Page 43 of Her Steadfast Hero

Trudging back to the hotel, he looked at Sarah. She smiled back at him. This had been one of the good house calls. A woman had given birth. It had been a breech birth, and Sarah had said that they couldn’t take her in the jeep to the hospital. She also said it was complicated. He knew that breech was bad, but it had turned out well—after thirty hours.

God, he was tired, but Sarah looked like she was ready to go dancing.

“Did you see him, he looked like a linebacker. I should say a football player. I mean a soccer player type of football player.” She was babbling. He stopped her, and right there in the lobby he kissed her. Hard. She grabbed him and grinned into the kiss. It was a happy and passionate kiss. What a great fucking flavor.

“Get a room!” He tucked her under his arm and turned to glower at Carmen.

“What are you doing at the hotel? I thought your home had been repaired.”

“Bernardo wanted me to talk to the hotel about arranging a party for all of you. You’ll be leaving soon, and he wants to thank you. I even tracked down Lola and her family for Bobby Harrison.” David smiled. “Don’t tell him, though, it’s a secret.” He was really going to miss Carmen.

He looked at Sarah. She had tightened up at Carmen’s words.

He tugged Sarah toward the stairs. Even after all this time he still didn’t feel good about the elevators. Let’s face it, even though the electrical grid was fine, he wouldn’t be taking elevators until he was back in the states.

As soon as they got into the room, she turned to him, grabbed at his T-shirt, and tugged it over his head. His bandage was gone, and so were the stitches. She traced the healing flesh.

“Are you feeling better now, Honey?”

“What?”

“Are you feeling safer? Are you beginning to trust that I won’t leave you?” Her pretty gray eyes turned misty. She nodded.

“I’m sorry I was so scared.”

“There’s nothing to feel sorry about. You had perfectly valid reasons to be scared. But this was an extraordinary set of circumstances. I told you, I lead a very boring life.”

“There is nothing boring about you, David Sloane.”

“What about you? Are you planning on living a boring life, Sarah Kyle?”

“Yep, I already told Carys that when this is all over, I’m going back to the US.” He thought his face might split in half with how big his grin was. “I don’t want us to break up.” She looked up at him. “We are in a relationship, right?”

“Make no mistake. This is a relationship. As soon as we get back to the states, and I get to a jewelry store, this is going to get as permanent as possible. I want you in my life permanently, Sarah. I know what it’s like without you, and I don’t want that ever again.”

He held his breath. She searched his face.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Screwed that up, didn’t you, Sloane?

“Sarah Marie Kyle, will you marry me?”

“Do you love me?”

“Oh honey, I love you so much it hurts. I’m sorry, I should have said that first. See, I’m a dumbass. I love your beautiful heart that wants to help heal the world. I love your first class brain that runs circles around mine. I love your body that knocks me off my axis. Do you love me? Will you marry me?”

“I love you. I’ve probably been in love with you since Fort Lewis. I’ve just been afraid. Marrying you would make all my dreams come true.”

Finally. Four years, six months and four days. That’s how long it had taken for his dreams to come true.