Page 134 of Caged

When she struggled, I stood behind her and helped her out of her shirt. She hugged the loose fabric over her chest with her left arm before sitting back down.

Guilt surged at the sight of the large circular wound on her back. I still felt like I should’ve tried harder. It didn’t matter that I was drugged and couldn’t move to stop it.

I thanked God Franks was a bad shot—Cate may not have survived if he’d punctured her lung.

“You’re surprisingly gentle.”

“Thanks, I think.” I applied the last piece of medical tape. “You’re all set.”

“It’s a good thing.” She turned. “You can go, I’ll change the front.”

“You sure? I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”

When she hesitated, I said, “You don’t have to uncover for me to help.

She nodded. Afterwards, she watched as I cleaned out the sink before removing the gloves and washing my hands. Unwilling to leave in case she still needed help, I turned towards the wall so she could put her shirt back on.

“Thanks.”

When she swore, I asked if she wanted help. Reluctantly, she said yes.

I pulled her up and helped her from behind.

Once she was ready, I said, “You’re welcome.” I leaned in and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. “Thank you for letting me take care of you.”

“Don’t get used to it.” She huffed out a laugh.

“I wouldn’t dare.” Never in a million years would I have expected the woman of my dreams to challenge my patience so damn much.But here I am.And I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Can you stay for a while?” she asked.

“I’ll stay for as long as you want.”

Before I left, we made plans to have dinner with my parents on Friday night.

Chapter 50

Cate

It was chaos in the Sheppard house when we arrived for dinner Friday night. Jay said we didn’t have to bring anything, but neither my father nor I felt comfortable showing up empty-handed, so, I brought wine, and dad brought a bottle of Scotch for John.

At the door, John shook my father’s hand while Mary welcomed me with a gentle, heart-felt hug. It shouldn’t have felt awkward or made me nervous, but it did. Before I finished thanking her for inviting us, Jay was by my side. His presence alone was enough to calm my nerves. Forgetting I didn’t want to openly display our new relationship, I leaned into him.

“You’ll be fine,” He whispered in my ear.

“Am I that obvious?”

“Yeah.” He kissed my temple. “At least to me.”

When John introduced my father to everyone as General Maxwell, everyone being Mary, his two other sons, Meg, and Emily, he insisted they call him Sean.

John and Mary were the only ones who did.

It didn’t take long for John, Mary, and my dad to make their way to the kitchen, giving us ‘kids’ a chance to hang out before dinner.

Jay stood by my side, making sure no one hugged me too tightly when the Sheppard family welcomed me with open arms, literally. They were huggers and there was no escaping it, no matter now awkward I felt. Not that I really wanted to escape. I wasn’t a hugger, but I enjoyed the acceptance.

“How are feeling?” Meg asked as she stepped back.

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