Page 45 of His Sassy Little

“I said I’d keep you safe and he took you right out from under my nose. I was there! In the same room. You were taken from my house. I did fail you, Little Hurricane, and to make matters worse, I was almost too late. You were so close to dying and it was my fault. I am so sorry, Baby. So sorry.” Arabella saw tears streaming down Daddy’s cheeks and she wanted so badly to wipe them away but again, she was stuck in this hospital bed.

“I heard someone is awake. How are you feeling?” An older man in a white lab coat walked in with a tablet in hand, already noting things down on it.

“I feel okay, considering.”

“Good. I am going to check the incision and see how it’s healing. If all goes well, you’ll likely be able to leave tomorrow as long as you have help. You need to keep the activity down to the barest minimum for the first week or so.”

“She’ll be going home with me,” Tanner told the doctor, “So that won’t be a problem.”

“Good. I’ll also want you to see me for a follow up in about a week, but we’ll discuss that more when you get released. Everything is looking good; I’ll check in with you again this evening.” With that the doctor exited.

“This evening? How long was I out?” Arabella asked. She’d assumed it was already evening.

“The surgery took six hours, then you slept for another six and a half hours so it’s morning now.

“Wow. I feel like I lost a day or something.”

“No, Little Hurricane. Only a half day.”

“Why ‘Spike’?” Arabella asked out of the blue, making Tanner laugh.

“You want to know that now?”

“Well, I figure Sapphire is here somewhere and will be in to see me. I don’t want her to ask if I asked you and have to tell her I didn’t again.” Tanner chuckled again.

“Because I can be as fierce, protective, and loyal as a junkyard dog.”

“Oh. That’s not nearly as interesting as some of Sapphire’s guesses.”

At those words, Tanner laughed long and loud while Arabella basked in having made him forget his misplaced guilt for a few minutes.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“They made me get up and walk in order to be released. Why do I have to ride in a wheelchair in order to leave?” This confused Arabella greatly.

“You’re supposed to do as little as possible.” Tanner was quick to reply, “You will most definitely be wheeled out in this chair.”

“I’m not an invalid, Daddy.” Her bottom lip poked out and she gave him her best puppy dog eyes. Other than a short walk in the hallway, she’d been in bed for two days. She’d thought the doctor said she would be able to leave the day after she woke up but they’d kept her for two days. Two long, boring, crazy-inducing days.

“You, in fact, are an invalid. At least, temporarily.” Tanner was walking next to her as a nurse wheeled her to the exit. Arabella was ecstatic to be released. When they reached the exit, she was pleasantly surprised to find Sapphire and Stone waiting to take them home.

Arabella moved to stand up, but Tanner was having none of it. He reached down and picked Arabella up, placing her gently in the back seat of Stone’s truck and carefully buckling her seatbelt.

“Let’s go home, Little Hurricane.”

Home. I finally have a home.

Five days. Five stinking days of doing nothing! Well, she was able to watch television and color but that was it. She wasn’t even allowed to go to the bathroom by herself. She was bored. Arabella knew that Daddy was trying to do what was best for her, but she didn’t think being carried to the potty was really the best.

How was Arabella going to get her strength back if she wasn’t even allowed to walk? She seriously hoped Daddy wasn’t planning to be this way for the whole six weeks of her recovery. She’d go crazy. Arabella never thought she’d look forward to a doctor appointment, but here she was, praying for said appointment to get here faster so the doctor would tell Daddy she could finally do things on her own.

Arabella was laying on the bed, coloring her millionth picture and watching old Ninja Turtles cartoons. Daddy was in the kitchen cooking lunch when the doorbell rang. She hoped whoever it was, they were here to see her. Some company would really brighten her day.

Arabella took that back quickly when Sheriff Blake walked into their bedroom. She wanted company, but him being here couldn’t mean anything good, could it? She wasn’t certain but there was a feeling in her gut telling her that she should worry. She didn’t want him here. Thankfully, Daddy walked in with him. Having Daddy there calmed her some.

“Hey there, Arabella. How’re you feeling?” the sheriff asked.

“I’m okay. What brings you here?”

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