Page 78 of Best Laid Plans

The nurse speaks up. “What color would she like?”

Once again Alden beats me to the punch. “Pink.”

The nurse smiles and heads off to retrieve her supplies. She returns and asks me to sit Tatum up in my lap. She positions Tatum’s arm into a sideways ‘L’ with her inner wrist facing her stomach. Tatum isnota fan of this and loudly lets everyone know.

“Stop!” she screams, tears trailing her cheeks. “It hurts!”

Alden jumps out of his chair and moves to stand behind us. He leans over and kisses her cheek. “It’s okay, pretty girl. Remember when we talked about being superheroes? This is just going to help you get even stronger. I know it hurts now, but it’s going to get better.”

“P-promise?” she asks, sounding so small.

“I absolutely promise. But you have to sit very still and be a very brave girl. Can you do that for Daddy?”

She sniffles and nods.

The nurse begins wrapping the liner. She then wets the outer cast material and wraps it over the first layer. “It’s hot,” Tatum cries.

“I know, sweetie,” the nurse coos. “That’s the fiberglass getting hard. It’ll cool in about fifteen minutes.”

Tatum sniffles again.

The doctor goes over aftercare instructions and reminds me to make a follow-up appointment in six weeks. Alden and I both thank him and stand to leave. Tatum is still teary, but she’s no longer bawling.

The nurse leads us to a set of double doors that exit back into the lobby. “Be sure and stop by the desk to pay your co-pay. Have a nice night.”

Alden gives her a tight smile, grumbling under his breath all the while. Out in the lobby, we do as she says, and Alden whips out his wallet and pays before I can even argue.

We say goodbye to my parents and head back to my apartment.

43

Alden

Natalie saysshe’s not mad, but the entire drive back to her place, I worry she’s going to change her mind. I mean, why wouldn’t she be at least a little upset? Tatum got hurt onmywatch.

After I park, I help Natalie get Tatum inside. I trail behind, expecting Natalie to go to Tatum’s room, but she continues on to hers. “She likes being in my bed when she doesn’t feel good,” she explains.

Once she’s tucked into her bed, I kiss her forehead and turn to leave. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Nat rushes after me. “Wait! Where are you going?”

I look down at my feet. “I figured you’d want me to head out.”

She steps closer to me and pressed her index finger under my chin, tipping my head up to face her. “Why would you think that? Because she broke her arm?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Come sit with me.” She takes my hand and tugs, guiding me to the couch. “You’re her father. You’re the man I love. There’s no other place we’d want you to be right now. When she wakes up, she’s going to want both of us here.”

She brings her hands up to my chest and pushes me back onto the couch, where she promptly straddles my lap. “I always want you here, Alden.” She seals her mouth to mine, her tongue flicking against my lips. I open, and she deepens our kiss. He fingers tangle in my hair, and she rocks against me. “Seeing you so protective and worried about her really turned me on.”

Holy. Shit. She’s really not mad!

I dive back into our kiss, licking and sucking and nipping until we’re both wound tight with desire.

“I need you to make me feel good,” she purrs. Unable to deny her, I make quick work of stripping her and laying her down on her back. I kiss my way down her body, paying special attention to her breasts, before reaching my final destination, where I don’t just make her feel good—I make her feel divine.

* * *

---