“I’m on my way home.”
“All right.See you in a few.”
She soon pulled into the garage and closed the garage door.Stryker opened the door for her.“How’s Frank doing?”
“He’s okay.Hopefully, he won’t have any complications tonight.”
“I sure hope not.”
She looked at the tree and couldn’t believe it.“Oh, my.”
“Shannon and Tracey brought ornaments over and replaced your broken ones.The Christmas lights were fine.”
“It looks beautiful.”
“They did a nice job on it.Every time I tried to put balls up, they kept telling me that I needed to space them out and watch that I didn’t add too many of the same color in the same place.My dear mate always decorates our tree with the kiddos.”
Florence laughed.She could envision it.She would have to call them and thank them later.It was late, and she needed to see Frank early before she went to the coffee shop.“I’m off to bed.If you need anything or hear anything, let me know.”
“I sure will.”
She headed upstairs to take a shower but peeked into Lacy’s room first.Her clothes were gone.She guessed she had come by and packed them up and then went to Hal’s ranch.The window had been replaced, and the broken glass had been cleaned up.
Florence sighed.She was so glad that everything had been straightened up.And she was relieved that Lacy was staying at the ranch with all the protection she would have there.
Once Florence was in her polar bear pajamas, slippers, and a robe, she went downstairs to make some cocoa before bed.“Would you like cocoa topped with whipped cream?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Stryker said.
“You can sleep on the couch.I’ll bring you some bedding, and you can watch things down here.I’ll take care of the second floor.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“If you’re hungry or thirsty, just feel free to eat and drink whatever you would like.”
“Thanks.”
Then they drank their cocoa, and she put the penguin mugs into the dishwasher.She brought out sheets, a red-and-green plaid blanket, and a pillow, and he helped her make a bed on the couch.
“Thanks, Florence.”
“Thankyoufor everything.I kept envisioning coming home to a Christmas catastrophe, but I am so thankful that you had cleaned up the mess and the ladies decorated everything.”Then she said goodnight, but on the way up to the room, her phone rang, and she saw it was the clinic.She worried Frank had taken a turn for the worse.But it was Frank calling.
“Hey, is everything all right there?”he asked.
“Oh, yes.Everything was cleaned up, and a couple of ladies redecorated the Christmas tree.Lacy’s window was replaced.”Florence let out her breath.“I miss you.”She really did.She had been alone for so long that she hadn’t realized how much she missed having a remarkable man in her life.
He chuckled.“I missed you as soon as you left.Lacy and Rory came by.They said they had picked up her clothes while you and I were eating dinner here, and then they had driven out to the ranch.”
“Do you want me to stay there with you tonight?”
“Nah.I’m going to sleep, and the couch here won’t be that comfortable.Hopefully I’ll be with you tomorrow.”
“I sure hope so.Get a good sleep, Frank.I’m off to bed myself.”
“Sweet dreams.”
“Hope yours are too.”Though she worried he would have nightmares about being struck on the head and knocked out.But she truly looked forward to seeing him tomorrow.
