Page 66 of Blue Norther
“I have more of those shirts. Let’s just throw it out. And then we can both have some dinner and go to bed.”
I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”
The pressure of his hands left, and he turned off the water, taking the shirt from my grasp and draping it over the edge of the sink.
“Turn around, baby.”
“I can’t,” I whimpered. “I don’t want you to see me fall apart.”
“Breathe, darlin’. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.”
Anger surged, burning red hot across my skin. “It’snot. I brought him here. He threatened my dad, and now he’s actually hurt you! It’s because of me.”
Colt slipped his hand around mine and turned me around so my back was resting against the sink.
“We don’t know that what happened today was connected to you. And no matter what, you don’t take that on. Someone is stalkingyou.Someone is threateningyou.We’re going to figure it out, and I’m going to keep you safe.”
I grabbed the paper off the dryer. “Wedo.This was in your shirt pocket.”
Colt unfolded the note, his eyes wide as his body vibrated with anger. “This doesn’t make ityourfault, and you will not take that on, you hear me?”
I nodded. “I need to put the food away.”
“Go upstairs, get ready for bed, and relax. I’ll take care of things down here and be up in a minute.”
What else could I say? How much more could I argue? I slipped past Colt and the messy kitchen, wishing more than anything the night had ended with cupcakes and kisses.
Colt shuffled into the bedroom just as I reached over to turn off the lamp on my nightstand. “I bagged the photo up and the note you found. A deputy is coming out in the morning to get it.”
I was sitting in bed with my back against the headboard, trying to not let my mind wander with all the possibilities about how far this could all escalate.
“How bad is your head hurting right now?” I asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I know you are. Now, how bad is the pain?”
“Barely there. I promise.”
“Good. Come lay in bed.”
He pulled his shirt over his head, and then stepped out of his pants before sliding under the sheets.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
I grabbed his pillow just as he was sitting down and laid it over my lap. Colt didn’t ask a single question. He just laid down, resting his head on the pillow over my legs.
My fingers went to work, combing through his hair, careful not to come close to the spot where he was stitched up. I massaged his temples. My fingers gently moved to his eyebrows, and down his jaw. They traced over the violets on his chest. He melted further into the mattress as his body went lax under my touch.
“I forgot about this,” he muttered at one point.
“It always made you feel better after a stressful day.” Colt turned his head towards me, moving just enough so he could kiss my belly.
“How long are you out of work for?”
“Seven to ten days for my head, but Hank agrees it’s best if I start my paternity leave now. John Boone will fill in until Hank comes back in a few days.”
We hadn’t even talked about him taking a leave once the baby came, but I should have known he was already planning on it. “Paternity leave? Don’t you want that for after the baby comes? You won’t get as much time with him…”
