50. Victoria
50
VICTORIA
M y throat is sore. Almost burning, and I try to swallow, wondering if I have come down with the flu overnight. I roll over to my bedside table, hoping I put a glass of water there last night, but I can’t really move. There is a pain in my shoulder, making me cringe.
“Victoria?” a male voice says, sounding far away. But it sounds familiar. “Victoria, can you open your eyes?”
The bright light is instant, and I blink a few times before I slowly come to. I am in a room that is not my own. With a very good-looking man gazing over me.
“There she is,” Hudson says with a broad smile on his face, assessing me quickly.
“Hudson?” My voice is barely audible, raspy like I haven't used it in days.
“Good to have you back.”
My eyes widen as I look around the room. I am in the hospital. The same room I was in on my last visit. I look to my side, but I don’t see Jasmine. Jasmine . My memory floods back to me, and my heart thuds. Where’s Tanner?
“Relax, you are safe. It is now morning. Things are all taken care of by that grumpy man on your other side,” Hudson murmurs, obviously aware of the thoughts in my head. I swallow again and feel heaviness on my other side and look over. There he is.
“Tanner?” I whisper, as Hudson moves across the room, pouring me a glass of water.
“He hasn’t moved from that spot all night, although he has barked a lot of orders at people,” Hudson says with a small smile.
I look at my man at my side. His hand holds mine, his head resting on the bed beside me as the chair he is sitting on is pulled right up against the bed. He is naked from the waist up, and I see a large bandage across his back and arms. My stomach clenches.
“Is he okay?” I ask Hudson as I squeeze Tanner's hand, and his eyes open immediately.
“Baby girl?” he says groggily. “You’re awake?” Sitting up, a small smile comes to his face as he takes me in.
“Here,” Hudson says, passing the water over to Tanner. “I’ll give you two some time.” Walking out of the room, he closes the door behind him.
“Drink some water,” Tanner says, standing, his demanding ways automatically soothing me. He holds my head as he puts the straw to my lips, and I take a few small sips, the water cooling and easing my throat. I smell smoke, I feel like I need a shower, and my shoulder is wrapped, so I obviously did something to it.
“Jasmine?” I ask him, and he nods, his face hard set, his lips thin. He puts the glass down, holding my hand now with both of his. I see bandages on his hands as well. He looks almost worse than I do.
“When I got there, she had both you and Lacy hanging from the rafters of the shed,” he says, his jaw popping as he swallows. I try to think.
“The last thing I remember is her tying my ankles, then she hit me.” I lift my hand to my head, feeling a thick bandage, now understanding why I feel so heavy in the head.
“You have a concussion, a few stitches to your head. You also fell on your shoulder when I got you down from the rope,” he says with a furrowed brow. “So that injury is on me. Dislocated your shoulder. You should be okay with that in a few weeks.” He squeezes my hand, and I can see how guilty he feels, even though he saved my life.
“What about you?” I ask, looking him over.
“She started a fire. Her plan was to burn the shed down with you and Lacy in it.” Releasing a heavy sigh, his nostrils flare.
“Oh my God. Where is she? How is Lacy?” I panic.
“Everyone is okay. Everyone is perfectly fine.” His tone is an elixir, my heart slowing immediately. “Lacy is fine. A few bumps and bruises, but Hudson is taking good care of her in the next room.”
I want to ask more about them, but now isn’t the time.
“The shed is a total loss, but the animals are safe. Kevin is looking after them. Don’t worry about the shed; we will rebuild. I already have Griffin at your place. He has one team cleaning up the shed and another putting in the kitchen and laundry.” He nods, and I’m surprised but I don’t know why. He’s always making sure everything is taken care of. “I told him to proceed as you wanted, so by the time you get out of here, the house will be done.”
He knows how much it means to me to get this project done, and he is helping me see it through.
“What about you?” I ask, my concern for him overwhelming.
“First-degree burns, nothing too bad. By the time I cut the rope from your ankles, the fire took hold, and I had to run us through the flames. You have a few burns to your legs, but nothing too deep,” he says like it’s nothing, and my chest tightens.
Wiggling my toes, I feel a slight sting in my calves. Then taking a breath, I ask the question I am dreading.
“Where is Jasmine?” I whisper the words, too scared to really know. I had that woman in my house, I had her in my life.
“The sheriff got her. Caught her trying to drive out of town. He already had his patrol out, and they managed to get her speeding down the road. She is locked up and being questioned.”
I take another deep breath as I let that information sink in.
“Why did she do it?” I ask, and I see his face fall. I vaguely remember, but I know Tanner will have all the information.
“It was my fault. She was infatuated. Apparently. I had no idea. I never dated her, took her anywhere. Before you came along, I barely noticed her,” he explains, looking guilt ridden once again .
“It isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. You saved me, Tanner. You came for me.”
“I will spend the rest of my life making this better for you,” he says, getting choked up, and I know by the look on his face he is taking the blame for Jasmine’s infatuation.
“Tanner…” I say, my eyes watering.
“If you don’t want to stay in Whispers, and you want to go back to the city after all this, I won’t blame you.” His shoulders sag, and my chest burns with the feelings I have for him.
“I want to be anywhere you are,” I whisper, and his eyes shoot back to mine. “I want to be in your arms every night. I want to swim in the springs every week together. I want to take care of the animals, go to the bar on Friday nights, cook and cuddle and create a life together. Here in Whispers. I am not going to let someone who has a false grip on her reality try to take anything or anyone away from me,” I tell him, and I watch the tension leave his body. I had already decided not to sign the lease papers for my old apartment. Tanner and Whispers are my home now. Nothing is changing that.
“I love you, baby girl, and I promise to make you happy every single day for the rest of our lives,” he says, and as I smile, the tears finally fall down my cheeks.
“I love you, Tanner,” I whisper, and he leans over, his lips treasuring mine before he kisses each and every tear away.
And in his arms, I’m home.