Family Sins(77)

“If I’m old enough to play with the big boys, then I’m old enough to doctor myself,” Charles muttered, and went upstairs to his room.

“Is it over?” Fiona asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Jack muttered, and went back into the office.

“Whatever,” Fiona said, and left, as well.

A few moments later Frances appeared with a mop and a bucket to clean up the water, then left as quietly as she’d come.

*

Talia smiled as the wind coming in the open window of Bowie’s car played havoc with her freshly washed hair. Finally being able to wash the blood out of it had been an emotional boost, and after three days in the hospital, it was heaven to be going home with the man she loved when they’d come so close to losing their second chance.

Bowie had the windows down and his sunglasses on against the summer sun’s hot glare, and she thought that he was beautiful. Earlier, while they were waiting for her release papers, she’d asked if she could braid his hair like she used to do when they were young.

“Only if you sit down first,” he had said, and helped her out of the wheelchair and back up on the bed before sitting down beside her.

He’d leaned back on his elbows, giving her access to the full length of his hair, which accounted for the thick black plait hanging over his shoulder now. The white T-shirt against his tanned skin made his shoulders look wider and his belly flatter. Talia loved how he wore his clothes, but she was more partial to when he wore nothing at all.

As if sensing he was under observation, Bowie gave her a quick glance.

“Are you feeling okay? Road’s not too rough? Those bandages on your ribs aren’t too tight?”

Talia was watching the way his lips moved as he spoke and remembering how they felt moving on her skin, but when she saw that he’d stopped talking, she realized she was supposed to respond.

“Everything is fine,” she said.

“I promised the doctor that you would lie down as soon as I got you home,” he said.

“I know, and I will.”

A frown deepened the V between his eyes.

“It may seem like I’m fussing, but you came too close to dying because I brought danger to your door. I can’t forget that.”

“But the guilty party is in jail, right?”

He nodded.

“And they’re charging him for your dad’s murder, too?” she added.

“That’s what I was told,” he said.

She frowned. “You don’t seem happy about that.”

“I’m just not sure he’s responsible for both crimes. He admitted to tampering with our brakes, but he swears he had nothing to do with Dad’s death. I don’t want to think that the real killer was handed a get-out-of-jail free card because it was so convenient to blame someone else.”

Talia eyed the muscle jumping at his temple and could only imagine how his whole family must be feeling.

“Life can be so ugly, can’t it, Bowie?”

He hesitated to answer. He’d been raised to stay strong despite whatever was going on, but his father’s murder had shaken his faith.

“Sometimes, yes,” he said.

They rode a couple of miles farther in silence before Bowie reached for her hand and began absently rubbing her ring finger.

“Are you still my girl?” he asked.

“Always,” Talia said.

“Do you want a fancy wedding?”

She shook her head.

“My heart doesn’t feel like partying.”

“That’s how I feel, too,” Bowie said.

“I just want to be able to lie down beside you each night and wake up next to you each morning,” she said, and then her voice began to shake. “I thought I was going to lose you all over again. I thought I was going to die.”

He couldn’t bear that tremor in her voice and pulled over to the side of the road. He wanted her in his arms, but moving her in any way would only cause her more pain, so he settled for holding her hand.

“But you didn’t, and we have the rest of our lives to be together. Are you going to be sad to leave Eden?”

“No. I planned to once before, remember?”

He rubbed her ring finger again.

“I remember. Someday all this will be a story we tell our grandchildren.”

She gave him a look and frowned, as if he’d missed the most obvious point. “We have to make babies first.”

He laughed, then put the car in gear and started driving again.

When they finally reached his family home and parked, they saw Jesse sitting in his rocking chair on the porch. He jumped up and waved, then came running down the steps as Leigh came out the front door.

Bowie grinned.

“Prepare to be loved,” he said, and got out of the car.

Talia swallowed past the knot in her throat. This felt like a homecoming. Then her door opened, and Jesse was leaning in so he could see her face.

“Hi,” he said. “I helped Bowie find you! I have sharp eyes!”

“And I am so grateful to you for that,” Talia said.

Bowie gave his brother a quick pat on the back.

“Hey, Jesse. There’s a suitcase in the trunk. Would you please take it to my room?”

Jesse grinned.

“Yes. Bowie’s girl is going to get well here. I will be quiet, and I will help, won’t I, Mama?”