“Followed me? Is that the normal thing for a boss to do when his employees are a little upset?”
“You’re not just an employee, Misty. You know that.”
“And you’re not just a boss. You’re becoming a stalker.”
“Don’t say that!” he practically shouted.
Jesus.If her boss was actually stalking her, she had no idea what to do. Filing a sexual harassment suit might make things worse. Maybe she should just quit.But the insurance…
She had to get out of there. “I, um…I need to get back upstairs. I said I’d only be gone a minute.”
She took off running, praying that her legs wouldn’t betray her when she needed them.
* * *
Two weeks later, Antonio drove Gabe home from the hospital. “No one would blame you if you went to Brazil for plastic surgery, Son.”
“I know, but that’s just the excuse, right? I’ll be home, growing up all over again, in phoenix form until I reach maturity.” Now that the bandages that covered his eyes had been removed, he was able to catch his father’s smirk.
“Of course. But you need at least seventy-five days for that. A few plastic surgeries and recovery time should work out to be at least that long. And because you got hurt on the job, long-term disability should kick in. You’ll have plenty of time off. You can even get paternity leave when the time comes. Unless you need the money.”
“I’m not worried about money. I’m more worried about Misty. How is she going to take having a bird as a husband? She’s still living with you, right?”
“She’ll be fine, Son. Gabriella has had some long talks with her, and Kristine came over the other day to tell her what to expect. As you know, she had to incinerate Jayce with her dragon fire. She said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do.”
“Misty’s not going to watch, is she?” he asked, horrified.
“No. I don’t think that would serve any purpose. If she insists, well…one day, she’ll go to work, and you’ll be human in the morning. When she gets home, you’ll be a phoenix.”
“Whoa. I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’ll be furious if she feels tricked or lied to. I know I would.”
His father inhaled deeply. “I know. But she won’t be mad at you. You’ll be a baby bird. She can get mad at me if she wants to.”
“Damn. Why did this have to happen now? She’ll be showing in a while, and everyone will think I’ve flown the coop.”
“Pun intended?”
“Whatever.”
Antonio found his deeded parking space on the street in front of their South End home and parallel parked expertly.
Gabe was thinking about cramming something large into a small spot, and his dirty mind immediately thought of Misty. He wished he could make love to her one more time before he turned into a phoenix, but with the risk of infection and much of his body still in pain, it wouldn’t be possible.
It was time to get out of the car. He hated to be dependent on anyone, especially his parents at this age, but he needed a hand. His dad jogged around the car, opened the passenger-side door, helped Gabe swivel his body to face the sidewalk, and hefted him to his feet. He swallowed the pain that sudden movement caused.
He was only a few steps from the stoop, and the door opened wide. His mother stood there, grinning. “Welcome home, darling.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Her smile faded as she watched him struggle up the steps. “Oh, honey. Are you in pain?”
“Only when I move,” he said, deadpan.
“I filled your pain med prescription. You won’t need all of it—especially after you…well, you know.”
“Yup,” he said. At last, he was inside and hobbling toward the couch.
“The doctor wanted to keep him a while longer,” Antonio said. “Like we’d let that happen.”
