Page 26 of Forged By Fire (Danger in Destiny #9)
Chapter Twenty-Five
B ree put her chubby little arm across Leslie’s chest and snuggled in close. Leslie breathed in the scent of her niece’s strawberry-scented shampoo.
“Thank you, sweetie.” She kissed the top of her head.
Leslie wasn’t sure what was going to be reported on the news, so she’d texted Cindy to let her know what happened and reassure her that she was okay.
She never expected her sister to bring the girls to check on her.
It was sweet, and the girls were certainly helping to distract Leslie from the wait for her discharge papers to go through.
“Auntie? Does it hurt?” Izzy stared at the white bandage, concern filling her eyes. “It looks like it hurts.”
“Yeah, it does. A little.” It’d taken seven stitches to close up the wound. Even with extra-strength acetaminophen in her system, she could still feel the throb when she was perfectly still, much less if she moved her arm around. “But it’ll heal fast and be good as new.”
Leslie was pretty sure it was going to leave quite a scar. It was a small price to pay for her life, and she’d thanked God for His mercies ever since Clint had entered that barn .
Speaking of Clint, he’d stepped out of the room when Cindy and the kids had come by. She imagined he was probably waiting in the hallway to give them space. Was it silly that she already missed him?
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at my house for a while?”
It was sweet of Cindy to offer, but Leslie had politely declined.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t think there’s a whole lot I can’t do on my own. Besides, I have a feeling sleeping may be the hardest part. If I’m up and down a lot through the night, I don’t want to worry about waking you all.”
The gunman was still out there, and that was Leslie’s greatest concern.
The last thing she wanted to do was involve her sister and the kids by staying at their house.
She didn’t say that now, though, because she didn’t want to scare the girls.
A more detailed conversation with Cindy was in order once Leslie got discharged and could give her a call.
The sweet, cuddly moments with Bree were over as the little one climbed off the hospital bed and tried to open the cabinet doors by the sink. Cindy swept her up and got a squeal of protest.
“Mom? I’m hungry.” Izzy put a hand on her stomach and patted it dramatically. “My tummy wants Chick-Fil-A.”
Leslie looked at the clock. It was well after six. So much for having dinner with Clint and the crew at the fire station.
Cindy’s chuckle ended in a groan as Bree tried to squirm out of her arms. “It looks like our time here has ended. Will you please call me when you get home?”
“I will. Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot.” She used two fingers and pointed them at her eyes and then at Izzy. “You behave yourself, little lady.”
Izzy copied the movements. “I will!” She turned her attention to her mom. “I’ll bet your tummy would like Chick-Fil-A, too.”
“How am I supposed to argue with that? Come on, girls, let’s let Auntie get some rest.”
Bree waved as the three of them left.
The door had barely closed before it opened again, and Clint slipped inside.
“The nurse just told me she’ll be by with your discharge papers in a minute.” He came around to stand by the bed. “It was nice of Bryce to bring your duffel bag from the station.”
She’d changed from her sweat-soaked leggings into a pair of jeans. She could do that by herself, but she did have to have a little help from the nurse to change into a fresh shirt. A minor issue to deal with once she got back home. She’d figure it out, though.
“Have you heard anything from Detective Paris? Did they find anything helpful at the scene? Are the Tippins okay?”
With so much going on, she really hated being stuck in the hospital.
“I don’t know anything yet, but Paris said they’re meeting at one to go over everything. He was hoping you could look through some old call-outs and see if anything jogs your memory, but he can bring the files by your place if you’re not up to going to the precinct.”
Finally, she’d have something to focus on. She hopped off the table and ignored the way the jostle sent a stab of pain through her arm. “I’m ready, willing, and able.”
“Whoa, there.” Clint slipped an arm around her waist and gently tugged her close. “Between doctors, nurses, and your sister, it’s been like a train station in here. I need a minute to hold you. ”
One of his hands cupped the back of her head as he folded her into his arms in a hug that she desperately needed.
“I didn’t like not being there to protect you,” he murmured near her ear.
“I know. I realized today that it would be hard for both of us. Every time I hear a siren, I’ll wonder if it’s you and if you’re safe.
And I imagine you’ll feel the same when you see a fire truck driving down the street or hear about a fire.
” She realized she’d spoken as though they were together and were talking about their future as a couple.
They’d never even come close to having that conversation.
Her cheeks heated, and she pressed her forehead against his chest. “I’m sorry. The last few days have been intense. I don’t even know if you want… if we’ll still see each other when all of this is over.”
Clint stepped back and cradled her face with his hands.
He waited for her to look up and meet his eyes.
“I very much want to keep seeing you when all of this is over. I know there’s a lot to deal with when it comes to our schedules and some of the dangers of our professions, but we can handle them as they come. Honey, I’m all in if you are.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest at the intensity and emotion in his eyes. He hadn’t said he loved her, but she could see the truth of it in his eyes. There would be time for those declarations.
For now, she knew that she wanted to see where this went, too. “Yeah. I’m all in.”
With a look that reflected the wonder in her own heart, he leaned in and kissed her gently, slowly, and with a promise that this was only the beginning of something amazing.
“Ahem. ”
Leslie wasn’t sure which of them broke the kiss, but when she opened her eyes, she saw the nurse standing there looking amused.
“I’ve got your discharge papers ready. Assuming you still want them.”
“Definitely.” She reached for them with her uninjured arm. “Thank you.”
The nurse had already gone over the aftercare, and it would be relatively simple to follow. Lifting her arm would be a challenge, and it meant she’d be wearing a lot of button-down shirts for a week or two.
Still, she’d take it. At this point, she’d give anything to catch the person responsible, so that her biggest worry was how she was going to get dressed in the morning.