He didn’t expect to sleep—it had been his inability to get there that had led to him gazing out the window at 2:00 a.m. in time to see her tree fall—but the moment he made his painstaking way to his own bed and crashed, he fell asleep in an instant.
He awoke with weak winter sun trying feebly to push itself through the window and the unmistakable morning smells of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon.
And pain, of course. Since his bout with the SUV, it had become his constant, unfailing companion. First thing in the morning and just before bed seemed to be the worst, and he’d figured out if he could ride those moments out, he could usually manage the rest of the day.
By the time he finished the delightful process of trying to shower without being able to stand on both legs—and then the ordeal of trying to shave, comb his hair and dress himself—he was almost ready to go back to bed.
He needed to at least go say hi to his guests, he decided, and hobbled out of his bedroom and down the hall.
As he approached the kitchen, he heard Andie laughing at something one of the kids said. He spotted her standing by the sink, her lovely features alive with happiness and humor. His chest ached a little and he wanted to stand there all morning and just drink in the sight that seemed so warm and perfect for a snowy winter’s morning.
“Hi, Sheriff Marshall,” Will said, spotting him first. “We ate your bacon and some eggs. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t think we should, but we were hungry and my mom said she would pay you back.”
“I will,” Andie assured him. Though she was smiling as she said it, he thought she looked a little embarrassed. He was embarrassed, too—and more than a little shocked—by his urge to hobble across the kitchen and kiss away that blush, right in front of her kids.
“You’re welcome to anything you find. Please. Help yourself.”
“Don’t worry. We didn’t eat it all. We saved some for you,” Chloe assured him.
“Good. I’m starving.”
“Sit down,” Andie urged. “I’ve got another batch of bacon just about ready, along with some scrambled eggs and toast.”
His stomach rumbled. He hadn’t been hungry the night before at dinnertime and had contented himself with a yogurt and a banana. Right now, bacon and eggs sounded fantastic.
“You really don’t have to wait on me, you know. I can get it.”
“Sit,” she ordered with a stern look.
He decided not to point out it was his kitchen. Well, his sister’s, anyway. Only a fool would argue with a woman who wanted to feed him. Instead, he made his way to the table and sat across from Chloe. Instantly, Andie poured him coffee and set it down in front of him and Sadie scampered over to sit beside him.
How odd, that they all seemed to fit right in here.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” he asked Chloe after his first restorative sip.
“Snow day,” she said, beaming in clear delight. “It’s my first one ever!”
“Count yourself lucky. Schools don’t close on account of weather all that often around here.”
It felt wrong to just be sitting here. In serious weather, he was usually right out in the middle of the mess, directing traffic, investigating accidents, helping the utility companies restore power and gas if necessary, doing welfare checks on older people who couldn’t get around.
He would check in with dispatch as soon as he ate so he could see if there was anything he could do to help.
A moment later, Andie slid a plate piled high with food in front of him.
“Wow. This looks delicious. Thanks.”
She sat across from him. “You’re going to need your strength to put up with us today, especially since we won’t be able to go anywhere.”
A few days earlier, the thought of being stuck in his house with a woman and a couple of kids would have had him wanting to chew off his own cast to escape.
Now it seemed infinitely appealing. The quiet domesticity, the giggling children, the dog under the table, eager for scraps.
The lovely woman sitting across from him, smelling like summer flowers and heaven.
He wanted all of it—which scared the hell out of him.
“Is something wrong with the eggs?”
“No. Why?”
“You’re frowning at them like they’re contraband. Do you want ketchup or salsa or something on them?”
“No. They’re fine. Delicious, actually. Thanks.”
He attacked the rest of the breakfast with vigor, mostly to keep from thinking about how empty the kitchen would feel when they were gone again. He was finishing his last bit of perfectly cooked bacon when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Will sang out, jumping down from his chair and racing from the room before his mother could stop him.