Her Best Men

“What?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said, chuckling. “He actually tried to fight me in the middle of dinner because I got up first for more.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve picked your share of fights,” she said.

“I have, because that’s just how we are. If we aren’t fighting about one thing, we’re fighting about another.”

Kyra was giggling but the moment her giggling died down, she eyed me seriously. I felt a cold rush of air settle in the car. I knew Kyra was strong and I knew she could be stubborn, but this was a new side of her I was experiencing.

A serious side of her that demanded to be listened to.

“I don’t want anything hurting any of you guys, including me. And I’ll pull myself away in a heartbeat if I feel, for one moment, that I’m destroying the relationship between two brothers. I care about you guys too much to do that to you.”

“I know,” I said as I cupped her cheek, “I fucked up. We both did. And that’s going to change. No more fighting. At least, when it comes to you.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“I promise to always try,” I said. “But brothers fight and it’s bound to happen again. I’ll just make sure it’s later, rather than sooner.”

She frowned but seemed to relent to my answer. She shook her head with an exasperated sigh, then threw me a playful glance before she scooted closer toward me. I watched as she rose up, her lips planting the warmest of kisses on the tip of my nose and I couldn’t help but shake my head at her before she slipped out of my truck.

I cut the engine off and grabbed the bag we’d packed for her father. I followed her into the hospital, my body gravitating toward hers while we wound our way back to Mark’s room. The smell of disinfectant and dying disease rose up my nose and, for a moment, it shivered up my spine. I’d never been a fan of hospitals. I’d seen way too many people die in them. Good soldiers that were meant to go home and be with their wives. Raise their kids. Provide for their families.

Hospitals weren’t a beacon of hope to me. They were where people simply went to breathe their last breaths.

I shook the thought from my mind while I continued to follow Kyra. I watched her slip the small box I’d given her into her pocket, no doubt not wanting to answer questions from her father right now. We walked in to see him awake and drinking some water and I smiled at him as Kyra squealed. Her arms wrapped around Mark’s neck while I patted his leg and I had to admit that it was wonderful to see him conscious.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” he said.

“The man speaks,” I said.

“Thanks for getting her here, Chance,” he said.

“Not a problem,” I said. “Got you a bag with fresh clothes, a warm robe, and some slippers. Want me to get them on your feet?”

“Oh, I can do that,” Kyra said.

“No,” I said. “You stay and talk with your father. I’ll get him warm.”

“That’s a good man right there,” Mark said.

“He’s the best,” Kyra said. “Now I want you to rest, Daddy. Okay? Don’t wear yourself out talking.”

I watched him nod as I slipped the slippers onto his feet, and I could hear him sigh. His speech was slurred since one side of his face was drooping pretty badly. Kyra was already wiping at some water dribbling down his face, so I moved to sit in a chair in the corner. I didn’t want to interrupt her time with her father but I wanted to be here in case anything happened. While Mark was fine now, in a heartbeat, he could crash and I wanted to be right here in case I needed to grab Kyra.

In case she needed comfort.

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; “Nice to see you again, Kyra,” the doctor said as he walked in. “You’re looking rested.”

“Yeah, well, the guys wouldn’t let me disobey doctor’s orders,” she said.

“Good,” Mark said.

“Daddy,” Kyra said. “What did we talk about? You need to be resting.”

“Mark, your vitals look really good,” the doctor said. “You’re much stronger at this stage than we thought you would be. But protocol still states you have to ride out a few more days in the hospital while we continue to monitor you.”