Ulterior Motives

The End

Two post in one day!!!! I wanted to make up for the long delays and get started on book two. All three of my works are complete on wattpad and am working on book two of both Ulterior motives and Crimes against the crown. So much to do. Thank you for your support. You guys are amazing.

Happy Reading.

Love
NJ Kuhr
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Reagan felt shaky and feeble, and very very warm. A little too warm but oddly enough she wasn't uncomfortable. The warmth was nice. She felt wonderful and restored. She still needed some rest and she was going to have to build up her strength but the fever felt rejuvenating instead of debilitating, muscles relaxed.

    She could hear them coming down the hall. Sophia and Madelyn were usually much quieter but in their rush to see her awake, well, they weren't exactly concerned about poise and grace. Stumbling into the room they both paused, crammed into the frame, not even aware of being pressed together.

    "Reagan." Madelyn whispered.

    "Madelyn." Reagan grinned at them, "Sophia." They hadn't left the doorway. "How's it going?" She continued when no one said anything.

    Suddenly both woman were running across the room and they were bounding onto her bed. Madelyn was sitting at her side, one arm reached over her trying to keep her weight off of her.

    Sophia crawled into the other side of the bed and was laying on her stomach next to her on top of the comforter in the middle of the bed. Her head cradled into her palms. Sophisticated, professional Sophia had bounced onto the bed like a bright eyed freshman sorority girl.

    Reagan giggled at her. "Thank you. Both of you." She reached out and pulled them both in close for a hug. Oliver stood at the door, not wanting to intrude.

    "How are you feeling?" Madelyn asked when they finally broke apart.

    "Considerably better." Reagan couldn't stop from smiling. She'd always been close to Madelyn and she had known Sophia for a few years now but this was the first time that she had felt like she had girl friends. "Thanks. I should be back to work in no time."

    Oliver stepped forward. "You're going back to work?"

    Reagan looked at him waiting for him to finish his sentence until she realized that was the sentence. "Yes...? Eventually." her eyebrows furled, "You seem surprised by this."

    "No. I just hadn't really thought about it." Oliver was back peddling.

    Madelyn, Sophia and Reagan all gave him the same uncanny expression. He pointed at the three of them. "Do you rehearse that?"

    They all glanced at each other and started laughing uncontrollably. Oliver glared at them.. Stepping back towards the door. "I'm just going to..." he was already halfway out the door. "I'm just going to go get...I'll make us some tea?" He walked down the hall listening to the women laugh even harder.

****

    Sophia and Madelyn stuck around for another day just to keep an eye on Reagan, check her symptoms and make sure that Reagan's illness wasn't going to return. The illness, that's what they were calling it. They hadn't been able to find anything else. Her fever was still high and no one could explain the coma. Sophia had come close to ripping out her hair several times and Madelyn's perfectly placed makeup hadn't been so perfect lately. Reagan tried to remember the last time she had seen Madelyn without lipstick. The memory hadn't come to her. She tried to get out of bed but between the three of them it seemed she was placed on house arrest and confined to the bed. There always seemed to be one of them close by to stop her from getting up. Every. Single. time. The only one who seemed to be enjoying it was Wednesday who was pleased to use Reagan as a constant body pillow.

By the time Sophia and Madelyn relinquished to leaving and return to their responsibilities, Reagan felt relieved. Oliver, however, couldn't watch her twenty-four seven and she walk around while he was gone. He had to leave a few times to go deal with Circle problems but he had always left Sophia and Madelyn to supervise. It was getting tedious. Reagan figured she might be able to convince him to let her walk about but she highly doubted he was going to let her head into the office to check her mail and messages. Maybe even respond to a few potential cases. Oliver would object to that.

    He barely conceded to letting her eat outside his bedroom the day after Madelyn and Sophia had left and at the dinning room table. After he stuffed her chair full of pillows.

However, this was breakfast and she was going to eat on the balcony. She walked into the kitchen while Oliver was cooking. He started to walk to her to get her to sit at the table and adjust the pillows for her. She raised her eyebrow at him and made him stop. They had a silent staring battle until Oliver gave in. With a smile on her face that clearly expressed  'I win' she gave him a kiss on the check and walked over to make herself a cup of coffee. She refilled Oliver's and replaced the pot, taking both their mugs out to the patio set. 

    She made herself comfortable and watch the city wake up. Oliver quickly joined her placing their plates on the table. They ate quietly enjoying their food and watching their city come to life. Of course, Oliver's plate refilled itself three times before he finished. But, they stayed quiet even after they were done. Oliver reached over and grabbed her hand, just siting, comfortably in each others company.

    They sat like that for over an hour. Oliver pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "So," He started, "how many minutes after I leave for the next Circle meeting before you go to your office and respond to case request?"

    "Just long enough to slip off the robe I'm hiding my suit underneath and into my shoes." she admitted unashamed.

    Oliver snickered. "More time than I would have guessed."

    "That's only if you don't bind the house so I can't leave." She joked, sort of.

    "It crossed my mind."

    Reagan kissed his knuckles in return. "You wouldn't stop me?"

    "No. I wouldn't change anything about you." he rolled his head along the back of his chair so he could look directly at her. "Your obsessive workaholism is exactly why I came to you in the first place. It brought us together and it is one of the many things I love about you."

    "I love you."

    "I love you too."

    They went back to sitting and watching the city for a few minutes.

    It didn't take long before Reagan got restless, interrupted the silence. "So, there's this case..."

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Thank you all so so so so so so much. This has been such a great experience. Wattpaders have been so good to me. I love you guys. Look forward to future books and the communities around them.