m so tired of being scared. What am I supposed to do with this new information that someone is trying to kill me? Should I hire a bodyguard? Never leave my house? What do I do, Seamus?”

  “I don’t know, love. How about for
now you just sleep?”

  She nodded again. “Will you stay here? Just until I fall asleep?”

  “Of course.”

  ***

  Nina

  “I don’t understand. She already came in?” Nina doodled furiously on the notepad as she waited for the insurance agent to answer.

  “Yes. Ms. Karlsson came in during the regularly scheduled appointment and took care of her part of the life insurance settlement.”

  Nina wondered if the judgment she heard in his voice was simply her imagination. “I’m sorry I missed our appointment; as I said, I’ve been in the hospital. I’m surprised Kira already went in, though. She hasn’t mentioned it.” She’d seen Kira several times during her hospital stay since she worked in the same hospital, although on a different floor, and had stopped by to visit a few times after her shift.

  “When would you like to reschedule, Ms. Braden?”

  Nina pulled her planner closer and flipped through the pages. “Do you have anything Monday afternoon?” It would be her first day back at work, but only a half-day.

  “Two o’clock?”

  She wrote the appointment down, then hung up and frowned as she pondered the information she’d received. What is going on with Kira? Why didn’t she wait for me, or at least tell me she already went? What was it Seamus said? He asked how well I really know her. I guess I don’t know her well at all. She tried not to be pissed, but it was difficult. She’s in such an all-fired hurry to get her hands on Neal’s life insurance money that she can’t even wait until I get out of the hospital so we can go together? Whatever. But what if it was more than that? Or rather, what if the life insurance money was more important to Kira than she’d admitted? Was it possible she’d known about the insurance policy all along and had killed Neal to get her hands on the money? Don’t be ridiculous! I couldn’t possibly know someone who is a murderer. Chris and Finn must have it wrong. They must have missed something, and Neal was killed by some random person I’ve never met. It couldn’t possibly be Kira. Could it?

  She slapped the pen down on the notepad and pushed her chair away from the kitchen table, needing to do something to get her mind off these insane theories her brain insisted on making up. Her hand went automatically to her side, although the pain from her surgery was almost completely gone. Seamus was sleeping. He’d come home straight from his shift and looked exhausted. He’d explained they’d had two nights in a row of multiple calls and little time for sleep. She’d kissed him and sent him straight to bed. It was nearly one o’clock now and she was hungry, so she scrounged around the kitchen and found the makings for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and set to work quietly. If Seamus woke, he’d insist on taking over, and she was sick to death of him waiting on her. She’d been to the doctor the day before for her two-week check-up, and he’d cleared her to slowly resume normal activities, with the exception of driving, which would have to wait another couple weeks. She was more than ready to get on with her life and had made arrangements for her mother to keep the girls overnight, so she and Seamus could finally spend some time alone. They’d been sleeping together for weeks, but they’d never made love, and tonight was the night. I will literally murder anyone who gets in our way tonight! She cringed at the unthinking word choice. I don’t think I’ll ever use that phrase quite so casually again.

  The soup was simmering, and the sandwiches were ready for the pan when the doorbell rang. She hurried to answer, irritated at the interruption.

  “Hey, you’re looking great.” Gordy reached for the handle of the screen door as he spoke.

  Nina sighed and told him to wait while she grabbed the key to unlock it. Seamus regularly lectured her about keeping it locked at all times when she was home. There had been no sign of a threat since she’d been released from the hospital, but he wasn’t willing to take chances. “Come in, Gordy. I’m in the middle of fixing lunch.” She locked the door behind him and led the way to the kitchen. She didn’t bother telling him to be quiet, because she knew Seamus would never have slept through the doorbell.

  “I won’t stay long. I just wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing. Here.” He handed her a small, beautifully wrapped gift.

  Every time I try to be annoyed with him, he does something nice. Crap. He’d brought her flowers and a stuffed bear while she was in the hospital. “Gordy, you already brought me a present.”

  He smiled and pressed the box into her hands. “I know, but I wanted to bring you another one. It’s just a little something to cheer you up during your recuperation. Open it.”

  “Fine.” She rolled her eyes at his extravagance and slipped her finger under the seam of the paper. Inside was a small box of beautifully decorated chocolates from a local candy maker Nina had heard was quite expensive. “Thanks. They’re too beautiful to eat.”

  He chuckled. “Nah, I figured you’d appreciate something delicious and decadent after all that hospital food.” He turned at the cough behind them. “Oh, hey, DeLuca. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  Seamus entered the room, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he walked. Nina appreciated the glimpse of his muscular chest and abs and felt sure he’d waited to put his shirt on just to annoy Gordy. “Oh, I’m always here when I’m not at work. What brings you by?”

  “I wanted to check on Nina and bring her a gift.” His face had taken on a sour expression as Seamus helped himself to a bottle of water from the refrigerator and examined the chocolates Nina had placed on the granite bar separating the family room from the kitchen.

  “Huh.”

  Nina bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing at the two men. It was clear Seamus was jealous, but she had no idea what Gordy might be feeling. Who would have dreamed that someone like Seamus DeLuca could ever be jealous about me?

  “Well, I can see you’re busy.” He glanced at the stove, then back at Seamus. “It’s great Nina cooks for you, especially considering how recently she was in the hospital.” He walked around the bar to hug Nina.

  She watched Seamus’s face suffuse with color at the taunt, and narrowed her eyes at him over Gordy’s shoulder while mouthing the word “don’t.” She pulled back and smiled at Gordy. “Thanks for stopping by.” She needed to get rid of him before the men came to blows.

  “Of course. Please give me a call if you need anything. I’ll stop by again soon.”

  She walked him to the door and wondered if he heard Seamus’s whispered “asshole” as they passed. Probably.

  When she returned to the kitchen, she found Seamus standing at the stove, spatula in hand and sandwiches in the frying pan. “Give me that.” She pulled it from his hand and pointed to the chair he’d occupied before she left the room. “You’re letting him get to you. I’m fine and I want to fix lunch myself. I’m pretty damn sick and tired of you waiting on me. I love you, but I’m done feeling helpless.”

  Seamus slipped his arms around her waist, resting his head atop hers as she attended to the sandwiches. “So feisty. All right, but please take it easy. I know you’re feeling better, but I don’t want you to push it. Promise?”

  She smiled as she turned down the heat under the pan. “I promise.” She turned and twined her arms around his neck. “I saw my doctor yesterday and he gave me the go-ahead to resume normal activities. I’ll start back to work on Monday—half days for a week or so—and no driving for another couple weeks. But otherwise, I’m good to go.” She pulled his head down and lifted her lips to his, hoping he would understand her unspoken message.

  He grinned against her mouth. “Well, that is excellent news, Ms. Braden. Good to go, huh?” He kissed her lazily as his hand slipped under the hem of her t-shirt and caressed the warm skin of her back.

  Her pulse accelerated, as it always did when he touched her. She was tempted to suggest they forget lunch and drag him to the bedroom, but her mom was due to drop the girls off in a few hours and she wanted a full night with Seamus the first time they made love. She reluctantly pulled away fro
m his addictive mouth and turned back to the sandwiches. “Yes, good to go. But the girls are due home soon.”

  He pushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck. “I wasn’t hinting. Honest.”

  She set the spatula carefully on the granite countertop next to the burner and turned to stare up at him. “I was. I’ve arranged for my parents to keep the girls tonight, but I want to see them after school for a little while. I’ve made reservations for dinner, and then we have the rest of the night to ourselves. Is that all right with you?” She arched her eyebrows, pinning him with her gaze.

  His eyes grew large and she heard him swallow. “Nina, love, of course I want that, but I want to make sure you’re fully healed first.”

  She’d been worried he wasn’t interested for some reason, but could see from his expression he was simply concerned for her health. “I’m fine. Tonight, Seamus.” She turned back to the stove and flipped the sandwiches.

  ***

  “What time is our reservation?” Seamus reached across the console to lightly cover her hand.

  “I made it for seven.”

  “It’s only six fifteen now, so do you mind if we swing by my place, so I can pick up a few things?” They had spent a few hours with the girls, playing board games and helping them pack their overnight bags, before dropping them off with their grandparents for the night.

  She turned her head to smile at him. “Of course not.” She squeezed his hand and hoped they could move past the awkwardness that had surrounded them ever since she’d announced so boldly that tonight was the night. What was I thinking? Now both of them were nervous and jumpy and she regretted her statement. I should have let it happen naturally. Stewing about it for hours was no fun. Now I just want to get it over with, so we can get back to normal.

  He exited the freeway, and a few minutes later pulled into the driveway of the small adobe house. “Casa DeLuca revisited.” He killed the engine and hopped out to meet her at the front of the SUV. He took her hand and led her up the walkway to the small porch. “You can have the nickel tour tonight if you want.”