Chapter 36
Sunday
There’s a week of injury care, transportation, and official procedures before I’m finally contacted, saying that Casey is now going to be able to get in touch with me.
Being his next of kin, Haven received contact on Friday outlining that Casey had been injured, but no details were given due to the undisclosable nature of his missions.
All she knew was that he’d been hurt but, incredibly, he’s going to be okay, as long as his injuries are kept protected from infection and he has enough rest to aid his recovery.
So as soon as Jason told me that Haven had managed to contact him – after being unable to get in touch with me, seeing as my cell ran out of power – he’d taken me straight to her place for all of the details that she’d been given, and my eyes burned with grateful tears the second that she told me he’s going to recover.
The officials had told her that he’d already had the preliminary care to his wounds, so now it’s just a waiting game to see how well his body recovers.
And he was well enough to talk to the staff and tell them that he wanted to call his family as soon as possible.
I push my body off the doorjamb that leads into the back office at Casey’s bar, my gaze slowly roaming over the stunning wood desk as I wonder what the hell my brother has been thinking lately.
Buying the bar in Phoenix Falls, and then almost giving me a heart attack because he was injured… my brother has always been so careful and considered that I can’t help but think that his mind must have been all over the place lately.
Why would he buy a bar when he hasn’t left the military yet?
And why buy a bar at all when he’d never paid any interest in the idea before?
I walk slowly around the room, my cowgirl boots tapping gently against the hardwood floor, and I realign one of the hand-carved photo frames, depicting one of his favourite lakes to swim in during the summer.
As soon as I found the photo, I knew that I had to put it in Casey’s office – depicting one of his greatest passions that will always be here for him when he gets home.
Because I don’t doubt that, as soon as he can, Case will be back behind the wheel of his truck, and taking Haven down to one of the lakes in the lower mountains – so long as they’re in their ‘on-again’ phase again but, given what he’s just been through, I’m pretty sure that they will be.
And even if it takes him months of building up his strength and keeping his wounds protected from the elements, the second that he’s given the go-ahead he’s going to be wading through the crystal waters as if he’d never left them in the first place.
But maybe he’ll start small – and dip his toes in the pool that Jason built for him.
I hadn’t been back to Casey’s bungalow in what felt like forever but, after finding out that he’s going to be okay, I asked Jason to take me there.
And I know that Casey will most likely be staying with Haven and Tucker when he gets home – because even if Tucker doesn’t understand what’s just happened, Casey is going to want to be as close to his son as possible – but I still wanted to make the cabin as cute as possible just in case he comes home and needs a little me-time.
And when Jason finally showed me what he’d built beneath the pines in Casey’s backyard, my heart clenched tight in my chest, overwhelmed with how perfect it was.
Because if Casey’s going to be recovering, he might want to do a lot of that in private, and seeing the sanctuary that Jason built for him just made me love him even more.
The stunning tiles, the unique curves to the shape, and with enough length for Casey to swim his laps once his wounds are healed and he can get back in the water.
Add a string of fairy-lights to the rustic back porch and Casey’s never going to want to be anywhere else.
I walk slowly to the front of the desk, my back to the door as I inhale shakily, willing myself to keep my composure even though this is literally my worst nightmare.
After everything that happened when I was seventeen and we lost Cash…
I swallow quietly, holding back my tears, just grateful that Casey’s okay. That, even though he’s been injured, it isn’t fatal and he’s recovering well.
And hopefully he’ll be back home as soon as possible.
I lift my arms to re-tie my ponytail, more out of habit than necessity, and then I hug my arms back around my body, feeling the comfort of Jason’s large construction jacket keeping me warm.
And then heavy footfalls sound behind me in the corridor of the bar, and I turn my head over my shoulder just as Jason steps through the door.
My heart beats faster at the sight of him, at his tan skin and broad shoulders. And the tendons in his large forearms are even more pronounced than usual, after installing the heavy furniture in the bar this afternoon with his guys.
He walks toward me and lifts my chin, leaning down to kiss me gently before enveloping me in his arms.
And I sigh as I lean back against his steadily heaving chest, lifting my hands to stroke his strong wrists as he holds my body firmly against his.
And secretly? As I look around the beautiful office, I can’t help but hope that it’s enough to make Casey stay. To make him know that there’s a whole life waiting for him beyond the military, if he chooses that this time is going to be the last time he risks his life for us.
“Everything’s in place out there,” Jason rumbles, moving his hands to my shoulders and caressing me beneath his coat. “And it looks fucking beautiful, baby. Case is gonna love it.”
I nod gently and swallow, not trusting my voice to speak when my emotions are so raw.
And then Jason’s hands roam down to my waist, squeezing gently before travelling to my stomach.
“Ready to go?” he asks quietly, and I turn around, meeting his eyes with mine.
I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and stand up on my tip-toes, loving the warmth of his large palms as they travel up my back while he kisses me.
His mouth moves slowly against mine, and he exhales quietly as he pulls away.
He’s been so gentle with me this past week and, knowing that I definitely did not want to be on my own, he’s brought me to every job he’s been doing, letting me stay toasty in his truck while he fixes up the town square.
I trail my fingertips up his nape and he searches my eyes before kissing me again, his touch warm and deep as he massages my hips in his big palms.
I slowly slide my hands over his broad shoulders and Jason groans quietly as I caress the large muscles in his back.
But after kissing his way down my cheek he breathes hard and stands upright, tucking me protectively under his biceps and walking us back to the main area of the bar.
He jerks his chin at Beckett, who’s crunching up the large cardboard boxes that the signs came in, and he says, “We’re heading back to the house. Can you lock up tonight?”
Beckett nods, flicking a glance at me, before rumbling, “Yeah, I’ve got it.”
And even he has been alarmingly kind this week, knowing what’s going on with Casey making him more gentle than usual.
It’s actually very sweet.
And then we’re crunching outside into the thick piles of snow, my surprised laughter tickling Jason’s neck when he hauls me up so that I don’t soak my boots.
I stroke his jaw as he carries me carefully across the lot, the protective feel of his palms on my thighs making me wrap my arms around him tighter, not wanting to let go.
He lifts me up into the passenger seat and a minute later we’re on the road, one of Jason’s hands holding mine as he drives us steadily beneath the snow-covered evergreens.
And even though we haven’t had fresh snowfall during the past week, little white flakes drift down from the pines, floating effortlessly in front of the windshield.
“So pretty,” I whisper, giving Jason a little smile when he glances down at me.
He watches me for a beat before smiling and returning his attention to the road.
He squeezes my hand tighter and murmurs, “Yeah, it’s alright, but I’ve got the prettiest thing right here.”
My heart beats faster as I fight back my smile, leaning against the seat and watching the settled snow cascade down.
And in less than an hour Jason’s pulling up in front of the workshop, jumping down from the truck to open the garage door, and then driving inside so that it doesn’t get covered in frost or ice.
He helps me down from the cab and threads his fingers through mine, opening up the back door once we reach it and letting me in first. Then he stomps the snow from his boots before kicking them off and heading to the kitchen.
Ten seconds later I’m on the couch, opening up my laptop as my heart starts to hammer.
Because the reason why Jason made sure he got me back here in good time, a little before his shift usually would have ended?
Casey got the all-clear from the officials to call home.
I wiggle out of Jason’s construction coat and undo my ponytail, fluffing up my hair to relieve the tension that’s currently pounding through my head.
And then Jason is beside me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders while he hands me a mug of cocoa with the other.
He presses a stubbled kiss to my cheek and murmurs, “I’ll go upstairs and give you both some privacy.”
But I shake my head, looking up at him with imploring eyes.
“I need you,” I whisper, and I watch his irises instantly flare, his jaw tensing as he pulls me closer and brushes another kiss over my lips.
“Yeah,” he murmurs back to me. “Okay, yeah. I can stay.”
And then the familiar sound of my brother’s incoming call signals from my MacBook, my heart thundering in my chest as my eyes fly to the screen, because I’m suddenly so nervous to finally get to talk to him again.
Please let him be okay, please let him be okay , I think to myself as I lean forward, keeping one hand tight around Jason’s as the other taps the accept-call button.
And after a moment of the laptop stuttering as it secures the connection, my heart explodes with gratitude as Casey comes into view.
There’s a rare ruddiness to his cheeks as he looks me over, but it’s when he swipes his thumb over his eyes that my composure totally breaks.
He’s got white bandages around the top of his biceps, exposed beneath the short sleeves of his hospital gown, and I shake my head as I lean closer, trying to will back my tears as they cascade down my cheeks.
“Hey, soldier,” I rasp softly, laughing breathlessly as I swipe at my cheeks, and he chokes out a rough chuckle of his own, pressing his palms to his eyes before looking down at me.
“Hey, little scoop,” he murmurs gently, and hearing that nickname almost makes me lose it.
“I can’t tell you how freaking happy I am to see you right now,” I whisper back to him, half-laughing and half-sobbing as he shifts his laptop around so that I can see his bandages.
“There’s a lot, huh?” he rumbles matter-of-factly, before settling the laptop back over his middle as he leans on the propped back of the hospital bed.
I don’t even know what country he’s in right now but I’m so freaking thankful that he seems to be getting the care that he needs.
“What happened?” I breathe out. “Can you say what happened, or is it confidential?”
He rubs his hand over his hair, giving me a subtle headshake, because maybe there are other military people in the room with him, and the incident must be too fresh for him to be able to talk about with civilians.
And then he glances at Jason sitting beside me, whose warm palm is settled protectively over my shoulder, and something like amusement glints in Casey’s eyes as he jerks his chin at him, scrubbing at his beard.
“’Sup, man,” he laughs gruffly.
Jason smirks back at him. “You’re looking good, brother.”
Casey watches him for a moment and then, for the first time in maybe a year, he actually grins , a quiet chuckle in his chest as he looks away from us, swiping at his hidden dimples.
“Yeah, yeah,” Casey rumbles, but, in truth, Jason’s right – because given what Casey has just been through he looks freaking amazing.
“Have you talked to Haven yet?” I ask him, and crimson heat spreads up his cheekbones.
He clears his throat. “Yeah, just now.”
“How was she?”
He shifts on the bed. “Uh, she was… she looked really…”
“Okay, you know what? Don’t answer that,” I laugh, because I really do not need to see my brother getting all hot and bothered at the thought of his wife.
“How are you feeling?” Jason asks him.
Casey sighs. “Not too bad. It’s just, you know… with the stitches…”
And then he glances down at his biceps and peeks under his gown to check his torso.
I arch my brow, my heart aching.
How many injuries are there?
“They pull a little,” he admits, grimacing slightly as he tries to lift his arms.
“Did they say how long they’re keeping you for?” I ask softly, not so subtly trying to hint at the real question on my mind.
As in, are you staying on base or are you going to, you know…?
And the answering warmth in Casey’s eyes has anticipation thundering in my chest.
“Well?” I rasp, and, after a moment, he gives me the nod.
“You’re coming home early?!” I exclaim, and Jason brushes a kiss to my hair, chuckling as I squeal.
“Yeah,” Casey laughs, and then he flashes a smirk across to Jason. “They’re gonna send me home early so I can kick Coleson’s ass for dating my sister.”