Page 67 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

“That’s the wrong shoulder, silly,” He laughs through his tears, and I grin at him, “My bad.”

I glance up as Steven approaches me, his eyes dark and heavy. He didn’t remove Aaron from me, instead he leans forward and kisses me, gently.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” He reproaches me, quietly.

I look at him, uncertain, remembering what he had referred to me as on the phone.

I let Aaron guide me to a chair and I look up at Steven, “How bad was it? How long was I out for?”

His jaw was taut, “You slept for four days but it was medically induced so that you could heal.”

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” I muse.

“I flew in the best doctor for the surgery. There should be a small scar, but nothing else.”

His hand reaches out and he interlaces his fingers with mine, the fear leaking from his voice, “I thought I had lost you. I should have paid more attention to my surroundings. When you started looking uneasy, I should have dragged you both home.”

“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “We had no idea this would happen. Besides, even with this whole thing, I should have been mindful of where I was taking Aaron. He’s your child and I should have realized that you are bound to have enemies.”

Aaron tugs at my shirt, saying in a small voice, “I did have fun at the Christmas market, Abby. Please don’t be sad.”

I try to smile at him, but the guilt lay in my heart.

Steven releases my fingers and just holds my hand in his, his thumb stroking the top of my hand, “Aaron, go play somewhere else. I need to talk to Abby.”

His son plants his feet on the ground, his chin set in a stubborn look, that reminds me of his father, “No. I’m not going to let you scold Abby.”

When his father stares him down, the child’s lower lip trembles, and his voice shakes, “You can’t be mean to Abby.”

“Aaron,” I drag him toward me and kiss him on the cheek, “I don’t think your father is going to be mean to me. Why don’t you go put on a jacket? We can go for a walk in the snow in a while? I want to stretch my legs.”

He pulls away from me, “But the doctor-man said you have to sleep.”

I grin at him, “And I will, after we walk.”

When he reluctantly leaves the room, Steven stare after him, his words spoken with slow consideration, “He’s more loyal to you than he is to me.”

“He’s just had a horrible experience. He’ll be back to normal in no time.” I try to reassure him.

“It’s more than that. When Aaron told me that there was a teacher in his school that stayed back with him, I was willing to assume the worst. I thought you knew who he was and were just trying to get in his good books to get to me.”

I stiffen and mutter, “Well, at least your ego is healthy.”

His thumb is still stroking my hand, but he doesn’t smile, “And when I saw you, I remembered how irritable you were in the car. You were kind to me and then you yelled at me. And then I saw you playing with a child, with none of the usual crass that people usually have. I found myself drawn into the relationship you developed with Aaron. I was jealous.”

I blink, “Of what?”

He sighs, a small smile on his lips, tinged with sadness, “Of how you managed to draw him out of his shell. You think I didn’t know he picked a fight at school that day? He’s always picking fights at school. Especially when the children tease him about Helen abandoning him.”

Helen was his wife. I had heard from Scarlett how the woman had left her husband and child for another man. The divorce had been messy from what she had heard, but she had been under the impression that Helen still maintained contact with her son.

“I’ve not dated extensively, you know. I was more focused on Aaron. My love life became my last priority till you hit my car.”

Seeing the grin on his face, I frown, “You were so mean to me.”

“I couldn’t help it. You kept hissing at me like a little kitten who thinks her claws are sharp, and I just had to provoke you.”

“You insulted Gertha.” I say with a scowl.

---