Page 104 of Creed

I nodded, then watched as my brothers turned to leave. Eager to check on her progress, I stepped back into the room and found Devin talking to one of the nurses. She was listening to all her instructions, but when the nurse finally gave her those papers, she snatched them like she was about to take off running. Her hair was a mess and her eyes tired, but that damn smile she gave me nearly leveled me. “You ready to blow this joint?”

“More than ready.”

I walked over, leaned down, and kissed her softly. She kissed me back. It felt damn good to have her close, but the second I slipped my arm around her to help her stand, she winced, sucking in a sharp breath.

I pulled back immediately and muttered, “Shit, sorry.”

“Yeah.” The nurse grimaced. “She’s going to be a little sore for the next couple of days, so you two lovebirds will need to take it easy.”

“You hear that?” I cocked my brow and pointed towards the nurse. “She saidtake it easy.”

“Oh, how easy are we talking?”

“Pretty easy. You had a pretty severe concussion, and you have some nasty bruises. It’s going to take some time to get back on your feet.”

“How will we know when she’s all good?”

“When she can take a deep breath without wincing and when she can lean down and come right back up without falling over, I’d say she’s good.”

“Shit.”

The nurse handed me the last of the paperwork, explaining the meds and follow-up. When she was done, she pulled the wheelchair over, and Devin immediately shot her a look. “I’m fine. I don’t need that.”

“Sorry. It’s protocol.” The nurse feigned a smile. “But I’ll do my best to get you there quick.”

Devin nodded, then stepped over and settled in the chair. I didn’t miss the way she winced when she shifted or the way she let out a long breath when the nurse started to wheel her out of the room. She wasn’t a hundred percent yet, and like it or not, she was going to need to take it slow for a few days.

We made it to the truck, and I helped her out of the chair and into the passenger seat. Once she was buckled in, Devin smiled at the nurse and said, “Thank you.”

I closed the door, then rounded the truck and climbed in behind the wheel. I started the engine, and seconds later, we were on the way to her place. We hadn’t gotten far when she glanced over at me and asked, “Should we call Mom and let her know it’s okay to bring the kids home?”

“Already taken care of.”

“When did you do that?”

“I can’t divulge all my secrets.”

“Hmm.

When we pulled up to her place, Devin’s mom’s car was in the driveway, and the lights were on, letting me know that they were waiting for us inside. I thought I’d have a minute to get her inside and settled, but the second I parked, Chrissy was out the front door and racing towards us. Devin opened her door and was about to get out when I said, “Hold up. Let me help.”

“I’ll help her,” Chrissy assured me.

Chrissy held out her hand and helped her mother out of the car, and with me following close behind, she led her up the steps. We took her over to the sofa, and Austin brought over her favorite tumbler filled with Coke Zero and a bag of Rollo’s. A warm smile crossed her face as she said, “Thanks, guys. But you don’t have to fuss over me. I’m fine.”

“Have you heard from Dad?”

“No, honey. I haven’t.”

He looked over to me, and I shook my head. “You think he’ll get in trouble for what he did?”

“There’s a good chance, but it will be a little while before we hear anything.”

“Never thought I’d be one of those kids who’s got a dad in jail.” He lowered his head. “I’ll have to put it on theget-to-know-mesheet when we get back to school.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”

“Won’t matter. Everybody will know it anyway.” I could hear the regret in his voice when he muttered, “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry about it all.”