Free Micah by Kathi S. Barton

poor child
had been through so much, and then that had happened.
    “ The paper is going to
drag that all out again, won’t they?” Howie nodded as he held his
Katie to him. “Howie, we have to do something to help her. She’s
going to need more than just Micah as her mate. She’s going to need
all of us.”
    “ I know, darling. I know.”
He’d heard how she’d taken on both Joey and Micah and had to smile.
He was going to enjoy this mating. He was sure of it. When Nolan
came out of the operating room where he’d been working on his
brother, he told them he was needed with the girl but that Micah
was going to be fine in a few hours. After kissing his mom and
grandma, Nolan entered the room across the hall. They all sat and
waited for news.
    It wasn’t long before Nolan came out.
He was smiling and looked like he had a great secret. Howie could
tell also that something was bothering him, but not enough at the
moment to take away whatever had happened in the operating
room.
    “ She’s going to be just
fine. The bullet entered her right shoulder and it was removed.
There was little damage done to the muscle, and after some rest and
a few days of pampering, she’ll be fine.” He laughed, a great burst
of a laugh that made him smile. “Now getting the rest might be a
problem. As soon as they stopped the anesthesia, she nearly came up
off that bed cursing up a storm and demanding to be let go. Baker,
her surgeon, had no idea what to tell her. And I, of course, could
only think that Micah was going to have his hands full. Wow, she’s
a pistol.”
    Howie laughed too. It was great to
know that a woman coming to their family wasn’t going to be a
milk-sop. When Nolan looked down the hall toward where Micah was,
the sadness returned. Saying his name, Nolan only shook his head.
Howie decided he’d let it go for now.
    They waited another hour before they
were able to see Micah. He was still a little groggy but doing
well. Howie was glad to hear him ask about Reggie first thing, then
his mom. His son would have been extremely proud of his
boys.
    “ She’s in her room. Unlike
you, she came out of it with flying colors. I can tell you that
she’s demanding to be let go now. Of course, because of her being
shot, I’ve managed to have someone on the force say she has to stay
because of the circumstances of her injury. All a lie, but it held
her.” Micah leaned back as Nolan continued. “She’s asking about her
brother. Do you happen to know how to contact him?”
    “ Yes, but I don’t think
that’s what she wants.” Micah glanced at him, then back at his
brother as he answered him. “He’s been hurt. Badly, and is living
in a nursing home with fulltime care.”
    “ Not very good care as far
as I could see.” Everyone turned to Joey. “I’ve been doing some
research on his type of injury and where he’s staying. I’m having
him moved tomorrow. I’ve…she’s going to be pi…upset with me, but
I’m also assigning myself as his lawyer.”
    “ I think you had it
right.” Howie smiled at his daughter-in-law when she spoke for her
son. “She’s going to be pissed. While I’m a little shocked by her
vocabulary, I can see where it would come in handy when dealing
with certain people.”
    Her gaze lingered on Micah, and Howie
wondered what had happened there. Micah had never talked about
having a mate. When Howie thought about it, he realized none of the
boys had ever really talked about it. He wondered, just a little,
how the hell he and his wife were ever going to be great
grandparents if they didn’t have mates. Laughing to himself, he
watched Gracie handle her boys.
    He’d loved this woman since the moment
she’d come into his life. And Micah, his son, had never gone a day
without telling her that he loved her. She was firm, yet
understanding. Got respect not because she had demanded it, but
because of what she was…a wonderful loving woman who would die for
her children. And he had a feeling that