Page 10 of Born a Hero

He saw her confusion. “What?”

“You don’t remember me?” Had her voice wavered?

“I can’t see you.” He took the light and held it in front of her rather than himself and saw her face for the first time closely. “Okay… I do remember you. It was seven years ago, when I was still a resident. We met at a bar, right?”

Shock making her studder, she nodded, hesitating slightly, “Ye-es. R-right. Seven years ago. St, Patrick’s day, March 17th.”

“That’s right. We were drinking to him.”

“And everything else.” When she said that, her face flushed, and she looked away. “I wondered about you from time to time. Looks like you made it to being a doctor.”

“Yep. I did. I went back to that same bar a few more times hoping to run into you again, but no luck.” He watched to see if she too remembered the special night they’d shared. Between the dim lighting and her keeping her face in shadow, he couldn’t make out her expression.

Remembering how he’d worked like a trojan the day after meeting her, fretting because of the plane crash that meant he’d worked numerous overtime hours, still had the ability to make his stomach clench. Back then, all he’d thought about was finding her again – his princess.

Disgusted with himself for not being able to remember the address she’d given the Uber driver; he’d cussed at his stupidity for not getting her real name or telephone number.

When his inner clock woke him the morning they were together, he’d known if he didn’t move, he’d be late for work. He went to wake her, but she was cuddled so prettily next to his pillow that he didn’t have the heart to disturb the beautiful girl.

So he’d run from the apartment thankfully seeing a Downtown bus pull up to the nearby stop. He quickly grabbed it and half slept until he saw signs of the city. Once his brain kicked in and he realized he had no idea where she lived, his fury erupted. How could he be so stupid?

He just prayed she’d be at the bar so he could find her again. Over the next few weeks, every break he had in his murderous working schedule, he went back… all his efforts to no avail. Not that he would share all that with her now. He didn’t want to be seen as the pathetic loser he must have appeared to her at the time.

Her voice brought him back to their small private nook in the attic. “Right. You wouldn’t have found me. I moved away from Miami shortly after we met.”

***

She couldn’t tell him the real truth. That he’d been the reason she’d turned her whole world around and became a new person… the woman she was today.

“So, how long have you been in Fort Myers?”

“A few years. I couldn’t wait to come back after living in Seattle for a while. The rainy weather got to me.” She looked toward the window where the slashing rain still pelted the glass. “Go figure.” They both laughed at her playful sarcasm.

“You couldn’t stay away. I get it.”

She became serious and wanted him to understand. “Things were tough for me back then. I wanted a fresh chance. Then when everything began to go my way, and I got my degree, I decided to bring Justin back to Florida with me. I chose to settle in this area… this utopia. I really like it here and giving my boy a better life had become more important than anything else.”

“How long have been back?”

“About three years. Long enough to have enjoyed the lifestyle. Never would I have imagined we’d be living through this calamity.”

“No kidding. I’ve been here a lot longer and have never seen anything like it either… and hope to never again.”

Dena handed Bryce a sandwich before taking a bite from her own. “This is the best food I’ve ever had.”

“Probably because you’re starving.”

She shrugged. “That, plus the fact that last night I never thought I’d ever eat anything again.” Her voice wobbled on the last word and the tears began to fill her eyes. She dropped the sandwich on her lap and quickly covered her face with her hands… shoulders shaking from anguish.

Without hesitation, Bryce reached for her and hauled her into his arms, uncaring about his own food. He pressed her head to his shoulder, used his hands to caress her cheeks, and hold aside her still damp hair. “I understand, Dena. You were very brave, Princess. Incredible. Now you’re safe, it’s okay to let go… in fact, it’s crucial. We both know that sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with the fear you had to suppress to stay alive.”

Chapter Twelve

Dena heard Bryce’s whispered “Princess” and knew he remembered everything about the night they had spent together all those years ago. Having his arms hold her on the most frightening night of her life seemed fitting somehow. She couldn’t have asked for a better hero.

Fighting for control, she made herself stop crying and relax against him, her face still nuzzled next to his fast-beating heart. “How did you find Justin?”

“Pretty much the same way we found you only he was floating past in the car. The water was beginning to seep into the broken window, and we knew we needed to get him out of there as quickly as possible. With Sonja’s help, I waded to the vehicle, pulled him out, and brought him back to the house to be with us. That’s when the water still hadn’t reached the second floor.”

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