Page 44 (1/2)
Nathan eyed his older brothers even as his hold tightened around Shea "What are we going to do?"
Garrett stared back, his blue eyes steely with resolve "We do ays do when there’s a threat to the family We close ranks We protect We built that compound for a reason Resnick breached it because he daain Fro to let a bunch of crazy-ass nut jobs pick Shea apart because she’s gifted She belongs to you so now she belongs to us We’re going to protect you both"
"So eloquently said, Mr Smooth," Sam teased "But I couldn’t have said it betterabout us, Nathan You focus on Shea We’ll do the rest"
"I don’t know if I ever thanked you," Nathan said quietly "All of you Not just for Shea, though I’ll always be grateful for the risk you put yourself through for her She iving up when I was being such a hard-ass and so unreachable"
A glimmer of a s around you and start beating your ass again"
Nathan held up his er "You can sure as hell try"
CHAPTER 44
IT was time to force herself back into the real world She knew it E fear and terror paralyzed her whenever she made the effort to shake off the shadows that surrounded her
Shea liked Dr Scofield There was a kindness to the young woman that put Shea at ease At first, she’d been terrified that this woman was like all the others There to study her Hurt her Treat her like a specientle with Shea She talked to her in soft tones as if she knew that Shea could understand exactly what she said She’d smile and tell Shea not to hurry, that she’d coood and ready and when she felt safe
It was odd, how disembodied Shea felt and how she could function and yet exist in a vacuu to the bathroo sied, perhapstime to heal
The Kelly woave her the opportunity to study the women who’d married into the Kelly family as well as spend more time with Marlene Kelly and even Rusty, who she understood wasn’t a blood relation but a Kelly all the same
Every day, one of the women visited her Usually they’d sit on the back deck of Sam’s home and enjoy the eather and the view of the lake Sam had insisted that Nathan and Shea stay with hi was outside of the coht, Nathan would tuck Shea into bed and then wrap hi her He was a constant co
Each day he took care of her, seeing to her every need or just sitting quietly with her He didn’t push, but she could sense the growing disquiet within him She kneorried She hated that she was the source of his unhappiness, but she didn’t feel ready to bridge the gap that existed between the world she’d retreated to and the world where Nathan waited
Fear was a powerful inhibitor
Today Shea sat on the deck, huddled in a blanket despite the waruely wondered ould come today, since not a day had passed that someone hadn’t come to sit with her since she and Nathan had come here
Dr Scofield would be back this afternoon as she was every afternoon In the first days that Shea had come home, the doctor had been a constant presence, and Shea idly wondered if there was concern that she was a threat to herself But then the doctor had told Shea that she was recovering nicely and that she’d look in on her in the afternoons
Shea found herself looking forward to the company of the other wohed heavily on Shea The other Kelly women and even Dr Scofield filled an eh, she settled into the co waters of the lake and let herbut the present No past No future Just thisthe sun dance across her cheeks and spread war coldness in her veins
"SHE’S not getting better," Nathan said, his voice thick with grief He stood where he could see Shea through the atching as she sat, just as she did every day, staring over the lake
Donovan and Garrett had returned fro mission There was a lot to process There were plans to h to sort out all that had happened She was his priority Always
"I don’t agree," Sophie said firmly
"I don’t either," Rachel said
Nathan turned to where his sisters-in-law and Sarah stood a few feet away Sophie was holding Charlotte on her hip The baby was ablue eyes Beautiful just like her mother
How he loved these wo in to care for her Every single day they sat with her, talking to her,They treated her just like she was normal Already a part of the family It was as if she’d always been there
His throat knotted because he wanted to tell the, but he couldn’t even get the words out
"She is ientle hand on his are us I wasn’t even sure she kneere here But then I noticed that she’d look at us She’d listen to ere saying and even respond Not overtly, but I could tell she knee were saying"
"She’s waiting for us even now," Rachel said "Look at her, Nathan She knoe should have been out there by now She keeps turning her head, just slightly, but she turns so she can see the door because she’s expecting us to be here just like we have every day"