Chapter 5 #2
He was more than ready to eat, but his own comfort was a secondary concern. Taking care of the kids, and then getting Pixie home where she could relax; those were his priorities.
“I will.” She hesitated a moment more, then put in Ellen’s number as she headed to the hospital’s emergency entrance.
Watching her go, he realized that Pixie did trust him. She wouldn’t have left Andy with him otherwise. Talk about a boost to the ego.
Every time he was with her, she did or said something that confirmed he’d made the right decision. Coming here to meet her, to get to know Andy, was the right move.
Now he just had to explain it all to Pixie—hopefully, in a way that got her on board and didn’t offend her.
He rarely avoided an unpleasant task. His MO was to get it done and out of the way.
But given what they’d just gone through and the fact that Pixie was still shaken, maybe he needed to hold off. It wouldn’t be a smart move to overwhelm her.
The last thing he wanted was for her to find him creepy or stalkerish.
After he changed Shayna, he got behind the wheel, holding her in his arms, and started the car again so he could keep the air-conditioning on. The weather wasn’t too warm, but with the sun on the windshield, it wouldn’t take the car long to get uncomfortable.
Andy slept on, but Brogan figured if the little boy woke, then he’d just get in the back seat between the two kids to keep them entertained.
For now, he quietly played with Shayna, earning not only a grin, but a giggling laugh.
“I love you, little girl. I hope you know that.”
She grinned again, kicked her chubby legs, and said, “Haaa.”
His brows shot up. “Wanna try Da instead?”
She reached for his nose and repeated, “Haaa,” followed by a raspberry.
Never had Brogan grinned so much prior to getting Shayna. To him, she was endlessly amusing, precious beyond words, and utterly brilliant. They were still playing that nose game when Pixie returned fifteen minutes later.
Like a very attuned mom, she peeked in the car, saw Andy was still sleeping, and walked around to the driver’s side.
Brogan opened the door. “All done?”
“Yes.” Her eyes were red with unshed tears. “Would you like me to put Shayna in her car seat now?”
She looked as if she needed a moment, so he nodded. “Sure.” Carefully, he passed the baby to her.
She must have needed a hug, because Pixie drew the baby in close and nuzzled her little neck. Of course, Shayna got two fists full of hair. Pixie didn’t seem to mind.
Silently, Brogan got out of the car. “Hey,” he whispered. He could hear Pixie’s strained breathing and it shattered him. Putting a hand on her back, he gently stroked. “It’s okay.” Praying he was right, he asked, “The kid?”
Her swallow was audible. “Benny’s fine.”
What a relief. Head wounds were tricky. There was always the chance he’d missed something, especially since the boy had needed CPR. “How about I get this grabby little girl out of your hair—literally?”
With a broken laugh, Pixie reached for one fist while Brogan got the other.
In only a few seconds, they had her free.
“I really will have to start braiding it.” Instead of handing Shayna to him, she opened the door and leaned inside to finish the task.
This time, she avoided little fingers and got the baby strapped in, then gave her a lightweight blanket to cuddle.
Lastly, holding her hair away, Pixie kissed Shayna’s forehead.
He was ashamed to say his attention had gone to her backside.
How long had he been celibate? Too damn long, for sure. There’d been the assignment in northern Africa, the ambush that had left him stranded as the only survivor, finally his recovery, and then the grueling weeks spent in the hospital.
Sex, women, had been the furthest thing on his mind once he’d gotten back on his feet. He’d wanted only to get to Shayna, to figure out the best path forward for her. She deserved better than the kind of childhood he’d had, and he was determined to see that she got it.
When Pixie straightened, he led her around to her side of the car. “Let’s get you home.”
Her smile flickered into place. “I’m more concerned about the kids. Right now, I’d rather Andy stay asleep, because when he wakes up, he’s going to be a bear. But if he sleeps too long, I’ll never get him back to bed tonight.”
Brogan waited until she was seated and was fastening her seat belt before he circled back to the driver’s seat to reply. “This is one of those times when a contingency plan is needed, right? Everything will be happening late. His dinner, his bath.”
“My dinner, my shower.” She dug a tissue from her purse and dabbed away her tears. “He’ll go to sleep later, but he’ll probably wake up just as early. Oh, well.” She sent him a look. “We parents have to be adaptable.”
We parents. That sentiment sank into his heart, his bones—his very soul. “I like this conversation.” Especially with her.
Pixie laughed quietly. “Most people don’t want to talk about kids.”
“Guess I’m not most people.” He backed out of the parking space and turned back onto the road. She was so quiet, it bothered him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were a little … emotional. After you saw, Ellen, I mean.”
“Oh, yes.” She sighed. “If someone cries, I cry. It’s ridiculous. She’s okay, just overwrought. Benny is tired and scared, and cleaning the wounds hurt.”
“Yeah, that’s often worse than the stitches.”
She gave him a curious look.
“In general, I mean.” That explanation didn’t quite cut it, so he added, “My training included basic medical.” Yet she’d no doubt noticed his wounds, so she knew he had personal experience, too. Twice now, she’d seen him without his shirt. Hell, the whole restaurant had seen him today.
He didn’t hide his wounds, but he didn’t showcase them, either, and whenever possible he’d rather avoid questions. In the hospital, that hadn’t been possible. Here in Bramble? He didn’t yet know.
Pixie seemed to understand his aversion, because she said, “Ellen started out thanking me; then suddenly she was sobbing.” Again, she dabbed at her eyes.
“She’s trying so hard to hold it together for Benny, but, Brogan, she literally almost lost him.
” With a sniffle, she added, “It breaks my heart, imagining how she must feel.”
He could hear in Pixie’s voice that she was close to crying again. “Believe me, I know.” He hesitated, but she was being so open with him, he found himself opening up, too. “When I first found Benny underwater, I didn’t know if I’d gotten to him in time.”
“Oh, God.” She put her hand on his forearm. “That must have been horrible.”
“Finding someone in lake water is always iffy. It’s dark, and the currents keep everything moving. Where a body goes in isn’t necessarily where it’ll be a minute later.” Frustration bit into him. “She’s clearly a good mom who loves her son, but …”
“But?”
“Benny should have been wearing a life preserver. All of the kids should have. The restaurant should have a rule or something,” he ended on a grumble.
Pixie blinked at him, then nodded. “That’s a great suggestion. I think I’ll mention it to Robin. Anyone under a certain age should be required to wear some kind of safety device, even if just floaties.”
“Floaties?”
“You know, those inflatable things that go on kids’ arms.”
He shook his head. “No good. A life vest would be better.”
She smiled. “I’ll pass along the suggestion.”
“That ought to make me popular,” he said, his tone deadpan.
She gave his shoulder a little push. “I’ll act like it’s my idea, if you want.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Her soft laugh went a long way toward taking off his edge.
“I like hearing you laugh more than seeing you cry.” Of course, it took mere seconds to rethink that.
“Not that you can’t cry with me. You can.
” He meant it. “You’re empathetic. It’s nice that you feel for other people. I don’t mean to discourage that.”
This time, her hand smoothed over his shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about offending me. I know I’m often too weepy, but you’re right, I do feel for other people. I know when I was at my worst, how awful it was. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.”
She was such a good person—and he hadn’t been 100 percent honest with her. He hoped her empathy would extend to his situation, once he gave her all the details.
Since he probably wouldn’t do that tonight, he decided to shift the conversation. “Do you think Ellen will be okay to drive home?”
“One of her friends is coming to the hospital to bring her some clothes. The doctor said Benny is fine, and he’s fully alert, but since he was resuscitated, they want to keep him overnight.”
“Not a bad idea. Ellen’s staying with him?”
Smiling, Pixie said, “They’d have one heck of a time telling her she couldn’t. Thankfully, they’re bringing in a lounge chair that she can use, along with a pillow and blanket.” She slanted him a teasing look. “According to Ellen, Benny’s bragging to everyone that you said he was a hero.”
“Not a lie. He was a brave kid. That could have gone either way, you know? He could have been screaming and hysterical, but instead he kept it together.”
“Well, I felt a little hysterical. I’ve never seen so much blood.”
“You were on your toes the whole time. I noticed how you turned the kids’ chairs.
That was smart thinking. We didn’t need them seeing all that blood and getting scared.
” He had no idea if Shayna was old enough to understand the significance of blood, but Andy might have been.
“You gave them snacks, too.” His brows drew together as the truth dawned on him.
“You were a partner, Pixie.” There when I needed you—though he doubted she’d see it that way.
To him, the realization was huge. “I appreciate that a lot.”
She smiled a moment, then quietly asked, “What do we do now?”
What he wanted to do and what he needed to do were two very separate things. “What do you mean?”