Page 24 of Swimming for Seduction

We make our way back to the waiting room just as a menacing looking man storms in and towers over Cory, demanding to know about Maxine’s condition. I’ve seen him at Ball Busters before, but I never realized how big he is. He’s taller than Brady’s six-three and wider than Devon who weighs around two-fifty. I’m not usually intimidated by men, but this guy looks just this side of feral as his eyes scan the room. Not to mention the bruised and split knuckles on his hands that are balled into fists at his side.

When Cory stands, Joey jumps between them. He doesn’t appear scared in the least despite the fact that he resembles a midget looking up at a giant as he faces the larger man. “Don’t make a scene here, Slade. Half the Sherriff’s department is here, waiting for news about Becky. They’ll haul you in.”

“The fuck they will,” Slade bellows before side-stepping a deputy and putting his hands up. “I’ll cool it,” he tells the officer before facing Cory again. “I just want to know if she’s okay.”

Cory shakes his head with a huff. “I don’t think she’ll ever beokayafter what happened to her today.”

Before Slade can respond, another doctor steps into the waiting room and calls Cory to the room the Sheppards and I just left. Slade doesn’t wait for an invitation like I did. He barrels in right behind Cory and slams the door as everyone in the waiting room lets out a collective sigh of relief.

“There’s myfirecracker,” Tyler slurs as he looks up at me with a dopey grin when I step into his hospital room. “You gonna kiss all my boo-boos better.”

“Bobby,” Mrs. Sheppard gasps admonishingly. “Behave yourself.”

“At least until we leave.” Mr. Sheppard chuckles before dodging a backhand from his wife.

I ignore their banter as I survey Tyler’s battered face. He has butterfly strips on a cut above his left eyebrow and several stitches holding deeper cuts closed from his left cheekbone down to his jaw. His left arm is bandaged from his elbow to his wrist and I’m sure he has more stitches beneath the gauze.

Tyler assures me that it’s not as bad as it looks before asking his parents to go see if they can get an update on Becky’s condition since she was still in surgery when we left the trauma waiting room. As soon as the door closes behind them, he lifts his right hand to my face, wiping away the errant tears I failed to hold in.

“I love you,” I blurt out, refusing to hold back my feeling ever again. “But I’m going to kill you if you ever scare me like that again.”

Tyler laughs before wincing. “I’d say you should just punish me now, but maybe we should wait until I’m all healed up.”

“I can live with that.” I lean down and gently kiss his lips. “As long as I get to live with you.”

Tyler

After five hazy days in the hospital, I’m happy to be going home. I’m still restricted from screen time for another few days, but that’s fine with me as long as I get to sleep in my own bed…with my girl. Ricki hasn’t left my side since my accident, but my hospital bed wasn’t big enough for both of us and my injuries. So, she’s been sleeping on the pull-out recliner next to me.

My memories of the day of the accident have been coming back in bits and pieces. To be honest, I could live without them. Especially since the events of that day cost my best friend her life. Well, the life she’d dreamed of anyway since she had to forfeit her position in the upcoming FBI training class and it’s unlikely that she’ll be accepted in the future with her current medical records.

Becky sustained a broken shoulder and hip along with a ruptured spleen and several broken ribs. One of which punctured her lung. While I’m headed home today, she’s just leaving the I.C.U. and headed to the step-down unit where she’ll have a little more privacy. She’s expected to be in the hospital for at least a couple more weeks. Then, she’ll be in physical therapy for months before she’s ready to even consider going back to active police work.

Maxine’s physical injuries from her attack weren’t quite as severe, but her mental recovery will take much longer, if she recovers at all. Along with the beating that caused her broken arm and a concussion that resulted in a brain bleed, she was also raped by her attackers before she was able to reach the panic button at the front of her shop.

As far as law enforcement is concerned, her attackers are still at large. However, I doubt that’s the case when it comes to Slade Lockwood. If and when he finds them, they’re as good as dead for messing with someone he cares about. I’m a little relieved that I’m off duty for the foreseeable future while I heal, because I don’t want to be the one that’s tasked with bringing him in if he slips up and leaves a trail to follow. Although, that’s unlikely.

“We’re home,” Ricki says, pulling me from my thoughts as she parks her Escape in the Handicap parking lot closest to the entrance to our building. “Are you sure you don’t want me to call Devon to come down and carry you inside?” she teases, making me laugh.

“Laugh it up,” I tell her. “Just remember, you’re stuck nursing me back to health until you leave for Paris in three weeks."

Chapter 23

Ricki

Leaving Tyler four weeks ago was harder than I ever imagined it would be. I tried to beg him to come to Paris with me since he’s not due to return to work until the middle of August, but he insisted that he wanted me to have the full athletic experience. He knew that if he came with me, I’d forfeit my room in the Olympic Village to stay with him.

While I’ve missed him terribly, I’m glad that I got to experience every nuance of my dream coming true. I’m heading back to Tennessee with three Olympic medals—one Gold for the 100 meter freestyle, one Silver for the 100 meter breaststroke, and one Bronze for the 200 meter medley. As much as I wouldlove all of them to be Gold, I’m a little excited to have a collection. I plan to add to it when I compete again in four years.

When they announce my flight boarding, I send Tyler a text, letting him know I can’t wait to see his face in sixteen hours before powering off my phone and making my way to my upgraded seat—a gift from my brother. I set the in-flight entertainment screen toSupernaturaland lean my head back against the pillow headrest as Sam and Dean lull me to sleep with their monster chasing antics.

Despite my protests, Tylerinsists on stopping at Ball Busters instead of going straight home from the airport. When we step inside, I’m shocked to see that the entire place is plastered with Olympic décor and the TV behind the bar is broadcasting a loop of my events and interviews from the past three weeks. Tyler’s entire family is here along with my brother and all of our closest friends. As I make my way through the crowd, a familiar shriek pulls my attention to the bar as my mom slides off a barstool and rushes toward me.

“Mom,” I shout as she wraps her arms around my neck. I return her hug, not realizing how much I’ve missed her until she was standing in front of me. “How?” I ask, unable to get anything else out past the lump in my throat.

“I bought her ticket the same day I bought yours,” Brady says as he steps up behind her and I pull myself from Mom’s grasp to step into my big brother's hug as I thank him. “Don’t thank me. You deserve to haveallof your family here to celebrate with you.”

I’m glad I slept so well on the plane, because by the time we finally make it home, it after two in the morning and I’m ready to be alone with my man.

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