Page 97 of The Keeper

“I’ll see what I can do, Mom.”

She and Brandon close the door behind them, and I run my hand over Easton’s head. “Wake up, husband,” I call to him, and he mumbles something.

“Easton... I need you. Please wake up for me.”

He moves his head and looks up at me. “Baby...” It takes a minute for him to focus, and then his hazel eyes transform from brown to golden-green, and he smiles and pushes to his feet. Immediately, his lips press against mine, and we just breathe each other in.

“Oh my God, baby. I thought I lost you.”

I slowly reach up and cup his face in my hands. “You couldn’t lose me. You saved me.”

“I didn’t save you. If I did, you’d still have a spleen and wouldn’t be waking up in a hospital bed, Lindy.” The utter heartbreak in his voice guts me.

“Easton, you did everything you could to stop what happened. We can’t control other people or Mother Nature. And even then, when that car was coming right for us, you threw your arm in front of me.” I gently touch his splint, and he winces in pain. “In my dreams, you always save me, E. And you save me in my reality too. You always do.”

“I love you so much, princess. Old and gray, remember? You can’t ever force me to live on this Earth without you.”

He lowers the rail of the bed.

“What are you doing, E?”

He gently lies down next to me. “They’ve been trying to get me to lie down for hours. I’m following the doctor’s orders.”

“They’re going to make you move,” I tell him as I carefully rest my head on his chest.

“Let them try, baby. Let them try.”

“I love you, Easton. Only you. Only ever you.”

“Only ever us, baby. It was only ever us.”

LINDY

“Ihate that I’m wearing flats with this gown.” I turn around and look at myself from behind in the mirror.

“Princess, you had your spleen removed less than two weeks ago. Are you sure you even want to go to this tonight? Nobody would blame you if you wanted to skip it. We could stay in and watch the ball drop from the couch with Myrtle.” Easton moves behind me and runs his hand over my bare back. “I’m sure I could find plenty of doctor-approved, non-strenuous activities to keep us busy.”

I turn to face him and adjust his black bow tie. “Easton Hayes. I am wearing a lace and silk, hand-dyed pink panty and strapless bra set that cost more than some people’s mortgage payments. At the end of this night, we’re going to partake in all the doctor-approved activity we can. But in the meantime, I’m going to walk the black carpet in an Everly Sinclair original with my unbelievably hot husband next to me.” I look him over and lick my lips. “You really do clean up nicely, husband.”

I sway in my pink watercolor ballgown that was hand-sewn by Evie. A small, pink satin ribbon ties around my neck, leaving my back completely bare. Add to that, this stunning gown cinches in at the waist and flares out in box pleats, and it’s the most gorgeous gown I’ve ever seen, and my incredibly talented best friend made it just for me.

“We’re going to show the world we’re all right, and I’m going to start a campaign to change the privacy laws in this country. I don’t want anyone else to ever have to go through what we just went through. And with Becket’s help, I don’t plan on stopping until we’ve got the change we want. One day, we’re going to have babies, E. And I don’t want them to have to deal with this too, just because they’re the children of a fabulously skilled hockey player and a mother who hit the genetic lottery. We’re no different from anyone else, and I want our children to be safe and able to live a normal life like everyone else.”

“You are incredible, Madeline Hayes.” He takes my face in his hands. “I love you, baby.”

“Till we’re old and gray, hockey boy. Till we’re old and gray.”

We ride over to the event in a limo, which Crew rides in with us. He has two other men inside the ballroom already. Not to mention the men Sam has here, simply because his wife and my siblings are here. We’ve all doubled down on security since the accident. It was too close for any of us to feel comfortable.

Some of the media outlets have backed off.

For now.

The Kroydon Kronicles posted a statement after the accident, saying they would no longer run any images gotten by nefarious means. I not sure exactly what constitutesnefarious, but they’ve been willing to leave us alone.

For now.

I doubt that will last though.

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