Page 145 of A Lick and A Promise
“Somewhere neutral,” I suggested. “And very public,” I added, in hopes she wouldn’t cause a scene.
He looked at me. “She likes Dough Bird.”
“You take her there when you were together?”
He grimaced.
“Not there,” I stated. “Somewhere generic. Like a Starbucks.”
He looked back down at his phone and his thumbs moved over it (again, no sling, again, no guff from me—I’d gotten to the point of understanding he was a grown-ass man, and he could tell his doctor why his recovery was delayed, if that was the case—that said, he was barely limping anymore, and I hadn’t seen him so much as wince when he moved his arm).
I heard the swoop of his text flying off, he set his phone aside and commandeered his coffee mug.
“Do you need a dressing change?” I asked.
His tone was tender when he looked at me and replied, “Babe.”
Some of his babes I couldn’t translate.
Some of them I could.
That was one I could.
“I know I didn’t handle it very well the first time, but I’m prepared this time.”
He took a moment with that before he said, “Once I sort this with Cheyenne, we’ll shower and, yeah. You can see to that.”
I took a sip of coffee, eagerly anticipating this shower, and asked, “You can do the one on your leg, but not the one on your shoulder. So who’s been handling that for you?”
“Cap or Marjorie.”
I felt my brows wing up. “Marjorie?”
His shoulders went up and down. “She’s trained in first aid.”
I tried not to laugh at the thought of Knox’s wounds being wrapped by the stern, helmet-haired, sometimes positively dour office manager of NI&S, Marjorie. Fortunately, I bested this task.
I still couldn’t stop myself from giving him stick.
“I bet I was a better nursemaid,” I remarked.
“Never fought with her. Or had to take her shit. But she doesn’t have as good of an ass as you do.”
I burst out laughing.
His phone vibrated on the counter.
We both looked to it but only Knox picked it up.
“We’re agreed,” he said, not putting the slightest effort into hiding he wasn’t happy about it.
My poor baby.
It had to be said, he did fuck up with her, especially since he genuinely wasn’t into her (and I was only going to preen inwardly at having this knowledge).
But it was a boss move to reach out so he could explain and apologize.
It sucked she got caught up in our game, but they’d been together for months. She absolutely had a variety of clues thrown her way he wasn’t into it, not the least of them a guy like Knox not sleeping with her.
