Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“She’s twenty-four, a day trader, Dad,” Michael announced to his father, giving the rest of us the evil eye. “We work in the same building.”
“We kept running into each other on the elevator,” she said, sighing, and then we all watched as her smile froze and then faded before her lips parted and her eyes got big. It was an interesting transformation to watch. She was utterly mesmerized by whatever she was looking at.
Following her deer-in-the-headlights gaze, I saw Sam charging across the ER to reach us.
He was wearing a dark gray cashmere trench coat over a navy suit, and the only thought in my head when I saw him was…power. It was radiating off of him. It didn’t hurt that between the breadth of his shoulders, the dark fury in his eyes, and the hard line of his jaw that he looked like a superhero. He was breathtaking.
Into the small space he came, and Thomas had enough time to lift his arms before Sam bent over and filled them.
He didn’t joke with Sam. He didn’t tease him. Instead, he inhaled deeply and hugged his firstborn tight.
“Who is that?” Carli asked Michael in a tiny, squeaky voice.
He glanced at me.
I waggled my eyebrows at him.
He flipped me off.
My snicker was loud.
Sam lifted slowly and then put his hand on his father’s face before turning to his mother. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She ran it down as Dr. Evans stepped into the area, pulling the curtain around the bed, giving Thomas renewed privacy, before stepping in close to me.
“I can fill everyone in on Mr. Kage’s condition now that we have his latest bloodwork and have finished our tests.”
Sam’s eyes flicked from me to the doctor and back to me. “That’d be great,” he told the doctor, gesturing to me at the same time.
I shifted to move, but Dr. Evans took hold of my bicep. “Actually, I need to talk to Jory again right after this, and I’d hate to make you all move, Mr. uh––”
“Chief Deputy Samuel Kage of the Northern District of Illinois,” Sam almost growled, his voice thick and gravelly. “That’s the marshals service; in case you weren’t aware.”
Dr. Evans nodded slowly.
“I appreciate you taking care of my father,” Sam continued, steely gaze flicking to me before returning to the doctor.
“Of course,” he rasped as I gave him a quick smile and then slipped around the others to reach my husband.
His tree trunk of an arm settled around my shoulders as he drew me to his side, holding me there.
“I’m so glad you got here so quickly,” I sighed, turning in his embrace until I was facing him, putting both hands on his chest. “We were just discussing the ranch-style house your parents were going to get.”
“That’s a great idea,” he rumbled, staring down at me. “Because home isn’t a house, it’s the people you love all together under one roof.”
“Yes, it is,” I agreed.
“That’s how I feel about my family,” he said, emphasis on the “my.” “I like to know that you and the kids are there when I get home, but it wouldn’t matter where that was as long as my family was there.”
“Yes, dear,” I said with a sigh, lifting for the kiss.
He bent and gave me one.
“I think we can get you discharged, Mr. Kage,” Dr. Evans said hoarsely from where he was. “We don’t want to keep you any longer than need be.”
I didn’t turn and thank him; Sam did that, his arms wrapped around me as I leaned my head against his brick wall of a chest.
Everyone was talking at once, happy and excited that Thomas was going home.
“You’re ridiculous,” I mumbled to the man I loved, nuzzling my face in the soft cashmere of his coat.
“He’s a doctor. Maybe you’re into that.”
“No, dear,” I sighed, giving him my weight.
“So who’s the girl with Mike?” he asked me.
I chuckled as he squeezed me tighter.
MAY 2019
Hello, all, Jory Harcourt here, and welcome to the May edition of He Said, he said. It’s spring, so there are things happening. For us, in the Kage-Harcourt household, it’s allergy season. A friendly reminder, remember to take your allergy pill at the same time every day or it won’t work, no matter what it says on the bottle. It has to build up in your system. Some people think they know better than the doctor and believe that they can just pop that pill at any time and it will work. They think that being in law enforcement—coughChiefDeputycough—makes them an expert. It does not. So when those people who shall go nameless can’t breathe and have sticky, itchy eyes, they have no one to blame but themselves. Okay, deep breath. Anyway…I got questions this time, and here we go…
DEAR JORY:
Do you really have a Disney backyard, and what does that mean?