by Lea Hart
Vanessa crossed herself and shivered. “You survived by the grace of God.”
“And Rick Blakely,” Em added quietly.
“And him, too.”
Closing her eyes, she laid her head against the pillow. “If he hadn’t shown up, I’d likely not be alive. One of the leaders of the gang or cartel or whatever was only planning on keeping me breathing until I revealed where the zip drive was located.”
“Oh my God, Em, how did you keep it together long enough for the cavalry to arrive?”
“I have no idea,” she said, feeling a shiver rack her body. “Maybe I knew somewhere deep in my heart Rick would show up and save the day.”
“And he did.”
“Along with Jack. That man of yours flew a helo into gang war with buildings exploding. If that doesn’t make you consider him a real good candidate, I don’t know what will.”
Vanessa twisted her mouth together and frowned. “We’re not discussing Jack and my relationship, now.”
“So there’s a relationship?” Emily asked with a smile.
“After you’re healed, we can talk about it.”
“Spoilsport!”
“Don’t try and distract me.” She sniffed. “How was the reunion with your beloved after the bullets stopped flying and you regained consciousness?”
“Sweet and…”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
Resigning herself to the storm brewing inside herself, she welcomed the emotional bombs exploding in her chest. “We almost lost each other, Nessa. Before we got started. Before I told him…how much I love him.” And how fully he owned her heart and how she didn’t want to live in a world he wasn’t in.
“But you have time now.”
Playing with the end of her braid, she looked down at the plain white blanket covering her legs. “In my mind, I’ve said it a hundred times.”
“Now it’s time to say it aloud.”
“So it seems,” she said quietly. “You’d think that it would be the easiest thing in the world since I’ve probably felt it from the moment I stomped my red Keds in his direction.” Feeling vulnerability cascade like a storm surge, she held herself still and hoped she didn’t get washed out. Admitting her feelings aloud was overwhelming. And the tiniest bit freeing.
“You okay?”
“I think so.” Turning, she took her friend’s hand. “Telling someone you love them doesn’t immediately result in total devastation and abandonment, right?”
“Not as far as I know.”
“Good,” she said quietly. “That’s real good.”
“Happiness isn’t impossible, and I think you two have a real good chance of finding a happy ever after the second time around.”
“I hope so, since the first go around pretty much sucked.” Feeling laughter bubble up, she gave into it and decided worry and concern wasn’t going to do her any good. It was just keep her stuck in their old story and not in the new one they could make.
So what if they didn’t have a love story like the movies? There wasn’t going to be an airport run with a long hug that resulted in I love yous spilling out of them like Texas oil. But they did have a friendship that might very well give them the perfect foundation for a life-long love story.
There was a short knock on the door, and then the doctor walked in. “How’s our patient this morning?”
“Better, and ready to get out of here,” Vanessa answered.
“That’s what we like to hear,” he replied. “Let me do a quick final exam and see if we can cut her loose today.”
“I’ll wait outside,” Vanessa said before kissing Em’s cheek. “Just remember, your walls are not only keeping the bad out, but the good, too. Don’t hold on to something that doesn’t make sense anymore.”
“Thank you,” she said before she watched her friend walk out. Giving the doctor a wide smile, she hoped the next thirty minutes would allow her to be sleeping next to Rick by nightfall and starting on the happy part of their story.
…
Rick buttoned his shirt and nodded to the x-ray tech when he walked out of the room. “Another through and through hardly warrants all this attention,” he muttered to himself. Once he had himself together, he walked out of the room and saw Jack leaning against the wall. “Hey, man. What are you doing here?”
“Delivered a ranch truck so you can drive your shot-up ass home as soon as you get the clear.”
“Did mine survive the firefight?”
“Not sure. You’re going to have to talk to Levi. He’s got it down at the garage, and I don’t know if he’s called it DOA or if he’s got some kind of magic up his sleeve.”
He grimaced. “I’ll give him a call after I find out if Em is getting released today. I was just going to head over and see if the doc had stopped by yet.”
“You ready to make things work with your girl?”
“With every last breath in my body.” There wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do and a change he wouldn’t make to ensure that he became the best partner for Em.
“How you plannin’ on making that happen?”
“A big helping of begging and whatever else I can think of.”
“It’s not a bad place to start. Maybe I should try some of that with Nessa.”
“Things still at a standstill?”
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. “Yeah. She’s not telling me what she thinks either way, and it’s got me half crazy.”
“Patience is the only answer.”
“I know, and maybe you should listen to your own good advice and give Em a ton of it.”
“I will, because my woman won’t let me get away with being my old pushy-ass self. I’m the new and improved Rick Blakely and know that me dictating how things go isn’t acceptable.”
Jack nodded and then pushed himself off the wall. “Hell of day we had on Wednesday. Did it make you miss the glamour and thrills of combat?”
“Not really.”
“Good, because flying the bird into a scene where shit was exploding and guns were blazing is not something I’d like to do on a regular basis.”
“Appreciate you doing it. I know it was a big-ass ask.”
“Between friends, there ain’t no such thing, and you know it.”
“Still, I know it wasn’t easy.” He punched his buddy in the arm and grinned. “You had steel balls, my brother, and they might’ve been wasted on the gridiron. Had you joined up, who knows what kind of shit you could’ve accomplished.”
“You know that was never an option. Making that NFL money meant securing my family’s future.”
“I respect the hell out of what you’ve done and am more than grateful to call you my friend.”
Jack took off his hat and slapped it against his knee. “Stop it, man, or I’m going to think you’re going to ask me to go steady. For real, though. How are you doing? Any…nightmares?”
“You worried I’m gonna slip back into that dark space where I was rocking against the wall and staring into space?”
“You never rocked against the wall but got close a few times.”
A myriad of emotions swam through his chest, and he inhaled slowly, taking stock. Gratitude was the strongest, with love and relief a close second and third. “So far so good.”
“Really?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah.” He rubbed his hand over his chest and knew that the sanity and peace he’d worked for was solid. “I know Em and I are going to make it through, Jack. All we have to do is figure out how to manage our deepest fears. We’ve always been both the best and worst medicine for one another, and it’s going to take some real work on both our parts to figure out how we can get more good and less bad.”
“I’ve known you since we’re in diapers and have learned that when
you start spittin’ out platitudes is when you’re up to your ass in alligators. What’s really going on?”
Rick kicked his boot against the floor and looked down the long hall and knew that keeping stuff inside never did him good for long. In fact, it had a tendency to clog the pipes and cause him a heap of trouble down the road. “I know what to do in a firefight, and a ten-to-one situation doesn’t bother me at all, but this thing between me and Em has me against the ropes, if I’m being at all honest. Loving her is the hardest thing I’ve ever faced because the fear of losing her that accompanies it is too fucking strong.”
“Pretty sure that’s how it’s supposed work.”
“Why?”
“Because anything less wouldn’t get our attention. My mama always said men need a reason to become the best version of themselves, and it seems you and I are being presented with just that gift. Vanessa has the power to make me a better person, and I’m hoping she does just that somewhere down the road.”
“Me, too,” Rick replied.
Jack stepped back and waved his hands. “I’ve got a long way to go, so don’t jinx me, man.”
“Of course,” Rick said with a laugh. “There is so much I know about Em since so many of our firsts were experienced together. I know about her relationships with her family and how important her mother’s approval is. I know her favorite color, food, movie, and song. Where her scars, freckles, laugh lines, and birthmarks are scattered across her body. What makes her laugh, what pisses her off, when she’s just hangry and not irritated. Her habits, mannerisms, phobias, wishes, and fears are as familiar to me as my own. We spent a decade apart, and the moment I set eyes on her, every single second of our separation was erased. Her laugh is my favorite song, and her smile is the thing that will set my day right above anything else. But I don’t know how to give her peace. I have to learn her in ways that I can’t begin to understand, and my only hope of that happening is to keep her close, so I have a chance to learn what makes her happy.”
“I bet if you listen and then do as she asks, you’ll do just that.”
Rick nodded and decided it was damn good advice.
New day, new approach.
It was worth a shot.
…
Emily zipped her bag closed and heard Rick’s voice in the hall. Preparing herself for the inevitable conversation, she sat down on the bed and folded her hands. The moment he walked into the room, she noticed how pale he looked and immediately felt a wave of crushing guilt try and sweep her under. “How did the x-rays go?”
“Fine. I don’t know why the doc insisted on taking so many damn pictures. It was through and through, and those are the easiest to recover from.”
“You could just accept the fine medical care the hospital is offering and not fight and grumble every time they try and take care of you.”
He scowled. “I don’t want all the fuss, Em. I’ve had a lot worse.”
“Maybe it would make me feel less guilty and worried if I knew you were taking the proper steps to heal.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
A chemical concoction of remorse and anger churned in her stomach, and she didn’t know how to deal with the guilt she felt for Rick’s injury. “You got shot because of me. You put yourself and Jack in mortal danger because of me. How could I not feel incredibly guilty? You shouldn’t have been anywhere near that scene, and…” Her voice trailed off as a lump rose in her throat. What would she have done if he hadn’t survived?
“I’m going to have call bullshit.”
“Whaaaaat?”
“I go where you go. You’re in danger, I fix it. You got a problem, I solve it.”
“I’m more than—”
Rick held up his hand and closed his eyes. “I know you’re more than capable of handling yourself. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anyplace else, though. Had you not been there, I might’ve actually enjoyed the firefight. I love nothing more than mixing it up with assholes and fixing situations. Damn Weston had all the fun!”
Shaking her head, she tried to make sense of his words. “Wait…what?” Had he missed the adrenaline rush of combat so much that facing off with a bunch of gang members was his idea of a good time?
“Em, that was child’s play. Granted, I didn’t care for having you anywhere near it, but all in all, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
“But it was.”
“Ain’t no thing.”
Looking down, she twisted her hands together. “Are you mad that I didn’t take up your offer and hide away on the ranch?”
“Honestly?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, please lie to me.”
“My rational answer is no. But my irrational answer is a little bit. I love you with my whole fucking heart and want your company for the next fifty or sixty years. So, yes, I want you safe. But know that my idea of how that may happen isn’t realistic.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m a work in progress and hope you can be patient.”
“I’ll ask the same of you, since I’ve got no real experience in how to be in a relationship.”
“Always.” He took her hands and laced them together. “’Cause I waited too long, worked too hard, and have way too much invested to ever let you get away. The only thing that’s going to separate us is death, and even then, I’ll likely chase you so we can enjoy the afterlife together.”
“So now what do we do?”
“We get the hell out of here and figure out what our next best move is.”
“All right.”
“But you have to agree to one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re holding hands from here on out.”
“Is there any room to negotiate?”
“Nope, I saved your ass and got shot. You’re pretty much in my eternal debt.”
“I—”
“Know what a great idea it is?”
“Not exactly.” She tightened their clasped hands. “But it’s not the worst idea, either.” Leaning in, she rested her head on his shoulder. “People said we’d end up in the hospital if we spent any kind of time together, and I guess they were right.”
“Well, at least we got it out of the way and can move on to the fun stuff.”
“I’d like that, Rick.”
“Me too, darlin.”
Letting herself soak in the quiet moment, she decided that whatever came was bound to be extraordinary.
Epilogue
Emily walked out of the bathroom with a towel in her hair and finally felt like she was mended. The two days she’d spent in the hospital seemed to do the trick, and she actually had some real energy.
“I never did thank you for agreeing to stay on the ranch,” Rick said. “I know it’s not exactly what you want, and I appreciate you letting me keep you safe until we get the all clear from my brother.”
She kissed him lightly. “Maybe I’m staying so you can love on me and tend to every want and desire as I recover.”
“Darlin’, I’m gonna satisfy every want and desire you have for the rest of our lives.”
“I’ll do my best to endure it.”
Laughing, he nodded. “See that you do and know that I’m going to be the model of restraint and won’t dictate unless…we’re in bed and we do that thing you like.”
Emily sputtered. “You ever say that in anything above a whisper outside the walls of our house again and the thing you like will be nothing but a distant memory.”
“Understood,” he said with a chuckle.
She walked into the closet and didn’t see her bag. “What the devil?” Turning, she noticed her clothes stacked neatly on a shelf. “Didn’t know you were so domesticated, Mr. Blakely.”
“What’s that?”
“You didn’t have to unpack my bag.”
“Yes, I did. I put your undies in the top drawer and have a load of laundry going.”
She blinked. “In the amount of time I was in the shower? You are a surprise.”
When he didn’t answer, she glanced up. Naughtiness danced in his eyes. What was he up to? The man never stood still for long, and she couldn’t imagine why he was looking so satisfied with himself.
“I’m basically the best boyfriend in the world.”
“The whole world?”
“Maybe the whole universe.”
“Well, I guess I better hold on to you, then,” she said as she stepped forward and smoothed out his T-shirt and then kissed his cheek.
“Probably would be wise.”
“I’ve put a lot of work into you already, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste.”
“You’ve been training me since we were kids, so that’s no joke, and I can often hear your voice in my head telling me to tuck in my shirt.”
“Why was I such a busybody and telling you what to do all the time?”
“I think you loved me from the moment you set eyes on me and that was your way of showing you cared.”
Swallowing, she looked down at her bare feet and laughed. “I do care about you and always have.”
“That’s good news, darlin’, and I want you to get dressed and come downstairs because I’ve got a surprise.”
“What kind?”
“The kind that will make me your favorite person for a long time to come.”
“You’re kinda already that.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Thank you, Em. And for the record, you’re mine.” Stepping back, he gave her a wink and tapped her ass. “So fucking happy this is mine.”
She pushed him away and pursed her lips. “Don’t be—”
“So charming?”
“Go, before I change my mind about you and this budding love story we’ve got going.”
“You haven’t managed it in the twenty-five years we’ve known one another, so I’m not real worried.”
“Go on then and don’t irritate me.” He blew her a kiss and then walked out. “That man, he’s going to be the—” Stopping mid-sentence, she realized he wasn’t going to be the death of her, but the one who filled her heart with every good thing in the world.
