Page 74 of Pick Yourself Up
Knox smiled. “Good idea. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Anyone want to have a glass of the new cider recipe I made? We can sit out here on the back porch.”
To his surprise, Amber nodded. Was she taking care of the others again, knowing they would all need time to believe she was okay?
Knox and Thea shooed them to the side and quickly set up chairs around a small table. It was crowded, but they all wanted to be close. He tugged his chair right next to Amber and wrapped his arm around her. Boomer sat on her other side and put his head in her lap.
Knox brought out a plate of cookies along with the cider. Then he patted Boomer’s head. “Want a treat, boy? I don’t have a steak to give you, but I’ll look into how to get you one. Thanks for taking care of Amber today. She’s special, and I’m glad she has you.”
Boomer sat up tall and wagged his tail. When Knox tossed the treat in the air, he leapt and gobbled it down, licking his face afterward.
Gray rubbed the shepherd’s head when he returned it to Amber’s lap. “We owe you, Boomer. Anything you need. Anytime.”
He licked Gray’s hand and then yawned, making them all smile.
The twinkle lights they’d installed along the edge of the porch turned on when the light dimmed, keeping the atmosphere bright enough that he didn’t think Amber would be nervous. She didn’t tense under his arm, although she leaned her head on his shoulder.
After a few moments of silence, Amber spoke softly. “Thanks so much, everyone. Tomorrow I’d like to hear about what happened at your end. Tonight, it’s enough to sit here and enjoy the peace.”
He kissed her hair. “We’re all safe and we don’t have to worry about those assholes anymore. It’s good to be home.”
Amber leaned back and smiled up at him. Then she hoisted her mug. “To home.”
They echoed her words and clinked glasses.
It was damn good to be home.
Amber woke, nestled in Gray’s arms. She didn’t have a clue what time it was, but rain slapped against the windows with force enough to have her snuggling deeper into the covers and the man holding her.
She hadn’t thought he was awake, but his hand immediately ran up and down her arm, and he kissed her hair. “Morning.”
She swiveled enough to see him. Wide-awake eyes roamed her face. She kissed his jaw. “Good morning.” She wondered how long he’d been awake, but was glad he hadn’t slipped out of bed, leaving her to face the morning by herself.
He shifted in the bed so that she was on her back and he was on his side, looking down at her. He brushed some hair off her face and kissed her softly. “How are you?”
She smiled. “Warm, snuggled up with this sexy guy I’ve fallen in love with, safe and happy.”
His eyes widened, and she watched as they filled with joy. “Me too.”
She widened her eyes in mock outrage. “You’ve fallen in love with a sexy guy? I’m shocked and saddened.”
He laughed and kissed her deeply, causing her heart to swell and her body to tingle.
He pulled back only far enough to look her in the eyes. “I’m so in love with you, Amber. You’re an amazing woman and I love everything about you. Including the sexy package that’s wrapped around that incredible heart of yours.”
Tears misted in her eyes, but she blinked until they disappeared. “I’ve known I was in love for days and days. I thought it was too early to tell you. And then I almost didn’t get the chance. I’m never going to miss another opportunity to tell you I love you.”
His eyes dampened as well, but he didn’t look away, didn’t hide himself from her, letting her see all of him and his emotions.
“I’ve never been as scared as I was yesterday. The possibility of losing you almost made me unable to function. If Boomer hadn’t been here, we might not have found you in time.”
Her heart ached for him. “But you did function, and you worked together to find me. To keep me safe.”
Together, they looked over to find Boomer watching them. With a grin, Gray patted the bed. “It’s okay. Come up and check her out for yourself.”
The dog didn’t need to be told twice. He leapt up and stepped over and around them until he was on Amber’s other side. He licked her face and then snuggled up to cuddle with her.
She wrapped one arm around him and looked at Gray. “Looks like Lia was right.” Boomer had been traumatized by the day’s events just as they had.
Gray nodded and ran his hand over the dog. “It’s okay, Boomer. You saved her. Hell, you saved us both. Thanks to you, we’ve got all the time in the world. We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”
