Loving Again(75)

                “After last year, I couldn’t let you get hurt, couldn’t let you get involved. I just did what I thought would keep him away from you until Danny, Detective Hartmann … ”

                “I know who Danny is. What I don’t know is why the hell you did something this reckless.”

                The tears were streaking down her cheeks now and she thought she could hear the sound of his heart rate increasing on one of the machines. “I’m sorry. I was stupid. I didn’t tell you or Danny what I knew. All I could think of was protecting you. I … I love you. I couldn’t let you … ”

                “Wait, say that again.”

                “What?”

                “The part about loving me.”

                She tried smiling but her mouth wobbled. “I love you, Sam.”

                “That’s a hell of a way to get me to stop being pissed off at you.”

                “Did it work?” The smile came a little easier this time.

                “Come here and find out.” He reached for her and she slipped her arms around his neck and moved in for a kiss. He tried to circle her with his arms but the cast, the IV and the cords and cables got in the way and they gave up.

                When she sat up, he said, “Amanda, you shouldn’t have tried to deal with him on your own. And you better never do anything even remotely like that again. But you didn’t put me here. Matthews did. He and Vos and Tom Webster are responsible. Hell, add me to the list. I shouldn’t have let my pride make me angry; I should have seen how scared you were. I should have … well, I didn’t. But it’s over now. The Webster case is finally all over.” He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed them.

                She held his hand to her chest again. “On the way here this morning, I wondered. Maybe you wouldn’t want to see me, maybe you’d discovered something … ”

                His laugh interrupted. “I’ve discovered I don’t like being shot and I don’t like being in the hospital. Does that count?”

                “I’m serious, Sam.”

                “So am I, believe me.” He laced his finger through hers. “What do you think I might change my mind about, pretty lady?”

                “I don’t know. Maybe you’d want to make changes in your life.” She paused and tilted her head down to hide the expression on her face. “Maybe be with someone else. Someone who doesn’t make you angry by doing stupid things.”

                He turned her face up so she was looking at him. “I was angry because I was frustrated, worried about you being safe. I don’t want to be with someone else. Why would I?”

                She grabbed tissues from the box on his bedside stand and dabbed at her eyes. “We haven’t exactly been Romeo and Juliet lately.”

                “Christ, I hope not. Look how they ended up.”

                “I meant … ”

                “Forget Romeo and Juliet. How about us, the way things were before you tried to protect me. I don’t need you to protect me from a bad guy, but I do need you. I love you.”

                After another attempt at kissing resulted in the same tangle of cords and IV lines, they settled for talking. As they spoke, she touched the bruises on his face, the dressing on his incision, the cast on his arm as if her touch would hasten the healing.