Branna let them go and headed for the house, but Annabelle stopped before entering. Her shoulders rose as she sucked in a lungful of air and looked around her. Ethan followed her eyes and saw the redwoods standing tall and strong, their roots binding them deep into the soil, and the hills beyond. He inhaled again and the scent of nature filled his nostrils. It wasn’t Texas, but it was becoming home to him. The pull would be even stronger now, he thought, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling Annabelle in to his body.
“You okay?” Ethan said, relieved when she didn’t fight him.
“When we were in that place, where Cooper was, I didn’t know if I’d ever breathe in this air again, and I was so scared that you wouldn’t either.”
The look in her eyes nearly broke his heart. He wasn’t used to seeing her vulnerable.
“And yet here we are,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“And here we are,” she sighed.
He held her tight, his arms wrapped around her body, hers around his as they enjoyed this moment of quiet, Minutes later they walked inside to face what was to come. The battle that they both knew had only just begun.
“Jake and his mom have put Cooper in one of the bedrooms, Belle,” Branna said when they entered the house. Annabelle made a move to follow, but Declan O’Donnell stopped her.
“There, now, girl, you’re home and safe, as is your brother. You let those doctors do what they do best, and they’ll call for you if necessary.”
Annabelle let him take her into his arms and hold her tight. These were her people. From them she could take this and understand that it came from the heart.
“I’m so scared, Declan,” she whispered.
She heard the murmur of voices behind her: Jake’s dad, Buster and Ethan. She couldn’t hear the words, but it was soothing that they came from her friends and the man she loved.
“’Tis only natural, Annabelle, but we have to hold on to hope now. Hope and certainty that together we will help Cooper heal and come back to you.”
“It’s okay, girl,” Buster said, and he followed it up with a hand on her head. It was large and warm and meant so much from a man not known for demonstrative gestures. Declan released her and she turned to look at her childhood friend. His face was serious, his pale green eyes worried.
“I’m gonna be real mad with you when you’re stronger, because you kept this from us, and carried this all alone, and especially when we had this out just a few days ago. But we’ll put that aside for now, okay?”
She nodded, understanding that he was hurt, like the others would be, that she’d kept Cooper’s condition to herself.
“We’ll get through this.” Buster then touched her cheek.
“I hope so. But he’s away from that place, and that has to be a start,” Annabelle added.
“You come and drink some coffee and have a slice of the pie I brought.” Buster took her arm and led her to the table.
Food, according to Buster, fixed most things, and if not, at least you were full while you were hurting.
“I should go and be with Cooper.”
“Annabelle, let Jake and Nancy do what they need to. They’ll come for you when they’re ready,” Patrick McBride said. He looked like his son Jake, just a bit older, and his hug was hard and warm.
She took the seat next to Ethan for no other reason than she needed to be near him, and was way too tired to fight it.
“There we go, Belle.” Branna placed a plate in front of her, a huge helping of apple pie, and a large mug of coffee.
“How come she gets hers first?” Ethan reached for her mug and took a big mouthful before handing it to her.
“I like her more,” Branna said, then went back to the kitchen.
“Now, we all know that’s not true,” Ethan said.
“Don’t get all bent out of shape, Number Five. There’s still plenty of women out there who have you on the top of their list.” Buster gave Annabelle a wink as he spoke.
Annabelle ate a mouthful of pie and moaned loudly. She hadn’t been hungry until now. “Damn, Buster, we just have to get married.”
“I asked first,” Ethan said grabbing the hand Annabelle was steering towards her mouth and detouring it to his. She saw a flash of white teeth as he opened wide and shoveled the pie in. She looked at his face, saw the lines of fatigue and bloodshot eyes.
