Page 77 of Challenged By You

“Are you okay? What happened?” Unlike Elle, his voice is low in deference to the pain he realizes I must be in.

“Accident” is all I manage to get out.

“What can I do?” Such a simple request and about as perfect as it gets because I can answer it in one word.

“Home.”

Nodding at Elle and a gaping Sterling, Jonas settles an arm around my shoulders and guides me to his car. After tucking me into the front seat, I tip my head back against the headrest and trust him to get me back to the Bronx and my babies.

* * *

Apple dessert ravioliwith crème fraîche filling? I tentatively smile as I slide the dish in front of him.

Jonas sneers at me before pushing it away.

Apple raspberry bars with a shortbread and merengue on top?

He takes a bite and spits it into his napkin.

Apple muffins?

A loud guffaw greets my presentation.

An apple Paris-Brest? Hmm, that idea might have some merit.

But when I cook my choux dough, my hair gets caught in the mixer wheel. I feel a familiar throbbing as the paddle whacks my face again.

“No, no,” I moan amid my nightmare about all things apple.

“T. Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

“Popovers are for pussies!” I startle myself awake. The room is mostly dark, with the kitchen lights keeping it lit with a mild glow.

“Now I get why the doctor wanted someone to check on you every few hours. Are you sure they said it was okay for you to come home?” Jonas crosses the room and sits on the edge of my bed. Carefully smoothing my tangled hair away from my face, his voice is pitched low. “You’ve been mumbling recipes in your sleep.”

“What have I been saying?” I’m suddenly panicked.

His soft laugh brings a tentative smile to my lips. “You were mumbling about pâte à choux octopus. I think you can skip that for dinner. I’m sure the kids will vote for mac’n’crap instead of that.”

I want to laugh, but instead my eyes flood.

“What are we going to do with you?” he murmurs.

“I’m not sure there’s a lot you’re going to want to do with me.” I pause for a moment. “That sounded pretty good.” Wiggling my jaw, I wince. “Ow. That sucked.”

“No wonder. You look like half of a sumo wrestler.”

“Just half?”

“Well, since the paddle only caught you under one side of your jaw, half.” I groan as Jonas begins to quietly blast me. “I don’t give aforkwhat you were thinking of, Trina. You could have done some serious damage. You could have knocked out your teeth.”

“I’d have managed,” I try to reassure him. His fingers grip mine hard.

“What if you’d lost an eye?”

“I still could have seen.”And even if I couldn’t, I would have remembered the look in your eyes the first time you made love to me.

“What if you caught your head the wrong way, and…” He shoves to his feet.