Stay With Me_Taphouse Blues Series_Bk 1

by Heather Lyn

My chest tightens, and I reach up for her hand again, needing her warm skin against mine. It’s not enough, but it reminds me she’s alive.

  “You’re a fighter, Linds. And you’ve put up one hell of a fight. But I need you to keep pushing, okay? I can’t let you go. I just got you, Linds. Don’t make me say goodbye. Not yet, baby.”

  My voice cracks and I cry, just letting it all go, no more holding back as I let myself grieve for what we almost lost. My chest heaves, the room silent but for the sounds of my sobs. I squeeze her hand in mine, praying to God that she wakes up.

  I need her to wake up.

  I need her back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Lindsey

  It’s bright. Too bright. It hurts.

  My head hurts and when I try to lift it, I cry out in pain.

  “That’s it. Right here, Linds. I’m right here. Come on, baby. You can do it.”

  Brody’s voice filters through the light, and I squeeze my eyes tight. I hear someone shouting to turn the lights off, and in seconds I’m thrown back into the darkness.

  “Open your eyes, Linds. I need to see those gorgeous blues.” Something warm squeezes my hand, and I try like hell to get my body to do what I want. I try again and this time my eyes cooperate. Everything is blurry at first, but my vision clears and there he is.

  Brody.

  “Hi,” I rasp quietly.

  He presses his lips to my hand, tears falling down his beautiful face, pain filling his features.

  “Hi, baby. It’s so good to have you back.”

  “Water?”

  “Let me grab the nurse, okay? Hold on, Linds.”

  Shutting my eyes, I hear a door open and then Brody’s shouting. The bed dips down under his weight, and I open my eyes to see him sitting near the foot.

  A nurse comes walking into the room a second later, a smile on her face.

  “Well hello, Miss Lindsey. Good to see you awake. Brody said you’d like some water?”

  I nod, careful not to move around too much. The sound of running water a minute later has me turning my head, seeing her carry a pitcher with a small plastic cup.

  “Slow sips, try to take it easy. You don’t want to upset your stomach.”

  Brody takes the cup from her and holds it up to my mouth so I can carefully take a drink. It’s the most wonderful-tasting water I’ve ever had, and I can’t help my small smile.

  “I need to get your parents,” he says, a smile playing on his lips. “But I also want to be a selfish bastard and keep you to myself for just a few more minutes.”

  “Stay,” I whisper, holding my hand out for him.

  Taking it, he leans forward to kiss me, his lips gentle.

  “I thought I lost you,” he murmurs, forehead pressed against mine. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I won’t survive it.”

  “I love you, Brody.”

  “I love you too, baby. So fucking much.”

  Brody sits back down in the chair and I instantly miss him. He looks beaten down, his face covered in stubble, hair everywhere as if he hasn’t stopped running his fingers through it. He’s in a black long-sleeved shirt and light jeans. He’s beautiful.

  “You should go home, get some sleep,” I say.

  He shakes his head. “Already went home. I was in scrubs until early this morning.”

  “What day is it?”

  “Sunday. You’ve been out for thirty-six hours, give or take a couple.”

  “Shit.”

  “What? Are you hurting? Do you need something?”

  “Yeah,” I croak. “I need a vacation.”

  Brody breaks into loud laughter and I join in, but my laughter soon turns into ragged sobs, memories of what we’ve been through finally hitting me. Brody moves to the bed and, as careful as he can manage, pulls me into his arms. I bury my face in his neck and let go, my howls muffled by his shirt. He runs a hand up and down my back, his other hand gently cupping my head, stroking softly.

  “It’s okay, baby. We’re gonna get through this, you hear? We’re okay, and I couldn’t love you any more than I do right now. You’re so fucking brave, and I’m so proud of you. But now we need to heal, need to take care of ourselves.”

  Pulling my head from his neck, I run a hand up his back and into his hair, toying with the soft strands. I nod, tears dripping off my chin.

  “Together. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Linds.”

  He holds me gently and I try to comfort him as well, his shoulders beginning to shake. We’ve been through so much in such a short amount of time. He almost lost me. I almost lost everything. But we’re together, and nothing will ever tear us apart again.

  I’m in Brody’s arms. Right where I belong.

  Forever.

  §

  Three Months Later

  Life is funny.

  You can be happy, carefree, and enjoying it, and then in the blink of an eye, everything changes and you’re left trying to pick up the pieces of what remains.

  Brody and I learned that the hard way. Months later, I still have moments where I’m memorizing everything about our day, locking it away for a later date. I still have times where sleep is the hardest thing for me to accomplish. Brody too. But we’re okay.

  Physically, I’m back to myself. Emotionally, I’m almost there. I still have bad days, but Brody’s there to hold my hand and get me through it.

  About a week after I was released from the hospital, we started seeing a therapist. Brody was really struggling, and he wasn’t himself. The thing about Brody is, even if it kills him, he’s always open with me, always tells me how he’s feeling. But this was different. It wasn’t until a particularly bad night that he finally did.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, his back is to me. I sit up in bed, clutching the blankets to my chest. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s barely three in the morning.

  “Brody, what’s going on?” I whisper, yawning loudly.

  “Go back to sleep, Linds. It’s fine.” His voice is eerily quiet, and even in the dark of the room I can see something’s wrong.

  “Brody.”

  “Just leave it, Linds. Go to sleep. I’ll come back in a minute.”

  “Screw that, Brody. What’s going on?”

  Silence.

  I’m still stiff and sore, otherwise I’d crawl to the end of the bed and force him to tell me what’s wrong. So I just lie back down, angry that he’s shutting me out.

  “Fine. Good night, Brody. See you in the—”

  “I can’t stop seeing it. Every time I close my eyes, it’s right there.”

  Lying still, I hold my breath, wanting him to finish. But he doesn’t.

  “Keep seeing what, Brody?”

  “You almost dying in my arms.”

  My body stiffens. Pulling my arm out of the blankets, I pat the bed to get his attention.

  “Come here,” I whisper to him, slowly turning so my body is facing the center of the bed. He crawls up next to me and gets under the blankets, lying on his side so we’re face-to-face.

  “I’m right here, Brody. I’m right in front of you, and I’m alive. I’m okay.” Taking his large hand in mine, I hold it over my heart, making sure he can feel it pumping.

  “I know you are, Linds. But I keep waiting for you to get ripped away from me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I say quietly. My hand frames his face, pulling his lips to mine. I taste salt and realize he’s crying. “Oh, Brody.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. Every night I go to bed and I’m reminded of it. The look on your face, when you started saying goodbye to me. It just won’t fucking go away, and it hurts so bad, Linds.”

  Burying his face in my neck, he sobs, and I bite back my own tears. His bare chest shakes with the force of his cries, and I whisper soothing words, holding him as tight as I can. I let him break for as long as he needs, reminding him the whole time that I’m okay.

  Eventually his tears stop
and he pulls away. Even in the dark, I can make out his face, and I look deep into his eyes.

  “Can I ask you something, Brody?”

  “Anything, baby.”

  “What do you think about seeing someone together? A counselor or something? It doesn’t mean you’re weak or any less of a man, but this is going to cripple you. I’ll come with you. We can’t move on until we start facing our fears, and then we can heal. Together.”

  Brody smiles and shifts us around so his arm is cradling my head, his other hand stroking up and down my bare arm. “I’ll call Garret in the morning and see if he knows anyone.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper, his hand slowly lulling me to sleep.

  “I love you, baby. Sleep. I’ll be here all night. I promise.”

  With his words, I fall asleep. And the next morning, we start taking the steps needed to heal and move on with our lives.

  I’m broken from my daydream to Brody walking into the living room, his jacket slung over his shoulder. His smile is bright and wide, and I raise an eyebrow.

  “What did you do?” I ask, laughing when he hops over the couch to plop next to me.

  “Go pack a bag. I have a surprise for you this weekend.”

  “What?”

  “Get your cute butt into our room and pack a bag. I’m taking you away for the weekend.”

  Standing from the couch, I cross my arms and look down at him.

  “What do I need to pack?” I ask with a sigh.

  “A bathing suit. And a jacket.”

  “Brody….”

  “Don’t make me spank you. Go! Pack, now.”

  Rolling my eyes, I stomp to the bedroom and grab my duffel bag from under the bed. Stuffing random clothing items into it, I add my black two-piece and a baggy T-shirt. Grabbing my toiletries, I stuff them into the duffel along with my phone charger and Kindle. Slinging it over my shoulder, I grab my winter jacket from the chair and head out to Brody.

  “I’m ready,” I say, tossing everything on the couch.

  “Let’s go.”

  I’m so confused, but I just shake my head, laughing at my boyfriend’s excitement. He’s lost his mind, but he’s cute, so I go along with it.

  Following him out to his truck, I pull my jacket on as he loads our bags. We climb into the truck and he leans over, kissing me with a fierceness he hasn’t shown in a while.

  Well shit. Now I want sex. Asshole.

  As we back down his driveway, he turns to me with a smile.

  “We have just one pit stop to make, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  He laughs. “Nope. Just hang on, baby. You’re in for a treat.”

  Ten minutes later, we pull into a large parking lot and my eyes light up when I see we’ve arrived at an animal shelter.

  “No freaking way!” I exclaim, mouth wide open as I whip my head around to look at Brody.

  “Yes way. I already filled out the paperwork earlier this week.”

  “I love you so much,” I laugh, grabbing his face and kiss him, groaning against his mouth when his tongue teases my bottom lip.

  “There will be plenty of time for that later. But for now, let’s go find someone to join the family.”

  Nodding, I kiss his cheek and hop out, excited and giddy. Brody meets me in front of the truck, taking my hand in his.

  “Oh, and I love you too,” he says, kissing the top of my head as we walk inside.

  An hour later we emerge with a yellow lab running ahead of us, Brody holding the blue leash. He’s only a year old and I’m already completely in love. Brody opens the truck door and the dog jumps in, barking with excitement.

  “You know, we still need to name him,” I remind Brody, climbing in just in time to catch the dog on my lap before he starts licking my face and drooling everywhere.

  “How about you name him?”

  “If you’re sure,” I say, scratching the dog behind his ear.

  Brody looks at me while I mull over names in my head, and then I come up with the perfect one.

  “I got it!”

  “Let’s hear it.”

  “Rett.”

  “Rett? As in that country singer you love?” he asks, pretending to gag.

  “No, as in short for Garret.”

  Brody looks confused, so I explain.

  “The only reason we’re here today is because of your brother, Brody. He’s our hero. This dog is strong and brave, the runt of a litter and left for dead. He’s tough. He’s a hero. Well deserving of a good namesake.”

  I don’t miss the shine in Brody’s eyes as he leans over to kiss me.

  “It’s perfect,” he whispers, voice thick with emotion.

  “Now let’s go. I’m ready for part two of a weekend adventure.”

  “You got it, Linds.”

  And we take off, heading into the beautiful Tennessee mountains.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Brody

  Pulling up a long gravel driveway, I look over at Lindsey, Rett asleep in her lap. Her smile is huge as she tries to figure out where we’re going. We pull into the driveway of the cabin and she starts laughing, clearly happy with my surprise.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she gushes, cheeks pink, eyes sparkling.

  I found this place online and I have to say, even I’m blown away. The front is a combination of dark log and stone, plus a huge front porch with a built-in swing. It overlooks the mountains, with a large firepit on the front lawn. The guy I spoke to said there’s a back deck with a view for miles, with a hot tub on it.

  I park the truck and she gets out with Rett’s leash tight in her hand. I pull the bags from the bed of my truck and usher her up to the front deck. The keys are right where the guy said they’d be, and I unlock the door, letting us inside.

  Lindsey’s gasp of surprise is well deserved: floor-to-ceiling windows, a stone fireplace in the corner, and a loft area with a balcony looking down over the rest of the cabin. Letting Rett go, she runs over to the windows, looking down at the trees, palms pressed against the glass.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she breathes, leaning back against me when I place my hands on her hips.

  “It’s got nothing on you,” I whisper in her ear, smiling when her skin pebbles.

  “Please tell me there’s a bedroom,” she mumbles.

  “Let’s go see.” Spinning her around, I lift her into my arms and rush up the stairs, Lindsey screeching and laughing, worried I’ll drop her. Finding the king-size bed, I send us tumbling onto it, laughing loudly. Kissing her, she wraps her legs around my waist, already worked up and rocking her hips.

  “Linds….”

  “I need you, Brody. We can go slow all weekend, but right now I need you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I strip out of my clothes and Lindsey does the same; then I scoot her up the bed so her head is resting on the pillows. Cradling her head with my arms, I bend down to kiss her neck, chuckling against her skin when she moans. I rub the head of my erection around her pussy, groaning loudly when she bucks against me. Making sure the piercing hits her clit on every pass, I grip her hips and with my eyes locked on hers, I sink deep inside in one smooth thrust.

  Lindsey cries out, back arching, and I lean down to take a nipple into my mouth, teasing it into a hard peak with the tip of my teeth. Her arms wrap around my back as I begin thrusting, her hips meeting me every time. Breathing harshly, I can’t resist hitching her leg higher, knowing I’ll start hitting her sensitive spot on each pass.

  “Fucking God, Linds. You feel so fucking good, baby.” Being inside her bare is something that still takes my breath away. We stopped using condoms not long after we restarted our intimacy after that night. And now I can’t get enough of feeling her wet, tight pussy wrapped around my cock with nothing between us.

  “I’m so close, Brody. I need to come.”

  Neither stopping nor slowing down, I brace myself on one hand and reach down to
flick her clit, clenching my jaw when she begins tightening around me, her legs falling from around my hips. Moving my finger from her clit, I grab her hips in both hands and begin fucking her hard, the bed shaking under the force of my movement.

  She comes on a loud moan, breaking free from deep in her throat. She starts plucking at her own hardened nipples and I’m done, coming so hard I swear I stop breathing for a moment.

  Dropping on top of her, I let my weight press her into the mattress as we lazily kiss, hands roaming over each other.

  “Fuck, I love you,” I groan, nipping at her bottom lip.

  “I love you too, Brody.”

  Minutes later, my stomach starts growling loudly enough that we both hear it, so we get cleaned up and head back downstairs to make something for lunch.

  §

  It’s our final night here. We spent the day outside with Rett, exploring some of the trails. I have another surprise up my sleeve for her, and I’m starting to get nervous just thinking about it.

  Lindsey is setting the small table for dinner. She made chicken, roast potatoes, and asparagus, and shit, it looks so good. Grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge, I pop the cork and carry it over to the table.

  “So, I was thinking after dinner, Linds, maybe we could take a soak in the hot tub? We haven’t used it yet.”

  She set a plate down on the table and nods, smoothing her hair back.

  “That sounds amazing. Do I need my bathing suit?” she teases, slapping my ass.

  “Yes, hornball. I’m not having sex in the hot tub. That’s nasty.”

  Lindsey just laughs. “Well, what do you know, I found Brody Walker’s limit for sex.”

  “Oh, I don’t have any limit, Linds. I just have no desire to have sex in a hot tub that for all we know strangers have had sex in too.”

  “Ew.” She wrinkles her nose and shivers. “No hot tub sex. Agreed.”

  Cracking up, I pull a chair out for her so she can sit at the table. Rett is snoring away in the corner, the fire we built keeping him warm and cozy. Pouring her a glass of wine, I also fill my own glass and then set the bottle to the side. Lindsey clinks her glass with mine.

  “To us,” I say, leaning over to kiss her.

  “To us.”

  I keep losing myself in her gaze, unable to tear my eyes from hers. Lindsey is so damn beautiful, and I still have moments where I can’t believe that I got so lucky to have her. That she’s mine.