Page 22 of Hooking a Firefly
“Of course you would be rational right after awaking from surgery.”Faith sighed.“You’re far too serious, you know that.”
“I do,” she replied in a solemn tone.She didn’t know why, but she had thought Harrison would be waiting for her if she had woke up.Ashlyn hadn’t expected to survive.
“Scarlet will be here tomorrow.She had trouble catching a flight.”
“Call her back and tell her not to come back.She’s on her honeymoon.I’ll still be here when it’s time for her to return.”
Faith shook her head.“She will not listen to that.Just accept that we love you and we want to be here for you.”She sipped from a cup.It smelled like coffee.Ashlyn preferred tea, but damn, that coffee smelled heavenly.“Speaking of people who care, there is someone else that’s been waiting for you to wake up.”
She wanted to ask if it was Harrison, but she didn’t ask.“I suppose Lieutenant Netom will have questions.”
“No,” Faith said.“We handled that.I mean, he might want a statement from you at some point, but there’s no rush.They caught the bad guy and rescued little Zoey.You did well there.”
She frowned.“Then who wants to see me?”
“I do,” Harrison said from the doorway.He shoved his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe.“We have a lot to discuss.”
That was putting things mildly… “Oh?”She would not beg.Ashlyn already hurt too much and didn’t want to add heartache to that.
He turned toward Faith.“Will you give us a minute alone?”
“Only a minute?”Faith quipped.There was a hint of laughter in her tone.
“You know what I mean.”Harrison glared at Faith.
She sighed.“I do.I’ll take a walk to the cafeteria.That should give you two some time to talk.”
Ashlyn almost yelled for her to grab her a cup of tea but changed her mind.Harrison took the seat that Faith had vacated.He stared at her for several moments.“Tell me what you want?”
She swallowed hard.There was only one answer to that question.“Will you give it to me if I ask?”
“I would lay the world at your feet if you’d allow it.”He picked up her hand.“You know that.You’ve always known that.Now tell me what you really want because I can’t read your mind.I look at you and sometimes I’m speechless.I know what I want, but you, you’re an enigma.”
“I only want one thing,” she said in a husky tone.“You.It’s always been you.But there is so much we don’t know about each other.”
“Then it’s a good thing that we have the rest of our lives to figure all that out.”He brushed his hand over her hair.“I only have one demand.Well, two.”
“What is it?”she would agree to anything.Ashlyn was tired, allowing the fear from her visions to hold her back.
“One, no more secrets.I need you to share everything with me, including those visions of yours.I can’t be kept in the dark.”
“Agreed,” she said instantly.“I’m tired of hiding.”
He grinned.“I’m glad that was an easy agreement.”
“What else do you need.”
“Besides you and your love.”He pressed his lips to hers.“I need your love and the rest of our lives together.I don’t want to take this thing between us slowly.We can wait for the big stuff, but you and me, we belong together.I plan on loving you for the rest of my life.I am looking forward to learning everything about you.”
“I can agree with that.”She sat up and cupped his cheek.“I don’t deserve you.Pushing you away was a mistake.But now that I’ve agreed to belong to you.I want you to know there’s no going back.I no longer believe in that nonsense about if you love someone to set them free.You’re mine.I don’t want anybody else but you.”
“Deal,” he said.“I agree completely.You’re mine, I’m yours.No one is going to separate us.I’m good and truly hooked.”
She intended to live the rest of her life with no more regrets.Ashlyn was tired of only loving him in her dreams.She fully intended to love him completely and openly.He pressed his lips to hers.This was how it always should have been.It was silly of her to let her fears rule her, and she should have known better.She hadn’t died as she thought she would.Why she hadn’t realized there could be another outcome… Ashlyn let those thoughts go and instead kissed Harrison again.Life was far too short to live in the past, anyway.
