was
doing my level best to keep you safe.”
“Oh, horse
hockey!” Honor spat angrily. “You were trying to micro-manage my life and you
have no danged right to do it,” she accused. “Listen here, Sheriff Ezekiel
Kinkaid Monroe, I am finished with this foolishness. I’m goin’ HOME!” she
informed him on a roar as she smacked a closed fist against his solid chest.
“It is the second week in December, and I have better things to do than sit in
this hospital room twiddling my thumbs.”
“You’re recovering
from surgery that very nearly killed you, you hard-headed ball of fury. I
wouldn’t exactly say that the time has been wasted,” Zeke countered angrily.
“I just can NOT
believe your audacity,” Honor declared, shaking her head slowly as she frowned
at him.
“You can’t? Which
part can’t you wrap your mind around, darlin’? The part where I’ll do whatever
I need to do in order to keep you alive and yelling at me? How ‘bout the part
where I want you to have the medical attention you need since you STILL can’t
stand for long periods of time,” he growled, helping to ease her sagging body
into a sitting position on the side of the bed. “Swear to God, babe, it’s a
good thing I love you as much as I do. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to strangle
you.”
“I’m want to go
home, Ezekiel. Tonight,” Honor demanded tightly as she looked up at him with
tears in her eyes. “Please get me out of here,” she whispered, her voice
cracking. “I don’t like it here. There’s too many memories and all of them
are bad. If you love me and know me as well you claim to, you’ll know that I’m
not just bein’ obstinate. I can’t stand being here anymore. I feel like I’m
losin’ my mind.”
Just like that,
Zeke felt less than an inch tall. He’d been so concentrated on keeping her
safe, that he’d lost sight of how important it was that Honor felt secure in
her surroundings. It was more than obvious to him now that it was time to
come up with a new plan. Kneeling in front of her, Zeke lifted a hand to tuck
a hank of Honor’s hair behind her ear. “Okay, Kitten. We’ll get you out of
this joint tonight. I’ll talk to the nurses and get your paperwork started,
but you’ve gotta know that you can’t go back to the farmhouse. You aren’t
strong enough to be left on your own yet. So, you tell me, where do you wanna
go?”
Swiping the back
of her hand underneath her nose, Honor met Zeke’s clear gray eyes. “You’ll get
me out of here? Really? You mean it?” she asked in a tiny hopeful voice.
He couldn’t help
it. Seeing that innocent face staring back at him, he quickly leaned forward
to gently brush his lips against hers, thrilled when she stayed still and
allowed the kiss. He got barely a taste of her, but he didn’t want to
overwhelm her. Besides, that brief touch was enough to give him faith.
Resting his forehead against hers, Zeke nodded. “There’s gonna be rules, Kitten
– lots of rules, but yes, I mean it. Now, tell me, where do you want to stay
while you’re doing your healing? You’ve got options. Aunt Orla. Your
sisters’ places. My place.”
“Is your brother
still staying with you?” Honor asked tersely.
Zeke’s lips twitched.
He was really gonna need to get the lowdown on what went on between his girl
and his brother. “Temporarily,” he replied evenly, watching her face.
Honor’s nose
curled. “Then your house is out of the running.”
Zeke chuckled.
“Judging by the goose egg on Ice’s forehead when he left, I kinda figured
that,” he teased.
“I swear, he had
it comin’, Zeke. That brother of yours needs to put a country mile between me
and him if he has any sense at all – which I highly doubt because he’s an
insufferable, overbearing authoritarian oaf with absolutely NO social skills to
speak of! Do you know that he actually had the nerve to tell
doing my level best to keep you safe.”
“Oh, horse
hockey!” Honor spat angrily. “You were trying to micro-manage my life and you
have no danged right to do it,” she accused. “Listen here, Sheriff Ezekiel
Kinkaid Monroe, I am finished with this foolishness. I’m goin’ HOME!” she
informed him on a roar as she smacked a closed fist against his solid chest.
“It is the second week in December, and I have better things to do than sit in
this hospital room twiddling my thumbs.”
“You’re recovering
from surgery that very nearly killed you, you hard-headed ball of fury. I
wouldn’t exactly say that the time has been wasted,” Zeke countered angrily.
“I just can NOT
believe your audacity,” Honor declared, shaking her head slowly as she frowned
at him.
“You can’t? Which
part can’t you wrap your mind around, darlin’? The part where I’ll do whatever
I need to do in order to keep you alive and yelling at me? How ‘bout the part
where I want you to have the medical attention you need since you STILL can’t
stand for long periods of time,” he growled, helping to ease her sagging body
into a sitting position on the side of the bed. “Swear to God, babe, it’s a
good thing I love you as much as I do. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to strangle
you.”
“I’m want to go
home, Ezekiel. Tonight,” Honor demanded tightly as she looked up at him with
tears in her eyes. “Please get me out of here,” she whispered, her voice
cracking. “I don’t like it here. There’s too many memories and all of them
are bad. If you love me and know me as well you claim to, you’ll know that I’m
not just bein’ obstinate. I can’t stand being here anymore. I feel like I’m
losin’ my mind.”
Just like that,
Zeke felt less than an inch tall. He’d been so concentrated on keeping her
safe, that he’d lost sight of how important it was that Honor felt secure in
her surroundings. It was more than obvious to him now that it was time to
come up with a new plan. Kneeling in front of her, Zeke lifted a hand to tuck
a hank of Honor’s hair behind her ear. “Okay, Kitten. We’ll get you out of
this joint tonight. I’ll talk to the nurses and get your paperwork started,
but you’ve gotta know that you can’t go back to the farmhouse. You aren’t
strong enough to be left on your own yet. So, you tell me, where do you wanna
go?”
Swiping the back
of her hand underneath her nose, Honor met Zeke’s clear gray eyes. “You’ll get
me out of here? Really? You mean it?” she asked in a tiny hopeful voice.
He couldn’t help
it. Seeing that innocent face staring back at him, he quickly leaned forward
to gently brush his lips against hers, thrilled when she stayed still and
allowed the kiss. He got barely a taste of her, but he didn’t want to
overwhelm her. Besides, that brief touch was enough to give him faith.
Resting his forehead against hers, Zeke nodded. “There’s gonna be rules, Kitten
– lots of rules, but yes, I mean it. Now, tell me, where do you want to stay
while you’re doing your healing? You’ve got options. Aunt Orla. Your
sisters’ places. My place.”
“Is your brother
still staying with you?” Honor asked tersely.
Zeke’s lips twitched.
He was really gonna need to get the lowdown on what went on between his girl
and his brother. “Temporarily,” he replied evenly, watching her face.
Honor’s nose
curled. “Then your house is out of the running.”
Zeke chuckled.
“Judging by the goose egg on Ice’s forehead when he left, I kinda figured
that,” he teased.
“I swear, he had
it comin’, Zeke. That brother of yours needs to put a country mile between me
and him if he has any sense at all – which I highly doubt because he’s an
insufferable, overbearing authoritarian oaf with absolutely NO social skills to
speak of! Do you know that he actually had the nerve to tell
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