“I’m fine, Elizabeth,” he said before she could start riding his ass like a cheap pair of undies.
Only, she wasn’t having it.
“Fine my ass, old man,” she stated. “We’re going to have a talk about you and the bacon. You’re not getting any more of it!”
Sam laughed.
“Well, I’m not needed here,” he joked. “It looks like someone’s having a bacon divorce and not because of me this time.”
Slowly, Charlie opened his eyes, and he saw his family. He’d been so worried about dying. The whole time, he was worried about losing his family.
His husband.
Their kids.
“I’m good. I don’t need my gallbladder out,” he stated. “I’ll manage it with food.”
Yeah, no.
That was a rodeo they went to a few times with him, and no one was entertaining that jackassery.
“Sorry, Dad,” Chris said. “It’s bad enough to need medical intervention.”
Well, shit.
To stop him from bitching, Elizabeth headed his way and hugged him.
As she did, Charlie knew she was scared.
Hell.
He’d been scared.
Charlie was man enough to admit that he’d already planned on divorcing the bacon if God gave him more time.
Would he now?
Hell, no.
People did crazy things when they were scared.
As she held onto him, Elizabeth took in his scent, and memorized it.
“Daddy,” she said.
He took her face in his hand and stared into her eyes to reassure her. It took a lot to scare his daughter, but this clearly had.
“I’m good,” he promised. “You don’t have to worry, Elizabeth. I’m not dying anytime soon. I promise.”
She kissed him on the forehead.
That calmed her down.
“We were worried,” she admitted.
Oh, he bet.
“I’m surprised it took you so long to get back here and raise hell. That’s unlike you,” he admitted as Tony hugged him next, and he kissed him on the forehead too.
