Close To Danger (Westen #4)(60)
“That it has,” Gage said, rising from his seat. “Grab your gear, Mrs. Deputy, I’m taking you home to bed. You need your rest.”
Daniel shot her a curious look, but Bobby chose to pretend not to notice. She and Gage had agreed not to tell anyone but close family about the baby until they’d had a chance to see the high-risk doctor Harriett had recommended. They wanted to be sure everything was okay before announcing it to the town. She followed her husband’s suggestion and started bundling up to go out in the freezing weather once more.
“I’ll meet you here first thing in the morning, Dan,” Gage said, hauling on his own winter sheriff’s jacket and hat. “We’ll go out to the house together and start taking pictures. I’d ask for a crime scene unit from Columbus, but doubt they could get here with the snow coming in again tonight.”
Daniel settled back into his seat. “I’ll sleep in the back when Jason comes in for the night shift, if that’s okay? That way I won’t have to worry about trying to make it in if the roads go bad.”
“Good plan.” Gage took Bobby’s hand in his as they headed towards the back of the station, then he stopped. “Dan?”
“Yes, boss?” the deputy said, looking away from the computer screen on his desk.
“How about you and Jason both make a few extra drive-bys of the Westen House tonight.”
They exchanged a pointed look, then Dan nodded. “Already planned on it.”
Bobby wondered why both the men felt extra security rounds out near the halfway house were needed, but she’d wait until they got home to grill Gage. Right now, all she wanted was to crawl into her bed and close her eyes. She’d never been this tired in her life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Once they were in the truck, Gage maneuvered them over the streets now slicker than in the morning, the slush that formed when the sun rose the temperatures just over thirty-two degrees in the afternoon only to freeze again when the temperature dropped. Fat snowflakes started to fall as they pulled into the drive.
He put the car in park, turned to find his wife sound asleep against the passenger side door and smiled. After the initial joy of finding out Bobby was carrying their child, panic had set in. He’d searched all the websites for new fathers and fathers-to-be in search of information about pregnancy and pregnant women. One thread on a site had men complaining that their wives, during the first trimester, would fall asleep at the dinner table or even in the middle of a sentence.
Gage shook his head as he climbed out of the truck and headed to the other side. Apparently, Bobby was going to need some extra time off in the next few months. The caveman in him wanted to whip the door open, scoop her up and carry her up to bed. The modern-day father-to-be in him didn’t trust himself to walk across the slick ground to the house and not fall with such precious cargo in his arms. Easing open the passenger door, he laid one hand on her shoulder as she slowly came awake.
“Easy sweetheart,” he said, leaning in to kiss her briefly. “We’re home now.”
She blinked, those beautiful dark eyes coming in to focus on him. “I don’t know why I’m so sleepy.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s the pregnancy, not to mention the stress of a day like today.” He chuckled as he helped her out of the truck, holding on to her arm as she steadied herself on the frozen snow and ice. “Careful there. I don’t want you falling until you’ll land in our soft bed and not on the hard ground.”
Bobby leaned into him slightly, holding her bag in the other hand as they made their way to the back door. Once they were inside and divested of their winter gear, Gage gave into the need to care for her, scooping her up into his arms.
Bobby gave a little shriek and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Just what I said back at the station,” he said as he headed back to the stairs, “taking you to bed.”
“I’m not an invalid,” she said, even as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “You don’t need to treat me like one.” And the words would’ve impressed him had she not ended them with a huge yawn.
“Trust me, sweetheart, the last thing I have in mind for you tonight is treating you like an invalid.” He leered down at her and was rewarded with the look of desire filling her eyes and the quick intake of breath she always had for him.
Despite his words, the need to take care of her overwhelmed him. Standing next to the bed he stripped her of all her clothes, pushing her hands away when she tried to help. “Let me,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
From the moment she’d fallen into his arms last spring, his world had changed. She’d brought light and love into his soul. She’d convinced him that his purpose in Westen was more than filling his father’s shoes. Her love had opened him to the fact that he needed the family this town represented to him as much as they might need him. And soon they’d have a child of their own. Bobby was the most precious thing in the world to him and he needed to show her how much he treasured her.
When she stood naked in front of him, he stepped back to stare at her beautiful, luscious body. Then he sank to his knees in front of her, wrapped his arms around her and laid his cheek upon her abdomen where their child lay quietly growing inside her.
“I love you,” he whispered to both of them, tears coming to his eyes.