Chapter 18
July 1st
5:30 A.M.
This was perfection.
Spider could stay like this forever, just lying in bed holding his girl in his arms.
After amazing sex yesterday, Abby had slept for a couple of hours then they’d gotten up, eaten some of Lavender’s lasagna, and taken a shower together before tumbling back into bed.
Abby had drifted in and out of bad dreams while she slept, but each time he had nuzzled his lips against her neck and whispered soothingly to her while making sure to keep her cocooned in his embrace, and her whimpers had quietened until she had drifted back off into a peaceful slumber.
What made last night even better was knowing that this was just the first of many wonderful nights they would spend together in the same bed.
Already he was trying to figure out the perfect way to propose to her. It had to be something special, something that made up for all the lost years, something that she would remember for the rest of her life. He had a few ideas and he would get to work planning something this morning. Maybe he would suggest Lavender come over so Abigail could catch up with her friend, and since the threat against her was over now he could leave the two women to talk while he started preparing what he hoped would be one of the best days of Abby’s life.
Then his phone rang.
Spider groaned as he carefully eased out from the bed and picked up his phone, taking it into the living room before answering because he wanted just a moment or two more to live in this love-filled bliss before that little bubble was shattered.
“Yeah,” he said when he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer.
“We’re heading out, Spider,” Fox said.
Although that was what he had known he would hear, he couldn’t help the lingering doubt about leaving Abigail alone so soon after her ordeal. She was far from being healed, physically she needed help, and psychologically she needed just as much support. She had an appointment with Dr. Hancock tomorrow, and she was still afraid of large groups of people, it was hardly the ideal time to be leaving her.
And he didn’t want her to feel like he was abandoning her again.
“Spider?”
“Yeah, I’ll grab my stuff and head straight out.”
“See you soon.”
“Yeah, soon,” he muttered to the dial tone. This might not be what he wanted to do today, but Abigail had never given him a hard time about his job when they had been together before, and he had to believe her when she said she was strong enough to handle this if he wanted to keep the trust she had placed in him.
Since he didn’t have time to dawdle, Ryder headed back to the bedroom to wake Abigail and tell her that he was being sent out.
Kneeling beside the bed, he gently stroked the unbruised skin of her temple and touched his lips lightly to hers. “Abby,” he called out softly.
She moaned and her lashes fluttered on her cheeks before she opened her eyes to stare groggily at him. “Ryder?”
“Yeah, babe, I have bad news.”
“You got called out?” she asked, awkwardly pushing herself into a sitting position with his help.
“Unfortunately.”
“It’s okay, Ryder, it’s your job, I get it and you know I’ll never complain about you getting called away. Miss you and worry about you, yes, but complain, no.”
“I know, I just don’t like leaving you like this. You’re not up to staying on your own, and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, could be a few days could be months.” That was the worst part about being away when he was with Abby, the never knowing how long he would be gone made it hard for her. It was one thing to be able to count the days until he would be home but another to be stuck in limbo.
“I’ll manage,” she assured him. “And I don’t just mean about missing you.”
“I don’t want you to just manage. You’ve been just managing for fourteen months all on your own, now you deserve to be taken care of. How about I call Caroline to see if you can go and stay in her basement while I’m gone. Wolf is home at the moment, and even if his team gets called out you and Caroline can keep each other company, and you can have someone around to help you out while you’re healing.”
Spider tried not to hold his breath as he waited to see what she’d say. He would feel much better about leaving her so soon if he knew she wouldn’t be alone, but he wasn’t going to force the issue. The harder he pushed the harder she would push back, and he did know that she would be able to manage on her own for however long he would be gone.
With a long sigh that he was pretty sure she was only putting on because she didn’t want him to think she was conceding too easily, she nodded. “Yeah okay, my ribs do hurt, and I am covered virtually head to toe in bruises, it would be nice to have someone around. And …” she ducked her head, “I am a little nervous to be alone so soon after what happened.”
Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. “You would have been fine on your own, but I will feel better knowing you won’t be.”
“And that will make me feel better, I don’t want anything to distract you while you’re gone. You better come home to me, Ryder.” Her tone was light but he could see the concern hidden deep in her eyes.
“Sweetheart, I will always do whatever I have to in order to come home to you.”
“And until you do you can believe that I will be here holding down the fort. We’re a team, Ryder, you and me, together we can both have everything that we have ever dreamed of. I trust you again, Ryder, and I want you to trust me, I want you to believe in me, have faith that as long as I know you’re coming back to me I will be okay. And … I don’t like to say it because I don’t want to jinx it … but even if you didn’t come home to me I would find a way to be okay, I wouldn’t give up, I would live and honor your memory. But I would only ever be yours.” The last was a mere whisper, but he felt every drop of emotion in those seven words.
“I’ve only ever been yours too, Abby. You’ve always been mine.”
“And you’ve always been mine.”
“Always,” he agreed. “Ever since you saved me.”
Find out what has Eric “Night” McNamara consumed with guilt in the next book in this action packed and emotionally charged military romance series!
Also by Jane Blythe
Saving SEALs Series
SAVING RYDER
Broken Gems Series
CRACKED SAPPHIRE
CRUSHED RUBY
FRACTURED DIAMOND
SHATTERED AMETHYST
SPLINTERED EMERALD
SALVAGING MARIGOLD
River’s End Rescues Series
SOME REGRETS ARE FOREVER
Detective Parker Bell Series
A SECRET TO THE GRAVE
WINTER WONDERLAND
DEAD OR ALIVE
LITTLE GIRL LOST
FORGOTTEN
Count to Ten Series
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
BURNING SECRETS