Page 108 of Sapphire Sunset

“Oh, okay. Thanks for creating this safe space for you totell me what I’m feeling.”

“You’re mad. I knew it.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just freaked out that you almost drowned.”

“I didn’t almost drown.”

“It looked different from where I was standing.”

Logan laughed. “Youkindalookedlike the kid fromHome Alone. Your hands were on the sides of your facelike…” Logan tried to imitate the classic Macaulay Culkin pose, but it pulledon muscles still singing with pain.

“That’s funny.’CauseI felt likeI was inJaws.”

Logan studied him, eyes going glassy from fatigue andpossibly the pain pill they’d given him a while ago. He reached out as far ashe could, and Connor took his hand.

“It was scary,” Logan said.

“I’m sure.”

“Not the waves. I mean, the waves were scary. But I wasprepared for that. The scary part was knowing you had to watch, being afraidyou’d jump in to try to save me.”

“You’re hot, but you’re not that hot.”

“Is someone using humor to deflect?” Logan asked.

“Is someone feeling the pain meds they gave him a fewminutes ago?”

“Maybe a little.”

Logan pulled him in for a gentle, lingering kiss. Connorcouldn’t bring himself to draw back, and suddenly their foreheads were touchingas their hands stayed linked. “This is what I do, Connor Harcourt. I act. Ifix. Or I try to, at least. And maybe after the night we had it scares me tothink you might not be okay with that.”

“You really think I’m going to complain about falling intobed with a hero?” Connor asked.

“Heroes get hurt. Sometimes that’s too much for the peoplewaiting for them to come home. My buddies in the Corps, I watched some of theirmarriages end. They’d say it was the distance, but it was the worry. It was thefear. I never had to deal with it. I was always single. I could take risks. AllI had to care about was me and my Marines, not somebody waiting at home.”

“Your dad was worried about you, I bet.”

“My dad shared more feelings with me last night then he hasin my entire life. You know what I mean. When I saw the look on your face whenI was out on that rock, it was a first for me. And the fact that I might hurtyou felt worse than drowning.”

When Connor looked away without meaning to, Logan reached upand gently raised his chin until they were looking into each other’s eyesagain. “Tell me what was in your head when I was out there.”

“It feels stupid,” Connor whispered. “And dramatic.”

“You’re not stupid, and today’s all about dramatic. So outwith it.”

“I didn’t want to lose another man I cared about to SapphireCove.”

Logan nodded, but his eye contact didn’t waver. “See, that’sit, though. I would have done all that even if I was a guest. Or if we’d beenon some other beach. And I guess I want to know if you’re okay with that. Or ifyou can be.”

Connor thought of roaring waves, saw Logan vanishing underthe water. Then he saw a little boy being lifted to safety, felt the suddenembrace of Logan behind him, the sight of him injured, dripping but alive,heard the applause of the people who’d watched it all from the beach. Andbefore he could think twice about it, before doubt could creep in, he broughtLogan’s hand to his lips, kissed it. “I don’t want to be with someone I’m notafraid to lose.”

Logan smiled. Then suddenly the curtain was pushed back, butinstead of the doctors, it was a familiar chubby-cheeked little boy beingcarried by his mother. The mother looked far more relaxed than she had thatmorning in the lobby, and her son looked clean and happy. When he recognizedhis savior, he threw his arms across Logan’s big chest and held on, this timeout of love instead of fear.

“Should Logan really be giving TV interviews whilehe’s high on drugs?” Gloria Alvarez asked.

They were standing in the motor court where she’d beenupdating Connor on the mood of the hotel after the morning’s rescue. Now Connorfollowed the direction of Gloria’s gaze to where Logan was holding forth beforea cluster of news cameras not far from where they’d held the press conference afew days before. He definitely seemed a bit more handgestureythan usual, and maybe his eyes were a little wide, but the reporters seemed tobe eating it up.

“He’s not high on drugs. They only gave him one pill before hisCT scan came back clear.”

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