Nine
DANIEL
I knew what I was signing up for when I became a first responder.
I’ve had concussions, I’ve been put in situations that exposed me to dirty needles and people not in their right mind willing to attack anyone in front of them.
I’ve had a couple of falls when getting out of a burning building.
I’ve even had to face a gun a time or two.
But it was different when it was just me that it affected. Now it affects Alison, and the whole time I was in the hospital, I kept waiting for her to realize it was too much for her. That she couldn’t live through losing another loved one the way she lost her brother.
I should’ve known she’d surprise me. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Not only did she never suggest that what happened was too much for her, but the more days that passed, the more she talked about our future together—trips she wanted us to take, plans she was making, if I wanted pets, kids, and how many.
The answer to that last one was a resounding yes and however many she wanted.
Now, I’m finally getting discharged, and she’s insisted on me coming to her house so she can take care of me while I’m still healing. She’ll hear no complaints from me. I’ll take any excuse to wake up next to her every day, especially now that I’m off on medical leave for the next few months.
“Here,” she says, digging around in a bag next to the window. “I think this bag has all your stuff they took off you when you came in, or at least what they didn’t ruin. I don’t see any clothes in here, but there are some socks and your boots.”
Her gaze is locked on the contents of the bag as she pokes around, pulling out items one at a time, and my heart starts to beat frantically as I realize what else she’s going to find in there.
“There’s a necklace…” Her tone is confused, and as her words die in her throat, her gaze shoots to mine before dropping once again down to the necklace now resting in her hand.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?” I say like I have no idea what she’s holding.
“What is this?” Her voice is high pitched in a way I’ve never heard from her before, and I have to fight back a laugh as calm comes over me.
“It looks like a ring on a silver chain, but you’d need to bring it here so I can get a closer look.”
She walks over, her gaze locked on my face and her motions robotic as she hands it to me.
I hold the sparkling one carat—I would’ve gotten her more, but I knew she’d never wear anything that large—diamond ring with a halo of smaller diamonds on a white-gold band.
Her brother actually helped me pick this ring out. Back then, I had plans to propose on the beach, but maybe this is better.
Maybe this is how it was always supposed to go.
I’m already standing, leaning against the bed, but my body is still stiff, so when I go down on one knee it’s not nearly as smooth as I imagined it to be in my head. But maybe that’s perfect too. The tears glistening in her surprised eyes make me think she doesn’t mind.
“I’ve carried this ring next to my heart for over six months, waiting for the moment that I could give it to its rightful owner—the same woman who owns me.
Every piece of me is yours. Completely. I love you, Alison—everything about you.
I love the way you challenge me, the way you laugh, the way you push yourself and fight for your dreams no matter what.
I love your strengths, your weaknesses, your brain, your beauty, and every other facet that makes you you.
You’re the love of my life, Alison. There’s no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I’ve been waiting for six months to pour my heart out and show you how much you own me.
Please don’t make me wait anymore. Will you marry me and make me the luckiest damn man in the world? ”
Tears started trickling down her face halfway through my speech, but she starts blubbering completely as she throws her arms around my shoulders.
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes,” she chants, kissing my cheeks, my nose, my lips. “You’re all I want, Danny. I love you so much. I want to be your wife.”
My own eyes start to water as I slide the ring on her finger, and my heart feels so big it could burst.
“I’m yours,” I tell her as I push it all the way on—right where it has always belonged.
“And I’m yours,” she says, placing a passionate kiss on my lips.
Before we can say anymore, the door to the room opens and Captain Hardin enters. “Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds.” He sees the ring on her finger, and his face lights up with a happy smile. “Well, it looks like congratulations are in order. It’s about time you two kids got engaged.”
We all laugh softly, and I drop a kiss to Ali’s head, grateful to be alive and have this woman standing at my side with my ring on her finger.
“I’ll make this quick, so you two can celebrate. I just wanted to let you know we caught him—the arsonist.”
My brows rise in surprise. It’s rare to catch an arsonist, and even harder to get enough evidence to put them away. “How?”
“A man was seen fleeing the scene. A bystander thought it was weird because he saw him coming out of the building and wrote down the license plate number. We were able to trace the number to a man who’d applied to be a firefighter and didn’t make it.
When we showed up to the house, his dad answered the door and was on the phone with 911.
He was in the process of turning in his own son because he suspected he was the serial arsonist. We found all the evidence we need to put him away in his room and the trunk of the car that matched the license reported by the bystander. He was arrested on the spot.”
Relief floods through me faster than a flash flood. It doesn’t change the everyday dangers of my job, but it’s a relief to know we aren’t being targeted anymore. Ali’s shoulders relax and I can tell she’s also relieved.
“I just wanted to make sure you heard it from me instead of the news. I’ll let you rest.”
I reach out to shake his hand. “Thanks, Captain.”
He nods and then exits, leaving Ali and me alone again. She wraps her arms around me, hugging me gently, and then places a kiss to my chin before forcing me back into bed so I don’t overexert myself. I let her fuss over me with a smile on my face, feeling more content than I knew was possible.
She makes every day worth living, and I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure she never doubts how much I love her.
We’ve been through hell and back, and I know it won’t always be easy. Marriage, relationships…hell, life never is. But if love is a spark, then what I feel for her is an inferno, and that’s one fire I plan to never put out.
Thank you for reading Scorched Turf! If you’re curious about the LA Wolves guys, Gabe’s book comes out late May, but you can start with In the Grasp, which is FREE on all retailers and the first book in the LA Wolves Football series.
To learn more about me and my books, check out my website: and join my newsletter for exclusive discounts and bonus content.