“Lauren –”
“And you think, knowing that, knowing that four years they’ve been looking for him, four years and ten women before me, he only had an hour with me before you got to me, you think after that, I lay my head on a pillow by yours and I relive it? You think I can’t cope? You think I don’t know I’m safe, right here, beside you?”
His hands at my head lifted me up a centimeter and his head slanted, his mouth taking mine in a wet, thorough kiss that would have been fantastic if it hadn’t made my breathing erratic which made my wound hurt.
When his mouth let mine go, I whispered, “I love you kissing me, honey, but –”
“Right,” he muttered, cutting me off, then he let me go, stepped back, bent and lifted me in his arms. He carried me to the living room, set me gently on the couch, threw the blanket over my legs and then put his fists in the couch on either side of my hips, his torso bent, his face in mine.
“I’m gonna go talk to Jonas,” he said softly.
“Good idea,” I replied and smiled but he didn’t move away, instead his eyes did a scan of my face.
Then his hand lifted and cupped my jaw.
Then he whispered, “You humble me.”
I blinked then breathed, “What?”
“Your strength, Ace, it’s got nothin’ to do with boot camp.”
I somehow managed to swallow and smile at the same time even while fighting back tears.
“Tate –”
“You gonna help me have sweet dreams again, baby?” he asked softly.
“I’ll try,” I answered.
“It’s fresh and it ain’t gettin’ any less fresh,” he shared.
“We’ll settle,” I promised him.
He didn’t look like he believed me and I’d know why when he spoke again.
“That hour, Lauren, that hour he had you, that’s an hour I’ll never forget in my whole fuckin’ life.”
My hands came up to frame his face. “I’ll help you.”
“I know you’ll try but I’m tellin’ you, I’ll never forget it, not in my life.”
“Baby, don’t let him do that to you.”
“He took your hair, he took your blood and that’s what he took from me.”
“My hair will grow back and my wound will heal,” I told him. “And we’ll get back what he took from you, Captain. I swear, we’ll get it back.”
“Ace –”
“You gave me sweet dreams, Tate, now I get to return the favor.”
Tate stared at me and I held his handsome face in my hands as I stared back.
Then he whispered, “Love you, Ace.”
“Love you too, Captain.”
He touched his lips to mine then he ran his nose along mine then he pulled away and went to his son.
I looked to the TV and then grabbed the remote to switch channels. On my third press of the button, I saw Tate’s picture on another halftime show and I hit the button to turn off mute.
Then I turned the volume down so Tate wouldn’t hear as I listened to the commentators bragging about my old man.
Epilogue
Special
I walked out of our bedroom wearing a robe, my long, wet hair combed back, a wide headband pulling it away from my face, my cell phone in my hand.
Jonas and Tate were camped out on the new furniture in the living room watching Saturday morning, collegiate football pre-shows.