“Did you bring food?” she asked, keeping her tone light.
“I thought I’d call for delivery,” he said, eyeing her. “I didn’t want to make you wait.”
“Sounds good.” She started to wheel her bike to the gate, but Leo stepped alongside her and grasped the handle bars.
“Why don’t you go inside and get warm?” he said. “I’ll put the bike away.”
Felicity hesitated. Then she heard a dog bark from inside. “He’s barking! Do you think something’s wrong?”
“He must have missed you,” Leo said, taking possession of the bike.
General barked again, so Felicity headed for the house. She unlocked the door with fingers that were shaking from cold. She opened the door, and General was right there. “Hey, boy,” she said, bending to scratch his head even though her fingers were numb. “Did you miss me? Or are you just starving?”
General barked again. Felicity smiled. “Okay, let’s get you some food.” The warmer air of the house started to thaw Felicity’s face and hands, but the temperature change also made her realize how cold she really was.
“Come on, General.” The dog followed her into the kitchen. She marveled that he hadn’t knocked the dog food bag off the counter where she’d left it. She added a scoop to the bowl on the floor, and General set to eating.
The front door opened, and Leo stepped in. His gaze went to her, then to the dog, then quickly back to Felicity.
“You’re shivering.”
“I just need to ch-change,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“Take everything off,” he said. “I mean, make sure everything you put on is dry.”
“O-okay.” She moved past him, because she didn’t want him analyzing her so much. She’d be fine.
“If you need help, let me know.”
There was no humor in his voice, and she was too cold to turn it into a joke. She hurried to her room, and once inside, she stripped as fast as she could. But it was difficult because she was shaking so badly. Tomorrow she was going to wear thermals and bring a hat and gloves. She pulled on yoga pants, then put on socks. Next she pulled on a long-sleeved shirt, then added a T-shirt for layering.
“Felicity?” Leo’s voice sounded right outside her door, and it made her flinch. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said, glad that the shakiness in her voice was much less prominent. “I’m almost dressed.” She grabbed a thick sweatshirt and zipped it up. She was starting to warm, but it felt like a thousand needles were pricking her body. After tugging out the elastic holding in her ponytail, she ran her fingers through her damp hair.
Then she opened the door to step into the hall. Leo was waiting on the other side of the door.
She tried to smile at him. “I’m fine, really.”
He didn’t say anything, just took her hands in his, then turned them over. “I want to see your feet.”
She stared at him. “It’s not cold enough for frostbite.”
“True, but I’m going to rub them out.”
Felicity quickly calculated when she’d last shaved her legs. It had been Sunday morning. She should still be good. “I don’t think—”
Leo grasped her hand and drew her along the hallway. On the couch, he’d piled a couple of blankets he must have found in the hall closet. “Sit down,” he said.
She thought about arguing with him, but the blankets would feel great. “You’re kind of bossy,” she said, sitting on the couch and pulling the first blanket over her.
Leo checked something on his phone. “It’s 41 degrees.”
“That is cold.”
He draped the second blanket over her, then sat on the couch. “I ordered Thai food—I hope you like it?”
“I’m not picky,” she said.
“Okay, great,” he said. “Let me see your feet.”
His tone was so business-like, and official, maybe cop-like? She rested her legs across his lap. Any other time, this would feel pretty intimate, but right now, she was curious to see what he was going to do.
He took off one of her socks and started to rub her foot.
“I guess you’re not one of those guys who gets grossed out by bare feet,” she said.
“Not really, they can be sexy,” he said.
Felicity swallowed. “How do mine measure up?” She was totally kidding, but Leo slowed his rubbing and looked over at her.
“They’re definitely in the sexy category.” He smiled at her, and she was glad to see the worry ease in his eyes.
“I’m flattered, then,” she said. “I don’t think anyone but me has ever noticed my feet.”
He started to work on her other foot, and she had to admit, all the prickly pain was gone from the first foot. Did cops practice rubbing cold feet for their training?
“You could be a masseuse,” she said.
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need a career change.”
Felicity relaxed more. Her shivering slowed; the dry clothing and double blankets were doing their work.
Leo finished with her second foot, then he slipped her socks back on. She shifted so that she was sitting up again.
“Come here,” he said in a soft voice, draping his arm across the back of the couch.
She nestled against him, and he wrapped both arms around her, cocooning her more inside the blankets. His body heat warmed her up faster than any blanket, and pretty soon she was feeling too warm.
General decided to join them and came over to the couch. He sat near Leo’s legs and rested his chin on Leo’s knees.
“I think you’re his favorite,” Felicity said.
“Well, we’re buddies,” Leo said, and she heard the smile in his voice. He relaxed his bear hold on her, and his fingers traced her shoulder, brushing against her neck.
She closed her eyes, knowing she was probably getting way too comfortable on the couch with Leo. But she didn’t want to move from his warmth. He lifted her hair away from her neck, then his fingers stilled. “Is there a story behind your rose tattoo?” he asked.
“Rose is my middle name,” Felicity said. “I always liked my middle name more than my first name.”
“It’s pretty.”
Felicity wasn’t sure if he was talking about her name or the tattoo, but she enjoyed the brush of his fingers against her skin as he traced the outline of the tattoo. She felt like she could fall asleep any moment. Then Leo’s phone buzzed.
“You can answer that,” she said. “You’re here on business, after all.”
He chuckled, then answered his phone. By the conversation, she could tell it was Grant reporting in on Angelo’s first day of work. She kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the rumble of his voice as she kept her head against his shoulder.
Then Leo made another call. This one apparently to Angelo himself. The conversation was brief, until a woman’s voice came on. Her voice was loud enough through the phone that Felicity could hear most of what she said.
His mom.
“I’ve been waiting for you to call, Leo,” his mom said. “I thought you got off work at 6:00.”
Without opening her eyes, Felicity guessed it was about 7:30 now.
“Things have been busy,” Leo said in a patient voice. “How’s Dad doing?”
“Oh, no you don’t,” his mom said. “I want to hear more about this woman you’re dating. I asked Angelo if he knew who she was, and he wouldn’t say a word, which I thought was strange. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Felicity lifted her head.
Leo’s eyes connected with hers. “We’ll need to talk later, Mom. I’m with Felicity now.”
“Oh. Again?” his mom said. “You must really like this girl.”
Felicity smirked, and Leo failed at holding back a smile.
“Bye, Mom.” He hung up, then set his phone on the coffee table in front of them.
“Your mom is kind of persistent,” Felicity said.
“You’d think she’d give me a break because I’m the youngest.”
Felicity shrugged. “She cares about you.”
Leo was looking at her kind of intensely right now, and she realized that she’d completely thawed out. In fact, she was too warm. She sat up and unzipped her sweatshirt, then slipped it off. She leaned forward to scratch General for a second, creating space between her and Leo.
“My mom’s been protective since the big blowup with Janna,” he said. “Although she was happy enough that we broke up.”
“Your mom didn’t like her?” Felicity asked. Was Leo the kind of guy who always went along with his mother’s opinion?
“My mom was more than kind to Janna, but Janna . . . Well, she either loved someone or hated them,” he said. “And, unfortunately, she didn’t appreciate my mom much.”
“Or fortunately?”
He smiled and reached for her free hand, wrapping her hand in his warm one. “That’s a better way to put it.”
Her heart rate doubled, so she continued to scratch the dog’s head. General’s eyes were closed, as if he was enjoying the attention after a whole day alone.
“I’ve never been much of a parent-meeter,” Felicity said.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never met the parents of someone I’ve dated.”
Leo’s phone buzzed again, but he ignored it. “I think meeting parents is what happens when you’ve dated someone for longer than six days. But I’m sure my mom would be happy to meet you sooner than that.”
Felicity laughed. “Your mom seems very . . . curious.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Leo released her hand, only to touch her hair. “Your hair’s almost dry.”
She swallowed at his nearness.
His fingers brushed her neck, then rested on her shoulder. “So, are we dating, Ms. Miner?” he asked.
She met his chocolate brown gaze. “You tell me, Officer Russo.”
He angled toward her, his hand slipping behind her neck. His mouth brushed against hers, once, then twice. He drew away, much too soon. “I think we are.”
She twined her arms around his neck. “Then you should kiss me better than that.”
His lips curved upward as he slid his hands down her back and settled at her waist. She leaned into him, closing her eyes, and he kissed her softly. Heat rushed through her, warming every part of her body.
He grasped her hips and tugged her closer, then proceeded to kiss her quite thoroughly. She ran her fingers through the softness of his hair, then along the warmth of the back of his neck. He smelled of rain, spice, and Leo. She couldn’t ever remember getting so lost in someone, and it did crazy things to her pulse.
When she pulled away, if only to breathe, she said, “That was much better.”
The knock on the front door saved Leo. He was having a hard time breaking away from kissing Felicity, and, apparently, he wasn’t keeping his feelings or interest in her any sort of secret. Or from anyone, for that matter. His mom knew. His partner knew. Grant knew. And soon his siblings would all know, since there was no way his mother would keep quiet about the fact that he was with a woman for the second night in a row.
The knock sounded again, but Leo was reluctant to release Felicity, even though he was hungry.
Felicity pushed at his chest and laughed when he groaned. “I’m hungry, even if you’re not. The granola bar I had for lunch only helped for about fifteen minutes.”
By the time Felicity answered the door, Leo had risen to his feet and located his wallet.
But Felicity was faster, producing money from out of the air, it seemed. “I’m paying,” she said.
“I invited myself over,” Leo said, “so I’m paying.”
Felicity beat him to it. Then she took the sack of food and smiled sweetly at the delivery guy before shutting the door. Without a backward glance at Leo, she walked into the kitchen and set the sack on the table. She pulled out the food containers, and before she could move from the table to get anything else, Leo captured her from behind.
She stilled as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “You don’t always have to be so stubborn.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled up at him. “You don’t always have to get your way.”
“Touché,” he said, then kissed her neck.
Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she laid her hands over his. “I thought you came over for business,” she said.
He inhaled, breathing in the smell of rain from her hair.
“Leo?”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s eat.” She tugged away from him with a smile, then grabbed a couple of forks and two water bottles.
Leo exhaled. “Are you laughing at me?”
“Why would I do that?” she asked in an all-too-innocent voice. “You’re more of a romantic than I expected.”
Leo slapped a hand over his heart. “You know how to kill a guy’s ego.”
“I don’t think that’s possible with you.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her again, but instead he busied himself with opening the containers on the table.
General was at their side in an instant. “We should put him in the backyard for a while,” Leo said. “Let him get some exercise, and it will teach him not to beg at the table.”
“Then you take him outside,” Felicity said. “I don’t want him to be mad at me.”
Leo laughed, then escorted the dog out the back door. Although the rain had finally let up, the temperature had dropped even more.
Back at the table, Leo pointed out the different foods he’d ordered. Felicity tried them all, liking the massaman the best.
“This is way better than eating at a restaurant,” Felicity said. “No women fawning over you.”
“What about you?” Leo said. “If we’re dating, shouldn’t you fawn over me?”
“That would make it too easy,” she said, “Besides, I don’t want your ego to get even bigger.”
Leo reached for the edge of her chair and slid it over toward him until their legs were touching. “I don’t mind if the fawning comes from you.”
Felicity smirked. “Keep dreaming, then.” She popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. But then she slid her hand into his and linked their fingers.
Leo was totally fine to eat with his left hand.
His phone rang again, and he wished he’d put it on silent.
“You can answer your phone,” she said. “What if it’s an emergency?”
“Then they can call 9-1-1.”
The ringing stopped, then started again.
“Okay, it’s making me anxious.” She squeezed his hand, then released it. “Just answer it.”
So he rose and went into the living room. “It’s my mom. I wish she’d just text.” He dialed her back, planning on keeping the conversation short and telling her not to keep calling.
But his heart immediately sank when she answered. “Dad’s fallen again,” she said in a tearful voice. “And he won’t wake up.”
“What?” Leo’s mind spun. “Did he hit his head?”
“I don’t know,” his mom sobbed. “I went to check on him and found him on the floor.”
He could barely understand her. “Okay, take a deep breath. I’m going to call the paramedics, and then I’ll meet you at the house. Don’t try to move him or anything. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Is Angelo there?”
“No, only me.”
“The paramedics will probably arrive before I do. Don’t call anyone else, so you can keep the phone line free,” Leo said. “I’m hanging up now.”
He clicked off with his mom, and his gaze connected with Felicity’s stunned expression as he dialed 9-1-1. Seconds after he hung up with the dispatcher, he barely had the cognizance to tell Felicity goodbye and head out the door.
There was never a time when he wished he had his patrol car more than he did right now. As it was, the streets were wet and dark, and speeding through them could lead
to another disaster. His heart was pounding with fear; he knew he’d never forgive himself if his father died tonight. When he’d picked up the cell phone from the coffee table, he’d missed two calls from his mom.
He couldn’t be mad at her for not calling the paramedics first . . . because the mother of a cop should be able to rely on her son.
When he turned off the main road into his parents’ neighborhood, he heard the sirens. Leo’s heart plummeted as it all became too real.
He pulled over as the ambulance turned the corner behind him and barreled down the road. Then Leo followed the ambulance. Neighbors had started to come out of their houses, wearing jackets and rain coats, since the rain had become a steady drizzle again.
Leo parked his car on the side of the road, giving the ambulance plenty of space, then raced to the house.
He stopped inside the doorway to see his father lying on the living room floor, surrounded by paramedics. He knew the paramedics, but his mind wasn’t registering names right now.
“Leo,” his mother said, crossing to him, her cheeks stained with tears. She wrapped her arms about his torso, and he hugged her back.
“Is he breathing?” Leo asked the paramedics.
A man with dark hair looked up. David. That was his name. “He’s breathing.”
Leo felt his mother sag against him, and he kept a firm grip on her. Then his father opened his eyes.
“Mr. Russo,” David said. “Can you hear me?”
His father blinked, but otherwise he didn’t react.
“Let’s get him to the hospital,” David told the other paramedics. He looked over at Leo. “His pulse is slow. He might have had another stroke.”
Leo nodded, feeling numb all over. His mother was crying, and he felt completely helpless. He watched as the paramedics transferred his father to a gurney and loaded him into the ambulance.
“Come on, let’s follow them,” he said.
His mom nodded, but she didn’t make a move to join him. So he found her purse and phone and then took her by the hand to lead her to his car.
They followed the ambulance to the hospital and went to the waiting room. He found his mom’s insurance card in her wallet and began to fill out the paperwork.
“Can you call your siblings?” his mom asked.
Finding Us (Pine Valley Book 5) Page 12