Page 41 of Like the Season
“Probably not. She’ll pretend like nothing was wrong, if I have to guess. How’s Ella?”
“Still in the hospital for tonight. Just a precaution. She was in a lot of pain this morning, and a huge goose-egg had developed on her head last night. They wanted another round of scans to make sure they didn’t miss any brain bleeds or internal injuries or anything, and to make sure the baby’s okay. And it’ll give her another day of no weight on her pelvis or her bum leg.”
“But the baby’s fine?”
He didn’t understand Boyd’s smile. “So far, the baby seems fine.”
“Oh, good.”
Boyd cupped his cheek and turned the full force of his blue eyes on him. “You’rereallylooking forward to being a grandfather, aren’t you?”
“I mean, I’m never going to be a father, so yeah.”
“You’re actually a dad already. Well, as soon as I marry you. That’ll make it official.”
The familiar thrill rippled through Caleb, the same one he always felt when Boyd talked about marrying him. “I can’t wait, Sir.”
Boyd pulled one of Caleb’s hands into his lap, over his bulge. Beneath Boyd’s jeans, Caleb felt the hard outline of the man’s cock. “Something else I can’t wait for.” Boyd squeezed Caleb’s hand around it. “I bet my boy needs some attention, too.”
He softly moaned. “Yes, Sir.”
Boyd reached into Caleb’s lap, finding his cock already hard, and he couldn’t help rocking his hips against the pressure from Boyd’s hand cupping him. “Just a little while longer, and once we’re alone, Daddy’s going to reward his good boy for being alone all week.”
Caleb moaned. “Thank you, Daddy.”
Boyd kissed him once more before sitting back and removing his hand from Caleb’s cock. “Hungry?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Boyd reached down, squeezed Caleb’s hand, and pulled it from his own jeans. Then he kissed Caleb’s palm before placing it on Boyd’s thigh.
“We’ll stop by and get something on our way to the hospital to visit her. Another thing about her being in there is that she’s out of our way while we’re packing.” He patted the top of Caleb’s hand on his thigh and started the car.
“I know this sucks for her, but is it horrible that I’m glad we’re moving her?”
“No, because that would make me horrible, too.”
* * * *
The resemblance between father and daughter was both more striking and undeniable when Caleb saw them together in person.
Caleb didn’t bother shaking hands with her—he leaned in to gently hug her when Boyd introduced them upon their arrival in her room.
“It’s so good to finally meet you,” Caleb said.
She looked tired, the dark lines under her eyes aging her. “Nice to finally meet you, too. Dad’s told me a lot about you.”
Caleb smiled and looked to see pride flash across Boyd’s expression over her calling him that. “I’m sorry it took this to get you to move, but I want you to know I’m two hundred percent for this. We’re your family, and we want you with us so we can be there for you.”
Boyd had set their food down on the rolling table over her bed. As her eyes went bright with tears, he reached over and handed her a tissue from a box also sitting there.
“Thanks.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I still can’t believe Rick…”
She didn’t finish.
“I say you should sue the hospital,” Boyd told her. “Lorena Calgary called me this morning to tell me four more nurses have filed statements about McDorman. That he threatened their careers if they spoke out. She suspects there will be more people who come forward now that he’s gone.”
“What’s that going to do, Dad? He’sdead.”
