What I've Done (Morgan Dane #4)(100)

“I promised.” Eliza settled back in the chair.

The nurse walked in, checked his vitals, and injected a shot into his IV. Sharp wanted to talk with Eliza until she left. Who knew when or if he’d see her again. But in a few heartbeats, his eyelids felt like they weighed eight hundred pounds.

Eliza was gone when he opened his eyes again. A small shape stood in front of the window. His ICU room was Grand-friggin’-Central. His eyes focused on a khaki trench coat tossed over the bedside chair.

No. Who the hell let her in?

This time, it really bothered him that his mouth tasted like ass. He was not letting Olivia Cruz hold his fucking water cup. He was going to brush his fucking teeth and act like a man.

If only he could move his arm far enough to push the call button. His fingers scratched on the bedding.

Shit.

Not going to happen.

His humiliation was complete.

“I’m glad you’re not dead, Lincoln.” Olivia walked to the bedside. He could hear the rap of impractical skinny heels on the tile. Her mouth curved in a wicked smile. “You still owe me a favor.”





Chapter Forty-Seven

Morgan was going to die, and she hadn’t even had her coffee yet.

“How far have we run?” She panted. The April morning was chilly. Her leg muscles burned, but the rest of her body was freezing. She pulled the sleeves of her jacket farther down over her hands. Under her gloves, her fingers were numb. At seven o’clock in the morning, the sun wasn’t strong enough to provide any real heat yet.

Nearly a month had passed since she’d suffered her concussion, and she was finally well enough to exercise.

“Do you want to walk for a while?” Next to her, Lance was barely jogging. Black running pants and a gray hoodie covered his big, buff body. He moved with the grace of a natural athlete.

Morgan did not.

She felt like a giraffe in running shoes. A lame giraffe.

She sucked in another lungful of damp spring air. “You didn’t answer my question.”

He winced. “About a half mile.”

“That’s it?” Morgan slowed to a walk. Her side cramped. She bent forward and pressed a hand against it, her gait limping and pathetic. She hated running with every cell in her body.

“You want to stretch out the cramp”—Lance demonstrated by raising his hands over his head—“not compress it.”

She mimicked him. The cramp eased a little.

Lance pivoted and jogged backward in front of her. “You don’t have to do this. It was your idea.”

“I know.”

“Improve your fitness if that’s what you want to do, but don’t feel like you need to do it for me. You’re perfect. I wouldn’t change one thing about you.”

“But I can’t keep up,” she gasped. “I can never keep up.”

“Physically, maybe not. But your brain runs circles around mine. And in Haley’s case, if you had run after me, we’d all probably be dead. You used your head. One of us has to remember to do that.”

The cramp seized up again. She stopped to catch her breath. She wanted to be fit. If only getting in shape didn’t involve so much effort.

“Maybe next time we should try this later in the day, after you’ve had your coffee.” He stopped next to her.

“I need to be done before the kids get up,” she wheezed.

“Just stop for a minute.” He took her hand. “Catch your breath.”

“What?” She swiped a piece of hair out of her face.

They’d followed the path that ran along the river behind her grandfather’s house. With Lance’s place burned to the ground, he was still living with her. She never wanted him to leave.

Lance looked down at her. “I love you.”

She smirked. “I know.”

He rolled his eyes. “You love me back.”

“I do.” More than he’d ever know.

“This might not be the most romantic place in the world, but this is probably the only time we will be alone all day.”

“With three kids underfoot, that doesn’t happen too often.” She laughed.

“I’ve noticed,” he said dryly.

The river flowed next to them. Water tumbled over rocks. The trees around them budded with new foliage. Despite the morning’s crispness, the air smelled of spring.

“And I think this place is very romantic.” She waited for a kiss, but Lance just looked down at her, his face turning contemplative.

“I know we haven’t been together that long, but I’ve known since the beginning that you were it for me. I want you by my side for the rest of my life. I love you and your kids and the rest of your family. I will never try to replace the girls’ father with you or them, but I promise to be the best husband and parent I can.”

Husband? Was he going to propose? Her breath caught in her throat.

His face went serious. “When that prosecutor in New Jersey called, at first, I didn’t want to be the reason you turned him down, but now I don’t care. I love you, and I want to be with you more than I need any stupid gesture of pride.”

“I never thought I’d find love again.” Morgan’s heart fluttered. “Now that I have, with you, I will not give it up. There is no job in the world more important than you. You make me happy. You are a priority in my life, whether or not you want to be. You’ll just have to live with that.”