Sweet Seduction Shield(41)

I also wanted to check on Daisy, to reassure her that I was all right. Plus I needed to get dressed into something else. I was still in a hospital gown, my teeth felt fuzzy and I needed a shower. The shower would have to wait, but I crossed carefully to the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth, splashed water on my face, and went to the loo. Then returned to the bedroom, where Kelly and Gen were in quiet discussion, the words of which I couldn't quite hear.

They stopped talking when I walked in, Kelly pointing to some clean clothes at the end of the bed.

"Abs washed your gear from home. She thought, after what Pierce described, that you'd feel better knowing it had all been laundered."

I sucked in a startled breath and blinked repeatedly for fear Abi's kind actions would make me cry.

"How long was I out?" I asked to distract myself, as I began dressing, uncaring that I had an audience. I had too much to do to insist on privacy, and beside, I was kind of getting used to these women's constant need to be near, to help, to befriend. I was even beginning to like it.

"A few hours in the hospital, half a day here," Gen said.

"How did I get released from the hospital?" I was stunned they'd let me out so soon.

"Your tests all came back clear," Gen explained, but didn't go on.

"So?"

"Pierce," Kelly offered, not needing to say anything else.

"He thought I'd be safer here," I surmised.

"He knew Daisy needed to be near you, and moving her to the hospital was more dangerous than having you recuperate here under surveillance. The doctors were convinced you'd fully wake up soon anyway, you kinda did a couple of times, but Pierce still had to sign over your care, relinquishing them from liability."

Again I wasn't sure how to react to Pierce's behaviour. He'd used his body to protect me in the crash. He'd sat with me, singing to Daisy, as I recovered. He was taking crap from his friends and colleagues, because of me, in the kitchen right now. And he'd made sure my daughter had her mother, even if her mother was out cold, at great professional and legal risk to himself.

I wanted to not feel anything other than gratitude for Pierce. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit to feeling more.

"Ready?" Kelly said, once I was dressed.

"Can I check on Daisy first?"

"Of course. Eva's with her," Gen announced.

"Eva?" Where did all these people come from?

"Nick's fiancée. My sister-in-law to be," Gen explained.

"Who's Nick again?" I asked, frowning to myself as I followed them out the door.

"Owns and runs ASI," Kelly supplied, making the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place.

We found Daisy and Eva in the penguin room. The mural was almost complete, I'd say just a few more touches and it would be done. Three penguins huddled together at one end, a floating behemoth iceberg and storm tossed sea in the centre, and the 'King' of King Penguins standing alone at the other end of the wall. It was quite simply fantastic.

Daisy and Eva both sat on canvas deck chairs, in the middle of the barren room. Daisy was in clothes from home, which Abi had obviously washed. Listening to a cowgirl singing while she strummed a guitar. The scene was so unexpected I stood stock still just inside the room and watched. Eva had noticed I'd walked in, but finished her Country song off with a flourish, before getting Daisy's attention, by nodding towards me.

At the sight of the beautiful beaming smile that met me, the tears fell. Silent and sweet. She launched herself out of her chair and flew into my outstretched arms. Her grip was so tight I felt it in every ache and bruise all over my body. But there was no way I'd ever let her know. I held her for a long, long time. Eyes closed, nose buried in her hair, two hearts beating in tandem.

"Daisy," I whispered, eventually.

Then she launched into an excited description of her past day. Which included painting, baking, watching TV and singing Country music with Eva; her new best friend. I offered a smile to the cowgirl, who tipped her hat and smiled back, absently strumming a few chords on her guitar.

"You all better now, Mummy?" Daisy asked, looking up at me with big eyes.

I stroked her cheek with a finger and nodded my head. "Fighting fit, Daisy-girl."

"Deetetiv Pierce said you'd wake up. I believed him," she announced proudly.

"Of course I was going to wake up, baby. I'd never leave you for long." Wow, was that a promise a mother should never make.

"He sang to you too," Daisy pointed out. It seemed that everyone wanted me to know this little fact, as though reinforcing how much of a good guy the detective was would make me be nicer. I'm sure that was Daisy's intention anyway.

"Yes, I heard," I replied smiling, despite myself.