By the time he finished the request, his voice was so faint she could barely hear him and the coughing had started up again.
“I want to talk to Daddy,” Ivy demanded, reaching for the phone.
Lauren lifted a finger and shook her head. “Just a second,” she mouthed to the girl.
“Of course.” Lauren slanted a glance at Ivy. “I’ll take her home in a little bit and bring my stuff with me.”
“I owe you,” Seth said, the relief in his voice evident.
“No worries. You can count on me.” As she handed the phone to Ivy, Lauren realized it was true. He could count on her.
Last night had been a mere blip on the radar. Tonight they would start over.
Chapter Nine
“It’s ten feet to the front door.” Seth insisted when the truck stopped in front of his house. “I can make it on my own.”
His bravado must have convinced Josh and Mitch, because they relaxed their grip on the door handle. He’d told them he didn’t need their help to get from the hospital to the truck, but thankfully they’d ignored his protests. It was nearly impossible for him to take a deep breath. Any exertion seemed to set off a spell of coughing that left his legs weak and shaky.
The doctor in Big Timber had sent him home with an inhaler and told him to take next week off. He had a follow-up appointment in ten days. Hopefully he’d be ready to resume his ranch duties at that time. His foreman would have to pick up the slack until then.
Seth’s hand closed over the door handle but instead of opening it, he paused for a moment calling on his inner reserve. It was important to him that Ivy not worry. Once he got to the front door, he wanted everything to appear as normal as possible. That’s why his sister wasn’t here. Why Josh and Mitch weren’t coming in.
“We don’t mind hanging around for a while to make sure you’re okay.” Two lines of worry etched deep between Mitch’s brows.
“Yeah, you’re not lookin’ so good,” Josh observed.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done.” Seth’s voice shook with pent-up emotion. He owed these guys a debt he’d never be able to repay. Thanks to their courage, his daughter still had a father. And he still had a life. “I’ll be fine. Lauren is here to take care of Ivy—”
“What about you?” Josh’s tone may have been nonchalant but the concern in his eyes gave him away. “Doc Mason said—”
“I’ll be fine,” Seth repeated, more firmly this time. Out of the corner of his eye, Seth saw Mitch tilt his head, his gaze sharp and assessing.
“I can’t believe we didn’t see it.” Mitch shook his head. “All the way out here you’ve been trying to tell us but we haven’t been listening.”
“Tell us what?” Josh frowned.
“Lauren is inside. Seth here is eager to soak up some of her TLC.” Mitch’s grin widened. “He doesn’t want us around ’cause we’ll cramp his style.”
“You and Lauren?” Josh whistled. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
Seth shot Mitch a sharp glance. “It’s not like that—”
“Ivy already caught ’em smoochin’,” Mitch continued. “When he was wearing a Santa suit, no less.”
“Women love men in uniform. It’s a big turn-on.” Josh rubbed his chin. “I’d like to borrow that suit sometime. Stacie’d get a kick out of it.”
Seth held on to his temper with both hands. He knew they were just trying to distract him...as well as have a little fun at his expense. They didn’t realize Lauren was off-limits. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to have the wrong impression. But he was tired of listening, tired of talking, tired of explaining. He had more important things on his mind... like seeing his little girl.
He pushed open the door, but before he stepped outside, Seth turned back to his friends. “I’ll give you a call in a day or two and let you know how I’m doing.”
“You’re not getting rid of us that easily,” Mitch said. “We’ll be back tomorrow to help out.”
Josh met Seth’s gaze. “Lauren knows to call us if you need anything before then.”
Seth thought about telling them his foreman could handle anything that came up but he saved his breath. Josh and Mitch wouldn’t listen anyway. Even though they’d done so much already, they were determined to help some more. “The only thing I need is for you two to get home to your wives.”
Before they could protest, he stepped from the truck and headed straight for the house. By the time he reached the foyer, he was out of breath. He leaned back against the door, cursing the weakness that left him as unsteady as a newborn calf. He hoped Ivy wasn’t too upset or worried. Or, if she was, that he would be able to find the right words to make her feel better.
Sloughing off his coat, Seth stood for a moment in the entryway, gathering his strength, drinking in all that was familiar. The ticking of the mantel clock in the living room. Ivy’s giggles coming from the kitchen. The sweet scent of pine from the Christmas tree.
He loved his life. He loved his daughter. For a split second this afternoon, he’d stood on the verge of losing it all. When the roof had collapsed and blocked his exit, he’d thought his time was up. But Mitch and Josh had gotten him out. The rescue had been nothing short of a miracle.
Seth drew a shaky breath and closed his eyes.
“Seth?”
Even if he hadn’t heard her voice or opened his eyes, the scent of her perfume would have told him Lauren stood before him. Though he’d just seen her this morning, the worried look in her eyes was new, as were her clothes. Dressed casually in jeans and a University of Denver sweatshirt and with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked more like
