Page 48 of Save Me

There was no denying what she’d suffered. But the sweet smile on her battered face said it all. She’d survived.

The post went viral, but all she cared about was making sure Hunt’s friends received her thanks.

That evening, she was in the kitchen chopping up vegetables for a casserole when she heard Hunt’s Jeep in the driveway. He’d had two separate interviews today with med-flight services, and she was curious to find out what he thought, and what they’d said.

She heard the front door open, wiped her hands and went to meet him.

“I missed you,” she said as she gave him a hug.

“I missed you more,” he said, and kissed her soundly.

“Get comfy then come talk to me,” she said. “I’m chopping veggies for a casserole.”

A few minutes later, he was back in his sock feet, minus the boots and flight jacket, but still wearing the jeans and shirt he’d left home in. He walked up behind her, slid his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her ear.

“I have dreamed of this life with you forever. Still have a need to pinch myself that it’s real,” he said.

She leaned against him, reveling in the embrace. “Fairy tales were always my favorites when I was little because everyone lived happy-ever-after. And I’m also hardheaded. I refused to give up on this dream. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I wanted you back in my life.”

“And you got me,” Hunt said, then reached over her shoulder and grabbed a carrot chunk and popped it in his mouth.

“Give me a couple of minutes to finish this so I can get it in the oven,” she said.

“Need help?”

“I might like to look at you now and then while I work, so feel free to lurk about. Grab yourself something to drink, love. I’ve been standing long enough. I need to sit down soon.”

He nodded, took a longneck beer from the fridge, popped off the cap, took a quick sip, and then carried it to the window overlooking her backyard.

“Looks like rain coming in. Earlier, I thought I could smell it in the air,” he said.

“I like the rain when I’m snuggled in at home. Not crazy about driving to work and back in it,” she said, and dumped the veggies she’d just cut into the brown sauce on the stove, stirred it all together, then poured it over the seared beef tips in the casserole dish, covered it with foil and put it in the oven. She set the timer for an hour, then started to clean up when Hunt turned around and noticed what she was doing.

“I can do that, darlin’,” he said, and set her down with his beer.

She didn’t argue. And she had a confession to make.

“I posted the thank-you card photo on Instagram this morning. I don’t know if any of the guys have seen it yet, but one hundred forty-three thousand other people have.”

He turned, staring at her in disbelief. “What? Are you serious?”

She nodded.

He grinned. “Proper southern lady that you are, that is one hell of a thank-you card.”

“The spirit of my grandmother Sarah would have haunted me for life had I not sent a thank-you of some kind. One of her well-repeated adages was ‘Proper ladies must have proper manners.’”

He gave her a look. “Well, I don’t need a damn thing about you to change. In my eyes, you’ve always been perfect, and the improper parts are what I love most.”

He winked, then finished loading the dishwasher and wiped down the counters.

“Let’s go sit where it’s comfortable,” Lainie said. “I want to put my feet up.”

“Uber coming up,” Hunt said. “Bring my beer.” He scooped her up in his arms.

“You don’t have to keep doing this,” she said.

“What if I like it?” he said, and then carried her out of the room, eased her down on the sofa so she could stretch out her legs, then sat at the other end and put her feet in his lap. “There now, darlin’. Is that better?”

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