“Sure am.”
“What? No way.”
“You’re okay with what he did? Just want him to get away with it?” I was breathing hard, my vision dark at the edges. Should have known that a guy who drove like he did would hurt women. Dickless fuck.
“He didn’t get away with it. I kneed him. In the balls!”
“Yeah?” I reached for my coat and slid it on. “I’m gonna finish the job.”
“You can’t do that. What does that even mean, anyway? Are you planning to—” She stood and ran to the door. “Hey! Stop. Stop it!”
“Guy’s a shitbag.” I put out an arm to set her out of my way and she wrapped herself around it like a vine.
“Yes. Yes, he is.” Her voice was low. Urgent. “And if you ignore me right now,you’rean asshole.”
“I want to hurt him.” The words came out, sharp and ugly. I imagined hitting him, could feel the crunch of bone against my knuckles, could smell the blood.
“You can’t.” Her eyes flicked between mine and her hand tightened on my arm, hanging on me. “Stay here. With me.”
Brownie whined from where she stood, alert in front of the fire, her eyebrows twitching as she watched.
“Look, Micah. It was awful. He’s a creep. But, because of you, I can honestly say that my night got better.” She stepped into my space and snagged me with her dark intensity. “I mean, I almost fell off a cliff, but then yousavedme. Do you know how amazing it is to almost die? To be here when—” She glanced down at my leg and back up, something so familiar on her face that all I could think was,I know this woman. Iknowher. “Yeah, I guess you probably get it, Micah. Right now, I feelalive. Exhausted, in pain, shell-shocked and freaked out that my car’s gone. It’s probably polluting your beautiful mountainside. I can’t believe I have to figure out a job situation and I’m worried that my presence is annoying as hell to you…but I’malive. Luckiest woman in the world.” Her lopsided grin wasfascinating. “Because ofyou.You. And I don’t want anything to happen to you. Including hurting yourself by hurting him. He’s not worth it, Micah. Butyouare.”
Her words felled me, twisted me up in knots, made me feel bigger and stronger.
“You get it, Micah? We may not know each other, but…” She put her hands to her face and shook her head. “Crap, you’re gonna think I’m batshit crazy, but here it is.” Her intensity was almost blinding when she looked at me. Her inner strength superhuman. “Right here, right now, right this minute, you’re the most important person in my life. You risked your life to save mine.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she put up a hand to stop me. “No biggie, I know. The point is, if you went to prison for beating that asshole up, I’d never forgive myself, ever. For involving you, for telling you what he did, for letting you go up there and do things you’d regret.”
Oh. I could see that.
“So, please. Please stay here. Okay?”
I swallowed and stepped back, taking her in, from the high shine in her eyes to the bright pink circles on her cheeks, then down to the quick rise and fall of her chest.
I blinked. “Yeah.” The need to hurt faded to a tingling in my fingers and toes—all four limbs feeling the exact the same thing, as if I hadn’t left one back on that roadside in Afghanistan. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You are an ama—” Her lips pressed together and she swallowed, then shook her head. “How about that bacon?”
11
Christa
Istood by the front door watching Micah stomp to the kitchen in his boots and coat. His brow was creased, his mouth tight, his face as darkly dangerous as the chasm I’d nearly lost my life to.
What the hell had I gotten myself into here? One jerk up the mountain trying to grab my boob and this guy flying off the handle at the drop of a hat. In all fairness, he had good reason to lose it. I just didn’t want him to ruin his life over it.
I followed his movements for a few more seconds, still wary that he’d blow right out the door if I moved.
“You taking off that coat or do I have to stand here forever?”
He stilled, back to me. “Can’t.” His head dropped. Were his shoulders shaking?
“Why not?”
“’Cause then you’ll see that I forgot to put on a shirt and long pants under this and realize what a douchebag I am.”
“Yeah, well…” I broke out into a grin, fighting an actual laugh. “You had a shirt on when you saved my life last night. Guess I’ll let this one slide.”
