School of Fish (Fish Out of Water #6) - Amy Lane Page 0,130

to eat first.”

Jackson smiled. “I smell Chinese takeout. I wonder if Jade and Mike brought some over while we were sleeping.”

“The takeout fairies?” Ellery asked. “I could deal with that. How come we never bring takeout to their place?”

“Because they remain disgustingly healthy and unhurt,” Jackson told him. “Also, we bring Jade coffee and a pastry four mornings out of five and take Mike to basketball games. I think we’re doing okay as far as not mooching off our family.” He kissed Ellery’s cheek again, wanting to rub his face all over Ellery’s body and just revel in the fact that they were alive and the world was quiet—for the moment. Instead he pushed himself off the bed with a sigh and went to check on dinner.

Chinese takeout it was!

Jackson came back into the bedroom with two laden plates, setting one on each end table. He left again and returned with two glasses of milk and some pain meds for each of them, set those up, and hopped into bed, sitting cross-legged and facing Ellery, who was using a throw pillow for a table.

“What did Christie say?” Ellery asked, and Jackson briefed him, the two of them chewing over the case’s dangly bits as they ate.

When they were finished, Jackson took the plates away and rinsed them off, then returned to find Ellery swallowing his pain medication and looking thoughtful.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Ellery shook his head. “It’s just… you know. The last time we had a case with so many far-reaching implications, it almost killed us both. You more times than me.”

Jackson gave him a hopeful smile. “But look at us now! A little battered, but we didn’t even do any hospital time. It’s like an entire learning curve.”

Ellery answered with a look that was almost shy. “Look who’s suddenly optimistic. It’s practically glowy in here.”

“Well, anytime we get a meal together, Counselor, it does tend to leave me all aglow.”

Ellery rolled his eyes. “Come here,” he said nakedly. “Lay on me. Watch some television. Let’s pretend there’s no criminals of Damocles dangling over our heads. Just for tonight.”

“Sure. What time is it in Massachusetts, though?”

Ellery groaned. “Do we really have to?”

“Bet you she’s seen my video too. And I really do need to tell her the your-son-is-a-badass story.’”

“God,” Ellery said. “You really have matured if you’re looking forward to talking to my mother.”

Jackson reached over his body carefully for the phone.

“It’s always important to give Lucy Satan her due,” he said earnestly. “I mean, if we don’t call her, she could, you know, show up unannounced.” It had happened before.

“Fine,” Ellery grunted. His eyes on Jackson weren’t unhappy, though. “Here,” he said, nodding to his shoulder. “Lay there, though. I’m going to take a picture.”

“Matching head wounds?” Jackson asked as they looked at the selfie screen and saw the identical patches of white gauze.

“No. I just want her to see we’re okay.”

He sent the picture right as the phone rang. It was Ellery’s mother, and telling the story of how Ellery Cramer, mild-mannered attorney and badass stunt driver, had saved the day was the last thing Jackson absolutely had to do that night.

Besides lie next to the man he loved and be grateful, oh so grateful, that they had this moment, had survived this day, and would live to fight again.

They had so much work to do.

Belly Up or Still Swimming

AFTER A week, Ellery could limp along with a cane, and the bruising on Jackson’s back had almost faded.

Ellery was so grateful to be mobile again. He’d been forced to sit, knee elevated, for five days, until the swelling went down. His wrist cast was one of the new 3D printed varieties—breathable and waterproof—and he was grateful. The hated plaster cast was a thing of the past. Not that he’d broken a bone in childhood but he’d seen a few.

Jackson had been back to the office two days after their adventure with the not-so-magic school bus, and he’d kept Ellery up-to-date with new clients, interviewing a couple with Jade and providing background so Ellery could do his job. Jackson had been the one to bring a small bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates from Ty Townsend, his mother, and—sweetly enough—Nate Klein, all of whom were so very grateful that Ty had the chance to go south to school and live his dream.

Nate had even left an envelope full of coupons for sandwiches, 20 percent off.

And Ellery, forced into immobility so soon after Jackson returned to work, was