Page 6 of Embattled Return
“I don’t know,” he murmured, rubbing his palms down his jeans-clad thighs. “Maybe it’s some side effect of one of my injuries or something.”
“I seriously doubt you being burned has anything to do with your swimmers hitting the finish line,” John said, smirking.
Chad laughed a little. “Knowing my luck, it is, though.”
“The only way you can know for sure is if you go to a spank bank and have them test a sample.”
“Would my regular doctor do that?”
John shrugged. “Not sure. I think it would be more of a fertility doc’s forté.”
“You might be right,” Chad murmured, looking out the window.
What was it with babies on the brain? First Shannon dropping the hot potato that she wanted another, and now Chad confessing they were having issues. He felt for his buddy, he really did, and now wasn’t the time to bring up what Shannon wanted.
The boys did great in the doctor’s office. They did indeed have to get a Hepatitis shot. Wyatt went first for the weighing and measuring, and he was a bruiser. Well above where he needed to be for his age. The doctor, a kind older woman, teased the boy and he was laughing and giggling as the nurse slipped in to give him the shot. Then his face clouded over and he squalled, immediately reaching for John. It had only been a tiny little needle, so it couldn’t have hurt that bad, but John felt his own eyes grow moist in shared hurt.
“Bite, Daddy, bite.”
“Oh, buddy,” John said, cuddling the tender-hearted little ball-buster.
Caden was concerned that something was wrong with his brother, so he didn’t even flinch when the needle slipped through his skin. He just reached for his brother when it was over. Chad handed him over to John and he cuddled both boys on his lap. “You guys okay? Mommy is going to be so proud that you did this like little men. Good job!”
The nurse handed over two tiny little bags of fruit snacks and the tears magically evaporated. Rather than let them go, John allowed Chad to push his chair out into the waiting room. He set the boys on the floor and took care of the bill, then guided them out of the doctor’s office and back to the truck. That hadn’t been too bad, he supposed, but it definitely wouldn’t have been as easy if Chad hadn’t been there.
Shannon normally brought the boys to the doctor herself, then told him about the visit later. He knew she didn’t want to bother him or interrupt his work, but this was a two-man job. Next time they had an appointment he would go with her.
They dropped the boys off at daycare, Chad volunteering to wade through the swirl of estrogen. John had told him about the previous day’s fiasco, and he’d laughed like a crazy man, but when he came out of the brightly painted building his eyes were wide.
“See what I mean?” John said brusquely.
Chad blinked and looked back at the building. “Let’s get out of here. Do those women not work? Or do they just hang around there, waiting for some hint of blood? It was like they’d never seen a man before.”
John laughed, he couldn’t help it. Chad hadn’t been especially sympathetic when he’d told him about the earlier incident. “You’re just so handsome...Do you want to go to the airport with me to pick up Shannon?”
“Yeah, I can go with you,” Chad agreed, “since Duncan shifted that meeting.”
So, they both headed out to the Denver Airport. They got there about a half hour before her plane landed, but it gave them time to find seats at the baggage carousel. John glanced at the watch on his wrist, estimating times for her to walk out and find them. The woman had only been gone a week but it felt like so much longer. Anticipation hummed through him at the thought of seeing her beautiful, shining face.
Then his phone buzzed with a text.On my way out with a friend. Don’t scare him.
What the fuck was she talking about?
The crowd in front of them surged with offloading passengers and the alarm rang, announcing that the baggage carousel would be starting. Where the fuck was his wife?
* * *
Shannon smiled at Logan.“It’s so much easier to just let them pass. They’re in a hurry to get somewhere, so just let them.”
They retrieved his crutches and bag, and she slung her own bag up over her shoulder. He scowled as she maneuvered up the ramp ahead of him, but there was no way he could get himself and the bag up the ramp. He had to accept her aid. At the top she waited for him, taking the few seconds to check her messages.
He reached out to take the bag and rather than fighting, she let him take it. At least she would be nearby if he stumbled or fell. The baggage claim wasn’t very far away, either.
Her heart began to pound as they navigated the flow of traffic heading to retrieve their bags. It had been a long, stressful week, and she was more than ready to see her grumpy husband. Then she looked over against the wall, and he was there, looking incredibly handsome and strong in his leather jacket and black T-shirt. His shoulders were more broad than the wheelchair, but tapered to a strong, lean waist. There was a scowl on his dark bearded face, but as soon as he saw her his expression lightened and a sexy smile curved his lips. She motioned for Logan to follow her, then jogged across the tile to kiss her husband.
Grinning, he pulled her down into his lap, his mouth settling over hers. Shannon felt the tension from the week ease out of her as she sank into John’s strength, and his hungry kiss. The thrill that she felt from his touch was as energizing today as it had been when they’d first gotten together, and she cherished that.
“I missed you,” she breathed against his neck, hugging him tight.