“Only the hard kind that I use in my lunch box.”
“They’ll have to do.” Debbie didn’t relish putting ice packs on her already cold feet.
“No, we need to get you home. Better yet to the doctor.”
She grabbed Austin’s arm as he set her on the bench of the picnic table. “No, we can’t leave yet.” She lowered her voice so the group that had followed them from the field wouldn’t hear. “Cheyenne is actually making an effort to engage with the kids. I’ll be fine.”
Shaking his head, he tucked two small ice packs around her ankle. “Your feet are freezing. I hope you don’t catch a cold from this.”
He grabbed two jackets from his truck and wrapped the larger one—an insulated flannel that smelled like him—around her shoulders and the smaller one that belonged to one of the boys around her feet.
Although Debbie loved the attention, she shooed him away. “Stop fussing over me. Go back out and play, or Cheyenne will use this as an excuse to call it a day.”
Even though she enjoyed being surrounded by Austin’s scent and snuggled in his jacket, it wasn’t enough to distract her from the pain that throbbed in her ankle as she watched the others play. She should ask Savannah to drive her home so she could elevate and better ice her foot, and more importantly, take a pain reliever.
The game ended abruptly a few minutes later when Cheyenne missed the Frisbee and it struck her in the face. She wailed as Tucker guided her to the pavilion, holding her face with one hand and her skirts with the other. She freaked out when he dabbed a napkin to her face, and it came away with blood on it.
“I’m bleeding?” Her voice rose again. “Is it going to scar?”
“No, no.” Tucker assured her. “It barely broke the skin. You’re going to be fine.”
Debbie caught a glimpse of Cheyenne’s eye the next time he pulled the napkin away. An angry red mark marred her cheekbone just below her left eye. It wouldn’t scar, but Cheyenne might end up with a black eye.
A commotion ensued when Cheyenne said she was done, and Austin agreed that their time at the park was over. Dallas and Cody didn’t want to leave yet, but Austin insisted on getting Debbie home so she could better care for her ankle.
Cheyenne and Tucker left with barely a goodbye, while Austin and Savannah carried stuff to his truck. Dallas and Cody continued to grumble, but Debbie was in too much pain to console them. Before long, she was on the couch in her family room; Austin had driven her home while Savannah drove his truck.
He lingered long enough to make sure she had an ice pack, a water bottle, and some pain reliever. About the time he tucked a blanket around her and handed her the remote, the boys asked if they could go play video games.
Austin shifted from one foot to the other and rubbed his hands down his thighs. “No, we should go so Debbie can rest. I’ll come back and check on you a little lat—”
“Don’t worry about me.” She waved him away. “I’ll call my parents if I need something.”
“But we don’t want to go yet,” Cody said.
Austin put a hand on each of the boys’ shoulders and pointed them to the front door. “You guys have chores to do at home, and I need to do some grocery shopping.”
He turned back before stepping out of the family room and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” When she nodded, he straightened. “I’m sorry about your ankle. I hope it feels better soon. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Okay.” Debbie smiled and gave his hand a quick squeeze before he backed away. Within seconds, he was gone, and she was left alone in a quiet house.
She did need something. She needed Austin and his kids to stay. She wanted their noise and the chaos their presence created. She didn’t want to be alone. More than ever, she wanted a family. The Reed family.
* * *
Austin puthis plate in the dishwasher then turned to Savannah. “Hey, honey, will you take the boys downstairs to the game room for a little bit. I need to discuss something important with Debbie.”
Savvy grinned and got a knowing look in her eyes. “Discuss something? Yeah, right. I bet that’s all you want to do.”
He snatched the dish towel off the counter and swatted her backside as she walked away. He couldn’t blame her for thinking he had ulterior motives after she witnessed that kiss on Saturday. He may have gotten a little carried away. In fact, it was a good thing they’d had an audience or who knows what he might have done.
There was just something about Debbie that made him want to lose control.
“I want to play basketball,” Dallas yelled, already on his way downstairs.
“No, let's play ping pong,” Cody shouted equally as loud.
“What’s wrong?” Debbie asked as soon as the kids were out of earshot.
