Page 48 of Protect

PERFECTION

Rowan

That’s game. I win.

Sure enough I look down and see that he’s hit 250 points already.

I openly giggle, as I bite my bottom lip. What am I letting this man do to me?

I. Don’t. Date. Hotshots.

“Mommy, why do you have a big smile like this?” Hols asks, smiling wide and looking up at me.

“I’m just happy, babe.” I giggle as I bend down to kiss her head.

Rowan

Also that was the hottest game of Wordbubbles I’ve ever played.

No idea what you mean.

Rowan

You know exactly what I mean Vi.

I decide to just give in for tonight, not caring how much we text back and forth, not overthinking. I know if he changes his mind it’s going to sting, but for tonight, I don’t care, it just feels good to have him.

As I tuck Hollie in and our messages continue, I keep laughing and smiling until the early hours of the morning. So much so that when I wake up with my phone in my hand the next day, my cheeks hurt.

“Any particular reason why you’re looking like the fucking cat that ate the canary?” Sup asks, coming into my room just before breakfast.

I shrug. “Just finished a good physical therapy sesh and so fucking ready to gohome.”

I set my phone down from talking to Violette, she’s just getting ready to head in for her shift and we’ve been talking since she woke up. We talked until she fell asleep last night too. At this point, the only thing I want to do is talk to her and I will stop at literally nothing to keep her talking. Even spending upwards of a hundred bucks for extra letters on Wordbubbles just so I could send her all the very particular words I wanted to in our game.

“You got a hot date when you get outta here or something?”

“Hopefully.” I grin, giving Sup my full attention. “Fuck, Sup, you’retoofucking clean,” I say as he strides across my room and takes a seat.

“A day off will do that to a man. I think by my third shower I was actually down to my honest skin tone.” He grins holding up an arm.

He fills me in on the things I missed on their last short roll and what the guys got done at base yesterday when they got back—all while I’ve been stuck in here. My breakfast comes, and I stand and walk to the server to take it off her hands. Sup texts with someone while I sit down on the edge of my bed and start to shovel it in. They don’t feed me enough in here, and I’m desperate to get home so I can start eating right and working out again.

“You’re looking good. You feeling good?” Sup asks as I set my fork down on my plate and place it on the table beside my bed.

“It doesn’t really hurt much anymore, keeping a lot of it covered mostly, but just out of precaution so I don’t irritate it. Aside from a few spots, it feels pretty good. My skin is healing up better than the doctor expected and she says the scars will be minimal.”

Sup nods, his expression is pensive and concerned.

“I’m just ready to get back out in the field,” I say, looking down at my arm and my thigh.

“It’s been nine days. You need a little longer, bud,” he notes. “You get heat anywhere near that right now and they’ll be able to hear you howling in Oregon.”

I nod. “Yea, I know.”

“Listen, I’m here to tell you we’re heading to Wyoming tonight to help out on a beast. Black Mountain Fire. Been burning out of control. It’s taken 4000 acres in two days.”

“Fuck,” I breathe out.

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