Page 54 of In the Arms of a Hero

She had stepped back but kept her hands on his forearms. Holding his gaze, she asked, “Okay. I trust you to take care of her, Aaron. I’ll go to the bakery early tomorrow morning, take care of the baking, and get things started for the day. I’ve called in my other employees, and they’ll come in to handle everything behind the counter. I’ll come back over, and then if she’s discharged tomorrow, I’ll get her situated at home.”

“So that you know, I have Ivy and Hayley set up on rotation to help out. I’ll stop by after work, and Hayley can stay anytime because she works from anywhere as long as she has her laptop.Carrie Hudson and Belle Simmons are also setting up a rotation for food and assistance with the women from the American Legion Auxiliary.”

She nodded, then turned to walk to the elevator. Suddenly, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “I wasn’t sure about you, Aaron. Not after last year. I never thought you were a bad guy. I just didn’t think you were therightguy. I don’t believe that anymore. I think you are the right guy, and that’s the only reason I can trust walking away and knowing that she’ll be taken care of.”

She turned, and as the elevator doors closed, he stood momentarily, his chest expanding, his heart pounding. Blowing out a long breath, he turned and stepped into Belinda’s hospital room. A nurse was by the bed, and she looked up and smiled.

“She’s been resting and doing very well. Her catheter is out, and she’s been to the bathroom a couple of times with assistance. The doctor has been back in, checked her surgical site, and says it looks good. By the end of the day, she was feeling more pain, so we’ve got her on some meds. That’ll help her sleep.”

He thanked her and walked over to stand by Belinda’s bed after she left. Her pale complexion was almost translucent. The pain lines were eased, and her face seemed peaceful. A true sleeping beauty.

He wrapped his hand around hers and leaned forward, kissing her gently.

He was surprised when her eyes fluttered open. He wasn’t sure that she really saw him, but a grin curved her lips.

“I remember you.”

Now chuckling, he prodded her on. “Really? You remember me?”

“I was a nerd, and you were a hottie.”

She caught him off guard with that statement, then realized she was talking about high school.

“Well, I’d have to say you were the hottie now,” he said.

Her nose scrunched. “I had a crush on you. It was a big crush. But there was no Hallmark movie for me. You never even knew I existed. Then you graduated and went off into the big world, and I stayed a nerd.”

Her words hit him in the gut. In high school, he’d been selfishly into himself. After years of being the scrawny kid who felt behind in everything, when he’d caught up, he took every advantage. Sports, attention, girls. Blowing out a breath, he shook his head, no longer wanting to think about high school or the sweet girl who’d had an unrequited crush on the jerk he’d been.

“Oh no, sweetheart. I may have joined the Navy and gone off into the world, but you became a beautiful, talented, brilliant woman.”

She blinked sleepily, and then her eyes widened. “Really?”

Chuckling again, he shifted to sit on the side of her bed, her hand still in his. “Really.”

Her eyes closed, and he thought she’d gone to sleep. Suddenly, they blinked open again, and her brow furrowed as she stared up at him. “I remember now… you’re with me.”

“Oh, Belinda, baby, yes. We are definitely together.”

Her eyes closed again, but her lips curved upward this time, giving her a happy Sleeping Beauty appearance. He bent and kissed her lightly again,

“Lie with me,” she whispered, her eyes barely opening.

The idea of protesting that he might hurt her only lasted for a few seconds, and then the desire to acquiesce to anything she wanted won over any objection. He let go of her hand only long enough to twist around so that he could lay with her, tucking her body next to him, making sure her injured side was protected.

At that moment, with her in his arms, all the pieces in his life that had always felt disconnected clicked together, forming a picture so beautiful he wanted to remember it forever. Sliding his hand into his pants pocket, he pulled out his phone. With his camera app, he snapped a picture of the two of them. He hated like hell where they were, but at that moment, nothing had ever felt so right as having her in his arms. Later, when he studied the picture, he realized she was smiling in her sleep.

27

The two men squared off, both offering hard stares.

“This was your great plan? First to dump the body where it floats to shore so quickly and then to try to shoot the witness? Into a group of law enforcement officers? How stupid are you?”

“I had no idea the crowd had a bunch of cops there. I just needed a place to get to her where I wouldn’t be seen. Anyway, you called me. You asked me for help. You had no fucking clue what to do, so you called me to take care of the problem. That’s all I’ve been doing for the past few days is take care of your fucking problems!”

“I didn’t call you. That was your cousin’s idea.”

“Well, what else would you have done?”

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