“Please don’t leave me,” she begged. “I’m sorry for what I said. I hurt you because I was scared. You told me to fight. I did. Now it’s your turn.”
Jameson raised his hand and cupped her cheek. “I love you, Honeybee,” he murmured. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
She choked back a laugh.
Matthew and Julio arrived seconds before the ambulance. They rushed to aid both their teammates as Rebecca pulled her away from Jameson while the paramedics worked on him. Mac cuffed Nancy and led her outside as she screamed profanities at them.
“No, no, no,” Jameson heard Caroline cry as they surrounded him. The pressure in his chest grew tighter as the paramedics worked.
The machine measuring his heart rate stopped beeping and made a single sound.
“I love you, Jameson,” he heard her call out to him as his body floated away. Feeling strangely at peace, he closed his eyes. Flashes of his future with Caroline greeted him as he felt them pull and tug on his body. He felt the joy of watching their firstborn child come into the world. His hand reached out to touch Caroline’s honey blonde hair as she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Her laughter filled the void, reminding him of what he needed to fight for. Yet the peace of never having to prove himself beckoned. Jameson knew he was given a choice. He turned back to see Caroline holding out her hand to him, her eyes begging him to return. Jameson sighed and turned toward the light.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
The sunlight peered through the window as Caroline raised her head. The machines beeped, and Jameson lay perfectly still. His pale skin felt cold to the touch, and she pulled the cover over him, avoiding touching any wires or tubes.
She leaned in and kissed his forehead, smoothing out his hair.
Garrett leaned in the doorway.
“You know he’ll kick my ass if I don’t care for you while he’s recuperating,” he said softly.
“I’m not leaving him,” she said stubbornly. “Why won’t he wake up?”
“He needs rest. You’ll wish they kept him sedated when he wakes up,” Garrett said, chuckling. “He’ll be a bear.”
Shaking her head, Caroline glanced down at Jameson. “He’s not a bear. He’s my guardian angel.”
Garrett stroked his beard, and his eyes lit up with laughter. “I think we figured out his new call sign.”
“You can call him whatever you wish as long as he opens his eyes,” she said longingly.
“He’ll wake when he’s ready,” Garrett assured her. “Rebecca’s coming to take you for breakfast and a hot shower.”
She raised her steely eyes to meet his. “I’m not leaving him.”
Garrett approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll watch over him. He’s my best friend, and I won’t let him go anywhere.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “He hasn’t woken in three days. What if he…”
“Don’t go there,” Garrett demanded. “He’s strong, and the doctor said they got all the fragments out.”
“Why didn’t he wear his vest? It’s because of me,” she sobbed.
“No. He’s a dumbass. Jameson knew better, and he rushed in without thinking,” Garrett informed her, rubbing her back. “I’m sure all the women except for Delaney will arrive shortly. I’ll give you some time alone to tell him you’ll be back after a hearty breakfast, some sleep, and a shower.”
She opened her mouth again to argue when Garrett shook his head. “I have my orders, Caroline. You’re not listed as family. If you don’t comply, I’m to deny you access.”
“Go ahead and try it,” she snarled. “Victoria taught me how to take a man down, and I’m not afraid to use it.”
“You won’t have to take me down, Rebecca ordered me,” he said before he walked out, leaving her alone with Jameson. Why did her friend turn on her? Did they blame her for Jameson’s condition, too? She sure as hell blamed herself.
Taking the rail down, Caroline placed her head next to his.
“They’re kicking me out, Jameson. I have so much I want to say, and I’m afraid if I leave, I’ll never get the chance. I’ve loved you from the moment you entered the bar and saved me from Cain. I said all those terrible things, and I’m entering counseling to deal with…everything. Rebecca offered me a job. I’m accepting it and working part-time while I finish mymaster’s degree. I want to help the kids,” she told him as she stroked along his overgrown scruff.
“I need you,” she whispered. “It’s taken almost losing you to realize as long as we’re together, we can make it past anything. I choose you, Jameson. You’re the one I want to run to, not the one I want to run from.”
