“Yes,” Ace said.
But Rad reached out and carefully took his hand to help Ace up. When Ace stood, Willa had to keep from letting out a little squeak when she could see exactly what it cost him. It was right there in the careful way he held himself, and the breath he took before he moved. But Ace stood, and he stayed standing, and that was what mattered right now.
Rad put a hand on Ace’s shoulder. The two of them exchanged a look that needed no words.
“Let’s get back inside,” Rad said.
They moved carefully back across the rock apron toward the cave entrance, Willa staying close to Ace’s left side, and Margo held back a few paces. The wind pushed at them from behind, as if it, too, had decided it was time they went in.
Grace didn’t stay at the entrance as Willa had instructed. She appeared the moment they came around the corner of the cave towards the entrance. Grace’s eyes went straight to Ace, and Andy was right beside her. Andy looked at Ace’s hands, the torn slicker, and the way Ace was holding himself.
“What on earth happened?” Grace asked, her eyes taking in Ace’s condition.
“I slid down the rockface,” Ace tried to make light of the very serious situation.
“Are you kidding?” Andy gaped at him. “Not all the way to the bottom, though?”
“No, I hit a ledge and grabbed onto some branches,” Ace explained. “I wouldn’t recommend it, though.”
“No, I don’t think that would be a ride anyone would want to go on,” Andy agreed. “I’m glad you’re okay. You gave us all a fright.”
“Sorry, bud,” Ace ruffled Andy’s hair.
“Yeah, and you were lecturing us on being safe,” Grace pointed out before hugging him. He winced, but Grace didn’t stop, and Ace pulled her against him as Andy joined the group hug. “Don’t do it again and be careful.”
“I will be, I promise,” Ace kissed the top of her head.
The sight of Ace with her children brought a lump to Willa’s throat, and her heart tugged, then filled with love. She swallowed, realizing in that moment just how much she loved that man. And more importantly, how much her kids loved him. Willa swallowed, fighting to control her emotions and not let tears spill down her cheeks as she remembered the fear that hadgripped her when, for a terrifying moment, they couldn’t find Ace on the edge of the ledge.
“You seem to have a death wish of late,” Andy said, finally stepping away as they all unfolded from the hug.
Tyler stood back slightly, watching, his arms folded. His eyes moved over Ace from head to foot in the methodical way that missed nothing, and whatever conclusions he drew he kept to himself.
“Yeah, first you dive into the ocean in turbulent seas, and then go for a dive down a rock face,” Tyler said, blowing out a breath. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks. So am I,” Ace said, grinning at the teenager. “And this was the last crazy thing for me on this trip.”
“I sure hope so,” Margo drawled angrily, swatting his shoulder before hugging him and making him wince again. “Did that hurt?” She stepped back to look at him. “Good.” She hugged him again. “You said you’d hold on.”
“I love you too, Mags,” Ace said, kissing her head and hugging her. “I promise I was hanging in there until a bucket of rain hit the ledge.”
Willa watched their easy exchange. They were like brother and sister. But still she felt a little envious as she wanted nothing more than to launch herself into Ace’s arms. But she held back. This was not the time nor the place for her to lose control of her very tightly reined-in emotions.
“We need to get all your cuts seen to,” Willa told Ace, as Margo nodded, stepped out of his arms, and then steered him toward the flat rock near the fire.
“I’ll get the first aid kit,” Rad offered and walked off.
Ace sat without arguing as Willa watched, and Rad returned with the first aid kit, handing it to Margo.
“Can you help me, please, Willa?” Margo asked and opened the first aid kit.
Willa nodded and did what Margo directed her to do as they cleaned Ace’s hands carefully. Working through the torn skin and rock grit with the antiseptic wipes from the kit. Ace sat still and let them do it without comment, his jaw set against whatever the antiseptic was doing to the raw patches. When they were done with the disinfectant and cleaning the wound, they wrapped both palms in clean bandages from the kit and pressed the ends flat.
“I’m going to have a look at your ribs,” Margo said, but Ace stopped her.
“They are just bruised,” Ace assured Margo, who did not look convinced. “I’m telling you they are not broken. Having had my fair share of broken and bruised ribs in my lifetime, trust me, I know the difference.”
“Can you take a full breath?” Margo pressed, her eyes narrowing as she watched Ace closely.
