Page 57 of No Going Back

She frowned, but she wasn’t worried. “With you? For anything.”

His chuckle ruffled her hair. “You make me feel like a superhero, Branna. Okay, let the falling apart commence.”

A laugh burst out of her, but the tears she’d held at bay followed it.

CHAPTER 19

Back Home

Sean woke from another nightmare. This one mixed memories of Charlie dying in that explosion with Branna getting tortured by Hawley while he stood helplessly by, locked in a tube where he could only watch.

Jabba whined softly beside the bed, and Sean nearly jumped out of his skin. Grinning at himself, he untucked one hand from Branna and patted the mutt, who obviously needed to go out.

He slipped from the bed and settled the covers around Branna, who continued to sleep. They’d taken turns waking with nightmares. He wasn’t sure about her, but having her safe in his arms had helped him settle immediately each time.

Sean yanked on his jeans and snagged a new T-shirt. Once they were downstairs, he patted Jabba. “Thanks for being quiet up there. You’ve got a little human mixed in with the Sasquatch genes.”

They played in the fresh snow for a few minutes, but Jabba seemed as concerned about leaving Branna alone as he was. He tossed the dog a treat along with his breakfast. “Okay, I’m going to head up. I’ll leave the door open if you want to check on her, too.”

Back in the bedroom, he found Branna stretching her good arm.

“Hey gorgeous. How’s that arm feeling this morning?” He sat on the edge of the bed.

She smiled at him. “It’s mostly just stiff.”

He brushed his thumb over her cheek and lips. “I’m glad. Think you can get a little more sleep?”

“I think I’m good for now. What time is it?”

He laughed. “I don’t know. I just took Jabba out and fed him breakfast.” He checked his phone. “It’s closing in on noon.”

Her eyes popped open. “Noon? I don’t think I’ve ever slept until noon.”

“Me neither. At least not since I was a teenager.”

She smiled. “You and Charlie grew like you’d eaten magic beans that summer. All you did was eat and sleep.”

He laughed. “Very true. Growing is hard work. We had to keep up our strength.” And it was a good memory to replace his nightmares. “We both sprouted over six inches that summer.”

Her smile was tinged with sadness. “I’m glad we have so many good memories.”

He nodded and decided to be honest about the dreams in hopes it would help her. “Me too. I still have nightmares about the bad shit, but it’s nice to have the good memories to balance things out once I’m awake.”

Her eyes showed her concern. “Did you dream about him last night, too?”

He lifted her good hand and kissed it. “Yep. Some nasty ones.”

She sighed. “I was hoping the nightmares would disappear soon.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know if they completely go away, but for me, they aren’t as frequent or as terrifying.”

She bit her lip. “You talked about how your therapist helped you after Charlie’s death. I think I might want to talk to someone.”

That had him smiling. “You’re a smart woman. Dr. Elder has done a lot for me. If you like, I can ask him if he knows anyone he would recommend in Vermont.”

She nodded while she thought about it. “I think I’d be more comfortable talking with a woman.”

He leaned forward to kiss her. “I think that’s another smart idea. A woman would know more about the fears you faced with Hawley’s threats. Lia might know someone as well. She seemed on top of the mental health game yesterday.”

---