by Ellie Hall
His eyes hooked hers. “You know, I think we can find something that we both agree on.” His voice was like the wind rustling the branches of the trees overhead.
Her heart fluttered like the leaves on the branches. “What’s that?” she asked. Her pulse raced. Her face flushed. Her mouth went dry.
“I want to kiss you and you want to kiss me.”
She nodded. “I do want to kiss you.”
Their mouths crashed together.
The world went fuzzy. Yes, they were alone in the woods, but they may as well have been the only two people left in existence.
There were his lips and hers.
His hand curled around the back of her neck. Her hand gripping his shirt, pulling him closer.
His breath dragging deeply as though dredging the river and hers rising to meet his like the rapids fighting their way forward.
He kissed her like it was the only thing that mattered. She kissed him like she cared deeply. She did. She cared so much. Love swelled in her heart. She’d never felt anything quite like it as the kiss deepened.
Then eventually, the hunger behind the kiss was sated and Connor traced a trail of kisses along her jawline to her collarbone to her hand before pulling her into a hug that was so tight, so absolute, she knew he’d never let her go.
She craned her head to meet his eyes. Emotion flickered there. His hug with his strong, capable arms meant everything. She gave him one more kiss to reassure him that she wasn’t going anywhere either. The second kiss, filled with meaning, left her breathless.
Chapter 10
Connor
After Connor found a suitable camp for the night, he made a fire, they ate dinner, and swapped stories from their childhoods.
After another long day, Katerina soon had fallen asleep, curled up on the bedroll. He took the rough ground on the other side of the fire. Not his first choice, but he was respectful and knew that if he could survive a week sleeping on the ground, he’d be tougher and stronger, able to handle anything that came his way on the field. Because he would be back on the field.
He hadn’t broken the playbook rules per se. They’d kissed, but it was different because he wanted another. A hundred more kisses with Katerina. He’d never felt that way about a woman before. Usually, he’d already have checked out, gone, bye-bye. Not inclined to see her again. He wanted to see her every day for the rest of his life.
The outline of a future for them began to take a hazy shape.
Her cheering him on at games.
Him treating her like royalty because she practically was.
He wanted to give her everything in life—take away her worry, make her smile and laugh, listen to the rise and fall of her accent even when she scolded him.
He couldn’t believe she’d stood up to his father and with such grace. The woman was amazing, stunning, and perfect in every way.
The night was warm and the sky clear as he lay there looking at stars. He’d spare her the moon, but he’d give her the stars if he could. Every single one. Connor glanced over at Katerina in awe. She’d tamed the wild in him and it made him want to howl. But it would wake her up and it wasn’t a very tame thing to do so he drifted off to sleep.
Someone was shaking him softly at first. His name floated to him through a dream. The shaking increased and the voice rose in panic.
“Connor, please. Please wake up.”
He shot to sitting.
It was Katerina. Her face was pale in the moonlight.
“What’s wrong? Is there trouble?” He scrambled to his feet, ready to take on a mountain lion if he had to.
Her palm was flat against her chest.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Did you have a bad dream?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s my chest.”
He scrambled closer, pressing his hand to her forehead. She was clammy like from a cold sweat.
“I’m dizzy and having a hard time breathing.” Her voice was thin.
He’d seen the toughest guys injured and sick—on and off the field—Katerina wasn’t a guy, but she was tough and just by looking at her he knew something was gravely wrong.
Pale and weak, she laid back down.
Anxiety rocketed through his veins. There was no time to waste.
Connor grabbed his pack and pulled out his cellphone. Participants in the challenge weren’t supposed to have them and many of them didn’t even own phones or other technology, to begin with—his father didn’t. However, Connor brought it in case anything happened to him, like a broken leg. He certainly didn’t want to put Katerina through the trouble if he was injured.
He dialed emergency and explained the situation then sent the GPS coordinates.
Gathering Katerina in his arms, he took her to a nearby clearing. She was light and limp, but he held her tight.
“Hang on, Kat. Help is coming.”
She floated in and out of consciousness.
His heart hammered in his chest. What had happened? Did she get a fever? Did she have a preexisting illness she hadn’t mentioned? He was so stupid for taking her on the Enduro challenge.
The hum of a helicopter grew louder as the long minutes passed. He wasn’t going to make the rest of the challengers happy with the racket, but Katerina was struggling to breathe. He could’ve carried her out of the backwoods, but time was not on their side. He wouldn’t risk her health or safety. Then he realized he already had. Guilt made her heavy in his arms.
A searchlight swept the mountains and trees. He gripped Katerina tightly, but she had gone silent and still. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.
Moments later, the chopper alit, flattening the long grass with the buffeting wind from the blades. It lit up the night as a pair of EMTs rushed out, asked a few questions, and took Katerina into their care. Soon they were back in the air, moving toward the nearest city.
The next twelve hours were the longest and most agonizing of Connor’s life. He wasn’t family and didn’t know how to contact hers. Not knowing the no phone rule of the Enduro, or even what she was getting into, her phone had died. He plugged it in.
He alternately prayed and watched the door opposite the waiting room, hoping someone would come through with more information.
She was in critical condition.
She was in surgery.
She was out of surgery.
That was all he knew.
Finally, the doctor appeared. He gave Connor an appraising look. At first, he thought it was because he recognized the famous football player, but more likely it was because he looked like a caveman. He smoothed the beginnings of the beard that had grown in the last several days.
“Mr. Wolfe, explain to me the circumstances surrounding the patient’s arrival.”
“We were camping—the End of the World Enduro challenge. It was several days in. She woke me up, saying she was having a hard time breathing and her chest hurt.”
“Surely you know that someone with her condition shouldn’t have been doing that kind of activity.”
“What condition?”
“A heart condition.”
Connor frowned. “She never mentioned that.” Regret melted his defenses. He had no right bringing her out there to the woods. To him, it was a tough challenge—manly. To her, it was probably awful and as it turned out, life-threatening.
The doctor nodded. “There’s a chance she didn’t know about it either. The good news is she’s going to be okay. We were able to successfully stent the valve that was causing trouble. She’ll be waking up soon and when she’s ready we’ll need to ask her some questions.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Relief, unlike any Connor had ever known, swept through him. Tears welled in his eyes.
“In the meantime, why don’t you go home, and uh, shower.”
Connor looked down at himself. He was filthy, had grass and dirt on his clothes. “Yeah. She wouldn’t want to see me like this.”
Thankful that Katerina was okay, he check
ed into a local hotel, showered, shaved, and dressed. He was exhausted, but there was no way he’d spend any more time away from Katerina than necessary. The Jeep, with her luggage, was back in the woods.
What did the doctor mean that she had a preexisting condition? Did she have medication she forgot to take? He racked his brain for who to contact to get the Jeep—he wouldn’t leave her side for longer than the time it took to clean himself up. His father was the closest, but he was probably still in the woods and didn’t have a phone. Never mind the fact that salvaging their relationship was hopeless. Dennis Wolfe had a truck, but it had rusted into the woods when he was still a baby.
Did any of his friends from high school still live around there? He scrolled through the contacts on his phone, made some calls and arranged for someone’s brother to get the Jeep in exchange for tickets to any football game they wanted to see.
Upon returning to the hospital, the nurse at the desk did a double-take. “Where you the fellow sitting in the waiting room all night and day?”
He nodded. “That was me. Muddy, sweaty, and covered in bug bites.”
“My oh my. And I thought you were some kind of very tall vagrant. Were you trying to go incognito or something?” she asked. She must’ve recognized him.
“No. We were camping and—” He gripped the back of his neck and hung his head. “Is she okay?”
“She will be. Thankfully you got here when you did. The doctor will explain more. You can go in now.” She pointed to a metal door. “Fourth on the right.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
“Hang on. You’re not family and so I had to get special permission to let you back there.” She came around to the other side of the desk and stood up on her toes. “You’ll just have to take a selfie with me so I can show the girls who I met. Stacy down in the NICU is a big Boston Bruisers fan. Oooh. She’s going to be so jealous.” Her phone snapped the photo as she smiled.
Connor tried to smile, but the glimpse he caught of the picture was of a haggard, worried man.
The unit was relatively quiet except for the beeping and whirring of machines. The lights were bright in the hall but dim behind the curtains that cordoned off the patients.
Katerina lay in the bed with wires and tubes coming in and out of her small and fragile-looking body.
Why had he ever taken her out there? He moved closer to the bed, desperate with worry.
Her hand rested on the sheet. After lowering into a chair, he took her slender fingers in his. He watched her sleep, so peaceful. Just like she’d done next to the fire before she woke up.
He loved her and came so close to losing her. What if he hadn’t brought his phone? What if there wasn’t service? What if he’d been too late?
He rested his forehead on the edge of the bed and his shoulders shook.
After a while, a nurse entered to check Katerina’s vitals.
Her eyes fluttered open and immediately landed on him. “Hi.” Her voice was scratchy. “You showered and shaved.”
He nodded because he didn’t know what to say—the welling of emotion inside of him was still so strong he feared it would break him apart if he opened his mouth.
“Earlier, the nurse asked if I was in love with a caveman.” She smiled faintly.
The nurse in attendance laughed softly.
“I’m an idiot for taking you out there. I’m sorry, Kat.”
She slowly shook her head. “You saved my life, Connor. Thank you.”
“I won’t lie. There were moments when I thought I’d lost you. My world felt like it was ending. I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Everything looks good,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be in soon.”
The same surgeon he’d met earlier swept the curtains aside. Was it the same day? He’d lost track of time. “I’m Dr. Bradshaw. Our ballerina here is a very lucky lady. I’m going to explain the diagnosis and what transpired, but first I have a few questions. You up for it?”
Katerina nodded, her eyes widening with attention.
Dr. Bradshaw glanced over at Connor as though noticing him for the first time. “Are you the same guy I met earlier?” He pointed in the direction of the waiting area.
“Yes, sir. I’m Connor Wolfe.” He extended his hand to shake. “Thank you for everything.” Even though he said them with feeling, the words weren’t sufficient for the doctor’s service.
“You took my recommendation for a shower very seriously. Nice to see you again in your improved state.” He didn’t come off as insulting, but rather impressed with the change.
Color rose on Katerina’s cheeks as if she appreciated it too.
“Miss Kuznetsova, I understand you grew up in Russia. When you were a child did you have frequent sore throats or cases of strep? In rare instances, these can lead to heart murmurs, which can cause different issues within the organ.”
“I did have sore throats, yes. I’m not sure the word for strep though.”
Connor did a quick search on the phone, hoping to find the translation. He’d tease her all day for not knowing the word for guinea pigs, but there was nothing was funny about this. He flashed the phone in her direction when the translation came up, unfamiliar with the different Russian letters.
“Yes. I do recall having that.”
“Does rheumatic fever mean anything to you?” The doctor went on to explain while Connor looked that translation up as well.
For the next few minutes, the doctor explained that she had experienced a problem with an artery, preventing adequate blood flow. “Your records indicate, and your account of what happened maintains, that you had no knowledge of a preexisting condition. You are otherwise in excellent shape health-wise so it’s understandable that you’d not be aware. To that end, you’re lucky because the procedure we performed was minimally invasive.”
Connor exhaled a long breath.
“I have to ask, have you been experiencing irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath? Anything like that?” the doctor asked.
“Yes. I thought it was stress and maybe my heart trying to tell me something.” Connor caught a quick glance his way.
“Further testing will confirm my suspicions, but I think what we’re dealing with developed over a long period of time, perhaps starting with a case of strep. It’s rare, especially here in the United States, but since you didn’t grow up here, I can’t speak for all communities and treatment protocols.”
“Will I be able to dance again?” Katerina asked.
Connor’s eyebrows lifted with surprise.
The doctor patted her leg. “Absolutely. Your heart is going to be as strong as ever. A few more days recovering here and then you’ll gradually work your way back up with increased movement and exercise. You’re young and otherwise healthy so I imagine you should be feeling relatively back to normal in another couple weeks.”
“Thank you, Dr. Bradshaw,” Katerina said.
Connor got to his feet and shook the doctor’s hand before stepping outside the curtain.
“You want to know if she’ll be okay?” Dr. Bradshaw asked.
Connor nodded.
“It’s understandable that you’d be shaken up. What happened would’ve occurred no matter where you were—camping or on vacation elsewhere. Getting her in the helicopter rather than an ambulance might have made all the difference. But yes, she’ll be fine.”
“I owe you.” Connor wanted to give the man who’d truly saved Katerina’s life more than a selfie or season tickets.
“Just doing my job.” He patted Connor on the back. “And you make sure you do yours and win the next Superbowl. I have a fantasy football team with your name riding on it.”
Connor cracked a smile. “Will do, sir.”
That evening, Katerina was moved to a recovery room. Connor camped out on the small, vinyl chair while Kat rested. After another day, her energy slowly returned.
They chatted as they’d done around the campfire. He learned about her past—she was whip-s
mart and born into a poor family.
“My parents thought dancing would give me more opportunities in life. They sacrificed everything and sent me to the premier dance academy in the country. They wanted me to marry a dancer named Ivan and for us to go on to be ballet greats. But that wasn’t what I wanted—I was hungry for something else: knowledge. Eventually, I had to choose. Dance or education. I’d have done what my parents wanted me to do, but I’d ruin my body. I’d be forced to retire young. Quick money, prestige, fame. But a flash in the pan. There’s no longevity.”
“I guess that’s sort of like football.”
“But you can go on to do other things in the sports world.”
He nodded.
“It’s different in ballet. It was dance or pursue an education. Plan for my future. Deny my parents their wishes and the money they so sorely wanted. It couldn’t be both. I had to choose. I worked three jobs, paid my way through school...and haven’t really danced or spoken to my parents at all in ten years.” Her voice cracked. “I was a small-town girl, raised the old-fashioned way, and sheltered. I left. I broke all the rules.”
“Do you miss dancing?” Connor knew the answer since it was one of the first things Katerina asked the doctor when she woke up.
“Terribly.”
“Your parents?” he asked.
“Every day.”
“We’re not much different. But I suppose we made different choices. I picked football. Broken body, young retirement. Then what?” He hoped whatever it was included Katerina. In the meantime, he knew exactly where he’d take her once she was well enough to travel.
Chapter 11
Katerina
After spending a week in the hospital, Katerina spent another recovering in a luxury hotel on the coast of North Carolina.
Connor waited on her hand and foot even though she insisted she was fine. They took walks on the beach, ate heart-healthy food, and talked for hours. She was thankful to be alive, thankful for him, and the kisses they shared.
Katerina kept the entirety of her health scare to herself. She didn’t want to worry or involve anyone at Blancbourg. Although she wasn’t shadowing Connor’s life as was the standard part of the Blancbourg program, she was able to observe him nonetheless. He rose to the occasion and demonstrated he knew how to behave. In fact, the hotel staff adored him apart from his fame on the field. He joked that he was giving the Boston Bruisers a bad name by going soft, but she could tell that the softer side of him had always been there. Their affections for each other grew, which made her think that version of Connor just never had a reason to come out.
