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wrapping her in a heavy cocoon.
    It was no surprise to hear the strident knock on the door of the room a few minutes later.
    “I’d better go smooth some feathers.”
    Even in the dim light she could see the flash of his white teeth as he grinned. “Just like old times, huh?”
    Cat snorted. “Absolutely.”
    When she returned to the room, Harper literally growled when she told him he would have to have another exam. But when the doctor came in he’d calmed to icy fury. Cat winced at the angry red torn skin around the bullet hole in his chest. The entrance wound had been trimmed and stitched, but they’d had to do surgery to remove the bullet. It had wedged against his shoulder blade in the back. The doctor had been amazed that the blade itself hadn’t been shattered.
    Now, though, a couple of those external stitches had ripped out. Harper didn’t say anything as the area was numbed and re-stitched. In total there were now twenty-eight stitches in his chest.
    Actually, the incident paved the way for his early release. Cat knew she had to get Harper out of there, not only for his peace of mind but her own as well. The primary care physician was a little hesitant, but when she assured him that he would have the same care just away from the hospital he seemed to relax a bit. When she hinted at the liability issues they were both dancing around, he agreed that Harper could be released, but only after a final night of rest.
    Though he frowned at the delay, Harper seemed to understand that it was in his best interest. The hospital quieted down and for the most part the nurses left them alone that evening.
    Duncan came later that night and sat with him. They told him about their plans to leave and he nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I wouldn’t stay here any longer than I had to either,” he admitted.
    Harper felt bad for making Duncan sit here so long. The hospital brought up memories for all of them and h couldn’t wait to get out.
    Cat went back to the hotel and crashed. Once again, though, she returned at the ass-crack of dawn.
    The doctor also showed up early.
    “I want you to wear your sling as much as possible and to avoid showers for a couple more days,” the doctor told them. “I’m sending you out with a couple of anti-inflammatory, pain and antibiotic prescriptions, but if you have issues with the wound, go to a hospital.”
    Cat took all the aftercare paperwork and folded it away into her purse. One of the nurses knocked on the door and entered, carrying a bulky looking package. With a dirty look at Cat, she handed it to the doctor and quickly left.
    Ripping the package open the doctor handed a set of dark glasses to Harper. “I know these are not fashionable, but you need to wear them. It will help with the sunlight and allow your healthy eye a chance to relax. It’s going to be doing double duty. Rest as much as you can and expect headaches.”
    The longer he talked the more impatient Harper became. The average person probably wouldn’t notice the tightening of his jaw or the weight of his animosity in the air, but Cat did.
    “Thank you so much, doctor. We really do appreciate the care we’ve received here.”
    The man seemed to take the dismissal as exactly that and disappeared through the door shortly thereafter.
    Less than a half hour later they were in the main lobby. Cat was amazed at how quickly they’d let him loose. Days ago she’d gone to a local mall and bought Harper a couple of outfits at the big men’s store, knowing that he would need something when he walked out. She was very glad she had now, otherwise he’d have been leaving in scrubs.
    When she handed him the final item though, his jaw worked and he wouldn’t look at her for a long time. “I didn’t have time to grab one of yours when I left but I found this in one of those outdoor stores the other day.”
    Harper opened the blade of the Kershaw knife. It wasn’t nearly as big as what he was used to carrying, but it was as