Page 56 of Keeping Collette

Deal’s chest rumbled with laughter. “It’s one I’m more than happy to give you.” He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose before he pulled away. “Do you have everything packed?”

“Yep, the doctor came in with the discharge papers already. I just have to let the nurse know you’re here, and they’ll wheel me to the car.”

She didn’t see the need for a wheelchair as she could walk perfectly well, but it was hospital protocol, and she wasn’t going to argue with them. She quickly rang the buzzer for the nurse’s attention.

“Okay, let’s get moving. I know you’re anxious to be around your own things again. And…” He dug his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the key to her apartment. She’d given it to him when he’d told her Teresa and Steff wanted to freshen her place before she returned. At the time, she’d thought about arguing with him, but at the same time the thought of going home to her place that had been shut up for days, not to mention a fridge that probably stank from some rotting food, wasn’t one she relished, so she had handed it over with thanks.

“When I’m not restricted by this cast, I’m going to invite the girls over and make them dinner to say thanks for freshening my place, but also coming to visit me.”

The times the girls had visited her gave Deal a chance to go home and freshen up. Collette suspected it was all arranged, and she and Deal were mere players on a game board.

“I’m sure they’d appreciate it. Although knowing them all, they’d say it wasn’t necessary, and you’d do the same if they’d been in hospital.”

He was right about that. “True.”

The nurse walked into her room with a wheelchair. The next few minutes were a blur of motion as she sat, and Deal placed her handbag with her device in it on her lap, and shouldered the small duffle that held the rest of her clothes. Just as they had looked after her apartment, the women of Alliez Security had gotten her some clothes and toiletries for her stay.

Once again, she thanked her bravery for barging into that restaurant and asking Astrid for help. Doing so, she’d found a family, one she desperately needed.

She also found the man she couldn’t imagine not being in her life.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Home, sweet home,” Deal said, as he pulled to a stop in her parking spot beneath her building.

“Yes.” Her voice sounded tight.

It dawned on him then that she’d been very quiet the whole drive. He’d been concentrating on the road as traffic was heavy, and so hadn’t minded that she wasn’t chatting. But now he could see that her fingers still gripped the strap of her handbag tightly. Her lips were pressed together, and there were lines of tension around her mouth and eyes.

“Fuck,” he muttered as realization dawned. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve realized.”

“What?” He was positive she’d tried to inject some cheeriness into her voice, but she’d failed miserably.

He reached across and pried her fingers from her handbag, brushing his thumb across them to ease their tightness. “This is the first time you’ve been in a car since your accident. Of course, it would freak you out.”

She blew out a breath, and her shoulders lowered a fraction. “Yeah, every time we had to stop, I was waiting for the jolt of a car ramming into us. It’s going to take a while before I’m going to feel comfortable in a car again. Which sucks.”

“Stay there.” He got out and was around her side in quick movements, opening her door and releasing her belt.

“I’m pretty sure I could’ve managed that,” she said wryly. “I may have an arm in a cast, but I’m not a complete invalid.”

Deal reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, loving the feel of her soft skin. “I know. You’ve recovered really well. It’s just…” He paused, not sure what he wanted to say or do next.

He wanted to show her how important she was to him. Also, to let her know that it was okay to be afraid of being in a car. That the first time he had to go back out on a mission after he’d been injured had been hard. Although, would saying he’d been shot be a good idea?

“Just what?”

“I don’t know. I want to reassure you that it will get easier, but I’m not inside your head. There’s no shame in being scared. It’s natural.”

She cupped his cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I am really glad you’re here right now.”

Before he could respond, her lips were against his, and he adjusted his stance so that he could embrace her fully. It was a little difficult with her being in the car and him outside, but none of that mattered. All he cared about was that Collette was safe in his arms.

Aware of where they were, Deal pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “How about we go up and get you settled?”

“Sounds good. You probably need to get back to work. You’ve missed so much because of me. I don’t want you missing anymore,” she said, as she allowed him to help her out of the car.

He opened the back door and grabbed her bag, all the while holding her hand. “You don’t need to worry about work,” he stated as they slowly made their way inside her building. Her leg was still in a brace, so he made sure to provide her with as much support as she needed. “Ox is very understanding. It’s not like I’m the first person to miss a few days because their girlfriend was in the hospital.”