Tessa Teevan - Incinerate

“I will. Thank you, Knox. It means the world to me that you’re here. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this without you,” she says, and I have to shake my head. This girl has no idea.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. You’ll never have to find out,” I tell her. The answer must satisfy her, because moments later, she’s sound asleep, and I know I’m not far behind her.

Charlie

THE NEXT morning, I wake up, dazed when I realize I’m in Knox’s arms, in our bed, in our home. Smiling at the thought—our home—I’m stretching when it hits me. In a rush, I lean over Knox to check the time. It’s after nine, and visiting hours have already started. Dammit! I meant to be up and ready as soon as I could, not wanting Dad to wake up without me there.

Jumping out of the bed, I remember how tender and sweet Knox was last night. It’s like he knew just what I needed. I wanted to get lost in the moment, to forget about Dad, forget everything for a little while. But he wouldn’t let me as he forced me to look at him, to know that he was the one making me feel pleasure. In the end, I was glad, because being lost in him was so much more soothing than being lost in my thoughts, and for a few moments, I was. Completely, utterly lost in him, and I didn’t care to ever be found.

“Charlie, what are you doing?” his sleepy voice asks as I start running around the room, trying to get dressed and brush my hair at the same time.

“We overslept. I need to get to the hospital,” I tell him as I head into the bathroom, where I brush my teeth, splash some water over my face, and throw my hair in a ponytail.

Going to get my phone from the nightstand, I notice I have a text. Knox is getting out of bed, and I’m distracted as he moves to his closet, where he throws on a pair of jeans and a white Henley—one that fits his toned chest and makes my mouth water every time he puts it on. I only give myself a moment to check him out when he asks about the text. “As of half an hour ago, Olivia said Dad’s still asleep but his vitals are stable.”

Crossing to me, he gives me a kiss. “See, babe, everything’s fine. Let me rinse my mouth out and then we’ll be on our away. I’ll get you there in no time.”

“You don’t have to come, Knox. I know how much you hate hospitals, and I have no idea how long I’ll be there,” I tell him, giving him an out even though I can’t stand the thought of doing this without him.

Relief washes over me when I see him shake his head. “I told you last night that I’ll always be there. If I have to walk into that hospital every single day, I’ll be there. Just give me a couple of minutes,” he says, disappearing into the bathroom.

Wandering out to the living room, I find myself pacing the floor until he emerges from the bedroom. I don’t wait as he locks up the house, and he meets me at the car, finally on our way to the hospital.

“Do you think it’s a bad sign that he’s still not awake?” I ask, wondering how long he’s going to be out.

He grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze before he drops his down to the gear shift. “Remember what the doctor said? His body’s probably just letting him sleep longer to build up his energy levels. I’m sure it’s normal.”

Knowing he’s probably right, I lean over to turn the radio on, hoping some music will drown out all the thoughts that are racing through my mind. I’m anxious to get to the hospital, to see Dad in the light of day, not the middle of the night where it was hard to really study him.

It’s not long before we’re pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. When we make it to Dad’s floor, Knox asks a nurse about his status. She checks the computer and tells us that the doctor is with him, so she instructs us to take a seat in the waiting room. I can barely sit still, and Knox grabs my hand, brushing my skin with his thumb.

“Calm down, Charlie. You don’t need to be all frazzled and out of sorts when you see your Dad. You’re the strongest woman I know, and it’s because of that man,” he says, lifting my chin so I’m looking at him. “It’s okay to break when you’re with me. I’ll hold you whenever you need me to. I’ll always be here to wipe your tears. But when you walk in that room, you walk in with your head held high. You walk in as Charlie Davenport, the strong, independent woman I’ve come to care so much about. Don’t give him anything else to worry about while he’s recovering. If he sees you crying, it’s going to crush him, so can you do that? Can you be strong for just a little while? For him?”

His words almost break me, but I know he’s right. The last thing I need to do is stress Dad out. Knox places his arms around, and I sink into his embrace, clinging to him.

“Let it out now, sweetheart,” he tells me, and I do, not caring that I’m soaking his shirt.

Eventually I’m all cried out, feeling a little bit calmer and confident that I can go see Dad without breaking down. I pull away from him just in time to see Olivia and a doctor leaving Dad’s room. Olivia spots us and walks over. She looks a little better than she did last night, but I can tell she didn’t get much sleep. Knox and I both stand, waiting to hear the news.

A smile breaks out on her face, and I’m instantly relieved. “Your dad just woke up. He’s cranky, but that’s about it. His blood pressure’s back to normal, and everything else checks out. He’s waiting for you, Charlie,” she says, and I have to stifle a sob as Knox squeezes my shoulder. “I’m going to leave you alone and go do some paperwork in my office. I’ll be around later to check on him.”

We watch as she walks away, and I start to head to Dad’s room when I realize Knox isn’t with me. Turning around, I see him standing back, hands in his pockets. Moving back towards him, I place a hand on his arm. “What’re you doing, Knox?” I ask, wondering why he’s hanging back.

“Go see your dad, Charlie. You two need some time alone together. I’ll go down and get some coffee, give you some space,” he says, and my heart melts just a little bit at his thoughtfulness.

“Thanks, Knox. That’s sweet of you,” I tell him, and I mean it. Getting up on my tiptoes, I place a soft kiss against his lips. “It’s like you can read my mind. You always anticipate my needs. As much as I hate what happened to you, I’m glad I landed on your doorstep, Knox Wellington. I know you’re probably not ready to hear this, but if I’ve learned anything in the past fifteen hours, it’s that life’s short. Too short for me not to tell you how I feel.”

He’s watching me intently, waiting for me to continue. I take a deep breath and finally open up my heart to him. “I can’t exactly pinpoint when it happened. I don’t know if it as when you opened up to me about your past or when you made me burn scrambled eggs. The night you sang to me or all those times I was so infuriated by you—and by the fact that I couldn’t get you off my mind. But it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that it happened. I don’t care when or where, but Rugged, I fell in love with you, and every day you’re by my side, I fall even harder.”

I watch as he swallows hard, but I’m on a roll and I can’t stop. “I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but that’s only because we both had stuff we needed to work through. Neither one of us could’ve guessed that we’d end up working through them together. Whether you realize it or not, that’s exactly what we did. You see me, Knox, and you let me be me. And I do the same for you. I think that’s all either of us has ever needed, but we didn’t know it until now. I know this is probably way too soon, but Rugged, I love you. Love you when you’re sweet, and I love you just as much when you’re driving me crazy. I can’t imagine a life without you in it and I pray I never have to.”

Letting out a deep breath, I can’t believe I just said all that. His eyes are darting back and forth, and I didn’t miss the sharp inhale at the L word.

Rubbing a hand over his head, he then drops it and grabs my own. “Charlie—” he begins, but I cut him off. I can’t hear how it’s too soon or that he’s not ready or whatever else he’s about to say when I’m seconds away from seeing my dad.

“I don’t need you to say anything, Knox. I just needed you to know,” I say before turning around and leaving him in the waiting room alone to process everything I’ve just said.

Charlie

WALKING INTO Dad’s room, I’m still shaky from what I just admitted to Knox, but I’m so glad I did. His words replay in my mind as I hear him telling me to be strong, and I vow to do just that. But when I see Dad looking so pale and weak, it’s hard to do. For Wade Davenport, I’d do anything, so I square up my shoulders and cross the room, pulling a chair up to his bedside.

“Hey, Charlie,” he says, sitting up a little taller in his bed. “Sorry to ruin your weekend getaway.”

Leaning in, I give him a kiss on the cheek before taking a seat next to him. Grabbing his hand, I shake my head. “The weather in Florida was shit, anyway,” I joke, even though I know it really wasn’t.

“Yeah, who needs all the sun and sand? I’d much rather be in forty-degree temperatures this time of year,” he jokes.

“Oh yeah, it was complete torture.”

He grins, and I love seeing him smile. “How was the wedding? Did you have a good time?” he asks, and I have to shake my head that he’s even concerned about it.

“It was great, Dad. Up until the point where you interrupted my dance with a sexy soldier,” I tell him, grinning so he knows I’m joking.

“I’m sorry, Charlie. I wish Olivia hadn’t called you. It wasn’t a big deal. I’ll be out of the hospital in a few days. There was no reason for you to cut your vacation short,” he says, and I swear, flames might be flying out of my ears.

“Are you kidding me? I’d have been angry as hell if I’d come to find you in the hospital! Olivia did the right thing, calling me. I was scared out of my mind, Dad. If I hadn’t had Knox, I have no idea how I would’ve gotten through this past day,” I tell him, saying the words but not letting myself cry.

He drops my hand as he brings his up to brush my cheek. “I didn’t mean to scare you, honey. I guess your stubborn old man’s going to have to start taking better care of himself. Olivia’s already threatened to move in and clean out my beer stash.”

“I think that’s a good idea. You need someone to be with you to make sure you’re eating right, being healthy. The doctor said if you hadn’t been in the hospital, you might not have made it. I don’t like the thought of you living alone, so maybe you should let her move in.”

“I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need a babysitter—not you, not Olivia. I can take care of damn myself,” he growls. I now see what Olivia meant by him being cranky.

“We’ll figure it out once you get home. I can stay with you for a couple of days until you get back on your feet.”

He huffs, but he doesn’t turn down my offer. “Where’s your man? I assume he’s the one who brought you back from Florida.”

“He’s here, Dad. He just wanted to give us some time together, alone, so he went to check out the coffee shop.”

“I like him for you. He’s a good man, and he’s perfect to deal with your headstrong personality. I hope it works out,” Dad tells me, surprising me by giving me the father seal of approval.

“I hope so, too. I love him. I really do,” I admit out loud for the second time today.

His eyes start to droop, and I can tell he’s fighting the sleepiness that’s washing over him.

“I’m happy for you, honey,” he tells me, his voice trailing off as he succumbs to sleep, just as I hear a knock on the door and a throat clear.

Turning around, I’m surprised as hell. Drew’s standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets, looking handsome as ever, and much better than the last time I saw him.

“Hey, Charlie,” he says, moving into the room, drawing me out of the chair and into his arms before I can protest.

The feel of his embrace is familiar, but it’s not as warm as it used to be. Pulling away, I lead him out into the hall so Dad can get some rest.

“What are you doing here, Drew?” I ask, curious as to how he even knew Dad was here.

“It’s not a big town, Charlie, and when a prominent doctor collapses, word gets around,” he says, and I’m not surprised. “Is he doing okay?”

I’m honestly touched that he cares. No matter what happened between us, we still spent a few special years together, and one screwed-up memory won’t ruin all the other ones.

“They say he’s doing fine, but I’m still scared as hell. I mean, his freaking heart stopped, for God’s sakes!” I exclaim. Drew pulls me in again, calming my outburst.