Chapter Seventeen
After Decker patched her up with so much care that it brought tears to her eyes, they lay together in their bed, his arms wrapped protectively around her while afternoon light filtered through the curtains.
Willow felt safe here, cocooned in his warmth, listening to his steady heartbeat beneath her ear.
Then it hit.
The panic came out of nowhere, slamming into her chest like a freight train.
Her breathing turned shallow and rapid, her hands started shaking, and suddenly she was back in that cabin—smelling chemicals, feeling the chain digging into her ankle, hearing Cal’s voice explaining they were meant to be together.
“I can’t breathe!” She tried to pull away from Decker’s embrace even as part of her wanted to burrow deeper into his safety.
“Hey, hey, I’ve got you.” His voice was calm, grounding. He loosened his hold on her, giving her space but he didn’t let her go. “You’re safe, love. You’re home. Just breathe with me.”
But she couldn’t. The tears came hard and fast, her body shaking with sobs she’d been holding back since the moment she’d woken up in that cabin.
She thought about the veterans in the therapy program, the ones who dealt with this kind of terror every single day.
PTSD and flashbacks, the weight of trauma that never quite left.
“I need…to be…strong.” Her words came in halting bursts through her tears, and she hated how weak she sounded.
“You need to be what you are in this moment.” Decker’s tone was gentle.
He stroked the hair off her face “Nothing more. Nobody expects anything of you, Willow. You don’t have to put on a brave front for anybody.
Just feel what you’re feeling.” His voice changed, became almost desperate.
“God, I wish Rhae was here. She’d know exactly what to say. ”
But his touch was steady and his presence unwavering. He held her while she cried softly, whispering reassurances, letting her fall apart without judgment.
“I was afraid I’d never see you again,” she finally whispered against his chest when her tears subsided.
“You doubted I’d come for you?”
“No.” She pulled back enough to meet his eyes. “I doubted you’d get there in time.”
The pain that flashed across his face made her wish she could take the words back, but they were true. She’d known he would come—had never doubted that for a second. But the four hours that Cal left her alone had felt like an eternity, and he’d been so unstable, so unpredictable.
Decker wiped away her tears with the roughened pad of his thumb. “I will always get there in time. Always.”
The certainty in his voice finally broke through the panic. Her breathing slowly steadied, the shaking gradually subsided, and she let herself believe him.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of rest and recovery. Decker and her sisters-in-law brought her trays of food she barely touched and hot tea that soothed her raw throat.
When she woke from fitful naps convinced she was back in the cabin, Decker was there with endless patience to soothe her.
Her brothers came in and out, carrying the scent of snow and horse as they kept themselves busy doing her chores. Each time one of them came in, she saw the worry on their faces, and they never left without making her laugh in some small way.
Navy visited in the late afternoon, climbing onto the bed to show Willow her doll and chatter about seeing “da hossey.”
“You saw the horsey?” She drew the child into her lap to cuddle. That got Navy babbling again.
Finally, they curled up together and fell asleep. When she woke, Navy was gone, carried away by some family member. And Decker…
Decker never left. He sat in the chair by the window when she slept, the tapping of his fingers on the laptop keys as he worked occasionally filtering into her dreams.
And he was there instantly whenever she reached for him. She knew he was being overprotective, that eventually they’d need to find some normalcy, but for now, she was grateful she wasn’t alone.
Sleep came in fits and starts that night, but when she woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the windows, she felt more like herself. Still processing, still healing, but ready to face the world again.
When she emerged from their room dressed in soft clothes with her hair pulled back, she found her entire family gathered in the living room. All of them except Denver and Rhae, who were still on their honeymoon.
Every brother, every sister-in-law, even Navy playing with blocks on the floor. They looked up when she appeared, their faces a mixture of relief and worry.
Carson stood from the sofa and crossed to her, holding out a packed duffel bag. “This is for you.”
She took it, confused. “What is this?”
“Don’t worry, I packed it,” Layne said her corner of the sofa, one hand resting on her rounded belly. “Everything you’ll need for a week away.”
“You get to take the jet,” Oaks added with a grin that didn’t quite erase the concern in his eyes.
Willow looked around at her family, trying to understand. “I don’t understand. Where am I going?”
Carson reached out and gave her a brotherly squeeze, maybe with a little added pressure that told her how worried he had been. “You deserve some time off away from the ranch, away from everything that happened. Just rest and recover.”
She noted that Decker had his own bag at his feet. Understanding dawned.
“He’s coming with me,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
“We could both use some time off.” Decker’s eyes creased at the corners with a tender smile.
Willow felt tears prick her eyes again, but these were different from yesterday’s panic-driven sobs. This was love and the overwhelming knowledge that she was surrounded by people who cared.
“Thank you,” she managed to whisper. “All of you.”
Navy toddled over and wrapped her arms around Willow’s legs. “Bye-bye!”
Willow scooped her up, pressing a kiss to her soft hair. “I promise I’ll come back soon. I get to take the jet!”
The room filled with laughter. It was always Willow suggesting someone take their private jet somewhere. Now it was her and Decker’s turn.
As Decker picked up both bags and led her toward the door, Willow looked back at her family one more time. They’d always been her anchor, her purpose, the reason she pushed herself so hard. But maybe it was time to let them take care of her for once.
Maybe it was time to let herself rest.
* * * * *
New York City thrummed with energy around them, but inside the spa, everything was hushed serenity.
Decker watched Willow emerge from her massage looking more relaxed than he’d seen her in weeks—maybe ever. The tension that lived in her shoulders since the kidnapping finally eased, and color returned to her cheeks.
“That was exactly what I needed.” She stepped up to him, face tilted to meet his gaze.
For a long beat, they stared into each other’s eyes, then he couldn’t resist leaning close and capturing her mouth in a soft caress. It was just a brush of his lips over hers, but it was enough to ease some of the ache he’d felt at being away from her the past hour she was getting a massage.
She smiled her same old smile, warm and all Willow. “Thank you for the spa day. It was magical.”
He offered her his arm, and she slipped hers through his as they stepped out onto the busy Manhattan street.
“I’m glad you enjoyed your time.” He pulled her close, breathing in the scent of whatever fancy oils they’d used on her.
“I just wish you’d at least gotten a pedi with me.”
He chuckled. “Are my feet that rough?”
She tossed her head on a laugh. “No. It would have been fun, though.”
“Next time I will then. Now for tonight…”
“The show,” she filled in the blank.
“Uh-huh. And tomorrow…” He smiled, unable to contain his excitement about the surprise he had planned.
The Broadway show had her laughing and crying by turns, completely absorbed in the story unfolding on stage. Decker spent half the performance watching her instead of the actors. This was what he’d wanted to give her—space to heal and to feel something other than fear.
But the next morning was the real gift.
His friend Jacoby’s office was all exposed brick and industrial windows overlooking the river.
Willow asked Decker a dozen times on the cab ride there where they were going and what they were doing.
Even when she turned up the intensity of those beautiful gray eyes, he didn’t give in and spoil the secret.
“You’ll just have to wait.” He made a zipping motion over his lips.
When they arrived, Jacoby greeted them with the enthusiasm of someone who couldn’t wait to show off his work.
“Decker’s told me so much about you.” He shook Willow’s hand. “I’m excited to show you what we’ve put together.”
“Put together?” Willow looked at Decker, confused.
“Just wait.” Decker couldn’t stop his grin.
Jacoby led them to an office and seated them in front of a large monitor with a 3D rendering. When the house materialized on screen, Decker watched Willow’s face as she took it in.
There it was: the wraparound porch she told him she envisioned, the large windows overlooking the ranch and about a dozen other important features he guessed she wanted in a home.
“This is…” She pushed out a breath, shaking her head. “How did you know I want two mudrooms, one at each door? And the kitchen island with a sink?”
“Rhae told me about your Pinterest board,” Decker admitted with a sheepish look. “I might have spent a few hours scrolling through everything you’d saved.”
Jacoby walked them through the virtual tour, and Decker memorized every moment that made Willow’s breath catch.
“Coffee station right outside the master suite.” Jacoby zoomed in on the small alcove with custom cabinetry. “So you can get your morning caffeine before dealing with anyone.”
Willow sat there speechless, arms folded, fist pressed over her lips, just staring at the screen. Decker reached over to rest his hand on her thigh.
The family room appeared next, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that opened onto a patio. Beyond it, a yard with plenty of space for children to run and play, visible from anywhere in the main living area.
“Oh my God,” Willow whispered. “You added glass doors!”
“Colt told me about the big windows in the Tahoe house and how you love being able to see everything and everyone while enjoying the best view.”
The master bedroom was angled to catch the southern light, exactly as Willow told him. He never could have guessed that all that time, all those months of what seemed like passing conversations, had grown to mean so much.
Willow turned to him with tears streaming down her face. “My whole family helped you with this.”
“They love you,” he said simply. “They want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”
They wrapped up with his architect friend and received a flash drive with their home on it so they could study the plan and make changes in the future.
After they walked out into the wintery day, Willow stopped and turned to Decker.
“When did you even have time to plan a house and a trip?” She let out a sudden gasp, her hand tightening on his. “You were on your computer almost all day yesterday.”
He nodded, a smile breaking over his face. “Carson said we can break ground as soon as spring hits.”
“This spring!” Willow’s voice was almost a squeak.
“And I don’t want you to think about the cost. We’ve never discussed finances, and I figure you have money. But I do too.”
She searched his face, letting him speak without interrupting.
“I had a buddy in the service who created his own cryptocurrency a few years back. It’s not Bitcoin, but it’s done well. Really well. And he gave me a significant stake early on for helping him with the security protocols.”
“Are you telling me I’m marrying money?”
He smiled to himself at her mention of marriage—he had another surprise in his pocket for later.
“I have a lot of money put away,” he confirmed. “Enough to build this house, enough to make sure we never have to worry about anything. I just… never had a reason to use it before. Never had anyone to build something for.”
She was crying again, but these were good tears. Happy tears. The kind that came from being overwhelmed by love and possibility.
“I can’t believe you did all this. That you planned all of this.”
“You’ve spent your whole life taking care of everyone else.” He framed her face with his hands. “It’s time someone took care of you.”
He kissed her then, slow and tender, tasting the salt of her tears and the sweetness of her smile. It was a kiss full of promise and the passion that would come later when they were alone in their hotel room, but also of the life they were building together.
When they finally pulled apart, Willow rested her forehead against his. “How did I get so lucky?”
“We both did, love. I was broken when I came to that ranch. So closed off I couldn’t speak. And you saw past all of that. You saw someone worth saving.”
“You saved yourself. I just reminded you of all the reasons to.”
Maybe they’d both saved each other. The woman who’d spent her life caring for everyone but herself, and the man who’d forgotten how to let anyone in.
Together, they’d found something neither had believed possible—a love that didn’t demand perfection, love that made space for healing.
Now they had a future stretching out before them like that view from the south field, wide open.
A house to build. A family to raise. A life to share.
And all the time in the world to love each other exactly as they were meant to be loved—fiercely and completely.