The Proposal (The Proposition #2)(27)

Casey’s shoulders drooped in defeat. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I know you don’t. And trust me, neither do I. But I have to at least let him try and see this thing through, or I’ll always regret it.”

Casey started to protest but was interrupted by Emma’s phone buzzing. She glanced down at it. “Aidan’s on his way up.”

Casey wrinkled her nose. “I better get a move on, or I’ll be late to work.”

“Hold down the fort for me while I’m gone.”

She grinned. “Will do. You just make sure to take extra good care of yourself and Mr. Noah, so you can get back as soon as you can.”

Emma smiled. “I sure will try.”

Casey leaned over and gave Emma a quick hug and a kiss. “I’ll be over to see you soon.”

“Good.”

As Casey started out the door, Aidan breezed in. He flinched and pushed himself as far away from her and her pocketbook as he could. “Easy Big Papa, your boys are safe this morning.”

He sighed in relief. “I’m glad to hear it. They’re still a bit traumatized from last night.”

Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Casey winked at Emma. “Bye.”

Emma waved before turning her attention to Aidan. “How’s Patrick?”

“Good,” Aidan replied.

Emma sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

“You’ll be happy to know the first thing he did when he got back to his room was ask about you.”

Tears welled in Emma’s eyes. “Really?”

Aidan nodded. “He said to give you and Noah his love, and he would be over to see you just as soon as he got sprung out.”

Emma laughed and wiped her eyes. “That’s so sweet.”

“Yes, sweetness runs in the Fitzgerald DNA, especially with the males,” Aidan mused.

She shot him an exasperated look. “Isn’t it a little early for you to be this cocky?”

Aidan chuckled as a nurse came into the room with Emma’s discharge papers. Once she had signed everything, Aidan said, “Guess that means we get to hit the road, huh?”

Emma nodded and started to get out of the bed. “As soon as I change clothes and run a brush through my hair.”

Aidan’s brows furrowed. “Don’t stand too long while you’re changing. Sit on the edge of the tub or the toilet seat.”

Emma huffed out an exasperated breath. “Are you going to be this overprotective when we get to your house?”

He bobbed his head. “Yep, at least until I know you and Noah are out of the woods.”

Her frustration evaporated a little at his sincerity. “Okay, okay, I’ll sit down while I get dressed.”

After she padded into the bathroom, she happily tore off the hospital gown and then threw on the yoga pants and long sleeve shirt Casey had brought. She then slid her somewhat swollen feet into the size bigger tennis shoes she recently had to purchase. She pulled her long hair back into a ponytail.

When she was done, she came out to find a nurse waiting with a wheelchair. She eased down in it while Aidan grabbed the bag Casey had brought along with her purse. The nurse then wheeled her down the hallway to the elevator. “Make sure you read your discharge papers about what to do and not to do. It also indicates when you need to go back to see your doctor.”

Before Emma could respond, Aidan replied, “I’ll make sure she does.”

The nurse gave Aidan a big smile. “I bet you’re going to take very good care of her.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be giving her lots of TLC.”

When Emma cocked her head at him, he winked. Once they got to the lobby downstairs, the nurse said, “We’ll wait here while your husband goes and gets the car.”

Emma made a slight strangled noise while Aidan skidded to a stop. “Um, okay,” she finally squeaked.

Aidan cut his eyes over to her before jogging out to the parking lot. It didn’t take him long to return with the car. “Good luck,” the nurse said before she closed the car door.

“Thanks,” Emma replied. She quickly buckled her seat belt and turned to Aidan. “Okay then.”

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Aidan said, “There’s someone else who is very anxious to see you.”

“Oh?”

He took his gaze off the road and grinned at her. “Beau.”

Emma laughed. “I hope you brought him home last night.”

“I thought his home was your house?”

“His original home.”

“Ah, then yes, I did. Of course, he kept circling through the rooms looking for you.”

“Poor baby.”

“I’m sure he’ll be more than ready to share your bed and your leftovers when you get there.”

She grinned. “I hate sleeping alone, so I’ll be thrilled to have him as my bed buddy again.”

Aidan opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

Since she sensed his comment dealt with offering his services as her bed buddy, she decided to drop it. When they turned on Aidan’s street, Emma’s chest clenched as she was enveloped by a mixture of both happy and painful memories. As he pulled into the driveway, she couldn’t help but flashback to the night she had found both his car and another’s.