News of Dax’s treatment and recovery went public before Dax even had time to get home from the eye center. His phone was buzzing nonstop. Dax answered calls from his brother, Colton, and his sister. He even spoke to a couple of racing buddies. Finally, he stopped answering the phone. Brooklyn was relieved there weren’t any reporters in front of Dax’s house when they pulled into the driveway. After the ambush earlier she wasn’t sure what to expect. Lindsay and Henry offered to help get Dax home, but Brooklyn could tell Dax was ready for it to be just the two of them … three including Tucker. So, she told his parents she’d take Dax home, but would call if they needed any help. As Brooklyn helped Dax into the house, she couldn’t help but smile as Dax oohed and awed over his house and how nice it was—even though he still couldn’t see clearly, he was overjoyed that he could see something. Brooklyn had just gotten Dax settled on the sofa when her phone buzzed. It was Nicole.

“Hey,” Nicole began, “I take it Dax’s treatment was a success?”

“Um … yes. How did you know?”

“I just read it on the Internet.”

Brooklyn made a face. “Yeah … figures. Reporters got wind of the treatment and were waiting for us when we got to the center this morning.”

“Wow, that’s crazy. Can Dax really see?”

“Yes.”

Nicole let out a hoot. “How did it go when he first saw you? I’m sure it was like something out of a love story.”

Brooklyn smiled, remembering the tenderness in Dax’s eyes as he focused on her for the first time. She’d been worried for a second when he gasped, but then she was so happy when he told her about his dream. “It was great.”

“I wanna hear all about it,” Nicole said eagerly.

“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. I promise. I’ve gotta go now. I’m taking care of Dax.”

“Uh, okay. We’ll talk in the morning. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Dax was resting his head against the sofa, his eyes closed. As she got closer to him, she heard steady snoring. He was out. It had been an exhausting day, and he was still groggy from the anesthesia. After that initial moment when Dax saw her, things got blurry again so he could only make out shapes. And then his eyesight got clearer. He seemed to be vacillating between the two states. Dax was concerned, but the doctor assured him it was normal.

“Your eyes will have to adjust. It will take a couple of days for your full eyesight to return. Take it easy, and get plenty of rest,” he urged. “You don’t want to strain your eyes. They haven’t worked for over two years. Give them time to get used to seeing again.”

On the way home Dax had been like a kid at Christmas, pointing out landmarks. Before leaving the eye center, Dax grabbed Tucker’s neck and cried like a baby when he could make out his shape.

When they’d first gone into the house, Brooklyn removed Tucker’s harness. Normally, Tucker was all too happy to be off duty, going into puppy mode, playing with his toys and roaming the house. But this afternoon, he could sense something was different. He was curled up beside Dax, not wanting to leave his side.

Brooklyn rubbed his head and neck. “You’re a good boy, Tucker.” An unexpected pang of sadness shot through Brooklyn. She’d asked Dax what would happen to Tucker if he regained his sight and no longer needed a guide dog. Dax told her the guide dog training school would take him back, explaining that sixty to seventy-five thousand dollars went into training each dog. On average, a guide dog worked with a person for five to seven years. Tucker had been with Dax less than two years, meaning he still had a good three years or more to offer someone.

“Can’t you buy him?” Brooklyn asked.

“No,” Dax said. “It’s not just about the money spent, but also the time.”

Brooklyn wished she could explain all of this to Tucker. He would be separated from Dax, not understanding why. She bent down to Tucker’s level, peering into his soulful eyes.

“You’ve done your duty well. You’ve taken great care of Dax.” Her voice hitched. “And neither of us will ever forget you.”

Tucker licked her hand. She laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She was talking to Tucker like he was a person. She wished she knew how much he truly understood. “Would you like a treat, boy?”

Tucker sat up taller, his ears perking up.

“Let me get Dax situated, and I’ll get you something special. It’s the least I can do.”

* * *

Brooklyn didn’t relish the idea of leaving Dax alone, but she needed to go into the shop for a few hours. They’d gotten a request to do the flowers for an engagement dinner coming up this weekend. It was too much for Nicole to have to juggle the dinner, along with the other orders. The good news was the engagement dinner was small, only for the bride-and-groom-to-be. And, according to Nicole who’d been communicating with the bride’s mother, they could pick whichever flowers they wanted. That was a bit unusual. Normally, brides-to-be had definite ideas about what they wanted. But Brooklyn wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. That took stress off her, and they could use the items they had in inventory.

The minute Brooklyn got to work, Nicole demanded she tell her all that happened the day before with the surgery. After she’d finished, Nicole rested a hand on her hip.

“Exactly how much can Dax see?”

“Mainly shapes at first, but by last night Dax could see quite a bit. The doctor says his vision will get even clearer. He may have it all restored.”

Nicole shook her head. “That’s amazing. And they did this from his own cells?”

“Yep, stem cells that were harvested from his bone marrow. It’s mind-boggling what they can do these days.” She chuckled. “You should’ve seen Dax exploring his own house, seeing it for the first time. He was like a kid again, seeing his first Camaro.”

Nicole gave her a tentative look. “So, the two of you are good?”

“Yeah, we’re great.” She couldn’t stop a broad grin from spreading over her lips. She couldn’t believe how fantastic things were between them. And to think, she’d been so worried. Dax must’ve told her a dozen times how beautiful she was. It was neat how he pictured her in his dream, just before he came out of anesthesia. She felt like it was providence, a direct answer to her prayers. She noticed Nicole watching her intently. A trickle of unease ran down Brooklyn’s spine. “What?”

Nicole drummed her fingers on the worktable. “How are you handling the Cassidy Cline thing?”

Brooklyn flinched, feeling like the floor had been pulled out from beneath her. Somehow, she managed to find her voice. “What do you mean?”

Nicole began fiddling with a nearby ribbon. “Haven’t you looked online?”

“No, I haven’t had a chance.” She braced for the worst. “What have you read?”

“It’s probably nothing.”

She caught Nicole’s arm. “Tell me.”

“I’m sure it’s just a rumor. But the celebrity gossip sites are saying Cassidy and Dax are getting back together, that they’ve been in close contact since his surgery. And, Dax is going back into racing.”

Dizziness rolled over Brooklyn as she gasped. Then a fiery anger took hold. “It’s not true,” she gurgled. “Reporters were hounding us when we went into the center, pumping Dax for information. Dax has been with me nearly the whole time since he got home from the surgery. I’ve been looking after him. We haven’t even discussed racing. I was waiting until he had time to get used to seeing again. Until yesterday, we didn’t even know if he’d be able to see again. There was no way to make concrete plans about the future.” Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision. She picked up her wire cutters, and grasped them hard to stay the shaking in her hand. The treacherous thoughts loomed over her like a ruthless monster, ready to rip out her heart. She tried to think. Could the rumors be true? It was preposterous. Dax had been with her nearly the entire time. She’d even spent the night at his house, sleeping in the guest room. That way, she was close by if he needed anything. Her mind tripped over the word nearly. What was Dax doing right now, while she was at work? He’d gotten tons of calls. Had Cassidy contacted him? Maybe he didn’t want to say anything, afraid it would upset her. Lindsay’s warning came rushing back. As Dax’s mother, she knew him better than anyone, and she was concerned. Who’d circulated the rumor? The wretched reporter who asked about Cassidy? Brooklyn’s throat constricted and she coughed to open it.

“Are you okay?” Nicole looked worried. “I’m sure it’s just speculation, something concocted to generate interest.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said glumly.

Brooklyn stared unseeingly ahead. Dax was her world. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost him. Maybe she was overreacting. Dax wouldn’t dump her like that. He loved her, he’d said so on many occasions. They’d grown so close over the past two months that she’d half expected him to propose. He probably would have had the procedure not been looming over them.

Nicole let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

But Brooklyn barely heard her. She dropped the wire cutters with a loud plunk. “Can you watch the shop for a few hours by yourself?”

“Sure, but what’re you gonna do? Nothing crazy … I hope.”

Brooklyn just shook her head. “I’ve gotta go.” She grabbed her purse and darted out the door.

* * *

It was crazy and wonderful how fast Dax’s eyesight was coming back. Tears sprang to his eyes. He could see! Nearly everything! Sometimes his eyes would lose focus, but then they’d quickly adjust. The moments where he could see clearly were quickly surpassing the blurriness. He’d been saying many prayers of gratitude. And admittedly, a part of him was still leery about the whole thing. Would his visual cortex continue to work? There was always the chance it wouldn’t, and he’d go blind again. For the last two and a half years, he’d told himself that he would be content if only he could see again for a few precious minutes. But now he knew that wasn’t true. He wanted to see always. He considered himself to be a strong person; but if he lost his sight again, he didn’t know what he would do. He trembled at the whisper of fear that went through him, causing perspiration to pop across his forehead. He gulped in a deep breath, trying to regain control of his emotions as he pushed aside the dark thoughts. He’d experienced a miracle, and was going to hold on to that for all it was worth—keep moving into the light, literally.

Making breakfast this morning had been different. He had to concentrate on where everything was, because he was used to finding items through touch. And something funny happened that he hadn’t counted on. He’d placed a plate of bacon on the table. Tucker leapt up and grabbed a single piece. Dax couldn’t help but laugh. Tucker was so sneaky about the whole thing that it made him wonder how many other times he’d done the same thing without Dax knowing. After all, it wasn’t like Dax had counted the strips of bacon on the plate.

He chuckled. “I’m starting to see things in a whole new light, boy.” He probably should’ve scolded Tucker, but he kind of admired him. Tucker was exceptionally smart, which was one of the things Dax appreciated about him. And, he had more confidence than most golden retrievers. If all continued to go well with his eyesight, he’d have to give Tucker up. His heart ached at the mere thought of it, as he glanced over to where Tucker was chewing on a toy. Dax didn’t know how he could make himself do it. He rubbed a hand over his chin. He wouldn’t think about that today. Today was a day of celebration.

He looked up at the pendant lights over the kitchen island. They were covered with a layer of dust. He could see dust! The thought was thrilling, and yet he had to chuckle at the irony. He was getting excited about seeing dust on the lights, proof that Callie hadn’t done enough deep cleaning. The pendant lights weren’t the only things needing attention. The baseboards were grimy, the back windows leading to the lake had a dusty film. When Callie came again, she might not be pleased when he added a few things to her cleaning list.

Dax couldn’t wait for Brooklyn to get back from work. All he wanted to do was sit and look at her, examine her features. Watch the sunset with her. A smile crept over his lips. Brooklyn had been a champ. It couldn’t have been easy to stay by his side through all of this. He would forever be grateful to her, for all she’d done.

His thoughts turned to racing. One of the first questions his racing buddies asked over the phone the day before, was if he would get back into it. The truth was, he didn’t know at this point. It was so tempting, but another accident could mess him up for good. He had plenty of money, the love of a fabulous woman, his eyesight. Life was good. No, life was great!

A tremor of excitement ran through him. Once he got the green light from Doctor Finley, he could drive! In all of the commotion, he’d not even thought about that. As soon as he finished breakfast, he was going to the garage to examine all three of his cars. Then he was taking Tucker for a walk around the lake, on a leash rather than the harness. He wasn’t sure how Tucker would react to that. He wondered if Tucker realized something significant had changed. Dax couldn’t tell, but Tucker seemed to be watching him carefully, forever aware of where Dax was. Then again, Tucker had probably always watched him this carefully, and he hadn’t realized.

Dax looked down at the toast and bacon on his plate. It was the same breakfast he routinely ate, but it tasted infinitely better now that he could see what he was eating. He looked down at his blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. Maybe it was time to go shopping. Before the accident, he’d been a sharp dresser. Now, he didn’t have a clue about the latest styles.

He closed his eyes and said another prayer of gratitude and added a blessing on the food. He was finishing off his last bite of toast when the doorbell rang. He chugged down the remainder of his orange juice.

Tucker sat up, ears peeled, intently watching as Dax stood. “Who is it, boy?”

Dax didn’t get many visitors. Maybe it was his mom. She’d promised to stop by later on in the day. It couldn’t be Brooklyn. She had a slammed day at work and had her own key. He hoped it wasn’t more reporters, otherwise they’d get a piece of his mind.

Not used to looking through the peephole, Dax opened the door. His jaw dropped when he realized who was there.