Page 189 of Burning Ember

“No one else needs to get hurt. Do you understand? It’s done.”

“Except for Davis when I find him.”

I try to keep glaring at him, but he has a good point. Finally, I nod once. “Except for Davis.”

He smiles again, and says, “Fuck. Stop making me smile.”

I smile, and then laugh when my response only puts him in more pain, and makes him sound like the biker he is.

Locking eyes with me, he says with all sincerity, “It’s good to see your eyes again, and see you smile.” Then he cups my face and rubs his thumb over my cheek. “I missed you, Doll. Don’t ever go away like that again, okay?”

I nod.

Mav attempts to fight off his grin. He turns and strides to the couch that he’s used for the last two weeks as a bed.

“So I just have one question.”

He throws the pillow down on one side of the couch. He twists to look at me. “What’s that?”

“You said Lil’ would give me food poisoning in a week. But does that mean you hired a nurse and a cook?”

“No, just a nurse.” He picks up the blanket, then pauses with it in his hands, turns and shakes his head. “I know what you’re getting at. You and that smart-ass mouth of yours.”

Biting my lip, I raise an eyebrow.

He turns back around and shakes his blanket over the couch. He grumbles something that I don’t catch.

“What was that?”

“I’ve been watchin’ some cookin’ shows, and I bought a couple of books.”

Though it feels wrong to feel happy right now, I can’t contain my amusement and curiosity. “Books? On what?”

He takes his cut off and lays it nicely folded in half over a chair. He sits down and starts to take off his boots. Shrugging, he replies, “Cookin’, kids, how to take care of an invalid.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

He smiles then hisses, “Fuck. Would you stop?”

He exhales a deep breath and rubs his hands against his head. He stares at me for a long time before he finally lies down. His arms go behind his head and he looks at the ceiling. He crosses his legs at the foot of the couch.

I smile and push the button to lower me back down. “Good night, Mav.”

It seems like forever before he says, “Night, Doll.” Something he’s done every night without fail these last two weeks.

For a long time, all I can do is think of him, and listen to his breathing, even after it becomes deep with sleep. For the first time when I close my eyes, horrific images don’t consume my thoughts, and no nightmares take over my dreams.

Certain people are a part of our lives because that is exactly where God wants them to be.

MAVERICK

In anticipation of Ember and Will coming to live with me, I moved my bed from the master bedroom into one of the spare bedrooms, and I set up two new adjustable twin beds side by side in the master. Ember, and most likely Will, will be spending a lot of time in there and in bed, so I bought an entertainment center, a new 42 inch TV, and everything I could think of to help them pass the time in comfort.

I didn’t really know how to approach getting to know Will. So far, she’s treated me like Ember did. She knew I was there when she visited the hospital nearly every day. But besides a few wary glances here and there, she ignored my presence too.

Bethany told me to take it slow with her and to not overwhelm her. Will was already having a hard time, and what she really needed right now was to feel safe and have some stability. She also said her and Ember would need time alone together and time to heal. She warned me it would be natural for Will not to want to sleep alone in a strange house.

I kept everything she said in mind over the next few months.