He jerked awake, bolting upright, taking Grace whom he still held in his arms with him. Perspiration pricked his forehead and the back of his neck as his heart continued to race.
Everything came rushing back to him. The wedding. Dancing with Grace. Kissing her. Marisol's collapse. Coming back after changing to spend more time with Grace, who broke down after helping get her mother to bed.
According to her, they were mostly happy tears for Gabe and Paige. But Damon knew she was worried about her mother. By the light of the lamp on the end table, he'd encouraged her to talk about her fears of losing her mother, and they'd cried together.Then he'd held her in his arms to comfort her, and at some point, they'd fallen asleep.
"Are you okay?" Worry lines creased her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He scrubbed a hand over his face.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice was gentle and encouraging.
"No." He extricated himself from her and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water.
She followed him. Arms wrapped around herself, she leaned against the counter and watched him.
"It was just a nightmare. I have them sometimes." He drained his glass of water.
"Is it PTSD?"
Damon shrugged. "Yeah. Mine's not as bad as some of the guys though."
Grace closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks." He embraced her. Soaking in her comfort, he rested his chin on her head.
They stood there in the dark kitchen for a long time, both aware that he'd be leaving in twenty-four hours. He glanced at the clock on the stove.
More like twenty-two hours.
"I'd better go home and let you get some rest." He finally released her. "Will you spend the day with me tomorrow? I mean today."
"Yes."
"Good. I want to take you out to the lake."
Grace's brow creased. "Aren't Gabe and Paige honeymooning at the lake?"
"It's a big lake." Damon chuckled. "Don't worry, we won't disturb them."
"In that case, I'd love to go to the lake with you, but it depends on how my mother is doing in the morning."
He kept an arm around her as he walked to the front door. "Go to bed. Sleep in, then call me when you wake up. We'll go from there."
"Okay."
He cupped her face in both hands and pressed his lips to hers. He intended to keep it brief, but she clung to him as he was about to pull away. Her lips parted, and he drank from the well like a man who was dying of thirst.
Breathless, yet longing for more, he finally pushed her away. "You drive me crazy."
She grinned, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to open the door and walk out.
"Goodnight, beautiful."
CHAPTER 13
"We're renting a canoe?" Grace's voice was full of surprise when Damon parked his rental car in front of Bob's Boat Rentals.
"Did you think I was brought you just to sit on the shore?"
