Page 106 of An Unexpected Home

“Yeah,” he said and led her to the deck.

“What happened to your head?” she asked and touched the spot on his forehead where he was hit earlier.

“Nothing,” he said, more concerned for her than himself. “How are you?”

“Brandon?” she asked in a voice that he was starting to know as her ‘don’t mess with me’ voice.

He sighed. “He jumped me in my house.”

“What!” she shrieked.

Figuring she should know the rest he went on. “Then he tied me up and left me there. I’m assuming that is when you showed up with lunch and he grabbed you.”

“Probably,” she said. “I was just getting out of my car when he pushed me back in and held me at gunpoint.”

His body shuddered at the picture she painted. “Then he brought me here and tied me up. He was so angry, Brandon. Angry at my dad and uncle, and angry at me.”

“Why you?” he asked.

“He didn’t understand why I got to start over and be happy when he felt like his life was over.”

“And your hands?” he asked and lifted one to inspect it.

“They were tied behind my back and the whole time we talked, I worked them loose.”

“How did you end up with the gun?”

“When he was not paying attention, I leapt at him, landing on him and knocking him out. The gun was sitting on the table and I was able to get to it before he came to.”

He shook his head. “You are amazing. Weren’t you afraid?”

“I was. But I was more afraid of losing you or him hurting you.”

“You’re never gonna lose me,” he said and finally kissed her. “You and me...we are a forever kind of love.”

He heard the ambulance pull up and they walked out front to meet them. He didn’t want to leave her, but while the paramedics fixed her up, he met with the deputies who showed up to go over details of the story.

He kept his eyes trained on her the whole time he spoke with his deputies, and when he saw that she was finished being tended to, he left them to finish on their own.

“Are you ready to get out of here? I know a few people who are dying to see you and make sure themselves that you are okay.”

“Yes, please,” she said. The paramedics had bandaged her hand so he was careful when he reached for it.

He started the engine, but before he put the car in gear he turned to face her. “I’m so sorry this happened to you and that I wasn’t there to stop it.”

“Brandon, none of this was your fault,” she said. “Will was crazy and obsessed. Plus, and this is a biggie, aside from a few rope burns and bruises,” she touched his head, “we both survived. To me, today was a win.”

“I love you,” he held her face in his hands. “So fucking much. I was going crazy when I knew he had you.”

“Your love for me, and mine for you, are what got me through.”

He kissed her with all the pent up emotion that he had stamped down all day. She was his and he was hers and not even a crazy person it seemed, could do anything to change that.

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