“Did that help?”

“Just being with you helps.”

“Mmm. I love the sweet talkin’ side of you.” He traced her jawline with his thumb. “You know you can tell me anything, but you oughta rethink your stance on talkin’ to the lady psychologist because I think she can help you.”

She frowned. “What stance?”

“You told her you didn’t need her help.”

“I don’t remember.” Another memory lapse. How many had she had since she came out of the coma? Two? Three? A dozen? “Was I rude to her?”

Carson shrugged. “I’m sure she’s used to patients tellin’ her to get the hell out of their rooms and to never come back.”

Her stomach roiled. “I said that?”

“It wasn’t like you made her cry or nothin’.”

Carolyn wanted to cry. “Am I going through one of those personality changes? Where I was a nice woman and after bein’ in a coma I become a total ass**le?”

“Hey, it was one incident. You’re entitled to a little bad behavior after what you’ve been through. Don’t get yourself riled up.”

“Too late.”

“Sugar, just breathe, okay?”

“I can’t. I’m suffocating.”

He kissed her then, a sweet distraction. Soft smooches and the gentle brush of his lips across hers, the tease of his breath mingling with hers while his thumb continued to caress her face with utmost tenderness.

It settled her. It soothed her. She curled into him. His heart beat steadily beneath her ear. His outdoorsy scent filled her senses.“What time are the kids coming?”

“Whenever you’re feelin’ up to it. No rush.”

Carolyn lifted her head from his chest. “I thought they were all fired up to see me since you kept them out of ICU for the past week.”

“They are very anxious to see you. But they were also warned you might have a setback the first couple of days, so they’re on standby.”

“Setback? I haven’t had a setback.”

The look in his eyes contradicted her statement. “Answer me this. How long have you been out of the coma?”

“Not even twenty-four hours.”

He shook his head. “It’s been forty-eight hours.”

Time confusion in the first couple days is an aftereffect for coma patients, the doctors had assured her.

“You were agitated by the pain, so they had to sedate you and keep you in ICU.”

“It’s a blur.”

“It’ll get better.”

“You’re sure?”

“No, but whatever happens, Caro, we’ll deal with it together.”

“I hate that I put you through this.”

“Just another bump in the road. We’ve had a few of ’em the past fifty years.”

Later that day Carolyn felt a million times better after they let her shower. It was such a shock to see her hair buzzed almost to her scalp. Carson already said he was used to it and he liked it. Then he’d gone into great detail about all the places on his body he couldn’t wait to feel her rubbing that short hair.

If the thought of that man’s wicked mouth and skilled hands all over her didn’t speed up her recovery process and her desire to go home, nothing would.

Carson had summoned their kids. She’d debated putting on makeup so as to not scare them, but nothing would hide the pallor of the last week so she opted to let her age show.

She was wired as she waited. Carson sat beside her on a tall chair, his hands in near constant motion. Seemed he had a case of nerves too.

The door opened and her children filed in, lined up by birth order like she used to demand whenever they were in trouble. No surprise they still knew how to do it.

Carson’s hand tightened on hers. His mouth brushed her ear. “Any time this is too much, let me know and I’ll kick ’em out.”

“I always make you the bad guy, don’t I?”

“No reason for us to change that now.”

Her gaze started with Cord, who gripped a bouquet of flowers from her garden. Then she focused on Colby. His hair held more gray streaks than Cord’s. Her gaze moved to Colt. Still the image of his handsome father, down to his dimpled grin. Cam, her burly boy, wept openly. He’d clamped his hand on Carter’s shoulder, as if his little brother was holding him up. Then she noticed somber-eyed Carter also clasped Keely’s hand. Tears streamed down her daughter’s cheeks.

None of them said a word.

She cleared her throat. “What a fine looking bunch.” And because she was feeling ornery, and because these hellions had played numerous pranks on her over the years, she kept a confused look on her face, and said, “Who are all of you again?”

The room, already silent, went deadly still. The kids exchanged bewildered looks with each other. Then they looked at Carson. And finally at her.

Just as Cord opened his mouth to speak, Carolyn smiled and said, “Just kidding.”

“Jesus, Ma, that was mean,” Cam complained.

“Really mean,” Carter added.

She flapped her hand at them. “Oh pooh, you all deserved that and you damn well know it.”

Colt grinned. “And you’re swearing at us? Now I know you had a head injury.”

Silence.

Then Colt said, “Ah, too soon?”

“Ya think, ass**le?” Colby shoved him.

Cord elbowed Colby. “Knock it off, you two.”