Page 171 of Deacon

I nod, wordless. There’s so much happening. I can’t absorb it all. Keira comes to the edge of the tub and sinks down on the chair. Without speaking, she takes a comb and starts working the tangles from my curls. I wrap my arms around my knees and let her work on it. It feels so good to speak with another woman, but it feels better to have one fuss over me, almost how I imagine a mother might.

It takes her a half hour and a lot of conditioner, but she gets my hair fixed and braided tightly down my back. Then, she helps me back into the shirt and walks with me to the bed.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “I’m sorry. You must be tired too.”

She shakes her head. “When I needed help, others helped me. Now, go to sleep.”

“Will you tell Deacon for me?” I blurt out. “As soon as he gets here? I know he’s frantic.”

Her eyes go soft. “Of course. Now, you try to get some sleep until Deacon arrives. Then, I’d like you to try to eat something.”

I nod, sliding onto my side, my eyes heavy. She goes out, leaving the door open. Less than five minutes after she’s gone, I hear a faint snuffle under the door. A gray nose peaks around the corner, and a little dog that looks like a black fox peers in. I lift my head.

“Come here,” I whisper.

He toddles in and, amazingly, makes the jump onto the bed. His salt and pepper fur is like satin. I brush my fingertips through it as he curls up against my stomach and passes out.

There are so many things I can’t control, but that doesn’t scare me anymore. He’ll handle it, like he handles everything else. He’ll take care of me and the babies we have together. He’s so good at caring for people.

I found somebody to love me the way my heart wants to be loved. For the first time, I’m a girl with a future worth living for.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

DEACON

Westin drives my truck. I sit in the passenger side with a handkerchief shoved in the hole in my leg. It’s right below the last place I got stabbed, but this time, it’s wider and not as deep. I’ll be fine once I get a chance to make sure there aren’t any wood splinters in it. I can just wrap it up and take an aspirin.

Jensen stayed behind to take Bittern in. His body was cold, breathing shallow but his vitals stable. We loaded him into his truck, and Jensen took off toward the hospital in South Platte, driving like hell.

I told him to make sure the doctors knew I wanted him put directly into rehab the minute he recovers. Freya loves him, so he’s getting better whether he likes it or not.

I can’t think of anything else but Freya. Keira called Sovereign as we were standing on the hill, watching the flames roar, to let us know Jack got her to Sovereign Mountain safely, but I can’t keep rolling through the same two questions in my mind.

If she’s pregnant.

If she’ll say yes to being my wife.

Morning is breaking as we pull the trucks up the driveway of Sovereign Mountain. Westin gets out and goes to unload the horses, leaving Sovereign and I standing in the driveway.

I hold out my hand, and he shakes it, always a man of few words and fewer emotions. “Better get inside,” he says. “You got somebody waiting on you. Maybe two somebodies.”

My stomach flips. He heads up the path, and we enter the front hall of the ranch house. It smells like breakfast, and that calms me. Surely, if something were wrong, Keira wouldn’t be cooking.

Sovereign leads the way to the kitchen. Keira is putting a pan of biscuits into the oven. She straightens, and relief passes over her face as her eyes fall on her husband. He wraps an arm around her, pressing his lips to her forehead.

“Everybody’s safe,” he says.

She nods, eyes moving to me. “Oh God, you’re bleeding.”

“It’s fine. Where’s Freya?” My voice cracks.

She untangles herself from Sovereign and skirts around the table, putting her hand on my elbow to push me toward the door. I go eagerly, but she stops me in the living room.

“Freya is alright. She’s sleeping,” she says, her voice lowering, “but she’s been through a lot. The doctor is coming at noon just to check her over.”

I nod, wordless.

“And Deacon, she wanted me to tell you she’s pregnant. She didn’t want you to have to wait until she woke up to let you know.”

---