Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(77)

“Please,” he said.

She looked at Cole. “Fair warning, it’ll probably knock him out again. But not like the last time.”

“I don’t want him to be uncomfortable.”

“I’ll be right back.” She left them alone again.

Cole leaned in close once they were alone. “Let me say it again—I love you, I love you so f*cking much. Don’t you dare f*cking die on me, because I love you, and Kim loves you, and we need you in our lives.”

Mason squeezed his hand hard and long. “Love you, too.”

He continued staring into Cole’s eyes after the nurse returned with the medicine and pushed it into his IV. The world started going fuzzy, Cole’s blue eyes fading into blackness as the pain began a slow retreat.





Chapter Twenty-Nine


Cole texted Tilly after Mason went back to sleep and gave her the update. She called him almost immediately, sounding happy and warning him not to worry if Mason was groggy and sleepy for the next several days. With that update issued, he managed a long nap overnight. He asked the nurse to please wake him up if Mason woke up, but Mason slept through the night.

When Kim arrived at 5:28 the next morning, Cole wondered if she’d even gotten any sleep. Her hair was damp from the shower, and she carried a travel mug of coffee and a bagel wrapped in foil and in a zip-top bag.

“Is he awake?” she whispered as she kissed him. Fortunately, she looked happier than he’d seen her look since the ordeal began.

She looked hopeful, too. She wasn’t wearing any makeup and had pulled her damp hair back into a ponytail, but some of the deep lines that had plagued her face lately seemed diminished.

“Not right now. He’s just sleeping, though. Pain meds.”

“Oh.”

Mason’s eyes opened and Cole heard her choke back a happy sob. “Hey, Master,” she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him. “You ready for a day with your pet?”

He managed a weak smile for her. “Good girl.”

Cole choked back a laugh of his own. Even like this, Mason was still trying to do his best. “Oh, dude, I can’t wait to get you home.”

“Why are his hands still restrained?” she asked.

“The feeding tube. They want to wait a little while, let him have some time to fully awaken, before they try leaving them off. They don’t want him to pull it out.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Cole let Kim have the recliner on Mason’s right side and he took the other chair, which he dragged over to sit next to her. With the ventilator out of the room, it was almost like they’d doubled the space.

Cole ate and drank his coffee as he watched her stare into Mason’s eyes, her fingers curled around Mason’s hand.

Thank goodness Mason had finally awakened, and seemed to be reasonably coherent. The worst was over. Maybe a long road to recovery lay ahead of the man, but two key hurdles had been jumped.

Mason woke up.

And Mason seemed able to think, reason, recognize them, and respond.

He damn sure seemed to have retained his stubborn, Dominant streak.

How much he’d lost remained to be seen, but Cole was hopeful.

More than hopeful.





Kim had sworn to herself that today she would be strong, she’d try not to cry, even happy tears, and she’d show Cole he could finally relax and not be in charge for a while. That she could do this.

The truth was all she wanted to do was curl up in the bed next to Mason, rest her head against him, and cry with relief that he was finally back.

Once Cole finished eating, said good-bye to them, and headed home, Mason squeezed her hand to get her attention.

She stared down into his eyes, her tears already starting.

He managed a quirky little lopsided smile for her. “My good pet.”

Never again would she take for granted the little things, with him or with Cole. Simple pleasures, like kneeling before him, her forehead on his feet. Or stretched out on the couch with her head in his lap.

Feeling his body pressed against hers in bed.

Making him coffee.

All of it.

She wanted it all back, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and with Cole. All fear was now gone when it came to that. Life had slapped her in the face and shown her a far greater fear.

The fear of losing it all, of wasting time. Of not treasuring what she had and living life to the fullest.

She’d stared into that darkness and it’d stared right back at her. She’d cowered but hadn’t run.

She could do this.

Tilly chose that moment to FaceTime her. Kim answered the call, but before she could speak, Tilly did.

“Put that goldbricker on the phone,” she said, a smile on her face.

Kim managed a laugh and held the phone much as she imagined the way Cole had held it last night.

“Hi,” Mason said.

Tilly grinned. “There you are. Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Rip Van Winkle called. Get yer ass better.”

He smiled again. “Trying.”

“I know you are. I just called and got Cole and he told me to call Kim. I just wanted to put eyes on you myself. I’ll be out here for a couple of weeks yet, but like I told them, any questions, text or call me, day or night. Or if you need me to run interference with the medical staff.”