Three months later…

“Dad, slow down. Stop trying to do everything in one day.” Ryan chuckled as he helped his father stretch his legs, repeating the same physical therapy he’d helped Emily with just a few months prior.

Tushar shot his son a look. “I don’t want your mother to find me all flabby with no muscle tone,” he joked.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “So, your plan is to firm up so that she can’t even recognize you?”

His father swatted his arm away. “Ha ha.”

They had started the process to revive Trish Wolbach two weeks ago. She still had two weeks in the reanimation chamber before she would spend another four in an induced coma.

Her name had been the first word out of Tushar’s mouth when he woke up.

Ryan adored the way his father obviously thought of his wife. As a twenty-year-old kid, he had not paid close attention to how close his parents were. From his perspective, they had been really close when he was a child, but they got so focused on their work as the years went by that they hadn’t spent much time alone together near the end. Tushar was on a mission, though. Determined. Pacing all the time. Worried sick.

Ryan couldn’t blame him. He felt the same way. He had been elated when his father woke up. A ten-ton weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But another ten tons still resided, and he wouldn’t sleep solidly or breathe fully until his mother was also awake and speaking.

It was weird having his father return to him without having aged. They were only fifteen years apart now. Tushar looked the same as Ryan remembered. He’d been suspended in time.

The same was not true of Ryan, and he often caught his father staring at him, mesmerized by the changes and the passage of time.

As Tushar sat up on the mat where he’d been stretching, Emily stepped into the room. “How’s it going?” She still felt uneasy about her relationship with Ryan in front of his father. That fact was immediately apparent the first time she reunited with Tushar. After all, they had been colleagues.

Ryan tried to reason with her, but she cringed a bit still. The first time he brought it up, she winced. “He’s your dad. You were barely more than a kid when I was preserved. A thirty-year-old woman. He must think it’s kind of creepy to wake up and find me sleeping with his son.” Her whispered admonishment had made him chuckle, but he did his best to respect her distance when his father was around. For now. Not for long. But for now.

Tushar pushed to standing and glanced back and forth from Emily to Ryan. “It’s going well. I’m getting stronger every day. How long did it take you to feel one hundred percent?”

She tapped her lips. “I think about a month after I woke up. It took that long to get my equilibrium fully back. I kept getting dizzy when I walked. And my muscles didn’t receive every command from my brain very quickly.”

Tushar grabbed a bottle of water and took a drink, lowering himself onto a chair in the makeshift PT room. Ryan could tell he had something else to say. It was still amazing every time Ryan read something in his father’s expression. A memory triggered from over a decade ago.

His father cleared his throat. “You know you don’t have to dance around me. I’m not stupid. Nor am I mentally impaired,” he teased. “I get that you two are an item. If I was dense enough to have missed it, the strange looks from everyone else on your team would have clued me in.” He winked.

Ryan blew out a breath. “I don’t want things to be weird for you.”

“Weird?” He laughed. “Weird is watching you both pretend you’re not in a serious relationship when clearly the opposite is true, tiptoeing around me like I might object.”

Ryan lifted his mouth in a half grin. “Were you always this astute?”

“Yep.”

Emily came closer, wringing her hands. “We don’t want to be disrespectful.”

Tushar laughed again. “Life is too short for pretense. You know that better than anyone, Emily.” He glanced at Ryan. “I’m so happy for both of you. I’ve seen the way you look at each other. Besides, I had a little chat with your grandmother last week.”

Ryan groaned. Of course. Leave it to Patricia to tell his secrets.

“She was so happy she clapped her hands together. I’ve never seen her so lit up. Rambling about the two of you like you were royalty.” He sobered, glancing back and forth between them again. “Don’t waste a second of what this life gives you. Time is a precious commodity. Be grateful. Spend every moment together you can.”

“I don’t remember you and Mom heeding that advice as I got older.”

Tushar nodded, sighing. “I’m not going to lie. We spent a lot of hours working in this bunker. Our work was important to us. It took precedence over our private lives. But we both felt that way. Neither of us was slighted. And we made every moment we were alone count.”

He took a deep breath, obviously wanting to say more. When he met Ryan’s gaze, his eyes were watery. “I loved your mother. I still do. But I’m also looking forward to getting to know her again. A second chance. We were so involved in our work that we’d grown apart in the last few years. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It just happened.”

His father toyed with the rim of the water bottle. “I hope she feels the same way when she wakes up. I hope she’s willing to start over and build something new and precious with me.” He lifted his gaze, barely holding on to the tears. “Something like what I see happening between the two of you.”

Ryan’s throat clogged with emotion. “You will, Dad. I know you will.” He reached for Emily and pulled her against his side, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I have fond memories of weekends and holidays with both of you. All you need to do is rekindle your love.”

Tushar smiled. “We turned our minimal time into quality time. I hope you felt loved and cherished.”

“Always.”

Tushar pushed to standing. He stepped closer to Ryan and Emily and reached out to pat them both on their shoulders. “You look so happy together.”

“We are.”

His smile widened. “I’m going to be a different man this time around. When I get your mother back, I’ll never take her for granted again. I promise we won’t work ourselves to death this time. Stop and smell the roses and all that stuff.”

“I’m glad, Dad.” It was an emotional exchange. He knew both him and his father were holding their emotions in check right at the surface.

Emily broke the spell before it got ugly. “I can tell you from experience that I woke up feeling the same way. Seize the day.” She leaned into Ryan closer, setting her palm on his chest. And then she surprised him by lifting onto her tiptoes and kissing him. It was brief, but it was on the lips. She claimed him fully in front of his dad.

It felt right.

Their lives were going to be up in the air for a while, but Ryan knew the government would do everything possible to help each member of the team transition into the real world. For some of them it might mean moving on eventually. Others would want to stay and resume their work.

After what Emily had experienced every time she left the bunker, Temple recognized the need to provide all the assistance necessary to ease everyone back into society. For as long as it took. All of them would have a home in this bunker. More housing would have to be arranged, but there was time.

Eventually they would revive every member of the team. Three more reanimation chambers had been ordered. Perhaps not every reanimation would be as smooth or successful as Emily’s and Tushar’s, but there was hope. A promise for tomorrow.

Emily had made Ryan nervous for the first few weeks after she was abducted. He worried constantly that she would decide to leave. Every time he wasn’t with her, he was afraid she would make a decision that would devastate him.

He would rush into their suite or her office sometimes in the middle of the day to reassure himself she was still there. Eventually, she lost that look of concern and replaced it with one of excitement. She was working hard on her research concerning reanimation and helping Temple develop a plan that would ensure a smoother transition for everyone on the team.

She not only stopped talking about leaving, but she winced at the mention of stepping out of the compound at all. It had gotten difficult to even lure her outside. If anything, she would need some therapy to get over her new concerns. But he would be with her every step of the way. Forever.

Ryan pulled Emily around to his front, took her cheeks in his hands, and kissed her soundly while his father watched. “I love you,” he told her when he separated their lips.

“I love you too.”

His heart was full. His world was nearly complete. The puzzle pieces were coming together. He’d devoted most of his life to getting to this moment. He could taste victory. And it felt so wonderful.

The End

Enjoy the following excerpt from the next book in this series, Reviving Trish (Project DEEP, Book Two)

Trish Wolbach-Anand hopped down from the rear passenger side of the truck and tugged her sweater around her body as she crossed her arms against the chilly Montana air. She inhaled deeply, lifting her gaze and forcing herself to enjoy this initial view. To the west were the most gorgeous mountains covered with snow caps.

The air was crisp and clean and fresh. The sun was shining. It hadn’t snowed in a few days, so the ground was covered with gravel and white patches. It crunched beneath her feet as she stepped away from the truck.

“You okay?” her husband asked as he set a hand gently on her lower back.

She shot him a glance, reminding herself that none of this was his fault. “Fine.” She hated being curt, but it was difficult to conjure up the energy for more than that one word.

Tushar might have inhaled in exasperation, but she ignored him and turned to face their hosts.

Jazmine Simone emerged from the front passenger seat, a gorgeous redhead with deep green eyes. Her husband, Davin, rounded the hood from the driver’s side. He lifted his cowboy hat and resettled it. The couple owned and operated a unique underground organization called SURVIVE. The Simones, along with several other employees, were all former military who now spent their days protecting civilians from any number of threats.

Davin smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling as he spoke. “The ranch is large enough that few people even know we have this cabin tucked away on the property. You’ll be safe here. The entire ranch is surrounded by fencing that isn’t easy to breach and will set off an alarm if anyone tries.”

“Thank you.” It wasn’t her safety that had her in such a state of melancholy. It was the state of her life.

She had every faith in SURVIVE. Their referrals spoke volumes. They were an impressive group. From the moment Trish had arrived at the main house on the ranch an hour ago, she’d known this place was safe.

Jazmine hooked an arm with Trish and waved absently toward Davin. “I’ll show Trish around the cabin. She’s freezing out here.”

Trish was relieved. Jazmine wasn’t kidding. It wasn’t that cold outside, but Trish had only been reanimated from a ten-year cryonic preservation three weeks ago. She was too thin and still weak. Even the mild temperatures felt colder to her.

While the two of them headed toward the cabin, Trish watched Tushar climb back into the truck with Davin.

The cabin was small, but inviting. Quaint. A porch swing swayed slightly on the front porch, the creaking welcoming. When Jazmine opened the front door and let Trish pass through first, Trish blew out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Perhaps for weeks.

She was tired. Exhausted, really. Her life felt like it was in a blender. The last place on earth she wanted to be right now was a ranch in Montana. But this cabin could possibly cure her of her angst if anything could. Time would tell.

The main room was warm. A fire was roaring in the fireplace. The attached kitchen was updated and modern. The living room sofa and armchair were a burnt orange with throw pillows in various shades of browns and reds and oranges. The floors were hardwood with rugs tossed around to add life to the cabin. There was no television.

Jazmine pointed at the only door in the room. “That’s the bedroom. Bathroom is in there too. It’s not much, but it’s comfortable.”

“It’s perfect,” Trish assured her, lowering herself into the armchair near the fire.

Jazmine looked hesitant as she took a seat on the sofa. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. If you need anyone to talk to or anything at all, please call me. I’m not far away.”

Trish swallowed back the emotion bubbling up inside. “Thank you,” she managed to whisper. “I really appreciate everything you’re doing for us. Don’t misunderstand my mood. It’s just happening too fast. I’ve only been awake three weeks. I didn’t have enough time to spend with my son. I’m still adjusting.”

Jazmine nodded. “Were you really preserved cryonically for ten years?” She waved a hand through the air. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Trish gave her a wan smile. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. Yes.”

“How old is your son?”

“Ryan is thirty. He was twenty when Tushar and I were preserved with the rest of our team. In fact, we owe our reanimation to him and the people he assembled to find a cure for the type of anemia we contracted and then the ability to revive us all.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Twenty-two total. I’m the third to be reanimated.” It felt good to talk about it with someone outside the government bunker where she’d spent the last several years of her life before preservation and remained until today.

Jazmine nodded. “That must be hard, waiting for everyone else. You must be so proud of your son, though.”

“Yes. And as an added bonus, he fell in love with the first woman from my team to be revived. Emily is a gem. I feel so blessed.” More emotion forced a few tears to trickle from the corners of her eyes, and Trish reached with a finger to wipe them away.

Jazmine’s face was filled with sympathy and understanding. Her brow was furrowed in concern as she nodded again. “Hopefully, whoever is threatening you will be caught soon so you can continue getting reacquainted with your son.”

Trish crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps. “Let’s hope.” No matter how beautiful the ranch was or how reasonable the decision to hide someplace, Trish couldn’t shake the frustration and annoyance. Nor could she find a way to avoid blaming Tushar for their predicament.

It wasn’t his fault they had been whisked away. It also wasn’t his fault someone or a group of people were hunting them. Nevertheless, their relationship had been strained from the moment he informed her they were leaving Colorado. Leaving Ryan and Emily. Leaving the life she knew.

This was not where she wanted to be.

The sound of a car motor outside made Trish lift her gaze toward the front window.

“That’s Davin and Tushar. They probably took a drive around the property.” She stood and headed for the door.

Trish followed Jazmine out onto the porch and leaned against the railing, glancing from the truck as it parked to the view of the mountains.

“The view is amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Even though Trish had never met either Jazmine or Davin until today, she felt a sense of calm from this woman. And she was so grateful for their hospitality. She gripped the railing of the porch tighter to keep her balance as she glanced across the expanse of mountains. She should find the view as incredible as Jazmine was pointing out, but her mind was preoccupied.

Jazmine turned toward her, leaning a hip against the railing. “Don’t worry. You’ll feel like a million bucks after a few days of breathing the clean, fresh air.” Eagle Rock, Montana, only had clean, fresh air. Year-round. Her smile was genuine.

Trish returned her gaze to the expanse of land in front of her as Davin, Tushar, and Davin’s dog wandered closer. Davin had hair so dark it was nearly black. He was built and fit, though he had a barely noticeable limp from a war injury.

Tushar looked exactly as Trish remembered him from before their preservation. She should. For them, no time had passed. He’d been reanimated a few months before her, but not long enough for her to notice a change. Not physically at least. He was forty-five, if she subtracted the years that hadn’t aged them. His dark Indian features drew her attention today just as they had the day she met him. Dark eyes and thick dark hair that complemented his dark skin and contrasted with her pale complexion and blond hair.

As she watched him move, she felt a longing she would never forget. The way he swayed his hands as he walked. The twinkle in his eyes she could see even from a distance. The lines on his cheeks when he smiled. She was still physically attracted to this man as if no time had passed.

Emotionally, she felt detached. Something was off. She couldn’t decide if it had been off before they were preserved or not. He was her husband. She’d been married to him for more than half her life. And yet, she wasn’t sure she knew him at all.

Tushar Anand was a good man, an excellent doctor, a loving father. Like her, he’d been a lieutenant in the army before their preservation.

He was also a stranger.

Her legs started to shake.

Jazmine reached for her arm to steady her. “Here. Sit.” She helped her settle on the porch swing.

Trish wrapped her sweater around her middle as she shivered. It was winter, but the weather had been unseasonably warm lately. Trish had always been thin, however, and nearly always felt cold. Lately, since she’d been brought back from what amounted to a ten-year hibernation, she was colder than ever. It was irrational, but it felt like the extreme temperatures of her vitrification were still hanging on to her.

“Abri is going to come over tomorrow and set up a PT schedule. You’ll be back to your normal self in no time.” Jazmine was so upbeat.

Trish felt guilty for her melancholy. She was always inside her head lately, making it difficult to remember social cues. She rubbed her temple with one hand and forced a smile. “I’m sorry I’m so quiet. I’m still exhausted. I can’t seem to get my energy back.”

Jazmine’s responded kindly. “Don’t worry about a thing. It’s understandable. You need sleep. Some physical therapy. Good food. You’ll be hiking these mountains in no time.”

Hiking? Trish hadn’t hiked anywhere since she was a kid. She’d had one single focus from the time she started high school—to become a research doctor. And she’d succeeded. First, she’d gone to West Point and then on to medical school where she studied endocrinology. Continuing to work for the government, she’d been sent to do classified disease research at a secret facility in Colorado known as Project DEEP—Disease & Epidemic Eradication & Prevention.

She’d met Tushar at West Point. The two had been together ever since. They had dedicated two decades of their life to their jobs when disaster struck.

The men approached the front porch of the cabin where Tushar and Trish would be staying for the foreseeable future, and Max—Davin’s retired military dog—bounded onto the porch ahead of them. The German Shepard had a noticeable limp that matched his owner’s. Neither Max nor his owner had escaped deployment unscathed. Neither dog nor man was letting their injuries control their lives either.

Trish threaded her fingers into Max’s fur, petting him as Tushar reached her side and lowered onto the swing next to her. She met her husband’s gaze. “Perimeter check?” she teased, nudging him with her shoulder. Her interactions with him were forced. Fake. She put on a front to keep everyone around from knowing how frustrated she was.

He met her gaze with what she assumed was an equally forced smile. “Hardly necessary. The Simones have it all under control. They will have someone on watch at all times.”

She glanced at Davin. “Thank you. For everything.”

He nodded back. “No problem at all. We’ll let you get settled in. If you need anything, call.” He reached out a hand and threaded his fingers with Jazmine’s.

Jazmine met Trish’s gaze as she descended the steps with Davin. “Nice meeting you. Don’t hesitate to call.”

Trish sighed as two of her protectors headed for their truck, Max bounding alongside them in his adorable lopsided way. She watched as the truck pulled down the gravel drive and then out of sight.

For several minutes she sat in silence next to Tushar as he gave the swing a gentle nudge every once in a while. Finally, he took her hand in his and squeezed. “We’re going to be okay.”

“Are we?” She wasn’t as confident. Okay seemed like a distant memory. Unattainable. Foreign. She didn’t even know what okay might feel like.

If you’d like to continue reading Reviving Trish, here is the purchase link: (Project DEEP, Book Two)