Page 68 of Fighting for Brielle
Her eyes grew soft. “Never.”
It was either now or never. He cleared his throat. “Bri, I’ve been praying for you to wake up because I need to tell you something. I?” He gulped. “I?I’m in love with you. Head over heels, actually. It’s crazy, I know, but I almost lost my mind today when I thought you might not make it. I?I don’t know how you feel about me, but all I ask is the chance to prove to you how much I love you.”
“You really don’t know, Beach Boy?” she gently teased him. “You stole my heart the first day we met. And when you offered to help me make SWAT, well, that just sealed the deal.” She paused as she caressed his hand. Eyes lit now with a warm amber glow, she declared, “I absolutely adore you. You’re the kind of man I’ve always wanted in my life. I?I’m in love with you, too, Justice McQuaid, and honestly, I never knew what that meant until I met you.”
It wasn’t that dramatic moment you read about in romance novels or watch in movies; it didn’t need to be. Just a simple declaration. To Justice it was perfect. Sincere. His heart took flight and soared. He felt giddy like he’d drunk a few cans of beer. He pressed his mouth against hers.
“I really want to make love to you.”
She smiled. “You’ll have to wait a bit.”
Noticing her smile faded into a grimace of pain, Justice said, “I’ll get the nurse for you. I’m sure there’s an order for pain meds.”
“Yes, please!” Brielle gasped. “It really hurts.”
After a nurse administered a dose of pain medication through her IV, Brielle grew sleepy again.
“Justice, you look tired. Please go home. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“No. I’m staying with you, at least until you’re out of ICU.”
She closed her eyes. “You’re stubborn.”
“As a mule. Get used to it.”
* * *
Early the following afternoon, Dr. Nunag transferred Brielle to a private room. Cameron, Brianna, and Franklin finally convinced Justice to leave the hospital long enough to take a nap and shower and shave.
As Franklin drove him to Laguna Beach, Justice asked, “So, what do you think about Brielle now that you’ve met her?”
He glanced sideways at him. “Honestly? She’s perfect for you. It’s obvious she loves you, Justice.”
“Yes, but do you like her, Dad?”
Franklin smiled. “You want my stamp of approval?”
“It’s important to me,” Justice admitted. Franklin had warned him about Clara; he just wished he’d listened to him.
“All right. I really like her. She’s brave. Heroic, even. She’s intelligent, sweet, and kind. Values family. And all of that is great, of course, but what matters the most to me is how Brielle treats you. How she looks at you. How she speaks to you and about you. Given what I’ve seen so far there’s no doubt in my mind she’s in love with you. You’re a lucky man, Justice.”
The tension left his body, and he relaxed. He wanted the two people who meant the most to him to love each other as much as he loved them.
At home he tumbled into bed and slept undisturbed until five o’clock. He rose, fully refreshed, took a shower, shaved, and dressed. Downstairs he found the house empty. Checking his cell phone for messages as he devoured a peanut butter sandwich and an apple, he read one from Franklin.
Dad: Gone to make amends with Adrienne. Wish me luck. I’ll see you at the hospital later. I may need a doctor.
Justice chuckled and tossed the apple core into the trash can.
Before heading to Cedars-Sinai, he stopped at the station to check in with the department. After Tawny brought him up to date, she told him that she and Dooley had gone to visit Brielle, and she’d had another run-in with Finnigan.
“Can you believe he had the audacity to ask me out?” She rolled her eyes.
“Did you shoot him down?” Justice inquired with a smile. He hadn’t been too concerned with Finnigan checking Tawny out since his focus had been on Brielle at the time.
“Down dead.”
He laughed.
