“Hunk, huh?” I can’t help the half-smile that tugs at my lips.
“Yeah. Big old hunk of annoyance who refuses to mind his own business.” She sighs, blowing a stray hair from her face. “They said it needs surgery. A plate, screws, the whole shebang,” she admits softly as she fiddles with the ring on her right hand.
My heart skips a beat as I recognize it—the promise ring I gave her before her high school graduation—but I keep quiet. Instead, I pull my phone from my pocket and send a text to Liam. I’d already talked to him about getting a new referral together for me, but I didn’t want to send it if she didn’t need it.
“What, your girlfriend couldn’t wait a few more minutes for you to text her back?” Oakley sasses, and I do little to stifle the growl that rumbles through my chest.
The sane part of me knows this is a terrible idea, but the part that still has an Oakley-shaped hole doesn’t give a damn. Leaning forward on one arm, I catch Oakley Kate’s chin between my thumb and forefinger and lean in close enough that the urgeto kiss her is nearly undeniable. Her breath hitches as one of the sweetest little whimpers slips from her lips.
Keeping my voice low, I say, “Passive aggressive isn’t usually your style, Oakley Kate. If you have something on your mind, say it.”
Her eyes flit back and forth as she grips my wrist and slides my hand to cradle her cheek instead, nuzzling into it.
She says a million little things without speaking a word. That one little action, something so simple, says so much.
“You’ll get a text shortly with the info for our team’s orthopedic surgeon. He specializes in lower extremities and won’t put you under a knife unless absolutely necessary.” When Oakley starts to protest, I slide my hand further back, letting my fingers tangle in her hair, and give a gentle squeeze. “If you don’t want to reach out to him, then delete the message when it comes through. A second opinion won’t hurt anything, and Liam’s brother is the head ortho, so they’ll squeeze you in whenever you decide to call.”
“So bossy,” she whispers as her eyes start to go glassy.
The words, “you love it,” are on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow them back. It’s probably for the best that Aubrey and Mrs. Slater walk back into the room when they do.
I drop my hand from Kate’s face and push off the table. “Think about it,” I mumble before turning to face the bouncing ball of energy in the form of a small human.
“Taco Tuesday, now?” she asks, her heels barely touching the ground.
“After you, Queso Queen.”
“Yes!” She punches her fist into the air before racing to the door. “Later, Mrs. Slater! Bye, Kate!”
“That girl is something else,” Mrs. Slater says with a smile.
“She was good for you?” I ask as I rub the back of my neck.
“Always, Silas.” She glances between me and her daughter hesitantly before continuing. “She did mention not knowing where she was staying next week. I think she’s a little worried about whether she’s traveling with you or not.”
I nod as I try to force the tension from my body. Fat chance. Avoiding Kate’s questioning gaze, I offer my thanks again.
“Let me know if you need me to watch her next week.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Before Kates can question her mother’s words, I nod toward her leg. “Go kick that leg up on pillows and ice it, Katibug.”
She swats at my hand and misses, but I still catch the little smile that tugs at her lips. “Later, hotshot.”
And even with everything so uncertain, I still leave grinning like an idiot.
The five-minute ride home is full of Aubrey’s continuous chatter about all the things she and Oakley Kate talked about, and it fills my heart with warmth just as much as it deepens the fissure that holds all of Oakley Kate. Nothing hurts more than when Aubrey asks one single question while I heat up the chicken in the microwave, once again thankful for a team chef who preps the basics for me.
“So, since Kate came home, does that mean you and her are going to get married now?”
My hand freezes mid-stir as the queso bubbles in the pot. I nearly drop the wooden spoon as it becomes difficult to remember how to breathe.
It takes three tries to clear my throat and push out a response, but the surprise at her question remains. “What do you mean, bug?”
She holds one hand out, palm up, then the other. “You love her. She loves you.” She clasps her hands together and tucks them under her chin, and my heart damn near breaks. “People always leave.” She shrugs, looking away from me for a second. “But if they come back for you, it means they’re special.”
Sniffing back the emotion at her words and vulnerability, I push the pot off the burner and cut the heat before lowering myself to Aubrey’s level and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Kate is special, Silas. You should make sure she knows that.”
