Have Mercy - Christina Lee Page 0,81

sister, the service buddies he still communicated with, and his social worker at the VA.

So why was it still upsetting to me?

On autopilot, I rolled out of bed, slipped on some shorts, and padded quickly through the bathroom to his room. He was muttering and struggling in his sheets. As I drew nearer, I could see the sheen of sweat on his skin, and his features looked haunted.

“Julian,” I whispered, trying to stir him awake, to no avail.

So I did the only thing that came to mind. Drawing his sheets open, I scooted onto his bed and enveloped his thrashing form in my arms, surrounding him in warmth and protection.

“Shh, you’re okay. It’s me, Kerry.” I felt him stiffen against me before his muscles slackened a little. “You’re on my farm in Wyoming. You’re home.”

Home. Why had I said that? Because I wanted it to be true, I realized, the truth hitting me square in the gut. Him, home safe and sound here in Wyoming sounded like music to my ears.

“Kerry?” Julian said in a muted voice.

I swallowed roughly. “I’m here.”

He turned and buried his head against my throat, his body trembling, and seeing him so vulnerable was my undoing.

I didn’t even think twice as I peppered his sweaty hair and temple and wet cheeks with kisses. “Was it the explosion again?”

“Yeah.” He sounded so downtrodden that I wrapped him more tightly in my arms. “Thought things were getting better, but guess not.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. No way that kind of trauma leaves that easily. The good news is that it has been getting better.”

“Okay, you’re right,” he admitted, then settled against me, his muscles going lax.

After another minute, I loosened myself from his embrace and brought a wet washcloth from the bathroom. As I wiped his face and neck, it dawned on me how much it meant to be there for him. How much joy and reassurance and comfort it brought me.

How much peace and hope and love.

Brushing that thought away, I filled a glass with water from the tap and offered it to him. “Better?”

“Better.” He placed the glass on the nightstand. “Thanks for taking such good care of me.”

“I like it,” I replied without any forethought because it was the plain truth.

“I like it too.”

There was silence as thick tension curled around us. We did that staring thing again as my heart rose to my throat and ballooned with overwhelming emotions that nearly choked me.

“Okay, well…” I struggled to make my lips move as well as my legs. “I’m gonna head back to bed.”

His hand curled around my wrist before I could step away. “Stay? There’s not much time left…and I…”

“I shouldn’t,” I whispered, but there was no teeth to my objection.

“Just five more minutes.”

I relented, sliding under the warm sheets and sighing when he curled against my chest again. It felt too fucking good to hold him.

I waited until his breaths evened out before scooting toward the edge of the bed. When I tried to stand up, he whimpered in his sleep, and I became concerned he would have another dream. So I sank back down on the mattress, outside the covers this time, and stroked his hair until he fell into a deeper slumber. Then my eyes drifted closed for just a minute.

“Kerry?” Sienna’s voice roused me from my sleep. It was filled with alarm, and my eyes instantly sprang open.

Fuck, I was still in Julian’s room. I stumbled off the bed, lifted my hand to my lips to caution against waking him, then followed her through the bathroom, shutting both doors behind us.

“What’s up?” I asked, still feeling in protective mode. But it didn’t last long before shame began unfurling in my gut about what Julian and I must’ve looked like.

“What the heck is going on?” Her eyes were wide with disbelief edged with fear. “I came to wake you because you missed your shift with the cows.”

“Shit.” My hand flew to my mouth. “I never heard my alarm.”

And Julian certainly hadn’t woken naturally like he normally did.

She folded her arms. “I bet you didn’t.”

“What the hell?” I motioned over my shoulder. “Julian was having another nightmare, and I went in to wake him up. He was sweaty and shaking, and I felt bad for him, so I got him a wet rag…and…and…”

“And?” She lifted an eyebrow. “You were in his bed, Kerry.”

“Yeah, I stayed to make sure he was okay, and I must’ve fallen asleep.”

She shifted her gaze away and