“You shouldn’t be watching. You should be out there.”
“Yeah,” my legs were a bit shaky as I moved toward her, “I guess I should be.”
“Sloane,” she held on to my shoulders as I got closer, “the truth is, that anxiety you feel never really goes away, so the best way to deal with it is by embracing all the times you have them in one piece in front of you. I see how happy you make my boy,” she smiled like she did whenever anyone brought up her Blackstone boys, “and I see how happy he makes you. Go, greet him, and remind him what he has waiting for him at home.” She leaned in and hugged me tightly.
“Thank you, Sue.”
She nodded toward the door, and I hurried to the front porch and stopped at the top of the stairs when I saw him. He looked worn out by the way his body moved coming down the hill.
His eyes searched for me, and when they met mine, he looked directly at me, and his whole face broke into one of his famous John Black smiles. His dirty black t-shirt clung to his body, and his Army pants and boots looked incredibly sexy as he came closer. He stopped a few steps away and dropped his bag to study me then took a step closer.
“Come here, baby.” He barely got the words out as I jumped into his arms. He held me while I let out a huge sigh of relief that he really was okay. “Yesss.”
“Are you okay?” I kissed his neck and then his jaw but pulled back when I felt the bandage along his forehead. How had I not registered that?
“I made the promise after it happened.” He chuckled lightly but stopped when he saw my worry. “I’m okay.”
I shook my head, unsure of what to say. With one hand, he held me to him, and with the other he covered my hand that pressed to his face. “I’m…” His face suddenly lit up when he felt the diamond on my finger.
He lowered me to the ground but kept our fingers entwined as he inspected the ring.
“Livi found it. She insisted I put it on.” I tried to hide my smile. “You know she knows everything that goes on in this house.”
“Yes, I’m very much aware.” He chuckled. “But, actually, I was in on this one.”
“What?”
“This was one of the worst trips I’d been on yet.” He breathed deeply, and I saw the weight he carried home with him. “I needed to know I had a plan in case something happened out there. Livi knew if it did, if something went badly, she was instructed to give it to you. I trusted her to know if the time was right. That girl always has her thumb on the pulse of the house.”
I swallowed back the thought that something had gone badly. It wasn’t what he or I needed to think about right now.
“So, how did she know to give it to me?”
He nodded over my head, and I slowly turned to see Daniel grinning from the doorway.
“Thanks, Daniel.”
“Of course, son.” He gave me a wave before he wrapped his arm around his wife and closed the door.
“Okay, so, I’m impressed.” My words trailed off when I heard the familiar huff of the fur ball. I stepped back just in time for Tripper to slam his body into John.
To my shock and amusement, he fell backward and wrestled with the giant Shepherd, who growled and whined like he hadn’t seen John in a month.
My heart swelled. I understood that need to love the people around you with all your heart and soul and to hold them tight with all your might. Once the reunion was over and John was able to get to his feet, he grabbed his bag, wrapped an arm around me, and walked us down to the little Tin House.
“Your turn…” He winked at me as we headed inside.
We were tearing off each other’s clothes before we made it to the bottom of the loft stairs. John grabbed for my waist and turned me around and held my flushed face while I huffed out a hot breath of air. My wild hair covered half my face, and I flexed my legs instinctively.
“You…” He paused like he couldn’t get his thoughts in order. “You got me out of there.”
His eyes held the depth of the fear the mission had left lurking