Lieutenant Garrett

Jasper

Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jasper

The rest of our stay at the cabin was spent outside enjoying the beauty of the bay. Except for the second last day we were there when it rained throughout the entire day. To occupy our time, we stayed inside the comfort of the cabin and played a variety of card games and watched movies that mum and I had left in the entertainment unit.

We decided to head home at about noon on the Wednesday after we arrived. Addison and Ryan were happy that we were back. Well, Addison was the only one who admitted to it. But Chris and I could both tell that Ryan missed the heck out of us whether he said it or not.

Since we got back, Ryan has been cleared to leave the hospital and is going to move back to his house. Addison was debating whether to go with him or not but she decided that she was going to stay with Chris and I for a little while longer. She didn't want to move in with him until they were either married or engaged. I felt the same way before mum got sick. I said that I wasn't going to be moving in with Chris until we were married. But after she got sick, Chris didn't want me home alone all the time in case something happened. So he sort of moved in with me for a few weeks before he left for Afghanistan. After he left, I was lonely and called Addison, and a few weeks later, she had moved into the house with me. After we got back from Paris, Chris and I were engaged. Plus, his place wasn't all that nice so he really didn't want to go back there again.

But, Addison had been with Ryan every day since he was admitted into the hospital except for when she got homesick and came and stayed with Chris and I for a night or two. But for the most part, she was with Ryan in the hospital.

Chris, Ryan, Addison and I were all driving back to Ryan's apartment to help him clean the place up considering he hadn't really been living there since before he left for Afghanistan with Chris. Which was about nine months ago. As the four of us stepped in the door, we were all initially shocked at how surprisingly clean the house was. Sure, there was some dust around the house and it neeeded a little vacuuming but I definitely expected much much worse, and I think Chris and Addison did too because they looked just as shocked as I was.

"What, you guys think I lived in some sort of dump or something?" Ryan asked jokingly placing a hand over his heart "I'm offended"

"Well you haven't lived here in like, nine months so I at least expected it to look like it had been run down by a tornado or something" I laughed.

"Well you thought wrong. I happen to be a little bit of a neat freak actually" he said proudy and smugly crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his chin up.

Wait, Ryan Baxter, a neat freak?? I think a pig just flew out the window.

"Ouch babe. That isn't nice" Ryan faked hurt once again.

Apparently I said that out loud. Oops.

I stifled a laugh. "Sorry Ryan. I didn't mean to say that out loud" I walked over and kissed his cheek.

"I guess that I can accept your apology" he said "now let's get cleaning"

"Yeah this place is a hot mess" Chris muttered.

"Ditto that" Addison piped in.

It took the four of us only an hour and a half to clean Ryan's entire place up and make it look presentable. To us, at least.

We plopped onto the couch in unison; exhausted.

"Man! I haven't done that much cleaning in a while" Chris laughed.

"Me neither" Addison and I chimed.

We all decided to leave Ryan after ordering and devouring a pizza and watching a few episodes of Criminal Minds (Addison and Ryan insisted).