Part 20 (1/2)
”I think I'm in better shape than you right now,” Kas jokes. He turns serious, realizing that this is Chase's first time experiencing something like this, ”You alright, man?”
”You were the one shot, and you're asking if I'm okay.”
”It's just a scratch.”
Chase inspects the wound closer, seeing the depth. ”You need st.i.tches.”
”Nah,” Kas laughs, trying to rea.s.sure his friend, seeing his distress and about ten shades of white.
Chase is quiet for several seconds before he divulges what's really bothering him, ”You saw the shot coming, and you put yourself in front of it to push me out of the way.” He looks straight at Kas, his eyes dark, ”You could've been killed.”
”You're like a brother to me, I'm not going to let you die, not if I can help it.” He decides to change the subject, not used to Chase being the one losing it. ”At least we now know that we definitely have the correct Evan Parker. Derrick's waiting for the shooters in interrogation, maybe they'll give us more than the girls on the street.”
Raina has just finished translating for Lawson when she spots Kas and Chase stepping out of the elevator, the color draining from her face when she sees the blood on Kas' s.h.i.+rt. She rushes to him, gingerly touching his arm, ”Is that a gunshot wound?” Her jade eyes are swimming with worry as her panic heightens, ”What happened?”
Kas gives her his best knockout grin, ”It's just a scratch, darlin'.”
Raina tenses when she inspects the wound closer, ”That's no scratch, Pierce. You need to have a doctor look at that.”
He nudges Chase, ”Already did.”
Chase and Raina answer in united exasperation, ”Not that kind of doctor.”
Chase steps beside Raina, tag teaming his stubborn friend. ”I'm with Raina on this. You need to be seen.”
”And have it cleaned,” Raina exclaims, taking in the filth on his s.h.i.+rt, ”it looks like you've been rolling around in oil.” Her worried eyes meet his, ”Are you, okay?”
He wraps his good arm around her, ”I'm fine, sweetheart.”
”Now, look, who's using the word you fuss at me so much about,” Raina softly admonishes, wrapping her arms around his waist. Once she's sure the rest of him is in one piece, she pulls away, ”I'm driving you to the hospital.”
”I don't need to go to the hospital,” he fusses, closing his mouth when he sees her unrelenting glare. He gives in, knowing this is the only way to ease her mind.
Kas takes a shower when they get home, being careful not to let the water hit the bandage covering his seven st.i.tches too much, or Raina will have his head. He smiles at the concern that brimmed her eyes when the doctor told him he required st.i.tches. He hates to cause her worry, but it was nice to see how much she cares about him, especially when she insisted on making his favorite dinner, spinach and Italian sausage lasagna with peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream.
His dad is sitting at the island in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee when he walks out of the bedroom. ”Hey, Dad, what are you doing here?”
”Thankfully, it's not every day that my son gets shot, but I thought I should drop by anyway and see how you are,” Cliff states, giving his son a disapproving glare that he didn't call him.
”I wasn't shot, Dad, I was-grazed.”
His father's chastising glare remains, and Kas feels like he's five again, getting ready to be lectured by his dad. Cliff carefully removes the bandage, inspecting the doctor's handiwork. ”I wouldn't call seven st.i.tches 'grazed'.” His eyes meet his son's, worry wrinkling the corners, ”You, okay, Kas?”
”Dad, you've been in Afghanistan three times, not to mention everywhere else you've been, and you've seen much worse.”
”Yeah, but not on my son.”
Raina smiles, her heart warming, seeing how much Kas' father loves him. ”Will you stay for dinner?”
Cliff takes a whiff of the delicious aroma coming from the oven, ”You couldn't kick me out of here until I had some of your lasagna, honey.”
Raina sends the duo out of the kitchen after dinner, finis.h.i.+ng the dishes as they walk out back.
”How's she doing?” Cliff asks, concerned about what Kas told him had happened after the misunderstanding when she came back from New Jersey.
”Good, Dad. Really good, actually. This is going to sound crazy, but, in a way, I'm kinda glad it happened. Not the part where she was hurting, but her seeing that I came back to her before I knew the truth broke through to her, letting her know that she is worth something. That's she's worth everything to me.” Kas grins happily, ”She's finally overcoming the lies her father told her.”
”You have a good wife. You are very blessed to have a woman who loves you so much.” Cliff grabs his son's shoulders, ”And, she's very blessed to have you. I know it hasn't been easy for you watching her having to suffer through everything, but you stood by her. I'm proud of you, son.”
Raina walks out onto the deck, calling to them in the yard, ”Do you want the peach cobbler now, or later?”
Cliff pats Kas on the back as he quickens his pace towards the house, ”And, the girl can cook.”
Kas lets out a hearty laugh as he catches up with his dad. Feeling every bit the blessing Raina is to him, thanking G.o.d for her.
The window pane is covered with rain drops, mother nature finally providing some relief to the sweltering heat and the drought advisory. Kas pulls Raina closer to him as they watch a movie. October is only two days away, and Kas' uneasiness about Chris' release from jail being in a couple of weeks darkens his mood, although he's trying not to show it. Pete has gone to bat and has pushed for an ankle monitor for at least the first few months Chris is out of jail and on probation. Much to Kas' relief, the judge granted the request, despite Dr. Ross praising Chris' exemplar progress. Chase went ballistic when he read the report Dr. Ross submitted, calling him very ingenious names, even going as far as asking the doctor himself if he received his doctorate from a cereal box. Kas chuckles at the memory of Chase losing his impeccable calm shrink persona and going off on the shrinking doctor in the middle of the courthouse lobby.
Raina hasn't mentioned Chris, but Kas hasn't expected her to. She has gone on with their normal routines, acting like everything is fine, but Kas can see her stress. ”Why don't we ditch the movie and go out to eat?” he asks, needing to provide a distraction for both of them.
”But, you have been waiting for this movie to come out for weeks.”
”It will be here when we get back.” Kas grabs her hand, ”C'mon, I'll take you to the new German restaurant.”
Raina smiles and grabs her purse. Kas holds her hand as they race through the rain to get to the jeep. Raina is still smiling, excited about trying German cuisine, and Kas pulls her into his arms, loving how easy it is to please her. He lowers his mouth to hers, delivering a heated, pa.s.sionate kiss.
”What was that for?”
”Just because, darlin'.”
The restaurant is crowded, but they manage to get a corner booth. Raina immediately loves the romantic feel of the place with the light from the candles flickering against the slate blue walls and the tables covered in crisp, white table clothes. Kas reaches across the table and grabs her hand, lightly rubbing his thumb across her knuckles when the waitress appears.
Raina notices how the waitress immediately zones in on Kas. Her brow arches as she watches how the gorgeous waitress unabashedly drinks in Kas' toned, masculine frame. Kas feels Raina's hand stiffen in his when he gives his order. He ignores the woman's roaming eyes, biting back a chuckle when Raina watches how her baby blues melt when they gaze at Kas' breathtaking face, his handsome, strong angular features, full lips, and chocolate eyes. When the waitress stumbles over her words and has to tear herself away from Kas to get her order, Raina stiffens again.
”What's wrong?” he asks, finding Raina's obvious struggle with feeling jealous amusing.
Raina's gaze drops, and her cheek's flush a light pink as she raises her shoulder. Refusing to let her simple shrug be an answer, he squeezes her hand. ”Huh uh, darlin', spill.”
Raina's cheeks flush scarlet, and Kas sees the flash of embarra.s.sment in her eyes as she mumbles, ”Nothing. I just didn't like how she looked at you.”
”Why?” he barely suppresses his laugh at how his usually gentle, benign wife is having such a hard time admitting that she has fallen prey to the green-eyed monster.
Raina chews on her bottom lip and lowers her head. Kas tucks her auburn s.h.i.+eld behind her ear, ”I'm waiting, darlin'.”
She lets out a rushed breath, ”How can you be so freakishly adept at reading people's emotions, except when it comes to gorgeous girls flirting with you?”
”Are you jealous, Mrs. Pierce?”