Her forehead furrowed. “What?”
“You kept me alive, Doc,” he whispered. “Guess that makes you my luck now.”
Her eyes softened. “I don’t believe in luck.”
“Neither do I.”
She stepped into him, setting her whiskey down on the dock railing. Her fingers slid into his shirt, careful of the scar. “You stayed conscious because you’re impossible.”
“And because you didn’t let me go.” He let his forehead rest against hers.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
The marsh wind moved around them, soft and endless.
She finally took the silver dollar, turning it between her fingers. “You’re sure?”
He nodded once. “I don’t need it anymore.”
Her gaze lifted. “Why?”
He brushed his thumb along her jaw. “Because I’m not walking into anything alone now.”
That landed between them, warm and certain. She leaned up and kissed him, then dropped her hands and took a breath. “We shouldn’t.”
He laughed as he grabbed her. “We are. It’s been two weeks. The doctor cleared me for light duty.”
He felt it all the way down to the marrow. When she pulled back, her smile was softer than the first sunlight after a storm.
“I’m building something here…” She pressed her hand to his chest. “Research center. Community training. Coastal response modeling.”
“Salt & Steel will back it.”
“I know.” Her hand slid around his waist carefully, mindful of his healing side. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Something inside him, something that had been braced his entire life finally loosened as he pulled her closer. The kiss deepened, slow and reverent. His hand settled at the small of her back, grounding himself in the feel of her.
She laughed softly against his mouth.
“What?”
“You’re smiling.”
He hadn’t realized. “Don’t get used to it.”
“Too late.”
Inside the cottage, Channel 16 dinged loudly: once, twice, and then a third time. Wyatt groaned as Letty laughed outright. He reached inside and grabbed the comm unit from the counter, pressing the speaker. “Roper, out.” He turned off the radio as he brushed his lips over hers again, slower this time, tasting whiskey and salt and something that seemed dangerously close to peace.
“What about an emergency?”
Wyatt’s hands roamed Letty’s torso as he deepened the kiss. Moaning, Letty lifted her shirt, dropping it onto a chair. She ran her hands under his shirt, protecting his injury. “It’d be faster if you got naked.”
He smiled, removing his shirt.
She scrutinized the wound as he laughed. “Here!” He pointed to his lips as he pressed them to hers.
Moments later, lying next to each other on Wyatt’s bed, he forgot about any injury and just focused on his future.
