Part 35 (1/2)
”I think I could channel some caveman.”
”Perfect. Once you trade cars with the McKinleys, start heading up here.” He switched to his library voice, but Daniel was so close it was a wasted effort. ”Danny going to give you trouble about staying behind?”
She tilted her face up toward Daniel's. It was easy to read his reaction.
”Yeah. I'm not so sure it's a good idea anyway. Call me paranoid, but I don't believe in safe houses anymore.”
Daniel bent down to press his lips hard against her forehead, which made it difficult to pay attention to what Kevin was saying.
”...figure a place for Lola. How bad is your face? Oleander?”
”Huh?”
”Your face. What does it look like?”
”Big bandage across my left jaw and ear.” As she spoke, Daniel leaned closer to examine her wounds and then drew in a sharp breath. ”Plus all the original fun.”
”That could play,” Kevin said. ”Lola's injured, too. I'll feed them a story that will keep them satisfied.”
”Who?”
”The dog-boarding place for Lola. d.a.m.n, Ollie, you need some sleep. You're getting dumber by the second.”
”Maybe I'll write your e-mail now, while I'm in the right frame of mind.”
”Call me when you're on the road again.” Kevin hung up.
”You're bleeding through the bandage,” Daniel said anxiously.
She handed him the phone. ”It's fine. I should have glued it last night.”
”Let's take care of it now.”
She looked up at his face-the panic and ferocity in his eyes had dimmed to simple concern. His chest was still slick with sweat, but his breathing was regular. She wasn't sure she had reached a similar state of calm.
”Right now?” she asked.
He gave her a measured look. ”Yes, right now.”
”Is it bleeding that much?” She touched the gauze gingerly but felt only a bit of warm wet. From his expression, she'd expected blood to be gus.h.i.+ng out in a torrent.
”It's bleeding; that's enough. Where is the first-aid kit?”
With a sigh, she turned to the piled duffels. The wrong one was on top, so she had to readjust. While she dug, she felt his fingers cautiously brus.h.i.+ng along her left shoulder blade.
”You're all over bruises,” he murmured. His fingers followed the line of her arm. ”These look fresh.”
”I got tackled,” she admitted as she pulled out the kit and turned around.
”You never told me what happened in the house,” he commented.
”You don't want to know.”
”Maybe I do.”
”Okay. I don't want you to know.”
Daniel took the first-aid kit from her hands and then crossed his legs and set it between them. She followed suit with a heavy sigh, angling the left side of her face toward him.
Gently, he started easing the tape from her skin.
”You can do that faster,” she told him.
”I'll do it my way.”
They sat in silence for a moment while he worked. The stillness allowed her body to remind her how exhausted she was.
”Why don't you want me to know?” he asked as he dabbed a medicated wipe against her skin. ”Do you think I can't handle it?”
”No, I just...”
”What?”
”The way you look at me now. I don't want that to change.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw him smile. ”You don't have to worry about that.”
She shrugged in response.
”How do I do this?” he asked, pulling her superglue from the case.
”Push the edges of the cut together, draw a line of glue across the top, then hold it till the glue dries. About a minute.”
She suppressed a wince as he pressed his fingertips firmly against her skin. The familiar smell of the adhesive filled the s.p.a.ce between them.
”Does this hurt?”
”It's fine.”
”Do you ever get tired of being tough?”
She rolled her eyes. ”The pain is manageable, thank you.”
He leaned away to examine his work. ”It looks messy,” he told her. ”You should have saved the life of an EMT.”
She took the glue from him and screwed the cap back on. She didn't want it to dry out. Who knew how soon she might need it again, the way this trip was going.
”I'm sure it will do the job,” she said. ”Just hold it for a little longer.”