His lips parted in surprise, briefly, before the sweetest smile she had ever seen him wear appeared. “Say it again.”
She laughed, an entire flutter of butterflies taking off in her abdomen. “I love you.”
He leaned his forehead on hers. This close, his eyes were breathtaking. She could make out the gray rim on the outer irises and the cornflower flecks toward the middle.
“I love you, Red. From the day I met you until the day I die and after that.” With that, he kissed her.
He kept it featherlight, the barest brush of lips, a ghost of a kiss. She moved her hands to his shirt and tugged him closer, wrinkling his shirt even more than it was already, and pressed her lips firmly against his. They moved their lips slowly together, lost in the feel and taste of each other and the sweet feeling of finally giving in.
He pulled back slightly, far enough that he could see her face. He held her eyes with his in a way that told her he was being completely honest. “I love you.” He spoke reverently, his promise in return.
Both of them had giddy grins on their faces when the nurse appeared a minute later to give Kelsi another examination. She slid knowing eyes in Dylan’s direction but remained professional and said nothing. She told Kelsi that they hadn’t found anything concerning in her scans and would discharge her shortly. A couple of painkillers every few hours and some rest was what the doctor ordered.
Dylan nodded along seriously as the nurse rattled off instructions, and he took Abby’s abandoned chair to wait until the discharge papers were brought to them.
Kelsi took a deep breath, needing to know one last thing in order to clear the air between them. “I know this question isn’t fair, Dylan, because I was engaged to Tom, but I need to know. Was there anyone else? After graduation?”
“No. No matter how angry I was at you for what I thought you did, there hasn’t been anyone else. How could there be, when no one could ever measure up to you?” He gave her a rueful smile. “Plus,” he joked, “it’s not like there were too many options in the military. You’ve seen Kole. He doesn’t do it for me.”
She laughed, which was exactly what he’d wanted based on the blinding smile he gave at hearing it.
“What does this mean for us?” Kelsi hadn’t expected to ask the question here, now, but it had been banging around in her brain for the past forty-eight hours, and she needed to know his answer more than she needed air in her lungs.
He chuckled. “I had this whole speech prepared for after the trial today, because we never talked about what we are now. I wanted to make the case for us, to convince you to be with me, and you’re beating me to the punch.”
“You know me,” she said with a shrug. “So?” She bit her lip, crossing her fingers underneath the hospital sheets.
“It means,” he began, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, “that I will never let you go again. That we will face our demons, whether they be our own thoughts or the crazy people we see every day at work, and we will do it together. We will always be friends first, but it’s time to be something more now, too.”
Her heart felt almost too full as she smiled broadly, throat tightening with emotion.I love this man so much. “That sounds perfect.” Kelsi grabbed his hands in hers.
“Tomorrow we’ll go home,” he said, holding her hands to his lips to brush a gentle kiss across her knuckles before kissing the bandages on her wrists.
“Home,” she repeated, a bright smile on her face. For the first time in years, it truly felt like Oyster Shoals was her home.
“I do have to warn you, though.” He sucked in his bottom lip, forehead creasing in worry.
“What is it?” Kelsi held her breath, wondering if this was when the other shoe would finally drop.
“I had Boone watching our moms, and, uh, Boone might have told them that you’d been kidnapped.”
Damn it.Her mom would be freaking out. Kelsi was surprised they weren’t already banging down the hospital doors.
“I called them after we found you, so they know you’re safe. They did demand that we stop by your mom’s place first, as soon as we get back to town.”
Kelsi closed her eyes, knowing that the rest she needed would have to wait a while.
CHAPTER 50
Dylan
After Kelsi wasdischarged, they’d spent another night in Virginia Beach, he and Kelsi sharing a hotel room. Kole and Boone picked up Kelsi’s car from the courthouse and would drive it up to Oyster Shoals sometime during the week. To be safe, Dylan and Kelsi had decided they would be better off not having her drive yet.
He was glad it meant he didn’t have to let her out of his sight for a single second. She smiled at him from the passenger seat when they finally pulled into Karen’s driveway. They needed time with their moms after the traumatic couple of days.
“Kelsi!” her mom screamed before running and wrapping her daughter in her arms, her body trembling with soft cries.
Dylan’s own eyes watered. He knew Karen had been terrified for her, hearing about what had happened through Boone and not Dylan, but he’d been too scared to make that call himself. He had already been beating himself up over not being there to protect her. He didn’t want to hear her mom tell him that too. The voice in his head was enough. Once he’d had Kelsi back, he’d called her on his way back to the courthouse to let her know she was okay.
