Page 74 of Saving the Rain (Crimson Ridge #4)

T he first thing I see when my eyes creak open is blond hair set against the stark, utilitarian hospital sheet.

Kayce’s scruffy, mussed strands rest on the edge of my bed.

His face is ashen, creased heavily with sleep, or maybe lack thereof.

He’s leaning forward in the chair at my bedside and must have drifted off while resting alongside my arm.

When I try to move my hand, to stroke his face, I realize his fingers are hooked through mine.

He’s here.

Apparently, I’m still here, too.

“Hey, snowflake.” My voice is rusty. A faint rasp.

Those big blue orbs fly open, blinking rapidly. His eyes are red, with deep purple shadows framing his wild gaze, as he stares back at me in disbelief.

“Oh my god.” His words come out hoarse, still addled with sleep, but he launches out of his chair and softly grabs my face in both hands. “You ever do something like that again...” The rest doesn’t come out. It’s a broken, raw thing that he struggles to put words to as his breathing hitches.

Wetting my lips, I stare up at him, still foggy but it doesn’t matter. Nothing else matters. Because all I want right now is him filling my vision.

“You saved me,” I croak.

All I want is Kayce filling my entire life. No matter what I have to do to make that happen.

His fingers trace my face, gingerly mapping across my brow, my cheeks, my beard, and he bends forward on a shaky exhale to drop the softest of kisses against my lips.

He’s so warm, so soft, I know he’s being careful to avoid all the tubes and shit attached to me.

I can’t exactly feel any pain, but I also don’t feel like I can move either.

Kayce shakes his head, letting his nose ever so gently bump against mine.

“No. You saved me . In so many ways. You turned my life inside out, and I’ve never been so scared about losing anyone.

.. someone... you .” Hearing him, feeling him, and getting a second chance at having those whispered words brushing up against my lips is the best thing I’ve ever experienced.

“Are you ok?” I reach up and catch his hand. Or at least try to. I’m so fucking uncoordinated, thanks to the cocktail of painkillers I must be on. It takes me a couple of attempts before I manage to drag his fingers to my mouth so I can kiss those fingertips I don’t ever want to let go of.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Kayce’s throat dips, and his exhausted eyes glisten. “Please don’t ever fucking do that to me again. My heart won’t be able to take it.”

“He’s awake?” A loud whisper cuts across the room from the doorway.

When Kayce turns, I blink a couple of times.

There are a fuck load of people standing just inside the door to my room.

“Oh my god. You’re awake.” Tessa waddles toward me with a look on her face that dangles somewhere between wanting to smother me with a pillow and immense relief.

Wetness tracks down her cheeks as tears roll freely, and she stops on the other side of my bed.

When she bends down to give me a quick hug and kisses my forehead, I rub a thumb over the dampness there.

“You’re a fucking moron. And I’m so glad you’re ok.” She shakes her head .

“Don’t go wasting tears on me.”

“Such a grump.” She swipes at her cheeks with the heel of her palm and sniffs.

I look over toward the rest of the figures starting to appear. For someone who has been on his own this entire time, who has gone it alone, my brain can’t fathom what all these people are doing here.

The drugs kind of blur everything, but there’s a steady stream of familiar faces.

Like half of goddamn Crimson Ridge is here.

Right behind Tessa is Beau, and I’m introduced to Sage, who wraps me in a hug as if we’ve been friends for an eternity.

The crew from Rhodes Ranch is all here, with Storm and Briar hot on their heels.

After they’ve all managed to squeeze in for a mix of hugs and gruff teasing about the state of me, the Hayes boys appear, too.

What leaves my chest squeezing is the way they’re here, as much for Kayce as anything. Which means they’re obviously more than aware of who we are to each other. Looking down, I see that Kayce still has our fingers interlocked. He hasn’t let go of my hand this entire time.

There’s no mistaking the final visitors who come through that door.

Colton Wilder might have dark hair and doesn’t have blue eyes, but there’s more than enough of Kayce that I see in him immediately.

At his side is a woman with copper curls who rushes straight up to Kayce and gives him a massive hug, before doing the same to me.

It’s all kind of overwhelming, and most of the chatter goes over my head. But I feel the sensation filling the room—that undeniable care, that love in here is palpable.

I’m so goddamn proud of Kayce for everything. The way he’s been strong enough for the two of us. Because he’s the one who has done all of this, brought all these people together.

“Ok, we’re getting a bite to eat down the road.” Tessa flurries her hands at everyone. “And to be honest, you assholes all need to move before we get kicked out for breaking visitor rules.” She hisses, then turns to me with a small smile.

“Thanks... you know... for coming.” I manage to get some coherent words out. Kayce is doing most of the talking as I lie flat on my back, still kind of stunned that all these people made the effort to be here.

“Don’t you need to eat something? You’re not going with them?” I say to Kayce as the last of them waves and vacates the room.

He shakes his head. “Dad is gonna come back. He’ll drop something off for me after.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be in Ireland or some shit?” I squint one eye, trying to make sense of any of this.

Kayce chuckles. “Yeah, he gave me a hell of a shock turning up.” Then he settles back at my side, dragging the chair closer before pulling my hand up and laying a kiss on my palm. “I’m done with shocks. No more. None for the foreseeable future. Please?”

“Deal.”

He lays his cheek against the heart of my palm.

“Everyone knows. I just want you to know that I?—”

“I could see it. I could see that you’d spoken to everyone.” My lips curve into a grin. “I’m proud of you.”

He blinks rapidly at me. Looking every bit the man I want to spend every fucking minute of every day with.

Clearing my throat, I press my fingers against his cheek, feeling the warmth of him embedded beneath my touch.

“You told me you’re a better person because I taught you how to love.

Well, I'm better because of the way you love. I’m out here wondering how a guy like me could ever get so lucky.

.. or ever deserve to have someone like you looking my way twice. ”

“I’m not special. I’m nothing special,” he whispers.

“To me, you are. To me... you are magnificent.”

His lips quirk. “I think you’re high.”

My heart damn near swells ten sizes inside my chest, seeing him smile like that, and this time it reaches his eyes.

“Nowhere near high enough for the fact I’m pretty sure I’ve got a chunk missing from my stomach.

” As I gaze at him, I use my other hand to gesture between the two of us while holding onto him. “But this? I know this for certain.”

“I love you.” He kisses my palm again, before leaning up to press his lips to mine.

“So fucking much.” I reach to cup his jaw and take a deep inhale. “You don’t even know all the ways I love you, baby.”

“Never not obsessed?” His lips form a hesitant little smile over my mouth.

“Never not obsessed with you.”