Page 81 of Love, Rekindled

“Maybe his epiphany was actually good.”

“I think it was.”

“I have to thank you and Jackson, though. If it weren’t for this job, I would’ve stayed in New York, worked for some other law firm, hating life, and probably pining over a man who didn’t love me.”

Catherine takes my hand. “I’m so happy for you, Gretch. I’m so glad you found Ben, too. It’s like a love story we dream of.”

She’s such a romantic at heart. I love her for it.

“It was like time never passed for us, you know?”

Her phone rings and she looks down. “It’s Jackson, give me one second.”

I nod.

Catherine talks for a few moments and then she goes silent for a few heartbeats, before her eyes meet mine and I can see the fear. “I understand. I’m with Gretchen now.” Jackson must speak and her hand covers her mouth. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Cat?”

She hangs up, tears fill her vision and I know. Deep in my gut, I know it’s Ben.

“We have to go.”

“Where?”

She straightens her back. “It’ll be okay. We just have to go.”

I grab her arm. “Tell me.”

“It’s fine.”

“Then tell me!”

Her hands grip my wrists. “There was an incident. Ben was hurt, but Jackson doesn’t have information. We need to go. Okay?”

My heart seizes and I want to fall to the ground. He can’t be hurt. He’s not even in the military. Ben shouldn’t have been out there anyway. Just a few hours ago we were fine, happy, making love.

“Is it bad?”

Her lips purse. “I don’t know. I know it’s enough Jackson wanted us to get on a plane.”

I get in the passenger seat, close my eyes, and say a prayer to let him be okay. I would never recover from losing him.

CHAPTER 16

Ben

“Well no onetold you to be a fucking hero!” Mark grumbles as I wince, trying to move in the damn hospital bed.

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks, I’m all booked up with fucking my wife, but thanks for letting me know you find me attractive.”

I’d like to kick his ass, but I can’t exactly move right now. “I got the kid, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but you had a whole team behind you, Pryce. All of us could’ve gotten in and out without anyone getting shot, but you had to be the idiot who went in trying to prove something.”

It’s easy for him to say it. He came home in one piece. I didn’t and I’m still trying to find out how to live the way I once did. For the most part, I don’t have issues, but some days...it sucks ass.

---