by Lena Hart
Damian didn’t remember anything Mike said after that. He couldn’t remember leaving the hospital. All he could think about was getting to Savvy.
And he knew it was her.
Mike never said her name, but Cedar Bend was a small town. The likelihood of someone else driving a hybrid in their town was slim. It was her, and he had to get to her.
When he got close to the scene, he was staggered by the number of police vehicles and first responders that illuminated the dark road. His heart pounded in his ear as he took in the chaos around him. One of the emergency vehicles sped past him, lights blaring, as he pulled up to the scene.
Damian debated whether he should follow it, not knowing if she was in there, but the sight of her demolished car had him slam on his breaks. The entire passenger side was crushed and wedged against the tree. The windshield was destroyed, and the airbags had deployed. He had seen and serviced quite a number of car wrecks, and he couldn’t understand how she had walked away from this.
He barely had the truck in park before he jumped out and bolted toward it, his heart lodged in his throat.
“Damian!”
He turned to find Guy in plain clothes running toward him.
“Where is she?” He didn’t recognize his own voice as he shouted the question again. “Where is she?”
“She’s in there,” Guy rushed out, pointing to the other ambulance in the scene. “The paramedics are checking her out.”
Damian tried to move past him, but Guy blocked him. He growled, prepared to barrel past his friend, but Guy grabbed his shoulders and gave him a hard shake.
“Look, you need to pull yourself together.”
Damian shoved him away. “Would you be saying that if it was Mya in there?”
Guy’s face hardened. “Yes, I would because I wouldn’t want to upset her. Now, Savvy’s a bit bruised and shaken up, but she’s fine. Let the guys check her out.”
He blew out a heavy breath and ran his hand over his head. He knew his friend was right. She didn’t need to see him like this, so racked with fear.
Damian glanced at the car and shook his head. “What the hell happened, man?”
“We don’t have the full story, but she thought she saw a deer. She tried to swerve out of the way and lost control of the car. But that deer she hit was actually Jackson.”
Damian whipped his head around to face him. “What?”
Guy sighed. “I don’t know what he was doing out here, but my guess is that he was drunk.”
“Is he…?” Damian swallowed, unable to say the word or think of how that would affect Savvy. It would devastate her.
“Dead? No. But I won’t know the extent of his injuries until I get to the hospital.”
Damian nodded curtly. “Keep me posted.”
He started toward the ambulance, willing his nerves to settle. When he rounded the back of the van, he saw her, and his chest caved. He didn’t know what he expected to see, but it wasn’t this. There were tiny cuts and bruises on her face and neck. Her clothes and hair were disheveled, and there were small drops of blood smeared on her collar.
Ignoring the paramedics packing their equipment, Damian rushed to her and gently cupped her chin. She stared back at him with stark eyes as his gaze moved over hers.
“Are you okay?”
Instead of answering him, she got to her feet and grabbed his hand. She was trembling so hard, he could feel it.
“Damian, they said I hit someone.” She clutched his hand tight. “Is he…is he dead?”
He pulled her into his arms, the fear and panic in her eyes chipping away at his forced composure. “No, baby. He’s not dead.”
She clung to him, and he could feel the tremors still coursing through her. Damian pressed his lips against her hair and held her tight.
He could have lost her tonight. And he realized at that moment, he wasn’t prepared to lose her either.
“Damian?”
He looked up to find the sheriff-deputy standing a few feet away. The man shifted uncomfortably where he stood, and there were lines of regret pinched around his eyes.
“I didn’t know you knew the driver. I can call another wrecker to pick up the car.”
“It’s fine, Mike. I can handle it.”
Damian looked over at the damaged car. He still couldn’t believe she had walked away from that. One more turn and she would have been crushed against that tree. He quickly glanced away from the sight and swallowed. Right now, he couldn’t let his mind go there.
“Ma’am, do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?”
Savvy stiffened in his arms and Damian glared at the young deputy.
“Can it wait, Mike? She’s still in shock.”
Mike looked as if he wanted to argue but instead nodded briskly. “All right. Bring her down to the station tomorrow.”
She turned to Mike then, her eyes haunted. “Am I going to jail?”
Mike glanced from him to her, looking taken aback by the question. “No, ma’am. We know this was an accident and there was no alcohol in your system. We just need you to come down so we can finish the report.”
She nodded then looked up at him. “Can you take me home now?”
Damian frowned. “Savvy, you need to see a doctor.”
“I feel fine, Damian. Really. I just need to lay down.”
But she didn’t look fine. Her eyes were still glassy with shock and a large bruise on the side of her face, not to mention the long cut snaking across her forehead.
“Please, baby. Let them take you to the hospital.” He lightly brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “For my peace of mind.”
Sixteen
Savvy stood outside the hospital room, her nerves getting the better of her.
It was probably best if she kept her distance. The man hadn’t demanded charges be pressed, and everyone knew it had been an unfortunate accident. Yet, that didn’t change the fact that four night ago, she had sent a man to the hospital.
That she had sent two men to the hospital.
Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, Savvy entered the room. On the bed was a large man in desperate need of a haircut and shave. He turned piercing brown eyes toward her, and her steps almost faltered. She knew she had never met the man, but there was something oddly familiar about him.
She had asked herself how she could have ever mistaken a man walking on the street for an animal. Seeing him fully now made her see how she could have made that mistake. Even in a hospital gown with his injured leg cast and propped up, the man looked like a wild, feral animal.
“Who the hell are you?”
Savvy jumped slightly at the sharp question. “Hello, Mr. Matoa, my name’s Savannah Williams and I—”
“You’re the lady who crashed into me.”
She clasped her hand tightly in front of her. “How did you…?”
He traced a finger along the side of his forehead, and Savvy unconsciously touched the fading cut above her brow.
“That, plus you look like someone who’s carrying a lot of guilt,” he said. “If any of it’s for me, you should lose it.”
“That’s easier said than done,” she murmured. The guilt she carried stretched wide and far. Her guilt for Pops’ injury, for putting Damian through hell, and for nearly killing this man wasn’t something that she could just shake off.
“I wanted to say that I’m sorry for putting you in the hospital, Mr. Matoa.”
“Seeing as you and your bad driving forced me into this medically induced sobriety, I think you earned the right to call me Jackson.”
Savvy frowned in confusion. “Sobriety? I don’t understand…”
He regarded her carefully, he gaze penetrating. “I think you do, Savannah. You didn’t wonder what I was doing walking on the side of the road at that hour? I was shitfaced drunk. Have been for a better part of the year. Now I’m not, thanks to you.” He leaned back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Shit happens for a reason, some people say. Maybe they�
�re right because you saved my fucking life, Savannah.”
Savvy stared at him, unsure how to respond to that. From the lack of visitors or flowers, the man was obviously alone and had possibly experienced his fair share of tragedy. Could one of the worst nights of life, really be this man’s saving grace? Or maybe he was hers? In a blink of an eye, she could see how everything could all come to an end. Life was too precious to waste it on being sad or resentful or even angry. She may love being with Damian and adore having Pops in her life, but she couldn’t force her way into their lives anymore.
It was time for her to leave Cedar Bend.
Savvy dug in her purse for her card and handed it to Jackson. He leveled his gaze at her before slowly taking it.
“I won’t be in town long. But if you need anything or just want to talk, feel free to call me.”
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime…
If the adage was true, then maybe all of this heartache meant something bigger.
Suddenly, Jackson gave her a smile that seemed out of place on his worn, scruffy face. “Be careful out there, Savannah.”
She returned his smile. “My friends call me Savvy.”
She left his room and made her way to the opposite wing of the hospital. Before she entered Pops room, she pulled out the wild flowers from her tote bag and planted a big smile on her face.
“Hello, Pops.”
His eyes widened with delight. “Hello, little darling. I knew you’d come see me today.”
“Of course.” She went to the thin vase she had brought in earlier that week and tossed out the old flowers. She replaced them with the fresh ones she had picked from their garden and turned to him. “What do you think of these, Pops?”
He looked at the arrangement and smiled widely. “They’re beautiful, Janet. I knew those were your favorites.”
Savvy glanced over at Pops then down at the wild flowers. “You did mention these were your wife’s favorites,” she gently corrected. “Me, I prefer sunflowers.”
She moved the vase closer to the window then went to sit by his side. She had thought he would like the reminder from home, but every day he faded in and out between now and the past.
“How are you feeling, Pops?”
He grumbled. “Getting tired of this place. I told Junior I’m ready to go home now. When is he coming?”
“He should be here soon.”
At least Savvy believed he would be. Things between them had been cordial but awkward at home, and she tried avoiding him as much as possible. It was painful being near him knowing she would be leaving soon.
Her accident the other night may have scared him. Hell, it had terrified her. And though he hadn’t mentioned her leaving since that night, she knew it was time. She just hoped if things could no longer be romantic between them, that they at least remain amicable.
Savvy spent another hour with Pops, letting him retell her stories she had already heard countless times from him. She didn’t mind. Today would be the last time she would get to indulge in moments like this. Tomorrow, she would leave Cedar Bend.
After about an hour, Savvy got up and took his hand. “I should get going, Pops. You get better soon, all right?”
“Will you come see me tomorrow, little darling?”
Blinking back her tears, Savvy forced a smile on her lips and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Though she hated to lie to him, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him that this would be their last time together.
“You know, I’m always here with you Pops.” She leaned down and planted a quick kiss on the cheek. “Please take care of Junior for me.”
Damian entered his home and nearly tripped over the bags at the front door. They were Savvy’s bags.
And there were a lot of them.
He shut the door behind him just as Savvy came down the stairs. Aside from the cut on the side of her head, she looked as radiant and beautiful as ever. Their eyes locked and a gentle smile stretched across her lips.
It had been five days since her car accident. Five days since he had pushed her out of his life. And still she managed to look at him with such sweet affection.
“I thought you would still be with Pops at the hospital.”
“I was,” he said quietly. “I just came to pick up a change of clothes. He’s checking out today.”
“I’m glad to hear. I’m sure he’s happy about it too.” She glanced down at her hand before returning her gaze to his. “How’s he doing?”
“Better. The doctors wouldn’t release him until he was at one hundred percent.” Damian paused then added, “He was happy to see the flowers you brought for him.”
“I thought he would like them. They were from the garden.”
Her gaze slid away from his as he regarded her closely. It had taken Damian a moment to figure his father had been referring to Savvy when he mentioned his mother coming to visit him. On her last visit, she had brought him fresh flowers, and Damian realized she was going to see Pops when he wasn’t around, and he wanted to know why. Did she think he would stop her from going to see his father?
Damian gritted his teeth at the thought. He hated the idea that she would think that, but if it was true then he only had himself to blame for making her feel that way.
He glanced down at the bags littered around his feet and gestured toward them. “What’s all this?”
He had an inkling of what they meant, but couldn’t bring himself to accept what he already knew.
“Sorry, they’ll be out of your way soon. I was actually hoping to be gone before you got back.”
Something inside him twisted. So this was it? She was really going to leave him? He had no right to be surprised. He had practically pushed her away from him, from his home, and the idea that they could have something real.
“You were going to leave without saying goodbye?”
He couldn’t help the roughness that entered his voice, not when it felt as if something inside him was being torn apart. He stared down at her bent head, trying to keep his composure and keep from going to her. In the end, this was her choice. He wouldn’t beg her to stay.
“I-I had thought it best if we skipped that part. But now…”
“Now what?”
She lifted her gaze to his, her expression warm with affection. “But now I’m glad I got to see you this last time.”
Those words were his undoing.
In two short strides, Damian went to her and pulled her into his arms. He slanted his lips over hers, releasing all of the pent-up desire and love he’d bottled up these past few days. He gave into his passion, taking them both to heights neither of them had experienced before. Their lips moved together hungrily until there was nothing left of them but carnal need and raw emotion.
Suddenly, she pushed away from him, her breath coming out fast and labored.
“Why are you making this hard?”
Damian ran his hands over his face, trying to regulate his breathing and steady his heart. “Because I don’t want you to go,” he said gruffly. “I love you, Savvy.”
Her eyes became luminous, but she shook her head. When he reached for her again, she pulled away from his grasp and shoved his mother’s ring toward him.
“This belongs to you.”
He stared down at it for a moment, confused. He had grown accustomed to seeing it around her finger. He was stunned to see it thrust back in his face now.
“Some cool water and dental floss did the trick,” she murmured, smiling ruefully. When he didn’t immediately take the ring, she grasped his hand and firmly place it in his palm. “Here. It never felt right on me, anyway.”
Damian folded his hand around the ring, his fist clenching tight around it. “You’re right. This never felt right because it was never done right.”
She frowned in confusion until he proceeded to get down on one knee. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes eclipsing her face.
“Savannah Williams, you are by
far the most amusing, fascinating, passionate, and the utmost difficult woman I have ever met.”
His lips quirked when she narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re also generous to a fault and too beautiful for your own good. I don’t know how you expect me to be the same without you.”
He pulled her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Savvy, will you do me the honor of becoming my true wife?”
She stared at him blankly. For a heart-stopping moment, he thought she would refuse. But to his dismay, she burst into tears. He couldn’t be certain if they were happy tears or not. He didn’t waste time trying to figure it out. He simply climbed to his feet and pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, Savvy,” he said close to her ear. “You believe that, don’t you?”
She nodded then pulled away from him, tears streaking down her cheeks. “But are you sure you want this? To spend your life with me?”
“I want more than that, Savvy.” Damian wiped at her damp cheeks with the pads of his thumb. Then he took her hand and slipped the wedding ring on her finger. “I want a family with you, a future with you. I want it all.”
Her gaze moved over his before suddenly throwing her arms around him. His heart soared as he gathered her close and held her to him.
“Then yes, yes, and yes.”
He grinned. “Yes, what?”
She lifted her head from his shoulder, and her smile lit up the room. “Yes, I will marry you. Yes, I’m sure. And yes…” She leaned up and brushed her lips across his. “I love you.”
Epilogue
Two months later…
“What are you looking for, babe?”
“My purple flats,” Savvy said over her shoulder, still sifting through the closet for her favorite summer shoes. “They should be in here…”
“Can’t you wear something else?” Damian said from behind her. “We’re going to be late.”
She sighed and pulled out another shoe box. “Okay, fine.”
She had her heart set on those flats. They went well with her dress, and she wanted to look her best when they went to visit Pops. But the more time she wasted looking for them, the later they would get on the road.
