Chapter Twenty-Four
Grace’s heart soared.
He loves me.
And she loved him.
The truth still felt too precious to trust to memory alone. Once again, she regretted not keeping a journal. If she had, this moment would have filled pages.
Sean stretched across her bed, Rico perched on the opposite side, grooming himself as if the day had held nothing unusual. She handed Sean a glass of water and the painkiller, watching as he swallowed the pill before she set the empty glass on the nightstand.
“Do you want to get cleaned up before that kicks in?”
A slow grin spread across Sean’s face as he took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “That sounds like an awesome idea. But I’m going to need help.”
Grace arched a brow. “Help, huh? Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Oh, yeah.” His thumb brushed across her palm. “She’s a green-eyed blonde who’s been bossing me around all day, and for some strange reason, I’m finding I like it.”
Warmth spread through Grace’s chest. “Well, then, it’s your lucky day.”
With her help, Sean eased upright on the edge of the bed. She worked his shirt over his head with care, mindful of his shoulder, and guided him back against the pillows.
“I thought I was under strict orders to behave.”
“You are,” she said, doing her best to sound stern. “And if you want to keep earning points, you’ll stay put while I get everything ready.”
In the bathroom, she filled a basin with warm water, gathered washcloths, soap, and clean towels, then carried them back to the bedroom.
When she returned, she found Sean depositing Rico in the hallway and shutting the door. At her raised brow, he shrugged with his good shoulder. “He was watching me like he expected front-row seats to something naughty.”
The comment drew a laugh from her, bright enough to lift the heaviness still lingering from the day.
Sean reached over and gave her side a playful poke. “See? The tough nurse act is already slipping.”
“Oh, no.” She pointed the washcloth at him in warning. “I’m still in charge here. And right now, I’m ordering you to sit still.”
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he lifted his free hand in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”
The teasing faded as Grace got busy. She washed away the grime and dried blood with slow, careful movements, pausing whenever he winced. The bruises darkening across his side made her heart ache, and every scrape reminded her how close she had come to losing him.
Yet there was comfort in this simple act of caring for him.
He stayed quiet for most of it, watching her with an expression that made her pulse flutter.
When she finished, she helped him into a clean T-shirt and shorts, and after he swung his legs up onto the bed, she adjusted the pillows behind him until he looked comfortable.
“There,” she said, stepping back to inspect her work. “Much better.”
He studied her for a long moment, his expression soft. “You know, this take-charge version of you is doing dangerous things to my heart.”
She smiled as she climbed onto the bed beside him, careful not to jar his shoulder. “Your heart’s safe with me. And the rest of you is on strict doctor’s orders.”
He gave a dramatic sigh but shifted enough for her to tuck herself against his uninjured side. Wrapped in the quiet tranquility of the room, with Rico now curled at their feet and Sean’s heartbeat beneath her ear, the fear of the day began to fade.
Before long, his breathing deepened, sleep claiming him.
Grace stayed where she was, listening to that steady rhythm and thanking God he was still there beside her.
“What the heck, stud muffin?”
Sean pulled the bedroom door shut behind him, careful not to let the latch click and wake Grace.
The house had gone quiet after the long day, the kind of hush that followed too much adrenaline and too little sleep.
Late-afternoon sunlight slanted through the living room windows in golden bands across the hardwood floor and area rug, and every bruise on his body made itself known as he crossed to the couch.
The ache riding beneath his skin had sharpened since the adrenaline wore off, each step a reminder of how close he’d come to getting himself killed.
Suki’s call had yanked him out of the dead sleep he and Grace had fallen into, and the sharp edge in her voice was filled with concern. “I told you to antagonize the guy, not get run over by him.”
“Trust me,” he said, lowering himself onto the couch with care. His ribs protested, and he shifted until the ache became manageable. “Getting run over was not in my playbook. But apparently, our UNSUB has a different one.”
She huffed through the phone. “Apparently. Are you okay?”
“I’ll live.” He glanced toward Rico, who sat in the recliner, glaring at him like Sean had committed a personal offense by claiming a piece of furniture.
Clearly, the cat still hadn’t forgiven being evicted from the main bedroom.
“But despite my bruises and road rash, we’re no closer to ID-ing this guy. Any new suggestions?”
“Yeah. Get eyes in the back of your head.”
A dry laugh erupted. That was Suki—equal parts of brilliance and sarcasm.
He’d take the comic relief where he could get it, though, especially with his nerves still humming from the attack.
The image of the vehicle bearing down on him flashed through his mind, followed by the sickening crunch of impact. He shoved it aside.
“I’ll add it to my to-do list.”
The doorbell rang, sharp in the stillness. Rico bolted off the recliner and tore down the hall toward the spare bedroom. Sean pushed to his feet with a muttered breath and crossed to the front door, peering through the peephole.
Of course.
He unlocked it and pulled it open. “Suki, I’ll call you back later. My oldest brother is here with his very pregnant wife... after I told them not to come.”
“Don’t blame me.” KC brushed past him as Sean disconnected the call, while Moriah stood in the doorway, giving him a thorough once-over.
Her sharp gaze cataloged every scrape and bruise visible beneath his shorts and T-shirt.
Sean knew that look. She was assessing damage the same way Grace had at the hospital, except Moriah came with the full force of Malone family indignation.
“When your pregnant and hormonal wife demands to see her brother-in-law,” KC continued, “in the battered flesh, to reassure herself he’s okay, you hop to it.”
Sean lifted his hands and gave a slow turn, keeping his injured arm tucked against his side. Every movement pulled at the road rash and bruises, but he kept his face neutral. “I’m fine. See? I wasn’t lying to you earlier.”
Moriah rolled her eyes. “Stick it, both of you.” She went up on her toes and kissed Sean on the cheek. “Our baby only has two blood uncles, and he or she is not losing one of them to a deranged psycho if I have any say about it.”
The fierce concern in her voice got to him more than he cared to admit. The Malones had never mastered subtle worry. They showed up, hovered, and steamrolled any objections. Usually, it drove him up the wall.
Today, it reminded him how close things had come.
KC guided Moriah toward the recliner Rico had abandoned. “Trust me. The baby is due in two days. If I could’ve convinced Moriah you were okay, we’d still be up in Little Creek.”
Waving him off, she lowered herself into the chair. “Stop hovering. I’m pregnant, not a priceless antique.”
“Well, not an antique, but definitely priceless.”
Sean dropped back onto the couch, watching his sister-in-law’s expression soften at the compliment. KC might joke, but the guy worshipped the ground his wife walked on.
Moriah looked back at him. “Where’s Grace?”
“Sleeping. We both passed out for a bit after we got home from the hospital.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. We’ll come back later.”
She started to push herself upright, and KC moved in at once to help her. His exaggerated patience earned him another dramatic eye roll from his wife.
Sean bit back a grin, knowing his brother would never admit Moriah was driving him crazy this close to her delivery date.
“We’ll bring dinner, ” she added.
Sean shook his head. Much as he appreciated them, the last thing he wanted was a full house tonight. He and Grace needed space to decompress, not a family vigil in the living room.
“Why don’t we meet you at Sassy’s for dinner? Tell Brian, Bonnie, and Uncle Dan to meet us.”
“Six o’clock?” KC asked, following Moriah toward the door.
“Perfect.”
“The beach house is all yours, which you probably already knew since you came here. I assume Bonnie gave you this address.”
“Actually, Dan did. He’s already written you off as taken and headed for wedded bliss, by the way, so you might as well go engagement ring shopping because it’s inevitable. That also means Brian is next in line for the old man’s matchmaking. Can’t wait to see that boy go down—hard.”
Sean snorted. The mental image of the middle Malone brother getting blindsided by love was enough to brighten his mood. “That’ll be very entertaining. And I’m going to sit back, watch, and laugh my butt off.”
KC grinned. “So am I. Later, bro.”
“Later.”
After they left, Sean shut and locked the door before making his way down the hall. Sitting outside Grace's bedroom, Rico meowed his displeasure at being excluded.
Sean opened the door and lowered his voice as the cat trotted inside. “Fine. You can join us now. Just don’t take my spot.”
Rico flicked his tail and leaped onto the bed as he owned it. Sean made his way in after Rico, each step measured. The sight of Grace curled beneath the blankets, her hair spread across his pillow and her face soft with sleep, pushed the day’s chaos to the edges of his mind.
For now, that was enough.