Coming Home (Sequel to This Time Around)

Chapter Forty-Four

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

It was one of the longest days McKenna could ever recall-second only to when Selig broke his arm falling off Cap and the day of Loki's funeral. She sat curled on the sofa while Loki alternated between the sofa, the windowsill, and pacing about the room.

He sighed from his perch on the sill, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "How long does this usually take on Midgard?"

McKenna lifted her head from the sofa's arm to peer at him over it. "I still have my appendix, but when Shay had hers out, I think it took about an hour or so. It's not a big deal on Midgard."

"He's been in there three hours, McKenna. Something's wrong. Something more than Eir is telling us."

Her belly did a slow, painful rollover. If Loki was worried, she should probably be terrified, since he was always the one who assured her everything would be fine. She uncurled from the sofa and rose to cross over to him, wedging herself between his knees. "It's going to be okay, Loki. Isn't that what you told me?"

He didn't look at her, his head falling forward, his hands dangling between his thighs. "Maybe I'm wrong."

She gazed down at him-or more aptly, the back of his neck, and without thinking, reached down to brush her fingers over that bared bit of skin. "No, you're not," she murmured, letting her fingers slip through his hair. "He's going to be fine."

"And if he isn't?"

He lifted his head and his eyes were bright blue. She sighed, shifting to sink onto his left thigh and draped her arms about his neck. "He will be. Trust Eir, love. Isn't that what you're always telling me?"

His arm eased about her waist, his fingers slipping beneath the bottom of her tee shirt to brush her back just above the waist of her jeans. "I'm full of it, as you'd say."

"No, you aren't." She curved her hand against his cheek, gently pressing to turn him toward her. "He's going to be all right."

Loki's eyes softened as they held her gaze and a slight grin tugged at his lips. "He almost walked in on us last night."

"Really?" She grazed his cheek with her thumb. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"True, but that time he was barely two and had no idea what we were doing." He gave her waist a gentle squeeze. "Now, not only would he know, but it would probably scar him for life."

"I doubt that. It might freak him out a little, but I think in time, he'd get past it." She smiled. "So you said almost. What stopped him?"

He raised one brow slightly. "You were loud enough that he heard you and thought you were sick."

"Oh, God..." Heat swept through her and her face grew too hot for comfort. She brought her free hand up to cover it. "Damn, I didn't think I was that loud."

"It's a good thing you were. Otherwise we'd have had a very unwelcomed interruption."

"True." She lowered her hand. "So, how did you explain? You didn't tell him the truth, did you?"

"Of course not. I'm no fool." His grin widened. "I told him you had a nightmare."

She shook her head. "We need to lock our door at night."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea." He eased his other arm about her waist and pulled her closer. "Once he and Aislinn are both over their nightmares."

With that, the door opened and Tyra came out. "You can come in and see Selig now. He's still asleep, but other than that, he's all right."