Page 131 of Time to Bounce

I brushed some of the hair off his forehead before saying, “You didn’t even have to ask. It was a done deal.”

He snorted. “Athena.”

I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to say this, and don’t take it the wrong way,” he murmured.

I pulled back, heart pounding.

“Yeah?”

“You stink. You should really go home and take a shower.”

I threw my head back and laughed.

He was right.

I did stink.

I didn’t go home to take a shower, though.

I took one in the bathroom made for kids, squatting down the entire time so I could fit under the shower head.

When I got back out, a nurse was there with a tub and a couple of rags.

“Your turn,” my eyes gleamed.

Make coffee. Not war.

—Gable to Athena

GABLE

Seven and a half weeks later

“Hey there, partner.” I caught Cam up in my arms, snuggling him into my chest and causing him to giggle.

His little knee hit me where I’d been shot, but the pain didn’t show.

Thank God.

I was tired of being in pain.

It was not something I ever wanted to experience again.

“Quaid,” I called out. “You have a loose one.”

Quaid came out of the house with a frown on his face. “I thought you were with your mother?”

Cam giggled, and Quaid caught him up in his arms.

I straightened my bowtie and jacket, then once again turned to stare at the door.

“Patience is a virtue.”

I looked over at Garrett. “Patience is hard to come by when you’ve been waiting for seven weeks to have se…”

“Don’t you dare,” my mother hissed.

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