Chapter Seventeen #2
The familiar guilt over being alive and so damned happy when Landon was dead sprouted inside Owen.
As he neared the hospital front door, a cardinal flew past his face.
Its bright red feathers damn near brushed his nose on its way to land in a tree to his right.
The red bird’s rhythmic wheet, wheet song swirled around Owen, calling to him in an odd way, and a voice popped into his head, as clear as the last time he’d spoken to his best friend.
Stop that guilt shit. There’s no reason for it. All I ask is that you keep an eye on Addie for me.
It’s a promise, pal. You don’t have to worry about that.
Owen’s pain and guilt started receding, and minutes later when he arrived in Carly’s room, he found her dressed in the jeans and loose-fitting T-shirt he’d brought her yesterday, her right arm bandaged and in a sling.
How fragile she still appeared slammed into him, leaving him almost weak.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he could spend the rest of his life and never repay the universe for this gift.
If things had gone differently with Dylan that night they could’ve lost each other.
No, he wouldn’t think about it. Instead, gratitude over the damn fine job her guardian angel and the Lord had done protecting her flowed through him.
“You ready to go?” he said as he joined her, kissing her lightly on the lips, his heart fuller than he ever remembered.
She shook her head. “I can’t leave looking like this.”
He stared at her, something he’d never get tired of doing. “Why not? You look beautiful.”
“Look at my hair. It looks like rats set up their winter home in it.”
He chuckled. That was what she was frowning about? Only then did he notice her golden-brown hair was a tangled mess around her delicate face, and a hairbrush rested on her lap. He made a tsking sound and couldn’t resist teasing her. “I never realized you were so vain.”
“I’m not, and you know it, but with the bruises on my face and my hair like this, I’ll scare little kids on the street.”
“We can’t have that.” He bit his lip to keep from laughing as he picked up the brush and sank onto the bed beside her. Then he carefully worked the tangles from her hair. While he did, he updated her on the board’s decision.
While Carly had been right about the board being thrilled to hear he’d reconsidered accepting the executive director position, she’d been wrong about their reaction to the restructuring.
They’d agreed to it after only a short discussion and his assurance that the new co-director position wouldn’t put undo strain on the agency’s finances.
“The official job offer for your newly created position should be in your email.”
“Considering how persuasive you can be when you turn on the charm, I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow I am.”
“They know a good deal when they’re offered one. Plus, I told them we were a package deal. They take us both or they start searching again.”
He ran the brush through her silky tresses once more and vowed this would become a nightly ritual. “Though you were beautiful before, you’re all presentable now” he said as Dottie, Carly’s favorite nurse during her stay, entered the room pushing a wheelchair.
“We received your discharge paperwork. Just remember Carly, don’t overdo it.
Don’t spend too much time on your feet.” An odd twinkle in her eyes behind her black wire-rim glasses, Dottie focused her gaze on Owen.
“You make her rest.” Then her hands on her ample hips, she stared at Carly again.
“And you, missy, when Owen tells you it’s time to rest, you rest. I don’t want to see you back here. ”
“Yes, ma’am,” they dutifully replied.
Then a few minutes later after signing papers, getting prescriptions, and more instructions from Dottie, Owen and Carly left the hospital and headed for her father’s house.
When Owen turned into the driveway, Carly gasped.
“Why didn’t you tell me the mobile home got delivered?
” Before he could get a word out, she continued, “I can’t wait to get inside.
Is it as wonderful as we imagined? Do you think it’ll work the way we envisioned?
” Excitement lit up her face and made her squirm in her seat.
“Before we do that,” he said as he put the truck into park, “remember what Dottie said and what she’ll do to us if you get worn out.”
“I will. Now I can’t stand the suspense. Can we please get going?”
“But making you wait is so much fun,” he teased.
She reached for the door handle while tossing him a sassy grin.
He smiled thinking of the chase she’d send him on in the years to come and how he’d enjoy every one.
“No need to do that,” he said as he started driving toward the Horses for Heroes parking lot.
The closer they got to the tan mobile home with black shutters the louder Carly squealed and the more she squirmed.
“It’s beautiful and huge! We’ll definitely have space to grow.” Her eyes wide, she turned to him. Despite her excitement, his stomach tightened as he parked the truck and shut off the engine.
She placed her hand over his. “You sure this is what you want too? You don’t regret your decision to leave the military?
I don’t want you feeling like you’re settling.
That, and I’m still a little worried about us working together.
You really think it’ll be okay? That we won’t end up killing each other? ”
He waited for her to run out of breath or questions, and when she did, he smiled.
“You done?” She nodded. “You want me to answer those questions now?” She nodded again.
“Darlin’, I don’t regret leaving the Army because what we’ll be doing here is just as important.
And no way in hell am I settling. I’m happier than I’ve ever been and there’s nothing I want more than a life with you. ”
Then he reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a set of keys. When he placed them in her left hand, his hand shook. “Here are your keys to our new office.”
“This is so exciting. I can’t wait to get to work.
We have so much to do,” Carly said. When she finally looked at the keys in her hand, her brows furrowed.
Then she pulled the keys closer to examine them.
Her lips parted. She started to speak, stopped, looked at him, back at the keys, and then her wide-eyed gaze locked on him. “What’s this with the keys?”
Owen swallowed hard. The love shining in her haunting blue eyes eased his doubts and nerves. “It’s my grandmother’s engagement ring. Carly girl, love of my life, will you marry me?”
“Are you sure? I still can’t promise I’ll want to stay in Service forever. For now it feels right, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together at Horses for Heroes, but I don’t know if it’ll last.”
“Whatever life throws our way, we’ll handle it together, and decide what’s best for us.
Not for me. Not for you. Best for us.” He reached across the seat to cup her beautiful face in his large hands.
“I don’t care where we live. Darlin’, home is wherever you are.
Now will you say you’ll marry me before my heart gives out? ”
“You have got to work on your patience.”
Blasted woman, but oh, how he loved her. “I’ve waited all these years for you. That much patience should get me damn close to sainthood. Maybe you should quit trying to drive me crazy.” She tossed him a saucy grin.
“A girl has to have some fun.” He glared at her, and she giggled. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He pried the keys from her hand, and removed his grandmother’s ring, that had two tiny diamonds in gold teardrops around a large round solitaire that formed a square setting, off the fob and slid it on her finger.
“Now let’s tour the new offices.”
However, before they reached the mobile home, the front door burst open and people poured out. Carly’s dad, Ryder, and Owen’s folks led the way, followed closely by Clint McMillan, and most of the town. “Surprise!”
Carly turned to him. “You did this?”
He shook his head. “My plan was for a more private tour after my proposal.”
Carly’s dad stepped forward. “The party was my idea. Kind of a welcome home from the hospital, christening the new office, and engagement party all rolled into one. Thought of it yesterday when Owen officially asked me for your hand.”
“You did that?”
He nodded. “Obviously I forgot to tell him to keep the fact to himself. You know how I hate productions.”
“Oh, dear. The wedding could be a problem, because even small ones can be a production.”
Owen shook his head and kissed her lightly on the lips. “The things I do for you, woman.”
“I’ll have to find a way to repay you for your sacrifice.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he said, eyeing the approaching crowd. “This definitely wasn’t what I expected we’d be doing after getting engaged. Small towns. You gotta love ’em.”
“Patience. We can use me needing to rest as an excuse to leave soon.”
“Works for me.”