11 #4
“Glory,” he said tenderly, helping her into her seat.
She’d have to tell him about the baby soon. Keeping it bottled up inside was too difficult. “You helped me get over that.
Sort of. I’m still uncomfortable with them, but since I’ll now have scars on my face, too, I guess people seeing them is unavoidable.
I’m not about to do more surgery . . . of any kind.”
He positioned the pillow behind her, then lifted her feet to another pillow on the coffee table. “Your shoulder might need
it.”
“Around endless TV, books, and a surplus of visitors, I’ve done my research on that. A tear in my rotator cuff might not heal,
but if I could build up the muscles around it, I should be able to get by with only occasional pinches of pain. I could live
with that. It’s not like I’m a super-physical person, anyway.”
“You’re physical with me. We’ll get physical again as soon as you’re up for it.”
Her heart softened to mush. “I’m counting on it, anticipating it, too, but that’ll happen sooner if I don’t get shoulder surgery.”
He held up his hands, not to give up, she was sure, but to put off the discussion for a while.
“If I call Mike,” she persisted, “I can put it on speaker, and between us, we might be able to figure out if he had anything
to do with this.”
“You know he did. First Dan Fellows is run off the road, and then you are. Two car accidents since Mike showed up in town.”
“Oh, my God, I’d almost forgotten about Mr. Fellows!”
“It’s okay, Glory. He’s doing much better. I was just pointing out the obvious.”
It did seem obvious. Still . . . “I’d like it confirmed. I thought you’d want to listen in, but if you’d rather not—”
“Haven’t you insulted me enough for one day?” His tone was mild, and he even leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. “Give
me two minutes and I’ll be back, then we can make the call.”
Had she been insulting? “I’m sorry.”
“Under the circumstances, you’re allowed.”
“Misery loves company?” She’d never want to make him miserable. Just the opposite.
“Sorry if I snapped, too. Two minutes. Until then, just rest.”
Could she and Kam make it for the long haul, eventually becoming a couple like Callie and Tanner? Would he share her house
with her?
Would he be happy about the baby?
That thought took her hand to her middle, where she thought of the tiny life already growing. It was cowardly not to tell him, and until she did, she couldn’t tell anyone else. Kam would be the first to know.
Thank God she wasn’t suffering morning sickness, because she couldn’t imagine throwing up with her injuries.
“What’s wrong?” Frowning, Kam came to her side with a glass of juice and two OTC pain pills, thankfully the ones the doctor
had approved. “Are you feeling nauseous?”
Glory slipped her hand away. “No, just thinking.” He was such a stunningly handsome man with his chestnut hair and vivid green
eyes she couldn’t help staring at him a moment. “Seriously, I’m surly and I know it, but I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Gingerly, he sat beside her. “Here, take these.”
She tossed the pills back gratefully. The second she lowered the glass, he took it from her and kissed her. An easy kiss,
light and gentle, because he worried about hurting her.
“More?” she asked on a soft breath.
Just like that, he carefully held her face and came back for a more thorough kiss, not quite as steamy as she wanted, but
still pretty hot.
He smiled. “Better?”
“Mmm, yes. It’ll do more for me than the pills.”
“Then I’ll be sure to dose you every day.”
Silly Kam. He always had an answer. For the rest of her life, she wanted to hear his teasing, taste his kisses, enjoy the
quiet times together, share a movie in the evening, and wake up to the scent of him.
She truly loved everything about him: the easy way he chatted with the diner owners, Ed and Ted, how he doted on Addie, backed
up Tanner, and teased Callie. The ease with which he handled Liz and the proficient way he ran interference for her.
Leaning forward the tiniest bit—all she could manage, really, but it was an improvement—she pressed one more kiss to his delectable mouth. “In case it seemed otherwise, I appreciate all you do, not just for me but for everyone, your town, and family . . . and my family, too.”
“All that, huh?”
“Don’t downplay it, Kam. Not to me.”
His brows lifted. “If you want to idolize me, I won’t argue—as long as you’re not kicking me out.”
Never. But saying that might pressure him, and she didn’t want him that way. She wanted his love, because he had hers. “I’m not
kicking you out, but please tell me if you need to spend time somewhere else.”
“Deal.”
Much more of that and she’d be telling him everything, making confessions better saved for another time. “Are you okay with
me calling Mike now? I really will feel better knowing how he reacts.”
Bracing himself with a big breath, Kam handed over her phone. “All right. Go for it. I’ll do my best to keep my mouth shut,
but let me know if you want me to step in.”
She wouldn’t, because he’d already stepped in enough. It’d be so easy to let him handle her problems, but it was past time
for her to take charge.
Removing Mike from the block list didn’t take long. With one press of her finger, she called his number. It might not prove
anything, but right now, it was the only proactive move she could make.