Chapter 14
Callie
I wake from a bad dream, heart racing. I was in a pool and someone grabbed my ankle, trying to pull me under. It doesn’t take a degree in psychology to figure it out. I snuggle next to Lucky until I calm. How long before I’ll feel safe enough to go out alone again?
When I shift, he peeks open one eye and smiles. “Hi, luv.”
His eyebrows crease as he reaches and catches a leftover tear. “Something wrong?”
“Just a bad dream. I was really, really, scared I’d never see you again.” Smiling, I hope he’ll ignore my bad dream and not force me to hash out my feelings.
He shakes his head and lowers his gaze. “I’m so, sorry luv. It was my job to protect you and I messed up.”
Is that what he thinks?“Wait. As I recall Suds was on duty. Secondly, how could you or him have prevented what happened?”
“I should never have left you alone in the restaurant. The presents could’ve waited.” The words spring forth so fast, they must’ve been coiled on the tip of his tongue.
I scoot onto my elbows, nose to nose with the face more familiar than my own. “I’d agree if you were on the job, honey, but you weren’t. You were only a husband at his wife’s shower, putting stuff into a car. No one could’ve known this was about to go down.”
He kisses my nose, the way he does when he thinks he’s won an argument. “While me and the guys hunt down the terrorists, you ladies are going to stay with family, out of harm’s way.”
Huh?“Did I forget about the time machine taking us back to the middle ages?”
“C’mon now, luv. Things have been much better between you and your mum, lately.” He plays with my earlobe, thinking more sex will change my mind but no way that’s going to happen.
“Only because there’s a few hundred miles between us. I won’t go.”
“You will.” My husband jumps out of bed, hands on his hips, and glowers.
This is a side of him I’ve never seen before and I can’t say I like it one bit. “Wait a minute. Are you asking or commanding?”
He throws on his underwear and jeans. “Take it however you want but you’re going if I have to drag you there.”
His voice softens. “Honey, take our little peanut and I promise, I’ll follow in a few days.”
“Pinky swear?” I latch my little finger to his and he winks.
“As soon as Gray finds a driver for his majesty.”
I giggle. “Still high and mighty?”
“You have no idea.” Laughing, he jumps onto the bed and restarts the war of the tickles.
