“You just saved her life,” I tell him, and he turns and looks at me. He pulls over to the curb after we turn and parks.
He takes off his seat belt and leans over. “I didn’t save her life, you did,” he tells me. “I just helped.” His face is close to mine, and I put my hand on his cheek.
“You really have no idea how much you did,” I whisper, my fingers running through his day-old stubble. “No idea,” I say, leaning forward and finally kissing him.
My tongue comes out to slide with his, and he rolls his tongue with mine. He turns his head, deepening the kiss as I lean into him. He lets me go slowly and softly, kissing me two times before settling back into his seat. “I really can’t wait till tonight when I can finally make out with you on the couch and hold you.”
“Is that so?” I tell him, and he just nods. “Well, lucky for you, I’m also looking forward to that,” I tell him, and he pulls off and makes his way home.
He finds parking right in front. “It’s your lucky day.” I laugh, and we get out of the truck, walking up the steps. He unlocks the door and yells that he’s home.
Jack comes running out of the living room, yelling, “Daddy!” He runs into Zack’s arms, kissing his lips. “And, Dr. Denise,” he says, leaning over to come into my arms.
Sarah comes out of the living room. “Hello.” She smiles at us, and Zack asks her about Jack’s day.
I take off my shoes, walking into the house with Jack in my arms. “Did you throw a party today?” I ask him, and he just giggles.
“No.” He shakes his head. “We did puzzles and Play-Doh.”
“That sounds like fun,” I tell him, putting him down and hearing Sarah yell, “Bye.”
“We are having steak for dinner. Do you want rice or potatoes with it?” Zack asks, coming in.
“I don’t mind,” I tell him, sitting on the couch and watching Jack go to his toy corner.
Zack comes to sit next to me, slouching down a bit. I put my legs under me and turn to him. “What do you want to eat?”
“I don’t care,” he says, and we watch Jack play for a little while. When Jack comes over with a book, I read him the story while Zack gets up to prepare dinner.
We sit down for dinner at the table that Jack and I set together. I clean up the dishes when Zack goes upstairs and gives him a bath, coming back down a little while later. I’m sitting on the couch flicking the channels of the television.
“Is he out?” I ask him as he comes over to me, sitting next to me, leaning over and kissing me.
“I almost kissed you when you were cleaning the table,” he tells me, and I smile.
“I know. I felt you lean forward and then pull back.” I lean forward, pecking his lips. “I have to tell you something,” I tell him, and he looks at me. “I handed Jack’s file off to Steve today.”
“Why?” he says, sitting up.
“Because we are getting involved, and it’s a total conflict of interest, and I refuse to taint Jack and the hospital,” I tell him, and he just looks at me.
“You wouldn’t treat him any differently if we were dating or not,” he points out.
“No, I wouldn’t but …” I tell him.
“Have you always been so selfless?” he asks, and I just shake my head.
“No,” I tell him honestly. “Max helped me.”
“As much as I know you love your brother, you and he are not at all the same,” he says, smiling.
“He saved me,” I tell him and watch the questions in his eyes. “When I was sixteen, he put everything he had on the line for me.”
I take a deep breath, never thinking that this conversation would come up in the first couple of days we were together. “Our mother was a drunk, and our father a deadbeat who took off a year after I was born,” I start, and he sits up to look at me, taking my hand in his and kissing it.
So here we are on his couch, the both of us turned to each other as he holds my hand. “Max tried his best to make sure I always went to school with clean clothes and a full lunchbox.” His thumbs rub my hand while I continue the story. “It was always just the two of us. He would even take me to his practices where I would sit in the stands and watch him while I did my homework. He actually checked to make sure I finished it all when he got off the ice. When he finally got drafted, I put on a brave face and told him that I would be fine.” The tear leaks out of the corner of my eye. “By that time, my mother had remarried, and he was a drug addict. I made sure to keep my head down and not make myself known. Until it was a touch too late.”