Page 104

Finally, after forty-eight hours, the doctor had allowed her to go home. But once back in her cabin, Hilly’s parade of visitors and champions hadn’t died down. Her “care” continued on an even more invasive level than what she’d endured in the hospital.
To say that Buffy was a hovering, mother-hen, was an understatement. Once Hilly settled in, Buff and Ellen Sothard teamed up to keep an eye on her nearly every minute of every day.
The SWAT team had bought her a comfortable couch, and a reclining chair to replace her old, tattered furniture, and they’d dropped off treats, which if she wasn’t careful, would end up on her hips.
Mom and Papa-J had brought their RV to camp, parking it alongside Hilly’s cabin. They hung out, making sure Hilly didn’t overdo, and when they left for a few days, Selma and Genero Andera took over their house on wheels. It worked out so well, that the couples, thereafter, had switched off every few nights.
And, yeah. Cisco had pretty much demanded that he stay every night as well.
The man was glued to her side from the time he got home from work until he left again in the early morning. Not that she was complaining. Hilly loved having him around, as did everyone else at camp. He’d filled in, taking over for Hilly’s normal boisterousness. He was loud, fun, goofy, and had the entire camp performing physical challenges Hilly would have labeled impossible if she hadn’t seen them executed with her own eyes. It was exactly what the kids needed to build on improving their self-images, and she wondered if she could hire Cisco next year…
Hire him. Right.
The man was continuously angling to make their relationship permanent, as in marriage, and it didn’t seem like he was kidding. Which blew her mind. Sure, they’d declared their love for each other, even reaffirming it many times while she was in the hospital, but since then he’d been adamant about cementing their bond.
As much as that thrilled her to think of them, long-term, Hilly needed to have time to wrap her head around it. She still couldn’t quite believe it was true. She felt if she pinched herself too hard, she’d wake up and Cisco would have been a wraith; a figment of her needful imagination.
Of course, the stubborn man would be less apparition-like if he’d just ditch his over-protectiveness and agree to fuck her again. That’s what she really needed. But no. Not Mr. You’re-too-banged-up-and-I-don’t-want-to-hurt-you-Andera. He was waiting for some nebulous sign from the universe that Hilly was miraculously, fully healed. But unfortunately, according to the doctors, her broken rib recovery would take several more weeks.
Hilly, however, refused to be put on hold that long, or any longer, for that matter.
She’d already warned Mama and Papa-J to steer clear of her cabin tonight, and cajoled them into taking Nel for a long, exhausting walk before bedding her down for the night in Crash and Adeline’s cabin.
Poor, traumatized Nel had barely left her side since the incident, but with Coco as incentive, Hilly was confident the doggie-sleepover tonight would go without a hitch.
All the adults she’d told to stay away had given knowing smirks at her request, but that hadn’t deterred Hilly’s plans at all. Embarrassment be damned. She was ready to get physical with Cisco again, and was unwilling to settle for the light kisses and caresses she’d been receiving for fourteen freaking days.
She wanted naked, and she wanted sex.
Tonight.
“Knock, knock,” Buffy called out, giving a light rap of her knuckles to Hilly’s open door. “Just checking in.”
Hilly rolled her eyes. “You mean like the last ten times I’ve seen you today?”
Buffy frowned and walked up to Hilly, anyway. “I almost lost you, you know,” she reminded Hilly. “And with things still up in the air, bad-guy wise, I’m not ready to let you out of my sight yet.”
“There’s no danger left to consider,” Hilly assured her. “Cottins is behind bars, awaiting trial.”
“Right. But his accomplice, your ex-father is still on the lamb,” she huffed. “And the matter of Carter has yet to be determined.”
Carter.
Hilly sighed. The young man had been—at least temporarily—placed in the custody of his parents. Hilly and Cisco had assured his mother and father they wouldn’t press charges if Carter got the psychiatric help he needed. The couple had agreed, but Bailey’s parents—while dropping their lawsuit against Hilly—still wanted Carter charged with attempted murder.
That wasn’t going to happen since Hilly was willing to testify—from what the youngster had revealed— that Carter had no idea he’d endangered Bailey’s life. The pending charges, however, would be filed, but lessened to intent to do bodily harm.
With no prior offenses on his record, Carter would probably get probation, and the help he needed, mentally.
“Carter isn’t an issue,” Hilly responded firmly. “He’s shown remorse over his actions, and he’ll be carefully watched by his parents. After his trial, if he’s found guilty, he’ll eventually be monitored by his probation officer.”
Buffy nodded, but not happily. “Your sperm donor, then?” She wasn’t going to let things go.
“Mason has his computer-geeks, Opal and Nolan on top of it. They’ve sent his license plate out on a national alert network, they have tags on his credit cards, and they got court approval to track his phone. If he dares use it, they’ll find him. He’s not getting away, Buff.”
“Well, I’ll be happy when he’s locked up,” her friend grumbled.
Buffy sauntered to the table, and gazed at it as if she were seeing things. “Well, well, well,” she smirked. “It looks like somebody is planning a seduction.”