Chapter Ten

It was a week after the little girl had died, each night David held her in his arms and comforted her if she cried. Tonight, he’d been the one to wake her. He had to leave again.

Sarah sat up, unconcerned that the sheet fell down to her waist, baring her breasts.

“Is everything okay?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized how stupid they were. “Scratch that. Will you need a nurse?”

David sat down beside her as he pulled on his boots. When he was done, he pulled her into his arms. “With Gray leading this op, the only medical assistance that might be needed will be the clinic personnel at the prison for the convicts.”

She wanted to ask if the SEALs were so good, why did David need to go, but she kept her mouth shut. This was his job. For now.

He must have seen the question in her eyes. “The good news is, this is almost done, Gray’s pretty sure this is the last group of prisoners.”

“More of Molina’s men?” she asked.

She could see him consider lying, finally he nodded.

“Be safe,” she whispered.

“Always, I have you to come home to.”

He dove in for a deep kiss. She got lost in the sensation. His taste, and urgency swept her away into a world of bliss. Finally David lifted his head. “Keep my place. I’m going to want to finish where we left off.”

She nipped his chin, and he laughed.

“I love you Sarah Marie.”

“I love you David Allen.”

She watched as the door closed behind him.

She pulled up the covers and curled into a tight ball in the bed. Her body started to quake.

“Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die.”

She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to stem the flood of tears.

She’d loved Matt, she really had. But it had been a girl’s love. It had been young love. She had given everything she could at that age.

But now?

Now, David was half of her soul. He was her world.

“Please God. Please God. Please God.”

Hearing those last few words, she calmed.

She’d been given the gift of David Sloane, and that was a blessing, in and of itself. He was amazing, and she needed to hang on to that, not worry about something that might or might not happen. Her breathing calmed. She was going to hold on tight for as long as God and the Universe chose to give him to her. That’s all she could do. And she would be grateful.

Sarah smiled. Her heart felt lighter.

She got up from the bed, and went to the bathroom and cleaned up. When she came back to the bed, she could breathe again, and she grabbed David’s pillow and sucked in his smell, reveling in his scent. The man she loved. The man she was going to love all of her life.

* * *

For the next two weeks, the island of Las Flores slowly emerged from its devastation. Day after day more prisoners were captured as Gray and his teams worked. Aiden and David worked primarily with Carys and Sarah, but occasionally with other aid workers who went out on the Outreach program to bring in the injured. David was relieved none of the other visits had been as bad as that first. There had been a couple of nights when Sarah would wake up crying, and he would rock her back to sleep.

He talked to his commander. They were down to the last eleven prisoners, so he would soon be going home. Gray had a similar talk with his superiors. He figured they had maybe another week on the island.

Trudging back to the hotel, he looked at Sarah. She smiled back at him. This had been one of the good house calls. A woman had given birth. It had been a breech birth, and Sarah had said that they couldn’t take her in the jeep to the hospital. She also said it was complicated. He knew that breech was bad, but it had turned out well—after thirty hours.

God, he was tired, but Sarah looked like she was ready to go dancing.

“Did you see him, he looked like a linebacker. I should say a football player. I mean a soccer player type of football player.” She was babbling. He stopped her, and right there in the lobby he kissed her. Hard. She grabbed him and grinned into the kiss. It was a happy and passionate kiss. What a great fucking flavor.

“Get a room!” He tucked her under his arm and turned to glower at Carmen.

“What are you doing at the hotel? I thought your home had been repaired.”

“Bernardo wanted me to talk to the hotel about arranging a party for all of you. You’ll be leaving soon, and he wants to thank you. I even tracked down Lola and her family for Bobby Harrison.” David smiled. “Don’t tell him, though, it’s a secret.” He was really going to miss Carmen.

He looked at Sarah. She had tightened up at Carmen’s words.

He tugged Sarah toward the stairs. Even after all this time he still didn’t feel good about the elevators. Let’s face it, even though the electrical grid was fine, he wouldn’t be taking elevators until he was back in the states.

As soon as they got into the room, she turned to him, grabbed at his T-shirt, and tugged it over his head. His bandage was gone, and so were the stitches. She traced the healing flesh.

“Are you feeling better now, Honey?”

“What?”

“Are you feeling safer? Are you beginning to trust that I won’t leave you?” Her pretty gray eyes turned misty. She nodded.

“I’m sorry I was so scared.”

“There’s nothing to feel sorry about. You had perfectly valid reasons to be scared. But this was an extraordinary set of circumstances. I told you, I lead a very boring life.”

“There is nothing boring about you, David Sloane.”

“What about you? Are you planning on living a boring life, Sarah Kyle?”

“Yep, I already told Carys that when this is all over, I’m going back to the US.” He thought his face might split in half with how big his grin was. “I don’t want us to break up.” She looked up at him. “We are in a relationship, right?”

“Make no mistake. This is a relationship. As soon as we get back to the states, and I get to a jewelry store, this is going to get as permanent as possible. I want you in my life permanently, Sarah. I know what it’s like without you, and I don’t want that ever again.”

He held his breath. She searched his face.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Screwed that up, didn’t you, Sloane?

“Sarah Marie Kyle, will you marry me?”

“Do you love me?”

“Oh honey, I love you so much it hurts. I’m sorry, I should have said that first. See, I’m a dumbass. I love your beautiful heart that wants to help heal the world. I love your first class brain that runs circles around mine. I love your body that knocks me off my axis. Do you love me? Will you marry me?”

“I love you. I’ve probably been in love with you since Fort Lewis. I’ve just been afraid. Marrying you would make all my dreams come true.”

Finally. Four years, six months and four days. That’s how long it had taken for his dreams to come true.