“A compromise,” Kathleen pleaded. “That’s all I’m asking. Please, Jack.”
It was impossible to deny her completely when she looked at him like that, not when his own need for an intimate physical connection was so great. He reclined in the seat, then guided her hand, silently submitting to her request. He sucked in a breath at the feel of her soft fingers curling around him. Her emerald eyes glistened as she began to move against him. Jack’s hands went under her skirt, caressing the length of her shapely, smooth legs. When he reached her apex and found her drenched, he moaned.
“What are you doing to me, woman?”
“Loving you,” she whispered without hesitation. “The only way you’ll let me...”
“Kathleen...”
Chapter Six
September 2015
Pine Ridge
“It’s Karen, sweetie, but close enough.”
Jack’s eyes flicked open. It took him a minute to get his bearings. He wasn’t sitting in the back seat of the old Galaxie with Kathleen; he was in the CICU, recovering from a heart attack and bypass surgery.
But it had felt so real. Kathleen’s voice still echoed his head; her warmth still lingered against his chest.
Or maybe that was just the drugs.
He’d heard that near-death experiences could cause a man’s life to flash before his eyes. It seemed that he was getting the extended director’s cut.
The sturdy nurse peered down at a handheld screen device. “On a scale of one to ten, one being negligible and ten being unbearable, what’s your level of pain?”
Level of pain? They were pumping so many drugs into him as it was, it was a wonder he felt anything at all. But he supposed it was better than suffering unnecessarily. There was a time when he’d thought bearing pain made him a stronger man, but lying there, attached to all of those wires and tubes shoved into places that robbed a man of his dignity, he felt anything but strong. And whatever they were mainlining into him made Kathleen come alive again, at least in his dreams. He closed his eyes for a moment and could have sworn he caught a whiff of that light, floral scent that always clung to her hair and skin.
“Five,” he answered.
“Hmm,” she hummed, neither pleased nor displeased by his answer. Her latex-gloved finger tapped the screen. “We’ll see if we can increase the dosage a bit, make you more comfortable. Are you feeling up to a few visitors? We’ve got a standing room only crowd in the family waiting area.”
No, he didn’t want visitors. What he wanted was to close his eyes and see Kathleen again. To apologize, to tell her he was an idiot, and to not waste one precious second doing anything besides loving her. Then he chastised himself for being a selfish bastard and nodded. His kids—– their kids—– were probably worried sick. Lord knew he’d spent enough time in hospital waiting rooms himself to know what that was like.
“Aye,” he exhaled.
“Two visitors at a time, maximum of five minutes to start.”
He nodded again, glad it wouldn’t be more than that. He loved his family, but putting up a strong front was going to require more effort than he felt capable of maintaining for any extended period of time. No matter what, he was still the clan patriarch, and he was going to act accordingly.
Unsurprisingly, it was Jake and Taryn who came in first. Jake was a good lad, a natural born leader. Most people thought his firstborn, Kane, would have assumed that role, but Kane didn’t have the people skills that Jake had, relying on the brute force method to get things done. Jake was every bit as tough, but had a way of getting others to follow his lead without resorting to physical coercion (most of the time).
Taryn was Jake’s croie, a strong, spirited delight. He couldn’t have asked for a better women for his serious, intense son. And God bless the lass, despite her glassy eyes, she didn’t show an ounce of pity.
“How are you, Dad?” Jake asked as Taryn leaned over carefully to kiss his cheek.
“Like someone sawed through my chest and started stitching my arteries,” he deadpanned.
Taryn laughed. “Yeah, stupid question, huh. Better get used to it, though. I suspect you’ll be hearing that a lot.”
Too true. “How is the lass?”
“Riley was pretty shaken up, but she’s doing much better now that she knows you’re going to be okay. She has all the kids making you Get Well cards over at Maggie’s.”
He began to chuckle, then thought better of it when the pain in his chest shot from a five to an eight and a half. One of the nurses had warned him about that. No laughing, no coughing. They’d even given him a special pillow to hold over his chest when he felt the need to clear his throat.
“Who is watching the bar?” Jack asked, directing the question to Jake.