Tessa slowly lifted her t-shirt so Bishop could remove the old bandages. The expression on his face never faltered as removed the bandages and checked her wounds. He gently pulled the tape free as his calloused fingers lightly brushed across her delicate skin.
She missed the warmth of his touch. It would be a while before they could be intimate again, but she worried that he might not find her attractive anymore. The doctor had told her the scars from the bullet wound on her chest and back would be faint, but they would always be there as a reminder of what happened to her. Without realizing she was crying, tears began to stream down her face.
“Damn baby, did I hurt you?” Bishop asked with concern in his voice.
“No, not at all. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
He sat there silently for a moment before he shook his head and said, “Don’t do that, Tess. If you have something that’s weighing on your mind, I want you to tell me about it.”
Tessa sat silently for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. Tears continued to flow down her check as she thought about their future.
Tessa’s hand reached up to her chest as she said, “Cole… these scars are never going away. They’re always going to be there. They’re going to remind you of what my brother did every time we make love. You’re not going to want to be with me if you have to look at these damn scars every time I take my clothes off.”
“Are you being serious right now? Do you really think I give a damn about those fucking scars? You have a beautiful body Tessa, but that isn’t the only thing I love about you.”
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “You don’t realize how amazing and special you really are. People gravitate to you. You love with all of your heart, and you don’t hold back with your children, your friends, or even the students in your class.”
Tears continued to fall from Tessa’s eyes as Bishop kept talking. “Your smile lights up a room, and you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Tess. There’s no way I won’t find you sexy as hell, and I’ll prove it to you as soon as you get better.” He reached out and gently pulled her closer to him. His lips pressed against her mouth. His tongue explored her mouth as her moan vibrated through her chest. He pulled away from the kiss and stared at her with lust in his eyes.
“I love you, Cole.”
“I love you, too. I’m going to get Courtney and Bobby to go rent us a movie. I’ll get dinner, and we’ll watch some stupid chick flick to get your mind off things. Now, let me finish changing these, so we can get you in a better mood,” Bishop said with a smile.
“That sounds like a great plan. Tell them to get something funny. I really need a good laugh.”
“You got it.”
Chapter 28
Bishop
Bobby pulled through with the movie. They rented Ride Along, and Tessa laughed so hard, Bishop worried she might bust her stitches. They ate Chinese food and spent the night in his room watching movies and talking. He could tell she was feeling better about things, and he hoped seeing her kids would help her even more.
Tessa’s mother rang the doorbell around noon the following day. She brought the kids and some of her old clothes she thought Tessa might need. She had a worried look in her eyes as she entered the house.
“How’s she doing? Is she ready to have the kids here? I can keep them a little while longer if she needs me to,” she told him.
“I think she’s ready for them to be here. She’s come a long way since Sunday. It’s been almost a week, and she’s getting back to her old self. She’s been up and walking around for the past couple of days. I know she’s been missing the kids. It’ll be good for her to have them here.”
Drake and Isabelle rushed into the house. “This place is awesome!” Drake shouted. “You’ve got a pond and everything! Are we really gonna stay here?”
“That’s the plan. I got you set up downstairs in Myles’s room for now. Isabelle, your room is upstairs next to mine. You can go check it out if you want to. You can go show your grandmother. Your mom is waiting for you, so don’t be long.”
The kids raced to their new rooms. The sounds of their excitement drew Tessa out of the bedroom. “Hey guys! What do you think?” Tessa said as she walked into Isabelle’s new room.
“It’s so pretty, Momma. I love it!” Isabelle jumped up and down, thrilled with her new room. She ran over to Tessa and gave her a big hug.
“Easy there, darling. Your mom is still sore from her boo boos. You need to be careful with her for a few days,” Tessa’s mother tried to explain.