Norton Memorial. The chopper service hasn’t called me yet, and that’s a good sign. It means they’re working on him. John is putting in a good fight. It’s best not to worry tonight. You should go get some sleep. We’ll find out more in the morning.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.”
“I am,” he answered, and walked back to the fridge for water.
“Okay. I’ll head up now. Thanks Andrew. You’ve probably heard a million thanks by now, and I think you should just get used to hearing more. Good night.”
“Good night.” Andrew smiled as Rob left through the main hallway. These are good kids . One by one, they were growing on him. More or less.
He took the main hallway to leave. He made sure the front door was locked, and went back to his room. As he slipped into bed beside Abby, he could tell she was fast asleep. He lay on his back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure how things would be when they all left. He drifted to sleep with that thought playing on his mind.
Chapter Five
ABBY turned in her sleep and was aware of Andrew’s strong arms around her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him in the dim moonlight that streamed in the window. He was not only gorgeous; he looked peaceful as he slept. She was tempted to run her hand through his soft, dark hair, but didn’t want to wake him. He needed his rest.
She gently slipped out from under his arm, and got out of bed to use the bathroom. Her ankle felt so much better; there was barely a limp when she walked. There was enough ambient light for her to see without turning anything on. It was a small perk as she did her best not to disturb Andrew.
When she was finished, she weighed whether she should stay in his room or leave. It was great sleeping beside him. She felt safe and warm in his arms. She was tempted to stay. She stood in the bathroom doorway, and looked over at him. Oh yes, she could love this man. Still, there was so much more she wanted to learn about him, and to share about herself with him.
She wondered whether there was enough time. Eventually the plows would come, and they would leave him behind when they drove back to San Francisco and their lives. She wanted to spend more time with him; to know him better. They lived less than four hours apart in good weather. That distance was not insurmountable, if they were both interested in seeing each other often.
She shook her head, forcing some of the thoughts from her mind. The truth was she barely knew him. Yes, they slept together, and there was a strong, unquestionable connection between them. But did he want more, the way she did? Would he be willing to travel to see her while they got better acquainted and spent more time together?
She had never even asked if he was single. For all she knew, she was a convenient, temporary distraction for him. And although she used the pill religiously, they had not used protection a few times. She had to take responsibility for that. She knew better; but she couldn’t deny the unfamiliar voice in her head that told her it did not matter. Maybe he thought she was sleeping with him out of obligation, or because he opened up his home to them.
She walked over to the bottle of water he brought for her earlier, and took a drink. This was one of the reasons she did her best to never worry about situations like this. Worrying was so unproductive; it was not in her nature to overthink. Things were the way they were, and it made no sense to stress out about the unknown, or regret her actions after the fact, or to create an infinite set of what-if scenarios.
She let out a long breath. What she knew was she wanted to see him after this chance meeting was over. She never felt this way before, so completely magnetized to another human being. She wanted to get to know him, and she hoped he would want the same. For now, she wanted to get back into bed with him.
She pulled back the covers, and slipped in beside him, doing her best not to stir