Page 34 of Blue Norther
“I have to go to work, I’m so sorry. I have your medication downstairs. Can I help you inject it before I go in?”
Well, I couldn’t be mad at that. With my eyes still closed, but a smile creeping across my face, I sighed. “No. I do it at eleven. Don’t worry.”
“Okay. Shit. I’ll try to come home for it, but there’s some new evidence in a case and I need to be there for the briefing. There’s a deputy…”
His voice faded as I yawned and drifted a bit. I wanted to hear what he was saying, but the gravel in his early morning voice had always been so soothing.
“Vi? Did you hear me?”
“Yep.”
“You go back to sleep. Everything is locked up, you’re safe here.”
“I know I am.”
Colt chuckled. “Good. I also asked my dad to keep an eye on things over here. He’s up around now, anyway, and usually putters around the barn while Beau runs things out with the cattle.”
My eyes flew open. “Did you tell him?—”
“No. Figured we’d do that together. Sometime soon, seeing as howour sondoesn’t have much longer before he’s in our arms instead of in your belly.” His hand palmed my bump before he leaned in and pressed a kiss into the blanket. “Be good for your mama today.” Colt looked back at me. “Call me if anything comes up.”
I closed my eyes, waiting to hear his footsteps fade out of the room and down the hall. Instead, I felt him get closer to me. And as I fought to keep my breath steady, he leaned in, pressing his lips to my cheek.
“I’m not happy I have to go into work today, but I’m fucking thrilled I get to come home to the two of you,” he whispered. “Best feeling ever.”
I didn’t open my eyes. I didn’t dare move as his words wrapped themselves around my heart and squeezed. Ignoring the call of the bathroom—which happened every time I woke up now—I forced myself to breathe steadily as I listened to him quietly move around the house. A short time later, his truck started and he pulled away from our home, just as sleep pulled me back under.
Ugh.The bathroom was now an alarming need.
I groaned as I flung the blankets off myself, rolling a bit more onto my arm so I could push my body up and off the edge of the bed at the same time. It was always a bit of a gamble at this point in my pregnancy, because my blood pressure liked to swoop if I moved too quickly. But it was either that or wet myself, and I didn’t particularly feel like doing laundry first thing in the morning. I hadn’t had a chance to even look around at our house with everything that happened, and I had plans on snooping…No! Not snooping. Just seeing what Colt changed in the time I’d been gone.
After using the bathroom, and taking the shortest amount of time possible to make me look somewhat presentable while still in my pajamas, I left the bedroom and padded down the hallway. My stomach growled, and my throat was suddenly so dry I almost gagged.
Weird. I held my belly as I made my way downstairs and to the kitchen. The sunshine immediately caught my eye. I always loved the way it danced through the side of the house in the morning, streaming in and making the kitchen the perfect place to soak in some early vitamin D. I looked out the window over the sink, my eyes first finding the spot where Colt’s truck should be. A little pang of anxiety kicked in my chest.
I knew he loved being a deputy, but there would always be the danger of the unknown. And as tough as it had been to deal with when we were married, it was excruciating thinking about him not coming home now that he knew about the baby.
I shook my head, trying to silence the worry. Only a different vehicle parked outside the house caught my eye, and my heart sank.Why the hell was there a deputy’s vehicle out in the driveway?It wasn’t Colt’s. I knew that immediately because it wasn’t a truck, and he wasn’t inside the house.
I slipped my shoes on, wrapped my jacket around myself so my belly wouldn’t be sticking out, and marched out the frontdoor. The brisk air greeted me, but only added to the urgency of finding out what was going on.
I raised my fist and knocked on the glass. The deputy inside smiled as he rolled down the window.
“Good morning, ma’am.”
“Good morning. Is there a problem, Deputy?”
His brows pulled together. “A problem? No ma’am.”
The feeling returned to my fingertips. “Why are you here then? I almost had a heart attack thinking something was wrong with Colt!”
He chuckled. “No, no, everything is fine. I promise. I’m just here to make sure you’re safe. Per the acting sheriff’s request.”
My jaw fell open.
“He requestedwhat?”
“Colt requested a deputy to stay here on the Silver Ridge Ranch to make sure you're protected. Which I will make sure you are, ma’am.” The deputy’s eyes dropped to my belly, and I shoved down the urge to groan. I knew I had to look absolutely ridiculous in Colt’s old sweats and t-shirt, my bump no longer wrapped inside the jacket.
