Page 64 of Found By Him

Me: Matt’s going to make it. But he’s in surgery. Tyler’s shaken up but okay.

Gisella: Oh, thank goodness. I’m glad to hear that.

Me: Get some sleep, baby. I’ll be home soon.

Gisella: I’ll try. Xoxox

Pocketing my phone, I lean back to wait.

Two hours later,Nate and I are still sitting in the waiting room. I sent Tyler and Ian home about an hour prior. Tyler made me agree to let him tell his mom what happened, and for the second time today, he proved why I’m proud of him.

The same cop from earlier walks out to speak with us. “He’s out of surgery. His wife is with him. He’s still really out of it from anesthesia, so we won’t be able to question him about what he saw yet.” He glances at his watch. “I would just head home. I think the detectives will probably be back around ten tomorrow to talk to him. You can come back around that time.”

We thank him again and walk out to our vehicles. Exhaustion is heavy in Nate’s features. I’m sure mine are no different. I tell Nate I’ll call him in the morning to coordinate coming back up here and whatever else we’ll need to do from a business standpoint since this happened during work.

By the time I crawl into bed, my body is aching from how tired I am. Gisella turns over as I pull her into me. Having her next to me is a comfort so bone-deep that there’s nothing else I would want more after the madness of today. I smooth a hand over her hair, kissing her softly. Her head settles on my shoulder. The weight lulls me. Her fingers stroke across my chest.

When wetness slides across my skin, I shift. Raising myhand to her cheek, I gently wipe away her tears. “Hey, it’s okay, baby.”

“I’m just so tired, Jack. I don’t want anything else bad to happen.” Her face is drawn with dejection.

I wish I could tell her the end was near, and my promise for us to be a normal couple would be our reality sooner rather than later, but I don’t want to lie to her. “Me too, baby.”

She snuggles back into my side, sniffing softly in the dark. The sun will be up soon. I continue to tickle my fingertips over her soft skin until I slip into sleep.

Metal slammingagainst something has me rocketing up in bed. Scrubbing my hand down my face, I force myself to finish waking up. I groan as I leave the bed. After going to the bathroom and quickly brushing my teeth, I walk down the hall to see what’s going on in my kitchen.

Wrapping my lips over my teeth to hide my smile, my eyes roam the mess. What appears to be ingredients needed for baking every single baked good known to man now lines every counter and half the island. When I made Gisella start staying with me, she asked if she could bring stuff to bake. I didn’t actually see everything she packed in the numerous reusable grocery bags I carried to my car.

Apparently, it was a lot more than I realized.

Gisella pops up from behind the island. She screams when she sees me. The metal pan in her hand goes flying, clanging on the hardwood floor.

“Jesus, Jack. You scared the shit out of me.”

Circling the island, I chuckle as I kiss her forehead. “You started it when you woke me up.”

Her face falls. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I was trying to surprise you with muffins. I couldn’t find your muffin tin.”

I glance at the muffin tin lying on the floor. “Mission accomplished.”

She laughs as she plucks the pan off the floor. Pouring a cup of coffee, I sit at the island, watching Gisella flit around the kitchen.

As she starts to measure the ingredients, she gives me a remorseful look. “I hate that I woke you up. I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep. I read for a little while but needed to do something so I decided to bake.”

I scratch my fingers through my beard, attempting to wake myself up enough to start what I already know will be a long day. “It’s okay. I needed to get up anyway. I have to go back to the hospital. And maybe the office.”

Setting the bag of flour on the counter, she gives me a sympathetic smile. “Can I do anything?”

I smile. “Are those chocolate chip muffins?”

She nods. “That’s all I need right now. I can think of a few things you can do later.”

I wink at her as I raise my coffee cup.

With a roll of her eyes, she laughs as she goes back to preparing the muffins.

I pick up my phone from where I left it when I came in a few hours ago, reading through the texts from Nate, Ian, Tyler, Becky, and even Becky’s husband, Tim. I shake my head.I haven’t had enough sleep or coffee for this.

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