Page 50 of Coveting Catherine

“What does it mean then?” he challenged.

She cocked her head at him and raised her brow. The smile on her face dazzled him. “It means exceedingly idealistic, impractical,” she stated.

He grouched as he pulled out his phone and checked the word. He grumbled some more as he wrote the score on the pad of paper. He really didn’t mind, hearing her giggle with glee and letting down her reserve while she kicked his ass at the game was reward enough for him.

He put the letters away and she handed him the board.

“I need to put the ointment on your burns. I didn’t get a chance before Chase brought Melody,” he reminded her.

Catherine groaned. Her mouth formed into a pretty little pout.

“I hate the stuff, it makes me sticky,” she complained.

“Oh, I can think of other things to make you sticky, and you never complained about it before.” he teased.

Her mouth formed into a big O before she cracked up laughing.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked.

“Sure. What do you want to watch?” She adjusted the pillow around her ankle.

“How about you pick the movie and I’ll grab the ointment and make popcorn.”

“I feel terrible you keep waiting on me. I’m counting the days until this cast comes off. I swear, I’m sick of sitting around.” Catherine pulled her robe tighter around her. The belt loosened as she leaned over the gameboard.

“Honestly, Kit Kat, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The team’s busy tracing leads, Saint’s getting downtime with Nugget, and I enjoy Melody’s visits.” He walked to the bathroom and grabbed her meds and fresh gauze.

Catherine checked her phone and placed it on the table. She frowned before picking up the remote and running through the selection of movies.

“I take it Kassie sent a report?” he asked.

Catherine sighed. “Yeah. She claims she’s organizing the teen ward and taking the kids to school. I know she’s busy, I appreciate the muffin basket, the cookies, and the scones from Bryanna’s. I wanted to talk to her personally and I feel like she’s avoiding me. I realize our ordeal doesn’t come close to what she went through all alone. I can’t imagine how scared she felt, especially losing the baby and forced to shoot someone. I want to apologize and tell her how much I appreciate her protecting Melody. Especially after I gave her such a hard time.”

“Do you think maybe Kassie wants you to forgive her because you want to be her friend again and not because you feel indebted to her for saving your daughter?” Leo suggested.

Catherine cocked her head as she mulled over his words. “I don’t know. I forgave her before we were taken. I didn’t tell her because I planned to run. Kassie stopped me.”

Leo brought the bowl of popcorn over to the table and a fresh glass of tea for her. He hoped she wanted to discuss what happened.

He sat in the corner of the couch and adjusted her back to his front and leaned back. He gently massaged her scalp as she watched the flames flickering in the fireplace.

“Do you want to talk about it? The team suspected Ash for a while. He separated from the team after we rescued him and Whiskey. We assumed his injury prevented him from talking. He admitted he chose not to because of his issues with me. I’m surprised Rahimi took the time to come for him in the scheme of things, two million dollars isn’t a ton of money for someone like him. I worried he involved you in the dealings,” he softly told her.

Catherine closed her eyes as if his fingers worked their magic. “No. He didn’t talk about his imprisonment. He yelled Whiskey’s name a few times during PTSD moments.”

“Why did you try to run? You know what Kassie went through to keep Emma and herself alive. I don’t know how she cared for Em on her own. You once asked me to help your friend and I didn’t hesitate. Why didn’t you tell me about Ash?” he whispered.

“It’s a long story and a mistake I regret daily. Melody is the only positive blessing from my marriage. When I saw Kassie work herself to the bone as she struggled to care for Emma, you popped into my head, and I knew you’d save her.” She explained.

“I’m a good listener, you keep saying you made a mistake. We all make mistakes. Some we live with, some we fix, and others we learn from. Sometimes an outsider’s view can help you see things you can’t from inside.” His hands moved to her shoulders and began to knead the knots forming.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

Leo stopped. He gently pushed her up to a sitting position and he moved to the footrest in front of her.

“Kit Kat, I spent a ton of time with Kassie after her kidnapping. She carried regrets about leaving the mountain without talking to Chase. I’m right here. Nobody will hurt you ever again. Don’t regret leaving the mountain without talking to me.” He brushed the hair away from her face and waited for the fear he saw in her eyes to settle.

Catherine’s tongue swiped her bottom lip. “I’m a nurse. They train us to know the signs of abuse and I couldn’t protect myself. I feel so stupid. He slept with other women because I disgusted him,” she whispered.

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