you okay?” He balanced her, one hand in hers and the other on her back.
She was being ridiculous. She should have gotten in her chair the minute they’d made it home, but she’d pushed it because she didn’t want him to see her in it. That was stupid. She needed a wheelchair from time to time. It made her life easier, and she was grateful for it. A few hours off her feet and a couple of days with her braces and she would be fine with the cane again. Anyone who didn’t like it could bite her butt.
“I should use my wheelchair for the rest of the night. I have to rest my muscles when they get like this.” Tight, painful, but the pain reminded her that once she hadn’t felt anything at all. If she had to spend some time in a wheelchair, she was cool with that.
“It’s in her bedroom against the east wall,” Hutch said.
“I’m on it.” Kyle strode off.
“It’s weird that you know that.”
“I had to go over the place with a fine-tooth comb.” Hutch showed no signs of stepping away. He stayed right there with her. “Listening devices can be anywhere. They’re tricky suckers.”
“You went through my place?”
“That’s what I meant when I said I was going to make sure it was secure.”
“I thought you would check my locks.” She hadn’t considered the fact that he would look for listening devices. “I mean, you looked on the walls and stuff, right? Maybe checked the lighting fixtures?”
A slow smile creased his face. “Are you asking me if I found your body wand?”
She wasn’t going to be ashamed of that either, but she still flushed and was absolutely certain she was a bright shade of red. “You honestly thought there could be a listening device in my nightstand?”
“I’m a thorough guy. And it’s pretty standard. I think every woman I know has one. Here you go.” He turned her toward Kyle.
Silly man. He absolutely shouldn’t have looked in her nightstand. Also, she was a bit resentful about the “standard” comment. Did he think she couldn’t be kinky, too?
Would he be surprised when she changed into her fet wear on Thursday?
He helped her ease down into the small chair she used around the house. Once she’d been in a much bigger one, but this one was easy to maneuver. It was the speedster of wheelchairs. She strapped in and backed up, giving Hutch her sauciest grin. “Well, then I’ll have to hope you didn’t get into the tote bag in my closet because that’s where I keep the fun stuff.”
The sexiest grin lit his face. “I sense a secondary search coming on.”
Kyle sighed. “Can I eat before you two do the sexual tension thing? It’s upsetting my stomach. Sorry. I’ve spent a lot of time with Big Tag lately.”
She wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything.
“Yeah, because watching you flirt with MaeBe was the highlight of my day,” Hutch groaned. He looked down at her. “You got this or you want a ride?”
Her father would have simply started pushing. The last man she’d dated hadn’t liked to be around her when she was in the chair. He’d pretended it wasn’t there.
She liked Hutch’s approach so much more. “Nah, I’m pretty speedy, but I wouldn’t mind a glass of white wine.”
He stepped back and gave her room. “I’ll get it for you.”
“I wasn’t flirting with MaeBe,” Kyle insisted.
He and Hutch started to argue, and the smell of pizza hit her, making her stomach growl.
She settled in at the table. It was nice to have company.
She let go of her worries for a time because she was going to enjoy the moments she had with him.
* * * *
Hutch stepped out on the balcony, giving up any actual hope of getting sleep. It was way past midnight, and he’d already given the guest room to Kyle since he’d known he would be awake for a long time reading up on the woman named Jessica Layne and trying to figure out what she could be investigated for.
A lot. A whole freaking lot, if his instincts were right. He took a deep breath. At some point a mild cold front had come in and the heat of the day had broken, bringing some relief to the night around him. It would blow in and out quickly, and tomorrow would be right back to oppressive heat, but for now he enjoyed the breeze and wondered if Noelle was sleeping. The