Page 86 (1/1)

I wanted to take care of people I wanted to be theand sacrifice I’d survived through to good use I wanted everything I’d learned toup to protect and serve was a good way to accomplish all of that

When I drove out of the Holler and irl, I drove past the cemetery where both my mom and Caroline had been laid to rest I made a mental note to take Dixie by so we could both pay our respects before she went back to Denver If those tomen hadn’t loved me as fiercely and ferociously as they had I never would have figured out how to love the wo I owed them the world and I wanted to make them proud I knew they would both be proud of the woman my heart picked

I would hold Dixie while she cried, because I knew she would

And I would let her holdpast tirieve for all that I’d lost Then I’d kiss her until neither one of us could breathe because it was long past tiained

DIXIE WAS WAITING when I got back to the hospital I wanted to kickher some of the unpronounceable flowers as well I needed to upskills Not that you would think I’d dropped the ball by the slowed She shined She shiht and vivid it was easy to overlook the bandages holding her together and the thick brace on her foot Any day that I got to see her s a whole hell of a lot of the as soon as she saw ood at being a hugger It was nice to have o of and it was nice to be held like she had no intention of ever letting go of et that door closed?" She curled her good hand around mine as a woman dressed in scrubs rolled her and the wheelchair she was seated in out of the room and towards the elevator It didn’t surprise me one bit that every staff member we passed knew her name and wanted to wish her well and a speedy recovery That was simply the effect she had on people

When it was tiive her the chance to try to lift herself up while she balanced on one leg I picked her up and hefted her into the cab as she laughed in my ear and curled her ar er than I’d intended She didn’t seeave it a little flick

I pulled back and sht you flowers or a balloon"

She grinned at me and leaned forward so her lips could touch mine "I liked the kiss better"

God, how could you not smile at that?

I climbed into the driver’s side of the truck and headed ho to have to have sooner rather than later

We were on the outskirts of town and settled into what I thought was a co at the side of my face I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and watched her watch me

"What?" She jumped when I asked the question and lifted her hand to her throat

"Nothing" She tilted her face back around so that she was looking out the windshield but her lips were pressed tightly together and she was tapping her fingers nervously on her knee It was all very un-Dixie-like, so much so that I kept an eye out for a place to pull over and when I found one I drove the truck off the road, found a little spot that was secluded and out-of-the-way, and parked behind an outcropping of cypress trees that had branches that touched the ground She gaveas I twisted around to look at her

"What’s working in that pretty little head of yours, Dixie?" I stretched an arers to her hair

"I was just thinking It’s nothing important and it can definitely wait until we’re back at your dad’s place"

"It’s not nothing It has you fidgety and quiet Lay it onyou can say that is going to scare me off" I watched as she bit her lip and then stuck it out in a pout The pluue and I wanted to put my teeth into it

She took a deep breath and then started talking so fast that it made my head spin "Well, I love you and you love o back to Denver Because I have a job that I ht not be able to do because ofwho I really do miss, and my sister who is still in a irls You haven’t mentioned if you want me to stay there or co about where you’re planning on living long-term or what you think you want to do for a job, because it’s clear you don’t want to be a bouncer forever And your family is here, so I’m sure you don’t want to leave, but I don’t want to overstay et married and have babies, but I don’t know if that’s what you want because you didn’t even know you could love me back until like yesterday and it’s all just a lot I don’t want to scare you away but so time, the rest just recently when you told me you loved me back"