Page 32 of Amelia and Her Prince Charming
“Thank you.”
“You are more than welcome. This was the best-case scenario. When we checked the other side of the island and found the cabin empty, we expected the worst.”
My attention drifted in and out as he continued to tell stories about other successful rescues. I only caught portions of what he was saying as I had a hard time focusing on anything but my need to make sure Amelia was really okay, but the deep rumble of his voice gave me something to focus on other than the pain.
“The copter is almost here,” one of them reported as they walked us out onto the beach. They set me down on a level portion, and Marshall checked my vitals again.
“Hudson!” Amelia was at my side, her arm around the waist of a search and rescue worker, who helped hold her up. She wasthe best sight I’d ever seen. Her face was sandy and pale, and she was wearing my shirt. I could see her in my shirts every day for the rest of my life and be a happy man. “You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.” She repeated it as if to convince herself more than anyone else.
“She’s supposed to be lying down,” Marshall said mildly, with raised eyebrows.
I lifted my good arm, and she bent over me in a hug so tight I wondered if we’d ever let go. This was exactly what I needed, to physically feel that Amelia was okay.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I should have turned the boat around when I saw the sky turning gray.”
“And miss this adventure?” she murmured into my neck before pulling back and letting her eyes rove all over my face, as if assuring herself that I was okay too. We heard the helicopter's thwopping rotor blades as it approached the island.
I stared at her, not willing to take my gaze away from her for one second, like she might disappear if I looked away.
“It’s time to go,” Marshall said. He peered downward, and I followed his gaze to where Amelia was wearing my thick socks. “Have you had anyone look at the cut on your foot yet?”
Amelia glanced at me quickly, knowing I would have been the one to mention it, and then folded her arms defiantly. “No. But now that Hudson’s here, we can.”
“Well, thank you so much for allowing us to do that,” Marshall said dryly. He nodded to someone who helped Amelia walk toward the helicopter. Even though she was only a few feet away, she was out of my sight, and I felt unsettled by that.
“You’ll be together again soon,” Marshall said with a gentle pat on my knee.
If only that were true. If half the things I thought I remembered happened, then Amelia was never going to want to see me again.
I closed my eyes and shuttered my feelings. It was harder to do than ever before, but when it came to Amelia, I had a lifetime of practice.
Chapter 20
Amelia
Iwaslightlydozingwhen a knock sounded on my hospital room door.
“Come in!” I said, my voice still scratchy, as the door slowly eased open. I’d been in the hospital for several hours now, long enough for the steady beeps of my monitors to become soothing background noise. They’d decided to admit me overnight to watch my vitals and get me fully hydrated and warm. The X-ray on my lungs had come back clear, which I think was a relief to everyone. As for the cut on my foot, too much time had passed for me to get stitches, so they’d cleaned it out really well, bandaged it up, told me I couldn’t put weight on it for a while, and put me on an antibiotic.
A ball of blond joy flung the door open.
“Quinn!” My eyes filled with tears as my daughter threw her arms across my legs in a hug. “Come up here.” I patted the bed, and she used the chair to climb up next to me. I hugged her tightly enough to make her wiggle in my grip.
“Thank you,” I said to them, whole heartedly, the words getting locked in my throat with emotion.Thank you for takingcare of her. Thank you for bringing her to me. Thank you for having two amazing sons.I couldn’t imagine what the last couple days must have been like for them—to think we were lost at sea.
Quinn was sucking her thumb, something she hadn’t done in over a year. “I couldn’t sleep without you or Uncle Hudson, so me and Grandma and Grandpa watched movies all night long.” She said it like she was scandalized, but also proud that she got to stay up and watch TV past her bedtime.
“You must be tired.” I glanced over her head at Elm and Anita, who both looked like they’d aged a decade in the last couple of days as they sat beside my bed.
“She fell asleep around three in the morning,” Anita said.
“With a sucker hanging straight out of her mouth.” Elm smiled softly at her. “I got a picture of it for you.” He pulled out his phone and swiped until he found it. There she was, sleeping sitting up, a saturated sucker-stick balanced on her lips. She looked like pure innocence.
“Have you seen Hudson yet?” I asked. It had been such a whirlwind of care since arriving, I hadn’t heard a word about him since we were separated. I was itchy with the need to make sure he was okay.
“No, we wanted Quinn to see you first,” Anita said. “There’s a whole circus of people down in the waiting room.”
“Who?”
