“Shall I take your bag?” Becca asked, reaching for the duffle. Daniel refused to pass it to her, hooking it over his shoulder and wincing.
“I’ll take it,” he muttered. “I’m not a patient anymore.”
Eliana winked at Becca. “He’s all yours.” She hugged her tightly. “Call me when you get home. And if there are any problems.” She lifted a brow at Daniel. “And you’re not to come into work tomorrow.”
“Of course I’m coming to work. I’m fine.”
“Good luck,” Eliana whispered.
“Thanks.” Becca nodded. “I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”
Chapter Thirty-One
It was early afternoon by the time the driver pulled up outside Daniel’s house, climbing out of the car to take Daniel’s overnight bag out of the trunk. Becca was glad he’d opted to go to his home rather than hers. The thought of being so close to him in her apartment was too much. They both needed space – or as much of it as they could get while they were sitting together.
“Would you like a glass of tea? Or some water?” she asked him once they’d made it inside.
Daniel shook his head. “I’m going to take a shower and check my blood.” He shifted his feet. “Are you sure you’re okay with staying?”
Becca nodded her head. There was no way she was leaving now. Not after everything they’d both been through. Yes, it hurt to feel that she didn’t know everything she needed to about him, but his health was more important than anything else. The memory of the phone call from Eliana last night was like a vice to her chest. “I already messaged Mia to have her to go to my place and pack a few things.”
“You could have left me for five minutes,” he said, his voice soft. “I wouldn’t have gotten into any trouble.”
Her lips twitched. “Experience tells me otherwise.”
He let out an amused huff, his eyes catching hers. And she ached to throw herself into his arms. But he was still weak, and she still needed answers. Her heart was tender, she needed to protect it.
She walked into Daniel’s beautiful kitchen, memories of their nights here surrounding her. Pulling a glass out of the cupboard, she filled it with sweet tea from the refrigerator, gulping it down as she leaned against the counter.
Overhead she could hear the faint rush of water as Daniel took his shower. She wondered how bruised his body was. Part of her wanted to go up to check. To climb into the shower with him and put her arms around his waist until she couldn’t work out where her own body ended and his began.
A knock at the front door brought her out of her thoughts. Becca opened it to see both Mia and Aunt Gina standing there, Mia holding a bag, Aunt Gina holding a casserole dish with foil covering the top.
“Sweetheart.” Aunt Gina gave her a soft smile, and Becca felt herself crumble. Aunt Gina cupped her cheek and clucked. “You look so tired. What’s happened, baby girl?”
“Sorry,” Mia mouthed. Then, louder, she said, “Gina was at ours when I got your message. She insisted on picking up a casserole from the freezer.”
“If in doubt bring a casserole, am I right?” Gina smiled at her. “Now are you going to let us inside or what?”
“You’re lucky I dissuaded your brothers,” Mia whispered in her ear. “They were all up for another game of football in Daniel’s back yard.”
Becca squeezed her eyes shut. Her brothers were so predictable. “They must have only just gotten home.”
“Yeah, but you’re their baby sister.” Mia smiled. “You bring out all their protective instincts.”
Aunt Gina was already pouring herself and Mia a glass of tea. How did she even know where everything was? As a child, Becca had thought her aunt knew everything. Maybe she’d been right all along, she certainly could sniff sweet tea at thirty yards.
“Hi.” Daniel walked into the kitchen, his brows pulled together when he saw Gina and Mia sitting at his breakfast bar. He was wearing a towel slung around his waist, another around his shoulder, his chest damp and pink from the shower.
There was a bruise running from his shoulder to his waist where the seatbelt must have pressured his skin, and the cuts on his face she’d already seen. But apart from that he looked unaffected.
And good. So good. She had to swallow and pull her gaze away.
“I… ah… came to get my kit,” he said, looking down at the bag he’d thrown on the floor when they’d walked in.
“Be our guest.” Aunt Gina lifted a brow, her eyes sweeping over his torso. “You should put some arnica cream on that. It’ll help the bruising fade within
a couple of days.”