Page 84 of When You Saved Me

“You found me.”

His head tilted to the side slightly. “I’ll always find you, Sunshine. Always.”

He cradled my cheek in his palm. “Are you ready?”

I looked up into his devastatingly beautiful eyes. The green reminding me of the pine trees surrounding his home—or was itourhome now? It definitely felt like it.

“Yes, I’m ready.” I smiled at him.

When he stepped closer, he brought his lips to mine and that bright light pulsed around us filling me with warmth and peace.

Blinking my eyes open, I had to squint against the harsh white light. It took me a moment to realize I was lying down and that every part of my body ached.

“Ah,” I gasped, when the sharp pain in my skull ran through my head like a hot iron.

“Charlie!” Deacon’s gruff voice sounded next to me.

I looked to my right and saw him, but he was different from just a few seconds ago. Now, he looked exhausted with blue circles under his eyes, his dark hair was disheveled. Even his normally close shaven beard had grown out, like he’d completely forgotten it was there.

“Deacon,” I croaked, my throat suddenly very dry. The moment I said his name, my head felt like it was splittingagain. I brought my hand up toward it, but Deacon grasped my hand gently and brought it to his lips.

“You have a bandage around your head, Sunshine. Do you remember what happened?”

Scrunching my brows at him, I leaned forward despite the pain and touched the side of his cheek. “I heard you.”

His head pulled back slightly as his jaw went slack. “You heard me?”

I nodded, then instantly regretted it as another bolt of pain shot through my head.

“When I was asleep, I heard you tell me about your friends. The ones you served with in the military.”

“You heard me,” he repeated, shock written all over his face.

“You brought me back, Deacon. I was lost in that place for so long—just wandering around. I didn’t think I’d ever see the light again, but then you were there. I heard your voice.”

Tears gathered in his eyes as he cusped my hand and kissed it over and over.

I felt my own eyes well with moisture as I said, “I felt that thread between us pull taut. It was so beautiful,” I whispered. “Like a bright blue light and when I turned around, you were there. Telling me it was time to come home.”

“You came back to me,” he husked, opening my hand and placing my palm against his cheek. “You came back.”

“For you. Always for you.” Tugging on his hand, I brought him closer to me. With gentle hands, he scooped me into a hug and ran his fingers up and down my spine.

To be in his arms again…that’s when I let the dam of emotions break loose. My shoulders shuddered as I cried into his chest. Not caring that my head was still splitting because nothing else mattered except for this. Being with him again. Knowing that his walls had finally come down and he was mine. Just as I had always been his.

We stayed like that until my body ached too badly for me to sit up anymore. As he carefully leaned me back against the bed, he pressed the alert button for the nurse to come in.

When he settled into his chair again, his fingers intertwined with mine.

To our left, the door swung open and two people in scrubs walked in. “Look who’s awake!” The woman in purple scrubs smiled widely at me.

“Sherry is one of your nurses,” Deacon whispered to me, giving my hand a squeeze.

“And I’m Dr. Schneider.” The man in the long white coat raised a hand in greeting. “It’s good to meet you, Ms. Banks.”

“Thank you,” I said as he moved closer to the bed and Sherry took a look at the monitors on my IV machine.

“Did Mr. Calhoun fill you in on everything that’s happened?”

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