His head rested easy on something soft and a rose fragrance nearby soothed him. He rested easy in the chair surrounding him. The soft conversations around him didn’t disturb him but put him at ease. Something brushed his hand, light and silken. It tickled so he opened his eyes to see what it might be and found Nicole propped against his right knee. Her slow, even breathing indicated she slept before he saw her closed eyes and slack expression. He blinked and glanced around the room, now filled with Rykers and their kin. Jude stroked Nicole’s hair and met Adam’s gaze. “How’s the kid?” he asked. “Better,” his oldest brother said. “They took him off the ventilator tube and will move him out of ICU in the morning. He’s healing, thank God.” He shut his eyes with grateful relief. “Good. I’m glad. How long did I sleep?” Adam shrugged. “Ever since I’ve been here, so a couple of hours at least, probably more,” he said. “She was awake when I came, though.” “Neither one of us got much sleep last night.”
