Page 26 of Born a Hero

“I know. But they weren’t her family. You need to be there now.”

“You mean we need to be there now.”

Charlene hid her face in his chest. “She could care less if I was around. It’s you she needs.” Before he could argue, she looked at him earnestly. “I get it. She doesn’t like me. It’s fine. As long as she cares about you and the boys, I’ll be good with that.”

“Charlene, you’re such a darling, foolish girl. If you’d only open up to my mom, she would be as much in love with you as I am… and the boys. I’ve heard her brag many times about what a good mom you are.”

“See… I wish I were around when she said it.” Before he could correct her, she added, “Oh, I believe you. Of course, I do. It’s just that I think she says that to make you feel good. Whether she truly believes it or not, I don’t know.”

“Trustmethen. Mom doesn’t say stuff she doesn’t believe.”

The call he’d been waiting for came then, and when he moved to the office to take it, Charlene went over all her earlier arrangements. Getting the flights arranged, making sure their suitcases had everything they’d need, and settling the kids took time.

Then she made extra certain the house was properly shut down. All the while she watched the updates on TV and prayed that Sonja, the woman she secretly admired more than any other female in her life, was truly fine.

***

And here she sat, hours later, laughing along with the same Sonja who’d frightened her more every time they were together. This perky person holding her hand, making jokes, and teasing her was the one everyone else got to be with. Now, for the first time since they’d met, she felt as if she belonged too.

Chapter Twenty-five

By the time Jamie returned, the women were blitzed… happy, giggle-pusses. Dena recognized the relief on his tired face when he saw his mom and wife, their arms around each other dancing the jitterbug that Sonja tried to describe and ended up teaching. When neither Dena nor Charlene took her word that she knew how to dance it, damned if she hadn’t gotten up and proved it.

Singing an old tune off key, she’d dragged Charlene up, making her learn the moves and it had made the three of them hysterical. That’s about the time Dena saw the two Jamies near the back fence.

Only one slinked over to her in the dark, careful to stay in the shadows so he didn’t stop the high jinks. “I’m thinking they had more than one margarita?” His tone was filled with wonderment, and a happy smile lit up his face.

“Oh, yeah. We finiched three pitshers. I was on my way to make another. But my legs don’t work. I couldn’t get up. Can’t dance either.” She twisted in her seat to look at him and felt the earth spin. She made out both his silhouettes and hoped she addressed the right one. “Could you flixit us another one?”Had she slurred her words?

When she zeroed in on his smile, she decided he’d understood her. Unfortunately, he didn’t agree with her request. “Dena, girl, I think you’ve all had enough flixits. Both Mom and my wife are toast. I better break this party up and get them home. Will you be alright here?”

“Shure. I’m fine really. Jus a slight problem with my eyes. I’ll jus lay on the couch.”

“Probably a good idea. It’s closer to the toilet.”

Dena laughed at that and didn’t know why she thought it so funny. Once Jamie had gathered both his ladies together and got them into his vehicle, he’d come back to make sure she had settled on the sofa, a blanket over her, and an empty wastebasket nearby. Before she’d passed out, she told him in no uncertain terms, “Yous a shentleman shir.”

Two hours and four trips to the bathroom later, she still didn’t feel in control. Thankfully, every time she looked in the bedroom and saw Justin, it calmed her. Giving up on her plan to leave, opting to wait until the next day, she went back to her little nest on the couch.

The next time she woke, Bryce was there, sleeping on the couch too with his feet on the coffee table. She recognized him instantly and her heart thumped with glee from seeing the man who rocked her world. Careful not to disturb him, she rose and went to the kitchen, glancing at the time and saw it was just a little after three in the morning.

Not sure whether to wake poor Bryce to tell him to lay down properly in his own bed or just go to join Justin in the spare room and leave him to settle himself, she drank a glass of water in a few gulps along with the Tylenol she saw on the counter and went back to the living room.

When she looked at the man, she could see instantly that he wasn’t sitting comfortably. He must have returned home, expecting everyone to be in their beds, knowing he’d promised earlier to sleep on the couch.

Now that Sonja had gone with her son and Charlene, Dena had put Justin in the spare room and intended to slip in next to him. Therefore, Bryce had his own bed. Going to the room to make sure it was ready, she came back and decided to wake him.

“Bryce.” Tentatively, she shook his shoulder.

Instantly, he woke, his eyes taking in the surroundings. When he saw her, he reached up and before she knew his intentions, he pulled her down on his lap and hugged her to him. “I’m so glad you’re here, Dena. My God, it’s been a brutal night. You can’t believe the heartbreak we had to deal with from the storm. So many wounded. It’s the kids that bother me the worst. I’m just so happy Justin survived without any injuries.” He kissed her head and laid his face against her hair, cuddling her so close, she could barely move.

Without thinking about anything but being held by the man who made every pulse in her body thrill with glee, she reached up to stroke his cheek gently.

“I’m sorry it’s been such a nightmare for you and on top of what you went through in the storm.”

“Honey, hearing the various stories tonight about the ravages from the lightning and the floods, I feel fortunate beyond belief. We were all saved from the worst of the weather and none of us were injured. How lucky that we survived so well.”

He leaned down and kissed her lips, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And she accepted his gentleness as if she had the right to be with him.

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