Page 78 of Rising Star

Nothing stands in our way anymore

I’m a country boy

And you’re an angel

Please shower me with your light

Please let me love you tonight

Softly, I recited part of the chorus of the song I wrote for her the night she came back into my house after she forgot her purse months ago. The song I never thought I would perform because I believed an us wasn’t possible back then.

Life proved me wrong.

And I would never take it for granted ever anymore. I’d been hurt and she’d been hurt and now I knew how precious our love was.

Sleep claimed me too, and for the first time in weeks, I wasn’t afraid anymore.

23

MADISON

My eyelids opened, and I blinked to adjust to the semi-darkness around me. For a beat, I wondered where I lay. Sam muttered in his sleep, and his arms fastened around my waist, pulling me closer. I smiled, relieved my being here with him wasn’t a dream but a reality.

I tilted my head to kiss his lips.

In the last twenty-four hours, I’d gone from despising my physical therapist to going back into my man’s arms.

Sam’s palm splayed over my stomach, preventing me from escaping his embrace.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I whispered against his lips. “You gotta let me go.”

Before I could register his movements, he was standing and turning on the light on his side of the bed. After he put a pair of boxer briefs on, he held out his hand for me to grab. “Come, let me help you.”

Pushing with my hands, I moved into a seating position. Sam slipped one of his T-shirts over my head, helping me with my balance, his other hand anchored to my hipbone.

I slid the crutches under my armpits, making my way to the little en-suite bathroom. Our bedroom was at the back of the bus. It was modestly decorated and consisted of a queen-sized bed squeezed between two small nightstands. The kitchen, a four-seat table, and a couch completed the main level. On the upper deck were the girls’ bunkroom and my old living quarter, a full bathroom, a sofa, and a small table where the girls did school work and arts and crafts projects.

Sam turned on the light and stood close behind me.

“I can do this on my own,” I said. “While we’re both up, I might give the shower a try if you don’t mind.”

“I can help,” he offered.

I sighed, trying to refuse while not offending him. He just stood too close for comfort. Moving around on crutches turned out to be quite a challenge in that narrow space, and a curse escaped my lips.

Sam’s hands steadied me.

“I said, I can do this,” I repeated with a tone harsh enough to surprise me.

He backed a step, raising his arms in surrender. “Fine.”

I shut my eyes to calm down and opened them again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that. Let me…let me do this. I’ll need your help to shower, though.”

Sam turned around and pressed a shoulder against the doorframe to give me a little privacy.

Clean and wearing Sam’s tee, I returned to bed. I searched his eyes. “Earlier…I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know you’re trying to be there for me. It’ll take a few days for us to adapt to this,” I said, pointing to my leg. “Don’t give up on me, okay? Ems said I was hard to live with. Don’t lose hope. I’ll try to be better.”

Sam pulled me against him. “We’ll find our normal. It’s a lot of changes for both of us. A relationship, your accident, living in cramped quarters, being apart for so long, the girls. I don’t wanna rush things, but I’m not waiting anymore. You’re too important to me. And I almost missed my chance once. Never again.”