Page 9 of Love in the Storm

Wrapping her arms around her middle did little to stop the shaking. “I don’t want to leave you, in case you need something. What if you fall asleep?”

“I can sleep. Jameson said there weren’t any concussion symptoms that concerned him. Do you have extra clothes?”

She tried to think of anything he might need, but she was so cold her mind was slowing down.

“Lyric, please go get warm. I’m going to call my family and let them know what’s going on.”

His family. Of course, he had a family. He was a handsome gentleman who stood up for stupid young girls in the courtroom. He’d probably thought he was making a difference in her life back then. That should have been the truth. He probably had one of those perfect TV families, likeThe Brady BunchorThe Andy Griffith Show.

Wait, there wasn’t a mom inThe Andy Griffith Show. Maybe not like that one.

Her teeth knocked against each other as she said, “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Famous last words? Maybe.

She grabbed the other robe from the master bedroom and locked herself in the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror made her wince. The snow had soaked her hair, leaving it limp and tangled. She’d work on taming the mess later.

Asa, on the other hand, looked like a GQ model after he’d cleaned the blood off his face.

He was definitely out of her league. Married or not.

There was a time when she wouldn’t have thought so. She’d been bold, beautiful, and looking for attention when she was younger. But now, she had enough baggage to overshadow any of her good qualities. Everyone could see the toll those years had taken on her.

Stupid. There wasn’t another word for it, and she’d thrown away so much of her life and paved the way for an uphill battle. Despite her years of sobriety, nothing about the sober life was getting easier.

Wrapping the robe tightly around her, she avoided glancing at the mirror as she stepped out of the bathroom. In the laundry room, she tossed her clothes into the washer with Asa’s and headed back to the living room to check on him.

He was in the same place she’d left him, but now he had another rag pressed against his wound.

She raced to his side. “What happened?”

“I’m fine. It started bleeding again. I think I’ve got it stopped for now, but I ruined another rag in the process.”

“I’ll go get the first-aid kit.” Jameson had walked her through bandaging earlier, and she hoped she could do it again. Her stomach rolled just thinking about the blood.

When she returned with the kit, her hands were shaking. “Gauze, antiseptic, tape.” She named off the items as she pulled them from the box, silently grateful that the antiseptic wasn’t an alcohol pad.

“Lyric.”

Asa’s stern tone pulled her from the task.

He held out a hand as if she might spook and run at any moment. “You don’t have to do this. I can handle it.”

“How are you going to put it on right? I can help.”

“Your hands are shaking.”

“I’m still cold,” she admitted. “Let me help.”

Helping was good. She could do this.

She repeated the assurances one after the other as she bandaged the gash. By the time she finished, the shaking was almost under control.

“There. All patched up.” She avoided looking at Asa as she packed up the kit.

“Thanks. Maybe I won’t make a mess again.”

A mess. Making messes were Lyric’s specialty, and Asa seemed far from the mess making type.

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